Ottawa’s Tulip Festival is one of my favourite times of the year. If you’re planning to check out the Canadian Tulip Festival, here’s everything you need to know (from someone who has been attending annually since she was just a teeny tiny tot!). These are just my top tips, but you can find more detailed information on the official website here: https://tulipfestival.ca/
📅 Dates
The festival typically runs in May, with peak bloom landing mid-month (depending on the weather each year).
2026 Dates: May 8-18th
Check bloom updates before you go, as timing can shift. The NCC has an awesome “tulip meter” on their website, which updates daily with the current bloom level! Check it out here: NCC Tulip Meter
📍 Locations
My favourite spots to see tulips:
- Commissioners Park/Dow’s Lake (the classic rows, most concentrated and biggest beds)
- Major’s Hill Park (awesome for picnics, view of the river and Parliament Hill)
- Rideau Canal (there are beds all along the canal, making any walk/ride/run extra beautiful!)
- Museum of History (make sure to head behind the museum, along the river)
- War Museum (this used to be a go-to dog walk spot for me, so many beautiful tulips along the path behind the museum by the river)
⏰ Timing Tips
- Tulips change a lot as they bloom, so it’s worth going more than once if you can
- Early bloom vs peak vs late bloom all look completely different
- Morning = best light for photos + fewer crowds
- Weekdays are way quieter than weekends
🚗 Parking Tips
Parking gets busy fast.
Your best bet:
- Walk
- Bike
- Bus
- Run (honestly one of the best ways to do it)
You can easily link multiple tulip spots in one loop along the canal.
🌷 Other Info
- Dog-friendly 🐶
- There are art installations throughout the festival
- You’ll usually find food vendors + coffee spots nearby
- Easy to turn into a half-day wander
💐 Mother’s Day Idea
This is a perfect, low-effort Mother’s Day activity.
Bring coffee, go for a walk, and maybe even add a picnic!
🏃♀️ Running Route
One of the best ways to see everything is on a run.
You can loop past multiple tulip spots along the canal in one of my go-to routes: Tulip Festival Run.
ENJOY🌷
