Ottawa

Parliament Hill, Major's Hill Park and Gatineau over a weekend

Day one, morning. Take the first booked Parliament tour, of the Commons chamber in the West Block, then walk round behind the buildings for the view upriver past the Library of Parliament. From late June, aim to be on the front lawn early for the Changing of the Guard.

Day one, afternoon. Drop down to the Rideau Canal locks beside the Chateau Laurier, where the Bytown Museum tells the story of the canal and the lumber town, then cross Major's Hill Park to the National Gallery. Give the gallery at least two hours: the Canadian and Indigenous rooms are the best in the country. Spend the evening in the ByWard Market, with dinner on Murray or Clarence Street and a BeaverTail for dessert.

Day two. Walk over the Alexandra Bridge to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, whose Grand Hall of Pacific coast totem poles is the highlight, and look back at Parliament from its riverside terrace. Return for the Canadian War Museum by LeBreton Flats, or rent a bike and ride the canal path south to Dows Lake. With a car and a spare afternoon, Gatineau Park's lookouts are 20 minutes north; in winter, replace the bike with skates on the canal.

Shawarma, BeaverTails and Preston Street espresso

Shawarma is Ottawa's real comfort food, thanks to its large Lebanese community: garlicky chicken wraps from counters on Bank and Somerset streets, eaten late after the bars. The tourist classic is the BeaverTail fried pastry from the ByWard Market stand; order the Killaloe Sunrise. Preston Street, old Little Italy, does espresso and trattorias.

Ottawa's everyday food surprises people. A large Lebanese community has made shawarma the city's real comfort food: garlic-heavy chicken wraps from counters on Bank Street, Somerset Street and almost every suburban strip mall, eaten late after the bars close. The tourist classic is the BeaverTail, hand-stretched fried dough sold at the George Street stand in the ByWard Market and from huts on the canal in winter; order the Killaloe Sunrise, with cinnamon sugar and lemon.

For sit-down meals, the ByWard Market streets have the densest choice, from pubs to tasting menus. Preston Street, the old Little Italy, does espresso bars and trattorias, and Somerset Street West has Chinatown's noodle shops and Vietnamese pho. Elgin Street and the Glebe stretch of Bank Street are good for brunch. On Sundays from spring to autumn, the Ottawa Farmers' Market at Lansdowne sells Ontario cheese, maple syrup and fruit straight from the Valley farms.

Across the river in Gatineau, the menus switch to French and poutine and Quebec craft beer appear everywhere; bars there also stay open later than on the Ontario side, which is why many Ottawa nights end in Hull.

Winterlude, tulips and the Canada Day fireworks

Ottawa winters are hard, with January highs near −6°C, but they bring the Rideau Canal Skateway, about 7.8 km of ice in a good year, and Winterlude over the first three weekends of February. The Canadian Tulip Festival arrives in May, and Canada Day on 1 July ends with fireworks over Parliament Hill.

The capital has a hard winter: January highs hover around minus 6C and nights can fall below minus 20C. That is the price of the Rideau Canal Skateway, which in a good year opens in January and runs for about 7.8 km between downtown and Dows Lake, with skate rental and heated huts along the ice. Winterlude fills the first three weekends of February with ice sculptures on the canal and snow slides at Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau. A mild spell can close the ice at short notice, so check its status before you plan around it.

Spring arrives in a rush in May with the Canadian Tulip Festival, when beds of Dutch bulbs bloom in Commissioner's Park by Dows Lake and along the canal. Summer days are warm, often in the high 20s C and humid. Canada Day on July 1 brings concerts, crowds and fireworks to the downtown core, and every hotel fills. Bluesfest follows in July at LeBreton Flats.

Autumn is short and lovely. From late September to mid-October the maples in Gatineau Park turn red and gold, and the weekend parkways fill with leaf-peepers. Go on a weekday morning if you can.