OK, these Ottawa gift ideas aren’t just for people who live in the nation’s capital! The following gift certificates, passes, gift cards and getaway packages will take your family and friends to destinations all over Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais and beyond. So whether you live in Barrhaven or Brockville, Aylmer or Almonte, Westboro or Westport, I hope you find a little bit of last-minute gift inspiration here.
And giving the gift of an experience is a wonderful way to support local businesses and institutions, while ensuring that your loved ones don’t end up storing another singing fish, pet rock, novelty tie or yogurt maker in their basement. Everyone wins!
P.S.: This isn’t an advertising feature. It’s just a non-exhaustive list of some of my local faves. I have visited some of the sites and attractions as their guest for review purposes, but none of them have reviewed or approved this post, and all opinions are my own.
Cover photo by Juliana Malta on Unsplash.
Last-minute presents for families
- Ingenium membership: This package gives up to two adults, and their children or grandchildren, unlimited access to three Ottawa museums—the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canada Science and Technology Museum—for a year.
- Canadian Museum of Nature family membership: All the dinosaurs, all the geology, all the natural history, all year long! The museum offers packages for parents and grandparents, giving you unlimited admissions, discounts at the museum’s gift shop and café, access to members-only events, and more. (Note: If the membership holder lives more than 100km from the museum, there’s a 20% discount on memberships.)
- Upper Canada Village and Fort Henry: Season passes give you unlimited day admissions to these historical attractions in Morrisburg and Kingston, respectively. The passes also include perks such as admission to the Parks of the St. Lawrence and Kingston Trolley Tour tickets. Buy premium passes and you’ll also get admission to special events such as Pumpkinferno, Alight at Night and the Fort Henry Sunset Ceremony.
Ottawa gift ideas for the thrill seeker
- Interzip Rogers: You can give your favourite adrenaline nut a high-level trip across the Ottawa River from Ottawa to Gatineau on this 366-metre zipline. (Here’s my report on my trip across the zipline on opening day.)
- Great Canadian Bungee: Full disclosure: I have not gone bungee jumping. Further, I will NEVER go bungee jumping. Bouncing around on a giant elastic band exceeds my thrill-seeking limit. But if you have a daredevil on your Christmas list, Canada’s highest bungee jump (located just outside Wakefield) could be the perfect last-minute gift option. P.S.: There is also a zipline onsite.
- CN Tower EdgeWalk: This one I HAVE done. Billed as “the world’s highest hands-free external walk on a building,” it involves walking along a catwalk 116 storeys above downtown Toronto, while tethered to the CN Tower with multiple cables. It’s a blast, but only if heights don’t bother your gift recipient. My insider tip? Tie your hair back; it can be windy up there. (Here’s a full post about my EdgeWalk experience.)
Gift certificates for the spa lover
- Bota Bota: Shopping for the spa diva who has tried it all? Has she been to a Nordic spa on a boat, with the skyline of Old Montreal as a backdrop? If not, Bota Bota might be just her cup of herbal tea (or something stronger—the onboard restaurant is licensed). The selection of packages includes gifts for foodies, massage fans, couples and more.
- Nordik Spa-Nature: The popular Scandinavian-style spa in Chelsea sells a range of gift packages, which you can buy online or at one of their pop-up kiosks at the Rideau Centre, St. Laurent, Bayshore or Promenades de l’Outaouais.
Presents for outdoorsy types
- Sentier des cimes: This 40-metre-high observation tower, just south of the Tremblant resort, gives you a 360-degree view of the surrounding forest. You can buy day tickets or annual passes as gifts. See my post about visiting the tower in fall for more details about this stunning site.
- Gatineau Park winter passes: A variety of day and annual passes are available, for individuals and families, and for different types of activities (such as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing).
- Calabogie Peaks winter passes: Again, you can choose from various passes for individuals and groups, good for skiing and snowboarding at this resort about an hour west of Ottawa.
Getaways for the weekender
- Auberge Tom B&B: At this lovely B&B in Chelsea, Quebec, the friendly owners whip up amazing breakfasts! And they have a sweet deal on Christmas gift certificates: You only pay 80% of the face value of the certificate. So, for instance, a certificate worth $100 costs you just $80. The deal is on until December 24 at noon.
- Wakefield Mill: You can buy an entire package at this inn—located in an historic mill overlooking a waterfall in Wakefield, Quebec—or a gift card in various amounts that can be applied toward a purchase of the recipient’s choice.
- Visit Kingston: The Kingston tourism bureau is currently offering a selection of getaway packages, which pair hotel stays with everything from charcuterie to spa treatments.
Ottawa gift ideas for the foodie
- Café AVIA: Buy your java-loving friend a bag of shade-grown, bird-friendly coffee (or a coffee subscription) from Café AVIA and you can support one of a number of Canadian bird conservation organizations—including Le Nichoir in Hudson, Quebec—at the same time. I’m not a coffee drinker, but my husband says the medium-roast blend is very good. Order by December 19.
- C’est Bon: This Ottawa cooking school’s gift certificates are good for in-person or virtual cooking classes, and local food tours.
- Jacobsons: The gourmet food shop in New Edinburgh offers gift certificates of various values, so people can browse for fancy cheeses, crackers and more to their heart’s content.
Holiday presents for the arts and culture vulture
- Ottawa School of Art: Has someone on your Christmas list always dreamed of learning to draw or paint? A gift certificate for in-person or virtual classes at this school, which has campuses in the ByWard Market and Orleans, might just get the creative juices flowing.
- Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival: Tickets and passes are available now for this winter music festival on February 3 and 4.
- Harmony Concerts: You can get e-gift cards or physical gift certificates good toward any Harmony’s concerts in Ottawa, Perth and Morrisburg. You can also buy passes for the just-announced series of nine concerts in Ottawa in 2023.
- National Gallery of Canada: Annual memberships for individuals, couples and families include unlimited admission and members-only goodies, such as previews of special exhibitions and discounts at the gallery’s boutique.
Gift cards for the shopper
- Cheerfully Made: This Almonte shop and online market sells products by artists and crafters from across our region and from elsewhere in Canada.
- Downtown Brockville: These gift cards can be redeemed at participating businesses in downtown Brockville.
- Downtown Perth: Gift certificates are available in any amount you choose and can be used at any business in downtown Perth.
- Green Gecko: This charming gift store in tiny Lyndhurst, about 130 kilometres southwest of Ottawa, sells unique clothing, decor items and gifts from around the world. And just getting there is a pretty road trip from Ottawa or Kingston.
Of course, if you’re looking for other Ottawa gift ideas, you could always give someone one of my local guidebooks—Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide or Ottawa Road Trips: Your Weekend Getaway Guide. They’re available in many Ottawa bookstores.
And if you’d like to give yourself a treat, why not subscribe to my free weekly newsletter, if you haven’t already? It’s packed with tips for day trips, weekend getaways and longer road trips, all year long.
Happy holidays to you and yours, no matter how you celebrate the closing weeks of the year.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.