Ottawa's day-trip map runs north into the Gatineau Hills of Quebec, west along the Ottawa River to the Laurentian foothills, east along the 417 toward Montreal, and southeast along the St. Lawrence to the Thousand Islands and Prince Edward County. Wakefield is 30 minutes north; Montreal is 2 hours east. The round trip decides what fits: Wakefield and Montebello keep the drive under two hours; Prince Edward County at nearly six hours round trip needs the full day.
All costs in this post are in Canadian dollars (CAD). Every drive time was checked against a routing source, labeled one-way in typical traffic. The cost is an honest same-day estimate for two: fuel, entries or admission, and a meal. No hotel bill, because that is the whole point.
The getaways, mapped
Every pick around Ottawa, numbered to match the table — with the drive and cost.
The short list
| Destination | Cost for two (day) | When to go | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield | ~30m · 35 km | ~1h | Gatineau Hills + covered bridge | CAD $140–210 | October |
| Montebello | ~55m · 83.2 km | ~1h 50m | Omega Park + Château | CAD $150–210 | July |
| Perth | ~1h · 85 km | ~2h | Heritage town + Tay Canal | CAD $150–220 | September |
| Gananoque | ~1h 35m · 163.6 km | ~3h 10m | Thousand Islands cruises | CAD $170–240 | September |
| Kingston | ~1h 55m · 196 km | ~3h 50m | Fort Henry + limestone city | CAD $170–250 | May |
| Montreal | ~2h · 199 km | ~4h | Old Montreal + Plateau | CAD $180–250 | June |
| Prince Edward County | ~2h 50m · 279 km | ~5h 40m | Sandbanks dunes + wineries | CAD $200–270 | August |
Wakefield, Montebello, and Perth keep the round trip under two and a half hours. Gananoque and Kingston are full-day drives. Montreal at four hours round trip is manageable with a 9 AM departure. Prince Edward County at nearly six hours needs the earliest start and the full day. Costs run CAD $140 to $270 for two.
Best for the Gatineau Hills
Wakefield is the closest concentrated day trip from Ottawa: 30 minutes north and the most accessible section of Gatineau Park.
Wakefield
About 30 minutes north via the Gatineau Parkway and QC-105, Wakefield sits on the Gatineau River in the Gatineau Hills. The Wakefield covered bridge, one of the last covered bridges in the National Capital Region, crosses the river at the town's main intersection. Gatineau Park's Chelsea sector, accessible from the Visitor Centre on Route de la Gatineau, covers 36,000 hectares of mixed hardwood and boreal forest with 165 kilometres of marked hiking trails. The Lusk Cave trail (10.7 km return) leads through a limestone cave system open in summer without a guide. Wakefield's main street along Chemin Riverside has a handful of restaurants and the Wakefield Pub in a converted mill building. October, when the Gatineau Hills hardwoods produce concentrated fall colour that Ottawa proper doesn't match.
Iconic eats: Smoked Meat Sandwich
Wakefield
Montebello
About 55 minutes west on Highway 50, Montebello sits on the Ottawa River at the western edge of the Laurentian Uplands. Omega Park, a 1,500-acre drive-through wildlife reserve on Route 323, shelters bison, elk, black bears, timber wolves, and wild boar accessible from the car: one of the few facilities in eastern Canada where all six of these species are viewable in a single visit. The Fairmont Le Château Montebello, built in 1930 from 10,000 red cedar logs, is the largest log structure in the world and operates a waterfront terrace and a public lobby open to day visitors. The Ottawa River shoreline trail at the château runs west along the riverbank toward the protected wetlands. July, when the wildlife park animals are most active and the river is at low enough stage for shoreline walking.
Iconic eats: Tourtiere
Montebello
Best for history
Perth
About one hour west on Highway 7, Perth sits on the Tay Canal and the Mississippi River in Lanark County: a 19th-century planned town that retains its original stone commercial streetscape along Gore and Foster Streets. The Tay Canal Basin in the town centre links to the Rideau Canal waterway, and the 1839 Tay Canal lock house and lock are a Rideau Canal National Historic Site. Stewart Park, on the Tay River east of downtown, has lawn bowling and croquet courts that have operated on the same grounds since the 1920s. The Crystal Palace building on Gore Street is a heritage commercial structure that houses the Farmers' Market on Saturdays. September, for the Perth Kilt Walk and the post-summer quiet on the Rideau Canal.
Iconic eats: Butter Tart, Peameal Bacon Sandwich
Perth
Kingston
About one hour and 55 minutes east on Highway 401, Kingston sits where the St. Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario and the mouth of the Cataraqui River: a strategic junction that produced Fort Frontenac in 1673 and Fort Henry in 1836. Fort Henry National Historic Site, on the ridge above the city, is a fully preserved British fortification from the War of 1812 period with daily drill demonstrations and guided tours. The downtown along Ontario Street preserves its 19th-century limestone commercial architecture, the same Kingston Limestone that built many of the city's 200-year-old buildings. Queen's University campus at the west end of downtown adds a collegiate streetscape and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre. May, when the fort's demonstration season opens and the harbour shows spring activity.
Iconic eats: Butter Tart, Nanaimo Bar
Kingston
Best for the waterway
Gananoque
About one hour and 35 minutes east on Highway 401, Gananoque sits on the St. Lawrence River at the western entry to the Thousand Islands: an archipelago of 1,864 islands stretching 80 kilometres along the river between Ontario and New York State. Gananoque Boat Lines operates 1-hour, 2-hour, and 3-hour cruise circuits through the islands with commentary on the Gilded Age estates, castles, and US Coast Guard stations throughout. Boldt Castle on Heart Island, an American island, is visible from the Canadian cruise boats. The town's Stone Street preserves 19th-century limestone commercial buildings and the Gananoque Inn on the waterfront. September, when the island summer crowds thin and the river runs in its fall colour window.
Gananoque
The big city addition
Montreal
About two hours east on Highway 417 (the 417 becomes the Autoroute 40 at the Quebec border), Montreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest French-speaking city in North America outside Paris. Old Montreal along the St. Lawrence waterfront preserves 400 years of French colonial and Victorian commercial architecture: Place Jacques-Cartier, the Bonsecours Market, and the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal within four square blocks. The Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood on Rue Saint-Denis and Rue Mont-Royal is the most-walked residential neighbourhood in the city. Bagels from the St-Viateur or Fairmount bakeries on the Plateau are distinct from New York style and made in wood-fired ovens. The round trip runs four hours with traffic; leave by 9 AM. June, when the terrasses open and the city's outdoor culture is at full volume.
Iconic eats: Montreal Bagel, Tire sur la neige, Tarte au Sucre
Montreal
Prince Edward County
About two hours and 50 minutes southeast on Highway 401 and Highway 33 across the Bay Bridge, Prince Edward County is a peninsula in Lake Ontario with Sandbanks Provincial Park, the largest freshwater sand dune system on Earth. The dunes rise to 25 metres above Lake Ontario's shoreline, with the sand-bottom West Lake and Outlet Beach providing the clearest freshwater swimming in eastern Ontario. The County's wine region, centered on Closson Road in Hillier, produces cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from around 40 wineries. The town of Picton is the commercial centre; Wellington on the Lake Road has several of the most-visited tasting rooms. The round trip at nearly six hours requires a 7 AM departure to make full use of both the beach and the wineries. August for Sandbanks' peak sand and warm lake.
Iconic eats: Apple Galette, Cheddar Cheese, Lake Ontario Whitefish
Prince Edward County
Getting there and getting around
Every destination on this list is a drive from Ottawa. The Gatineau Parkway north into Quebec reaches Wakefield. Highway 50 west reaches Montebello. Highway 7 west reaches Perth. Highway 401 east is the spine for Kingston, Gananoque, and access to Prince Edward County via Belleville. Highway 417 east becomes the Autoroute 20 and Autoroute 40 into Montreal.
The Gatineau Parkway is a scenic road without highway speeds. Allow the full 30 minutes for Wakefield even when traffic is light. Highway 417 east toward Montreal backs up at the Coburg area on summer Fridays and can slow into Montreal's south shore exchanges on weekdays; the 401 merge at the Quebec border varies. The Glenora Ferry into Prince Edward County from Adolphustown is free but runs on limited schedule in October and November.
Common questions
What's the best day trip from Ottawa? Wakefield at 30 minutes for Gatineau Park access and fall colour. For the waterway, Gananoque at 1h 35m for Thousand Islands cruises.
Is Montreal worth a day trip from Ottawa? Yes, about 2 hours east. Leave by 9 AM for Old Montreal and the Plateau. The 4-hour round trip is tight but manageable.
What's the closest day trip from Ottawa? Wakefield, about 30 minutes north via the Gatineau Parkway: Gatineau Park's Chelsea trails and the covered bridge.
What's a good nature day trip from Ottawa? Wakefield for Gatineau Park's 165 km of trails; Montebello for Omega Park wildlife; Prince Edward County for Sandbanks dunes (long day, 2h 50m each way).
What's the best fall day trip from Ottawa? Wakefield and the Gatineau Hills in October, the closest and most concentrated fall colour near the capital.
How much does a day trip from Ottawa cost for two? All costs in Canadian dollars. Most run CAD $140–270. Wakefield sits around CAD $140–210; Prince Edward County reaches CAD $200–270. No lodging.
The bottom line
The best day trip from Ottawa is the one whose round trip leaves time to use the day. Wakefield, Montebello, and Perth at under two and a half hours are the no-commitment picks. Gananoque and Kingston are full-day river and history destinations. Montreal at four hours earns the drive as the most culturally distinct day trip from the capital. Prince Edward County requires the earliest start. Plan your day trip free and the planner ranks these for your exact date, group, and budget.
Browse more day trips by city, or for an overnight see the weekend getaways from Ottawa.
Drive times verified against routing sources August 2026; confirm ferry schedules, museum hours, and park conditions before you travel.
Written by
NamrataPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, used under Creative Commons licenses