Every May, Ottawa comes alive with colour as the Canadian Tulip Festival takes over the city.
With over one million tulips in bloom and more than 650,000 visitors, it’s the world’s largest free tulip festival, stretching across Commissioners Park, the Rideau Canal, and beyond.
Whether you’re planning a day trip or a full weekend, this guide covers everything you need to know, including where to park so your visit starts stress-free.
Use our Ottawa Tulip Festival parking page to find and book your spot near the festival grounds before you go.
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Dates and Location
Dates: Friday, May 8 – Monday, May 18, 2026
Hours: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM daily (Tulip Market closes at 6:00 PM on weekdays)
Main Venue: Commissioners Park, 450 Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Ottawa, ON K1S 3W7
Admission: FREE (select paid experiences available for $5 per person)
The festival runs 11 days across two weekends, with Victoria Day weekend (May 16–18) typically being the busiest stretch of the event. The park is at its most vibrant during midweek mornings, when crowds are lighter and the morning light makes for stunning photos.
Note that in 2026, there will be no fireworks or drone show during Victoria Day weekend. It will return to the skies in 2027 for the Diamond Jubilee.
Road Closures to Know: Queen Elizabeth Driveway (from Preston Street to Torrington Place) will be closed on:
May 9: 9 AM – 6 PM
May 10: 10 AM – 6 PM
May 16: 10 AM – 6 PM
May 17: 10 AM – 11 PM
Plan your driving route and parking accordingly, especially on these dates.
What’s on at the Festival
The Canadian Tulip Festival is more than just flowers. The 2026 edition features a mix of free and ticketed experiences that give everyone, from history buffs to families with young kids, something to enjoy.
Free Experiences
Self-Guided Tulip Legacy Tour
May 8 – 18 | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Explore the history and symbolism of the tulip gardens at your own pace, with informational plaques and markers placed throughout Commissioners Park’s 26 flower beds. It’s one of the best ways to connect the beauty you’re seeing with its history.
Dutch Pavilion
May 8 – 18 | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Presented by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, this pavilion celebrates the cultural connection between Canada and the Netherlands that inspired the festival as a whole. Expect Dutch heritage displays, cultural programming, and a meaningful nod to the relationship that started it all.
Korean Pavilion
May 8 – 18 | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Highlighting shared values and the rules-based international order between Canada and Korea, this pavilion adds a new dimension of international friendship to the festival.
Arteast Pavilion
May 8 – 18 | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
A showcase for local and regional artists, the Arteast Pavilion is a great way to discover original artwork and connect with Ottawa’s creative community.
Tulip Market
May 8 – 18 | Weekdays 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Weekends 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM.
Browse handcrafted artisanal goods, unique gifts, official festival merchandise, and live potted tulips at theTulip Boutique. It’s the perfect place to bring a little bit of the festival home with you.
Flower Fun Run
Sunday, May 9, 12:00 PM
A family-friendly fun run through the park is a great way to kick off your festival weekend.
Paid Experiences
CIBC Tulip Trek
May 8 – 18, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
The festival’s newest addition is an interactive scavenger hunt through Commissioners Park designed to educate, entertain, and thrill guests of all ages. Follow the clues, gather the family, and see if you have what it takes to solve the mystery and save the tulips. It’s part adventure, part history lesson, and completely unique to this year’s festival.
270 West Consulting Presents the Tulip Trail
May 8 – 18, 10:00 AM – 8:00PM | Tulip Trail Entrance
This immersive 40-minute experience takes guests on a journey 12,000 kilometres and 4,000 years through the incredible story of the tulip, from the Himalayan Mountains to Ottawa. Research and imagery from Imagineering Horticulture in the Netherlands bring the story to life in a way that feels both informative and genuinely surprising.
Polestar Ottawa Tulip Taxi
May 8 – 18, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Save your feet and see it all. Hop aboard a cart for an audio tour of the park’s 1.2-kilometre route, taking you through all 26 gardens,100+ varieties, and 300,000 tulips. Purchase wristbands at any of the festival’s info centres upon arrival.
Best Places to See Tulips
While Commissioners Park is the official heart of the festival, tulips bloom all across the capital during May. Here are the top spots to add to your tulip-gazing itinerary.
Commissioners Park at Dow’s Lake
This is the crown jewel. Located along the western shore of Dow’s Lake, Commissioners Park hosts over 300,000 tulips planted across 26 curated flower beds, featuring more than 100 varieties. The park stretches over 8.95 hectares, and you can easily spend an entire morning or afternoon exploring every corner of it. The highlight is the Queen Juliana Gift Bed, planted with the bulbs donated each year by the Netherlands, a tangible, living symbol of the bond at the heart of the festival.
Major’s Hill Park
Located right behind the Fairmont Château Laurier in downtown Ottawa, Major’s Hill Park offers stunning tulip beds with some of the most photogenic backdrops in the city. Parliament Hill, the Ottawa River, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica all appear in the background, giving your spring photos an unmistakably Ottawa quality. It’s also a great escape if you want to see beautiful tulips away from the main festival crowds.
Parliament Hill
The iconic tulip beds surrounding Parliament Hill’s historic buildings are meticulously planted each spring. This is the quintessential Ottawa tulip shot, bright blooms in front of the Centre Block, and it’s completely free to walk through.
Along the Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal pathways connect Commissioners Park to downtown Ottawa with stretches of blooming tulips along the way. Walking or cycling the Queen Elizabeth Driveway or the Rideau Canal Western Pathway during festival season gives you continuous colour from one end of the route to the other. The canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and seeing it in full spring bloom is genuinely spectacular.
The National War Memorial
Located on Elgin Street near Parliament Hill, the National War Memorial is surrounded by flowerbeds filled with tulips each May. Given the deep connection between the tulip festival and Canada’s sacrifice in liberating the Netherlands, this is one of the most meaningful places to stop and reflect during your visit.
Queen Juliana Park
A smaller, quieter spot near Little Italy, Queen Juliana Park is a tucked-away gem that’s often less crowded than the main festival venues. It features tulip beds popular with photographers seeking a more intimate setting.
Ottawa Tulip Festival Parking
Parking near Commissioners Park fills up quickly during the festival, especially on weekends, when lots can be full by 10 AM. Road closures along Queen Elizabeth Driveway on several dates add an extra layer of complexity to driving there. The good news is that with a little advance planning, getting to the festival is completely stress-free.
Use our Ottawa Tulip Festival parking page to find available parking lots near the festival, book your spot ahead of time, or reserve on the day of your visit right from your phone.
Best Hotels to Stay
If you’re travelling to Ottawa for the tulip festival, booking early is essential. Hotels in the downtown core fill up fast for Victoria Day weekend, and prices rise significantly as the festival approaches.
Lord Elgin Hotel
100 Elgin Street
11-minute drive to Commissioners Park
$$$
Tulip Festival favourite for good reason. The Lord Elgin is centrally located in downtown Ottawa, a short walk from the Rideau Canal and major tulip viewing sites. It doesn’t get more convenient than this.
The Westin Ottawa
11 Colonel By Dr
15-minute drive to Commissioners Park
$$$$
Spacious rooms, an indoor connection to the Rideau Centre, and a great location near the canal make the Westin a popular choice for festival visitors who want comfort and convenience.
Delta Hotels by Marriott Ottawa City Centre
101 Lyon Street N.
9-minute drive to Commissioners Park
$$$
An official festival hotel partner, the Delta offers a tulip-themed welcome amenity during festival season. It’s a great central base with easy access to downtown tulip viewing spots and transit to Commissioners Park.
Fairmont Château Laurier
1 Rideau St
12-minute drive to Commissioners Park
$$$
Ottawa’s most iconic hotel sits at the edge of the Rideau Canal, right next to Major’s Hill Park and Parliament Hill. Staying here during tulip season is an experience in itself; the views from the grounds are spectacular, and everything is within walking distance.
The Metcalfe Hotel
123 Metcalfe Street
12-minute drive to Commissioners Park
$$$
The Metcalfe’s location near the Rideau Canal and Parliament Hill makes it a solid option for anyone who wants to walk to multiple tulip sites without needing transit.
Alt Hotel Ottawa
185 Slater Street
11-minute drive to Commissioners Park
$$
A stylish and affordable option in the heart of downtown Ottawa. The Alt Hotel’s relaxed atmosphere, modern rooms, and newly opened café make it a great base for spring visitors who want to keep things simple.
Where to Eat
After a few hours of walking through the tulip beds, you’ll have worked up an appetite. The festival grounds have food vendors on-site, but Ottawa’s restaurant scene near Commissioners Park is excellent.
Lago Bar & Grill
1001 Queen Elizabeth Driveway
4-minute walk to Commissioners Park
$$$
Located right on the water at Dow’s Lake Pavilion, Lago is the closest restaurant to Commissioners Park and the most obvious choice for a meal with a view. The lakeside setting is beautiful, and the patio is a great place to wind down after exploring the festival. Expect it to be busy on weekends; a reservation is a smart move.
Mati
354 Preston Street
6-minute walk to Commissioners Park
$$$
A popular Preston Street spot serving modern Mediterranean food. The menu is inventive, the atmosphere is warm, and the location in the heart of Little Italy puts it right in the middle of Ottawa’s most vibrant dining neighbourhood during festival season.
La Roma Restaurant
430 Preston Street
6-minute walk to Commissioners Park
$$
A Little Italy institution. La Roma is known for its generous portions of classic Italian food, from-scratch pasta, and a large patio that comes alive in spring. It’s reliably good and great value for a post-festival dinner.
La Favorita
356 Preston St
8-minute walk to Commissioners Park
$$
A neighbourhood favourite with a cozy, welcoming vibe and a menu rooted in Italian comfort food. A short walk from Commissioners Park, with a reputation for great food and wonderful atmosphere.
Giovanni’s
362 Preston Street
8-minute walk to Commissioners Park
$$
A beloved Little Italy staple that’s been serving some of Ottawa’s best pizza and pasta for decades. Casual, affordable, and always consistent, a great option for families or groups who want a no-fuss meal after a day at the festival.
Tips Before You Go
Plan your visit for a weekday morning.
Weekday mornings (7–10 AM) are quieter, better for photos, and easier for parking. Weekends, especially Victoria Day, are the busiest.
Bloom timing can vary.
Peak bloom depends on the weather, but the middle of the festival is usually best. With early, mid, and late blooms planted, you’ll see flowers throughout.
Dress for Ottawa spring weather.
Ottawa weather in May can change quickly. Wear layers and comfortable shoes; you’ll be walking a lot.
If you’re driving, plan your parking in advance.
Use our Ottawa Tulip Festival parking page to find and book parking near Commissioners Park in advance, or on the day, to avoid the hassle.
Explore beyond Commissioners Park.
Check out Major’s Hill Park, Parliament Hill, and the Rideau Canal for beautiful, less crowded views.
Conclusion
The Ottawa Tulip Festival is one of Canada’s most beautiful spring traditions, blending history, culture, and over a million blooming tulips across the city.
A little planning goes a long way. Use our Ottawa Tulip Festival parking page to find and book parking near Commissioners Park in advance or on the day of your visit, so you can spend less time searching and more time enjoying the festival.
Happy festival season, Ottawa
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