ByWard Market Food Tour Ottawa: 3.5-hour walking tasting

Five tastings, six neighbourhood stops, one guide who knows the market's history

A 3.5-hour guided walking tour of Ottawa's ByWard Market where you taste food at multiple local eateries, visit the Market Pavilion and other landmarks, and learn the area's history from a live guide in English or French. The tour includes 3 savoury tastings, 2 sweet treats, one alcoholic beverage, water at restaurant stops, and a shared BeaverTail pastry. Suitable for all fitness levels and wheelchair accessible throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore ByWard Market and taste local foods

• Meet knowledgeable guide
• Choose English or French guide
• Visit ByWard Market Pavilion
• See Ottawa Letters and York Street Plaza
• Explore the Courtyards and Totem Pole
• Enjoy 3 savoury tastings
• Try 2 sweet treats including BeaverTail pastry
• Have one included alcoholic beverage

The experience

What makes this walk different from browsing the market on your own is the guide. Someone who knows why the ByWard Market exists at all. Colonel John By planned this commercial district as part of the Rideau Canal project, and that history shapes what you eat and where. Your guide weaves the stories of the market's evolution and its food traditions into the stops themselves, so you're not just tasting. You're understanding how the neighbourhood became what it is.

The route takes you through the ByWard Market Pavilion, past the Ottawa Letters, into York Street Plaza, through the Courtyards, and to the Totem Pole of Canada. At each stop, you eat. Three savoury tastings come from local and international eateries that locals actually use, not tourist traps. Two sweet treats follow. One alcoholic beverage is included. Water appears at the restaurant stops. The tour finishes with a shared BeaverTail, the pastry Ottawa is known for. Come hungry. The operator says the tour is filling.

You choose your guide's language at booking, English or French. The walk lasts 3.5 hours and moves at a pace all fitness levels can handle. The market is wheelchair accessible, and so are all the areas and surfaces you'll cover. If you're traveling with infants or small children, a pram or stroller works fine. Public transit stops nearby if you need them.

What’s included

• A live guide in English or French who shares the ByWard Market's history and food traditions.
• three savoury tastings at local eateries.
• two sweet treats.
• one alcoholic beverage.
• water at restaurant stops.
• a shared BeaverTail pastry.
• visits to the ByWard Market Pavilion, Ottawa Letters, York Street Plaza, Courtyards, and Totem Pole of Canada.

Options for this experience

2 options

Byward Market food tour in OttawaGuide in 4 languages · 13:00

Private Byward Market Food TourGuide in 4 languages · 11:30, 12:30, 13:00 and 13:30Private food tour lasting 3 hours, with food and drinks

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 11:30, 12:30, 13:00 and 13:30

AgesAdult (4 and older) · Child (under 4): free

GroupUp to 14

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Ottawa Food Tours

Is this one for you?Book the shared tour if you want the full market experience with other travellers and a guide who knows the neighbourhood's stories. Choose the private option if your group prefers to move at your own pace and have the guide's attention to yourselves alone.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 4): free.

What is the ByWard Market Pavilion, and do we spend time there?

The ByWard Market Pavilion is one of the neighbourhood landmarks you visit during the tour. It's part of the route that also includes the Ottawa Letters, York Street Plaza, the Courtyards, and the Totem Pole of Canada.

How many food stops are there, and what kind of food do we taste?

You stop at multiple local and international eateries throughout the 3.5 hours. The tour includes 3 savoury tastings and 2 sweet treats, plus one alcoholic beverage and a shared BeaverTail pastry at the end. Water is provided at the restaurant stops.

Is this tour accessible if I use a wheelchair or travel with a stroller?

The ByWard Market and all areas and surfaces on the tour route are wheelchair accessible. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller throughout the walk.

What is a BeaverTail, and why is it included?

A BeaverTail is Ottawa's iconic pastry. A fried dough treat that is part of the city's food identity. The tour includes a shared BeaverTail as the final tasting, so you leave with a taste of what the city is known for.