A Guide to Visiting the Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa 2026
Every May over a million tulips bloom around Canada’s capital region during the Canadian Tulip Festival. As one of the most visually stunning festivals in Canada, this celebration of spring is a must-visit for photographers, nature lovers and for those who love flowers. Make the most of this amazing time of year in Ottawa with our guide to visiting the Canadian Tulip Festival.
When to visit the Canadian Tulip Festival in 2026
The Canadian Tulip Festival takes place May 8-18, 2026. The festival takes place each May for the ten days, ending on the Victoria Day long weekend. The National Capital Commission’s tulip meter is an extremely useful tool in determining the bloom level of tulips around the city, and helpful for planning the timing of your visit.
Whether you plan your visit near the start or end of the festival, you’re guaranteed to see tulips bloom; early, mid, and end-of-season tulips are planted in the festival gardens, so there’s always flowers to see. If you’re lucky enough to visit for a full week, or live nearby, you’ll notice different tulips at every stage of the festival.
History of the Canadian Tulip Festival
The Canadian Tulip Festival was established to celebrate the historic Royal gift of tulips from the Dutch people to Canadians following the Second World War. Following the Nazi Invasion of the Netherlands, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands took refuge in Ottawa along with her two young daughters, and while in exile in Canada, gave birth to her third daughter, Princess Margriet. At the time of the baby’s birth, part of the Ottawa Civic Hospital was declared Dutch soil to allow the new princess to hold Dutch nationality
When she returned to the Netherlands, Princess Juliana gifted 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa to thank the people of Canada. From that moment onwards, the Dutch royal family has sent tulip bulbs to Ottawa each year, a gift known as the “Tulip Legacy”.
The Canadian Tulip Festival has been celebrating the tulip, an international symbol of friendship and peace, since 1953 when the first Canadian Tulip Festival was held at the suggestion of world-renowned photographer Malak Karsh. Since the moment the Canadian Tulip Festival was born, the dedicated gardeners of the National Capital Commission have planted hundreds of thousands of tulip bulbs throughout the national capital region each year, for locals and visitors to enjoy each spring.
Where to see Tulips During the Festival
Commissioners Park
Commissioners Park is the official site of the Canadian Tulip Festival, and has the most spectacular display of tulips in the Ottawa region. The park has several sections and stretches over 8.95 hectares. You can easily spend a morning, afternoon, or entire day walking through the gardens. Official Tulip Festival programming, tours, activities, washrooms, and vendors are all located at Commissioners Park.
Major’s Hill Park
Major’s Hill Park is another popular location to view tulips during the Canadian Tulip Festival. In particular the curvy S-shaped garden winding through the east end of the park across from the National Gallery of Canada is a crowd favourite. As you move closer to the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, you’ll find a long rectangular garden beside the iconic Colonel John By statue. This spot always has a beautiful display of blooms. and is a great spot for photos, with the Parliament of Canada directly in the background.
Other Tulip Gardens around the Ottawa Region
While the large tulip gardens are certainly the draw for many, tulips are planted in many other locations around the Ottawa region. The National Capital Commission’s interactive map is a great resource to plan a tulip tour around the capital, and to find those hidden, not so obvious gardens.
Ottawa River Pathway
Along the Ottawa River on the Quebec side, you’ll find some smaller yet equally beautiful gardens beside the Canadian Museum of History, and in Jacques-Cartier Park. These spots are great for spring photos, with Parliament Hill and the Ottawa River creating the perfect backdrop.
Rideau Canal Pathway
If you go for a walk or a bike ride along the Rideau Canal pathway, you’ll find numerous gardens in all shapes and sizes scattered along the main path. Some are quite large, brimming with colourful blooms, and definitely worth a stop.
Just minutes from the main pathway beside Lansdowne Place you’ll find a circular garden surrounding the Share the Flame monument; a beautiful hidden gem. This bed is planted with Olympic Flame tulips - bright yellow tulips with red stripes flickering up the sides, reminiscent of the Olympic torch. With benches nearby it’s a great place to escape the crowds and is only minutes from the bustling shops and restaurants of Lansdowne Place.
How to Get Around; Parking and Transportation
Free Parking
Free parking is available for a limited time on some side streets around Commissioners Park. Be sure to keep an eye on your watch and park legally; parking officers are out in full force during the festival.
Paid Parking
There are several paid parking options on nearby Preston St. in Ottawa’s Little Italy neighbourhood. This includes small parking lots and on-street parking. They fill up quickly during the festival, so plan to arrive early or during off-peak times. There is also paid on-street parking on several streets north of Carling Avenue.
*Note that the large parking lot across from Dow’s Lake Pavilion is currently under construction and not available
Ride Share, Taxis and Public Transportation
The best option to avoid potential parking issues is by taking a taxi, ride share or public transportation. If you’re taking OC Transpo (Ottawa’s public transportation), we recommend taking the O-Train to Dow’s Lake Station on Line 2. It’s an easy 2 minute walk from the station to the heart of the festival at Commissioners Park. Check the OC Transpo planning tool to plan your route.
Both Uber and Lyft operate in Ottawa and taxis are readily available throughout the city. This is a good option to get to and from the festival, as you’ll avoid any potential parking headaches, and there are easy drop-off areas nearby.
By Bike
Biking is perhaps the best way to get to the Canadian Tulip Festival, and one of our favourite ways to travel around Ottawa. While biking is not permitted on the pathways throughout the festival grounds, Commissioner’s Park is easily accessible from downtown via the Rideau Canal pathway and Ottawa’s many multi-use pathways. If you don’t have a bike you can easily rent one for a few hours, a day, or several days from local companies like Escape Bicycle Tours and Rent A Bike.
Canadian Tulip Festival Tours, Activities and Special Events
There are many special events and activities offered as part of the official programming of the Canadian Tulip Festival each year. These include Tulip Legacy Walking tours, kids activities, a tulip market, onsite vendors and cultural pavilions. On Sunday May 17th, 2026 don’t miss the cool fireworks and drone show to celebrate the Victoria Day weekend, and mark the end of the festival.
What to Wear; Weather Considerations for May
Ottawa is known for its unpredictable spring weather, so we suggest preparing for a variety of weather scenarios. Rain, cold temperatures, light snow, frost, are all possible, so pack a variety of clothing. We suggest wearing multiple layers, that you can remove if you get too warm, with a windproof and waterproof coat as your outer layer. Waterproof footwear is also a must for rainy days and dewy mornings, and a pair of light gloves can definitely come in handy. For warm sunny afternoons, don’t forget a hat and a pair of your most fashionable sunglasses.
What to Bring and What to Leave at Home; Dogs and Drones
A camera is a must for visiting the Canadian Tulip Festival. Whether you have a phone, film, digital camera or professional DSLR, there is no shortage of photo opportunities throughout the city. Drones are NOT permitted on the Canadian Tulip Festival sites, and flying drones over any National Capital Commission property requires prior approval.
If you’re planning on visiting the Canadian Tulip festival with your cutest four-legged friend, you’ll be pleased to hear that dogs are permitted on the festival grounds on leash. Be sure to clean up after your pup, and take your dogs to nearby trees to relieve themselves – wet tulips are only nice when they’re moist from morning dew!
Accessibility at the Canadian Tulip Festival
If you’re visiting the Canadian Tulip Festival with children in strollers, or with someone who has limited mobility, we recommend Commissioners Park as the most accessible place to visit the festival. The paved path throughout the park makes it easy to view tulip beds, and accessible washrooms are located on-site at each rest station.
If you’re headed to Major’s Hill Park, there are some tulip beds accessible by a paved path, however you may need to stray slightly onto the grass to capture your pics.
Where to Eat, Take a Break or Grab a Bite
Food and Drink at Commissioners Park
If you’re after a quick snack or something to drink onsite, you’ll find many food vendors throughout Commissioners Park serving up fresh-squeezed lemonade, coffee, hot dogs, ice cream, poutine and more. These offerings vary each year, so check directly with the Canadian Tulip Festival for details on your lunch options.
Little Italy
Packed with restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, and great spots for authentic Italian gelato, Ottawa’s Little Italy is a great neighbourhood to start or end your visit to the Canadian Tulip Festival. Located on Preston St., it’s a short walk from the west end of Commissioners Park.
ByWard Market
The tulip gardens at Major’s Hill Park border the well-known ByWard Market neighbourhood. You’ll have no trouble finding a restaurant, café, coffee shop, bakery or vibrant patio to take a break, grab a bite, or start the day. Don’t forget to stop in at the ByWard Market Farmer’s market to grab a bunch of fresh cut flowers, and drop by Moulin de Provence in the historic ByWard Market building for their special tulip-themed cookie.
For more information on the Canadian Tulip Festival visit the Canadian Tulip Festival.
