Lilo Floating Tiki Bar on the Ottawa River (Gatineau Pickup)
Description
Climb aboard our Hawaiian-style Tiki Hut and enjoy a relaxing cruise along the beautiful Ottawa River with your family, friends, or coworkers! Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion, enjoying a romantic escape, or bringing a school group for a unique heritage experience, there’s no better way to experience Canada’s capital from the water. Departures are from the Canadian Museum of History. For operational reasons, all tours return to the Wharf, approximately a 3-minute walk from the Museum. Prefer to depart from the Ottawa (Ontario) side? Simply send us an email after booking or select one of our Ottawa departure tours.
Tour Options
Itinerary
See the sights in Canada’s Capital from the Ottawa River while floating downstream on a Hawaiian style tiki boat. Look out at Canada’s Parliament Buildings from the river and snap photos of the spectacular city views. Marvel at the mix of natural beauty and modern, urban development while enjoying refreshments or cocktails and listening to your favourite tropical tunes. Possible points of interest that you'll see: National Gallery of Canada Nepean Point Canadian Museum of History Supreme Court of Canada Parliament Hill and Buildings Royal Canadian Mint Rideau Falls Prime Minister's Official Residence Rockcliffe Park Pavillion
Begin your journey at the historic Ottawa Locks, one of North America’s oldest manually operated lock systems and the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Rideau Canal.
Enjoy spectacular waterfront views of Canada’s Parliament Buildings, one of the country’s most iconic landmarks. From the river, you’ll capture a unique perspective rarely seen by visitors.
Pass beneath the historic Alexandra Bridge, connecting Ottawa and Gatineau while offering panoramic views of both provinces.
Admire the striking architecture of the Canadian Museum of History on the Quebec shoreline, one of Canada’s most visited museums.
Glide past Victoria Island, located at the heart of the Ottawa River. This culturally significant island lies within the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation.
Witness the beautiful Rideau Falls, where the Rideau River cascades into the Ottawa River, creating one of the capital’s most picturesque natural attractions.
Cruise by the shoreline near the official residence of Canada’s Prime Minister, located in one of Ottawa’s most prestigious neighbourhoods.
Cruise along the scenic Rockcliffe shoreline, known for its elegant homes, mature forests, and tranquil waterfront views.
Arrive at the NCC River House, a beautifully restored heritage boathouse that has become one of Ottawa’s premier waterfront destinations for swimming, relaxing, and enjoying the Ottawa River.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(75)
Being it's a small boat it makes the cruise more intimate! The guides were very friendly and attentive.
Viator gave us the wrong address to get on the boat. It was down the road They found us and we had a great time.
Only leave from the water just past the locks. We had to run over the bridge to get there on time. We had a really nice time, we loved seeing the falls. Drinks were expensive but not unexpected and that didn’t deter us from ordering more. They were so yummy. It was good to get out of the busy city streets and take in the coast line. Thanks
Thank you so much for your review! We're thrilled to hear you had a great time and enjoyed seeing the falls. We're sorry the departure location was a bit challenging to find—we appreciate your feedback and are always looking for ways to make the boarding experience even smoother. As for the drinks, we're glad you found them delicious! We work hard to keep our prices competitive. With beers starting at $8 and handcrafted cocktails at $10–12, we believe they offer great value—especially since each cocktail comes in a souvenir cup you get to take home. Many venues charge $20 or more for a basic cocktail, so we strive to provide both quality and value. We truly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you aboard again soon!
Fun afternoon with friends on the Rideau river our captain Magic and bartender Emma were a lot of fun!
Thank you for your review, Kim! We’re so glad you and your friends had a fun afternoon on the river. There’s nothing better than great company, beautiful views, and a little tiki magic along the way! We’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to Magic and Emma. They both do an amazing job creating a fun and welcoming atmosphere, and we’re delighted they helped make your cruise so enjoyable. Thank you for choosing Palapa Tours, and we hope to see you back aboard the Lilo for another unforgettable tiki adventure soon! 🌴🍹🚤 Cheers, The Palapa Tours Team
Great way to spend a few hours watching the sunset, and taking in the architecture and landscape along the Ottawa River. The drinks were delicious and the music was spot on for the experience!
Thank you for your wonderful review, Molly! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your time aboard the Lilo. Watching the sunset on the Ottawa River while taking in the city’s beautiful architecture and scenery is one of our favorite experiences too! We’re especially happy to hear that you enjoyed the drinks and music—creating the perfect tiki vibe is a big part of what makes the experience so special. Thank you for joining us and for sharing your experience. We hope to welcome you back aboard for another sunset cruise and tiki adventure soon! 🌴🍹🌅🚤 Cheers, The Palapa Tours Team
This tour was awesome, A+ This tour at the end of August 2025 was for my daughter's bachelorette. Twelve family and friends attended for this 90 minutes tour. The captain and his mates were attentive, very pleasant and fun. The music and drinks were perfect for the occasion. Cheers and thank you Gaby and all of the staff for a great experience on the Ottawa River with Palapa Tours 🥂 🍻 🍹🍹🌞
My 82-year-old wife and mother accompanied me on August 27, 25 at 1:00 p.m. The two young people who welcomed us were more than excellent! The tour lasting an hour and a half is perfect. Mood, music bar Service everything was perfect. To do again with friends!
What should have started out as a great experience for my wife and I started out very awkward and frustrating. We booked the Tiki hut online about an hour and a half before departure at 3pm. While we waited at the dock the Tiki hut showed up about ten minutes early and there were only six of us boarding. We were informed that only the foursome would be going on this boat and we would have to wait for the next one. I said to the rude attendant that we were booked on this one. She said NO. Were on the other one. But I said the capacity is 12 people and we are only six right now. She quipped back that we were to take the next one and we would be the only two on the other boat and said it would be here soon. And they just left! As we waited and waited for another boat to come get us it was late. Then I got a phone call from the company telling us to walk over to the other Marina on the other side of the river. I'm thinking what???!! This is a poor business model. I told the operator that we were instructed to be at the Museum of History. Now telling me to walk to other Marina and we are the only two passengers? I have bone spurs in my foot and was not happy to say the least we had to walk way the hell over to another dock. WTF? So, not wanting to lose our 170$ that we already paid we walked over to the other Marina and got picked up and the time is now 3:20pm twenty minutes late. But when we boarded the crew Emma and Vic were really nice (They bought us a drink on the house) we had a great tour and enjoyed ourselves with the staff 5 stars! But the only reason why I am giving this review two stars is that the other crew on the the other boat were unprofessional and not very accommodating. They told us that the reason we had to take the other boat was so that they could give the other crew the "Hours" for their pay. Really?? Why would you tell us about inside work drama? It's too bad that one crew set the other crew up to make it awkward and frustrating to say the least. I'm pretty sure we won't be taking this tour in the future and we are telling friends and family about this unprofessional experience. But Kudos to Capt. Vic and Emma for turning it around.
Amazing experience. The guides were incredibly kind, friendly, and knowledgeable. They made the whole experience unforgettable and enjoyable from start to finish. Highly recommended.
We had an amazing time with Emma and Vikram on the Lilo Tiki Tour. They really made it fun for.me and my teenage daughter. We made new friends as well on the tour and would definately recommend this tour to everyone. The music was great as well. We had lots of laughs. Thanks again.
