We will give you a lightweight hybrid city bike, helmet, lock and map and send you off to a fun journey to explore Ottawa-Gatineau region all on safe and scenic bicycle paths away from traffic. Our maps are full cusotmizable to your interests.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 8.
Cycle on beautiful Rideau Canal pathway
Cycle through the beautiful waterfront pathway!
Arrive at Escape Bicycle Tours and Rentals at 65 Sparks St. 5 minutes prior to your reservation start time.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 106 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Self-Guided Biking in Ottawa-Gatineau lasts about 2–4 hours. The itinerary has 3 stops.
Prices start at $28 per person for this Ottawa experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 1:00 PM.
Children aged 6–12 pay from $27, adults from $28.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
The meeting point is Arrive at Escape Bicycle Tours and Rentals at 65 Sparks st. 20 minutes prior to the tour start time. Where to park: We recommend finding a private parking lot nearby or using the following underground parking lots:. National Arts Centre (1 Elgin St.). City Hall (110 Laurier Ave W). Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 15 travellers can book together.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Children must be accompanied by an adult
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.9 out of 5 across 116 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Escape Bicycle Tours and Rentals.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
I and some friends rented e-bikes from Escape for 1/2 day. The bikes were excellent and well-maintained. Staff, including Grant, took extra care in ensuring the bikes were the right size and that we were comfortable riding. I’d recommend this shop highly.
Really enjoyed our recent e bike rental. Olivia was super helpful. She set us up and gave some guidance via the coloured map. Quality of the bikes were excellent. Easy to operate and in excellent condition. Would absolutely recommend to anyone and will book again when in Ottawa.
We rented 7 bikes for the whole family and rode them for a week in and around Ottawa. Along the Rideau Canal and River, City Centre and even to Chelsea through the Gatineau Park. We are all seasoned cyclists, so our expectations were high. The bikes are very good and well maintained, the staff is super friendly and helpful, making our trip outstanding and exceeding our expectations. Thank you Maria and team for this, next time we will definitely rent again at Escape Bicycle!
Dear Steven, Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We are glad to have been able to provide a great experience and quality equipment for all of you. Ottawa is such an amazing, bike-friendly city and we loved seeing the 3 generations of your family riding together and exploring so much of it! It was our great pleasure. We truly appreciate the kind words and look forward to setting you all up again on your next Ottawa visit! Warm regards, The Escape Team & Maria :)
A magnificent family experience!
Cher Hayette, Merci pour ce beau commentaire ! Nous sommes ravis que votre famille ait passé un aussi bon moment avec nous. Au plaisir de vous revoir bientôt ! Chaleureuses salutations, L'équipe Escape & Maria :)
We paid in advance non-refundable for a self guided tour. It originally showed a 3pm booking when I was going into the listing and defaulted to 1pm when I finalized (my own priblem) they were kind enough to say I could pick the bikes up late but we were driving from Toronto so Diane make it in time. I emailed asking if I could use the bikes in the morning and they said they were fully booked. The reason for the 3 star is that they didn’t offer any other alternatives, given it’s just a bike rental (not an actual tour) it would have bed. Nice to at least try to find a way to offer some accommodation rather than just taking all our money.
Dear Nadia, We are sorry your plans did not work out. We need to correct a few important points. You did not come to our location, pick up any bikes, or use our services. You made a booking through Viator as a non‑refundable, self‑guided rental. When you realized you had selected the wrong time, you contacted us directly and we responded promptly. We confirmed that we could adjust the start time for you on the original date. On the day of the activity, you then asked to move the rental to the morning of a different date. Because it was the long weekend and we did not have the required bike sizes available for your newly requested date, we were unable to rebook you. We explained this clearly at the time. We offered to keep your original reservation active until the end of the day, but we received no further response and the bikes were never picked up. The payment was processed by Viator under their non‑refundable terms. We did not take your money; the charge on your card is from Viator, not from us. If you have an issue with a non‑refundable booking and a time‑selection error, the party to contact and hold responsible is Viator, not a small local business that was ready to honour your reservation and responded promptly to your requests. You never used our services. Your complaint is about Viator’s non‑refundable policy and your own booking error, not our conduct. If you wish a refund or resolution, we encourage you to contact Viator—they are the ones who charged you under the terms to which you agreed. Best wishes, The Escape Team and Maria :)
First time user with this type of business and didn't know what to expect, given our senior age. From our first greetings to final thank yous my wife and I had a fantastic time. They suite your choice given any restrictions and advise accordingly. Ask any questions and the answer/s are freely given. We will be returning to Ottawa and will definitely use Escape again.
Dear John, What kind and beautiful words! Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We are so glad to hear that you and your wife had such a positive experience with us. We truly care about and take pride in making sure every valued customer feels comfortable and well looked after from the moment they walk in, and it is lovely to hear that came through. We very much look forward to seeing you both again on your next visit to Ottawa! Warm regards, The Escape Team & Maria :)
Excellent rental of comfort city bikes with exceptional help from Olivia. Superb experience. Highly recommended as an affordable, enjoyable, and fun way to sight-see along the Ottawa River.
Dear Cheryl, Thank you so much for the wonderful review! Olivia is a true gem and will be so pleased to read this — and we are delighted to hear that the bikes and experience lived up to expectations. Cycling along the Ottawa River truly is one of the best ways to take in the city and we are glad we could be part of that. Hope to see you again soon! Warm regards, The Escape Team & Maria :)
Really good value for money, friendly staff, bikes are good quality. Highly recommend using if you want to bike around the Rideau canal and Gatineau!
Dear Anon, Thank you so much for your very kind review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your time biking with us and that the bikes, value for money, and our team all hit the mark. Exploring the Rideau Canal and all the trails in Ottawa and Gatineau by bike is such a fun experience, and it’s wonderful to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks again for recommending Escape Bicycle Tours and Rentals — we hope to see you back on two wheels soon! Warm regards, The Escape Team & Maria :)
We've rented from Escape twice and had positive experiences both times. The bikes were all set to go when we arrived at the scheduled time in the morning and the staff was friendly and helpful. Helmets are included with the rental and the prices are reasonable.
Dear David! Thank you so much! It’s always so heartwarming to have returning guests. It’s wonderful to hear that you’ve had positive experiences renting with us. We’re glad our team could make your visits easy and enjoyable, and we appreciate your kind words about the bikes, helmets, and pricing. We look forward to your future visits! Warm regards, The Escape Team & Maria :)
Amazing experience with Escape. The best E-Bike I ever, ever ride. Excellent team asisting with maps, locks, adices etc. Beautifill city deserving to be ride especially along the river and the Rideau Chanel.
Dear Julio, Wow! We are so honored by your kind words and vote of confidence in our services and e-bike! Thank you so very much. It’s wonderful to hear that you had an amazing e-bike experience and that our team could make everything easy with maps, locks, and advice. Ottawa really is beautiful to explore by bike, especially along the river and the Rideau Canal — and e-bikes make it even more fun! Warm regards, The Escape Team & Maria :)
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-Guided Biking in Ottawa-Gatineau | 2–4 hours | 4.9 (116) | $28 | |
 Lilo Floating Tiki Bar on the Ottawa River (Gatineau Pickup) | 1h 30min | 4.8 (80) | $61 | View |
 Petite Nation Wine & Cider Tour - Day Trip From Ottawa & Gatineau | 8 hours | 5.0 (16) | $135 | View |
 Ottawa Murder Mystery: Self-Guided City Detective Game | 2 hours | 3.2 (9) | $7 | View |
 Ottawa Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour | 2 hours | 3.9 (8) | $3 | View |
 Ottawa Self Guided Walking Tour And Scavenger Hunt | 2–3 hours | 3.7 (3) | $8 | View |
 Ottawa Embassies self-guided walking tour & scavenger hunt | 2–3 hours | 5.0 (1) | $10 | View |