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If you're thinking of visiting Canada, there's no better place to start than Ottawa. With cultural influences from around the world and a plethora of indoor and outdoor activities to discover, this is a fantastic city to host your next corporate offsite retreat.
Here, your team can upgrade their work-related skills, build stronger friendships or simply relax as they take in the stunning scenery and charming cityscape.
As Canada's capital city, Ottawa offers a consolidated slice of the nation's culture. This allows your team to experience the veritable beauty of Canada in a single, unforgettable trip.
And because of the dramatic changing of the seasons, no two visits are ever the same. During the winter, your team can enjoy group activities like ice skating and skiing while during the summer sailing and whitewater rafting are popular pastimes.
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We've put together a list of
team-building activities for company retreats in
Ottawa
, including options that work well for both small and large teams.
Along the Rideau Canal, ByWard Market, and Parliament Hill, this Ottawa retreat agenda combines structured sessions with a local outdoor experience and a relaxed final day.
Ottawa is a strong option for teams that want a calm, structured environment with a mix of government, culture, and nature. A corporate retreat in Ottawa combines a clean, organized city layout with access to green spaces and historic landmarks, making it ideal for focused work and relaxed team time.
Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW) is about 15–20 minutes from downtown by car. It offers direct connections to major Canadian and some US cities, and additional international access is possible via Toronto or Montreal.
The most comfortable months are May to June and September to early October, with temperatures typically between 65–79°F. Summers are pleasant and suitable for outdoor activities, while winters are very cold, often dropping below 20°F, which usually shifts retreat plans toward indoor sessions.
Downtown Ottawa is the most practical for access to venues and landmarks, ByWard Market offers a lively and social atmosphere, Centretown provides a balanced and local feel, and The Glebe is quieter with a more residential charm.
Teams often choose activities like cycling along the Rideau Canal, boat tours on the Ottawa River, guided city tours, museum visits, and seasonal outdoor activities such as skating on the canal in winter or park-based challenges in warmer months.
Most teams plan 2 to 3 days in Ottawa. The city’s compact layout allows for an efficient schedule while still leaving room for team-building and informal moments.
Ottawa offers a quieter and more structured atmosphere compared to cities like Toronto or Montreal. It’s known for its clean layout, cultural institutions, and access to nature, which makes a corporate retreat in Ottawa feel more focused and less hectic.
Ottawa has a growing food scene with a mix of local and international options. Teams often organize group dinners in ByWard Market, try Canadian specialties, and explore casual dining spots across the city.
Ottawa is well suited for business-focused retreats, including strategy sessions, leadership offsites, and company gatherings that benefit from a quieter, more structured environment.
Ottawa can accommodate both small teams and larger groups. A corporate retreat in Ottawa can scale depending on the team size, with a range of hotels, venues, and activity options available.
We got incredibly positive feedback. Many people said it was the best offsite we've ever had. So that's obviously the most important thing from like an organizational point of view. It was super nice working with you guys. I really enjoyed it. It was the first year we had an agency like you guys on board and it did really help, especially now having a much bigger team.
We did send a survey to everyone after the event. And the feedback was very positive. Everyone loved the hotel. People were saying that the food at the venue was very good, which I agree with. The rooms were great. The meeting space was perfect for us. Obviously the beach and the area were perfect. I think it was a great location for our team. There were some people that said this was the best summit they’ve attended.
The feedback has been impeccable. Everybody loved the hotel, loved the staff, loved the support from Surf Office, everything. All the expectations were, you know, not even just met, but went beyond. We loved the way we were taken care of.
The overall feedback was really fantastic. Everybody really liked the venue. They really liked being in the same location. We had a wonderful partnership and we’d love to work with you again.
We walked into it anxious. We walked away from it absolutely amazed by the results. It was so well organized. I would never have been able to do that alone, you pulled that off entirely. It was amazing. The team is buzzing! It blew people away. It definitely blew us away.
I was stressed out before the retreat cause I never did the planning. As soon as we arrived to the hotel, they knew everything and I didn’t have to worry about anything. Big thumbs up to the Surf Office team for the general flexibility, and for the communication.
It was absolutely perfect. There wasn’t one thing that I can criticize. We had a fantastic time, really really good. It went so smoothly, everybody was very happy. Anybody that asked now about how the offsite went, I just say: “It was amazing, you only can use 1 company, you don’t need to use anybody else”.
Amazing. It was I think a really lifelong memory. I think the whole team had a really great time. I never could do this without Surf Office.
It was an awesome experience. It went super smooth, the drivers were on time, food was great, and the flexibility of the hotel was great. We had a truly amazing time and all because of your great work and preparations – you were like the magic fairies that organised everything so beautifully!
The most popular team building activities are surf lessons, SUP lessons and tapas night but there are plenty more to choose from.
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retreats with Surf Office.
