There is a lot to experience in Ottawa. Whether you're there to see the gothic-style government buildings, to experience the city's museums or have a little fun in Ottawa's nightlife scene, it can be overwhelming to navigate the city without help. However, there are plenty of apps out there to help you on your way. Here are some of our favourites...
Discover Ottawa
creativecommons.org/mtsrs
The Discover Ottawa app isn't just a travel guide - it has all the functionality that smart phone users want from a city app, while also bringing you all the need-to-know information right at your fingertips. The app serves as a functioning map with GPS capabilities to inform you how to get to wherever you want to go. It also provides comprehensive lists of restaurants, shopping, tours around the city and other attractions that you can choose from. However, for added functionality, it also locates tourist services and keeps you up to date about airline arrivals and departures, as well as bus schedules. Users can also get the local news, upcoming events and a direct line to the city's official Twitter feed. All of this functionality is free for Android and iPhone devices.
OC Bus Tracker
creativecommons.org/Simon Davison
When it comes to getting around Ottawa on a budget, the bus is the way to go. However, Ottawa's bus system can be complicated. The city has an abundance of bus- tracking apps because they are so essential, but the OC Bus Tracker app is one of the best. Users can look at the bus schedule to find their own way or the app can make it easy by calculating the fastest bus route between the user's location and their destination. For those who want to know where exactly their bus is, they can type in the bus name or code and it will be displayed right on the map. That sort of tracking beats a paper bus route map every time, which is why this app has become so essential in the city. The OC Bus Tracker app is available for free for Android and iPhone devices.
Ottawa Heritage Tour
Creativecommons.org/edkohler
Canada's capital city is one that hosts a wide variety of different architecture and culture. The Ottawa Heritage Tour app hosts a detailed guide of 250 heritage buildings throughout the city, in particular in the older downtown area. The app comes with six recommended walking tours, or visitors can browse the sites virtually. The app gives pictures and detailed information about the buildings in question. While touring them, you will not only be able to admire the beauty, but learn about who built it, its original purpose and what it is used for today. Unfortunately, all this detailed information comes at a steep price. The app is available for $7.90 on the app store for Android and iPhone devices.
Ottawa Festivals SuperApp
creativecommons.org/Jamie McCaffrey
Ottawa is home to a stunning amount of festivals. Most of these festivals have their own apps on the app store, but the Ottawa Festivals SuperApp has compiled information on 75 festivals, fairs and major events that happen annually. This SuperApp allows users to browse all the upcoming events. Once an event is selected, the app provides photos, videos and descriptions, as well as links to their social media pages. The app also provides directions and a GPS map for those who may get a little lost on the way. For certain events, users can even purchase their tickets from the app. The Ottawa Festivals SuperApp is available for free on Android and iPhone devices.
Street Food Ottawa
creativecommons.org/Jamie McCaffrey
The food truck movement is in full swing in Ottawa and whether it is a quick lunch or a some late night grub, food trucks and street food can be found all over the city. It is just a matter of tracking them down. However, with this app, hunting down food trucks and street vendors becomes an easy task. The app shows what food trucks are where in the city so visitors can hunt down their favourites. Alternatively, visitors can find food trucks and street food vendors around them, so they can get some quick food. Once choosing a food truck, the app gives a little description of their food and provides the helpful utility of listing not only if they are currently open, but their schedule for the rest of the week as well. This tasty little app is available for free on the app store for Android and iPhone devices.
Ottawa Travel Guide
creativecommons.org/Brian
The Ottawa Travel Guide app by Tripso features detailed information on all of Ottawa's sights, museums, restaurants and nightlife. App users can choose from categories on what they want to do, or check the built-in map to see what is going on around them. Tripso has even compiled a section of day tour itineraries. It is available for free on the app store for Android and iPhone devices.
Active Ottawa
creativecommons.org/Adam Kahtava
The Active Ottawa app was developed for the 2013 Apps4Ottawa contest, which is hosted annually to allow developers to better aid navigating the city via mobile technology. Users can browse and choose from different categories in the app which will then spit out all the locations on the map. Visitors can choose the ones that interest them and get directions at the tip of their fingers. This handy little app is brought to users for free on the app store for Android and iPhone devices.