A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Boise vs. Ottawa for Attractions, Food, Nightlife, and Families

Should you visit Boise or Ottawa?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Boise or Ottawa? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Boise

Boise is a authentic, friendly, and welcoming city. It's also popular because of the museums, nightlife, and shopping. See Boise travel costs.

Ottawa

Ottawa is a welcoming, cultural, and friendly city. It's also popular because of the museums, food, and shopping. See Ottawa travel costs.

Boise and Ottawa: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Boise or Ottawa?

Tourists will generally find more to do in Ottawa than Boise. It is bigger and it has more sights, attractions, and activities for travelers. Ottawa is very popular for its museums and attractions and food, while Boise attracts visitors for its nightlife. Boise is famous for its many outdoor and recreational activities. Ottawa is famous for its history, politics, and green space. It is also well known for Parliament Hill.

How is Boise different from Ottawa?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Ottawa and Boise. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Boise or Ottawa?

Ottawa is an excellent place to visit for its museums and history. Also, Boise is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its museums and landmarks.

Ottawa offers many unique museums, sights, and landmarks that will make for a memorable trip. As the country's capital, there are a large number of museums to explore. There are summer national museums in town which include the National Gallery of Canada, the Museum of History, the Science and Technology Museum, the Aviation and Space Museum, the Agriculture and Food Museum, the Museum of Nature, and the War Museum.

Boise is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. As the state capital, there's a nice selection of local museums around town. Favorites include the Boise Art Museum, the Basque Museum & Cultural Center, the Idaho Black History Museum, and Discovery Center.

Is the Food Better in Boise or Ottawa? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Ottawa is a popular place for its restaurants. However, Boise is lacking in options for its restaurant scene.

Ottawa is becoming an appealing option for foodies. The culinary scene highlights many Canadian classics like poutine and maple donuts (and, of course, the classic Tim Horton's), but you'll also find plenty of international options like shawarma.

Boise offers some easy restaurants to choose from. While Idaho has long been associated with the potato, the locals usually think of "finger steaks" when describing local food. These are deep-friend beef strips that are as good as they sound.

Is Boise or Ottawa Better for Nightlife?

Boise is a popular place for its evening party scene. However, Ottawa is lacking in good options for nightlife.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe in Boise. In downtown Boise you'll find a selection of bars, lounges, and breweries. There's enough around town to keep the nightlife scene interesting.

Ottawa is generally a quiet destination but there are options around. It's not the first place that comes to mind when you think about partying, but there are live music venues and a some great bars around town.

Is the Shopping Better in Boise or Ottawa?

Shoppers can find a variety of nice stores in both Boise and Ottawa.

Boise has a variety of shopping areas worth visiting. You'll find a mix of local boutiques, independent vendors, and suburban shopping centers where you'll find anything that you might need.

Ottawa is a great destination for shopping. You'll find large malls, outlets, and shopping streets that are fun to browse. Some of the favorite shopping areas include ByWard Market, Sparks Street, and CF Rideau Centre.

Is Boise or Ottawa Better for Families?

Ottawa is a popular place for its kid-friendly activities. However, Boise is lacking in options for its family-friendly activities.

Ottawa is a family-friendly city. As the country's capital, you'll find a number of museums that will keep a kid's attention. In particular, check out the aviation, science, and nature museums. If you have a car, you can head out to Calypso Water Park, which is fun as well.

Boise doesn't usually come to mind when thinking about kid-friendly destinations. You'll find parks, playgrounds, and the Discovery Center which will help keep kids entertained.

Is Boise or Ottawa Better for Couples?

Ottawa is a popular place for couples. However, Boise is lacking in options for romance.

Ottawa is a good city for couples to visit. The city is filled with parks and green spaces where you can enjoy flowers or peaceful walks. Commissioners Park is particularly nice and known for its tulips during the spring season. Dow's Lake is a nice place for ice skating in the winter or kayaking in the summer. The city also offers a number of romantic restaurants and charming hotels.

Boise is not the best destination for a couple to visit. Date night activities include dining at a nice restaurants and seeing a show at the theater.

Is Boise or Ottawa Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Ottawa is a popular place for backpackers and budget travelers. However, Boise is lacking in options for backpackers.

Plenty of budget travelers visit Ottawa. Although the city is often overlooked by tourists, there are a surprising number of hostels around town.

Boise is not the best destination for backpackers and budget travelers due to its high prices. Backpackers rarely make their way to this town.

Is Boise or Ottawa Better for Students?

Ottawa is a popular place for its student-friendly activities. However, Boise is not popular with students.

Plenty of students visit Ottawa. It appeals to international and Canadian students alike. It's known for its livability and diverse cultural scene.

Boise is not popular with students.

Is Boise or Ottawa Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Ottawa is a popular place for times when you don't have a car. However, Boise is lacking in options for its public transit.

Ottawa has some public transit options. There is both a public bus and light rail system.

Public transit is generally limited in Boise. There are infrequent buses around town, but visitors usually have a car to get around town efficiently.

Is Boise or Ottawa a more walkable city?

Ottawa is a popular place for its ease of walking around. However, Boise is lacking in options for its walkability.

Ottawa is a somewhat walkable city. Many of the urban neighborhoods are very walkable.

Boise is generally not very walkable. There are a couple of walkable neighborhoods but, in general, the town isn't very walkable.

For even more information, also check out Is Boise Worth Visiting? and Is Ottawa Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Ottawa or Boise?

How long in Boise or Ottawa?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Boise and Ottawa. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in Ottawa than in Boise. Usually, 1-2 days is a good amount of time for Boise, and 2-3 days is enough time in Ottawa.

Families should spend more time in Ottawa than Boise. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in Ottawa, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in Ottawa than Boise. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Ottawa that are perfect for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Ottawa than Boise if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in Ottawa.

One day in Boise or Ottawa?

Many travelers enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the destination of Boise. One day is often enough time to do most activities.

In Ottawa, many people enjoy the food and shopping that this welcoming destination offers. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it.

A weekend in Boise or Ottawa?

Boise is a great place to explore. It is common to spend a weekend here. With all of its activities, you can easily fill a weekend here. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Ottawa. For many, it makes a great getaway for a weekend. This would be the perfect place to spend a weekend, as it has just the right amount of activities. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.

Five days in Boise or Ottawa?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Boise. Five days may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

Ottawa is a fun place to experience. Travelers enjoy the museums and food when visiting the destination of Ottawa. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything.

A week in Boise or Ottawa?

Travelers enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the welcoming destination of Boise. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.

You'll find food and shopping around the friendly destination of Ottawa. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Camping Tours in United States of America, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in United States of America, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Canada, and The Best Coach Bus Tours in Canada.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Boise and Ottawa, we can see that Boise is more expensive. And not only is Ottawa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Ottawa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ottawa and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Boise would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Boise than you might in Ottawa.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Boise Expensive? and Is Ottawa Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Boise or Ottawa?

Ottawa has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Boise. When comparing the sizes of Boise and Ottawa, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.