Campus tours

Join us for a tour and see what Waterloo has to offer. Learn about co-op, student life, housing, faculties, University Colleges, and more!

Tours of our faculties, University Colleges, and specific residences are great additions to the general campus tour. All tours start and end in the Visitors Centre in South Campus Hall (SCH). 

Campus tours

Monday to Saturday: 11 a.m., noon, and 2:30 p.m.

Campus tours are 90 minutes long and must be booked in advance.

Led by current students, this three-kilometre walking tour will provide an overview of what it’s like to be a Waterloo student and show some key campus locations and services, including one of our largest residences.

Note: Some of our residence rooms are accessible only by stairs. Let us know in your booking if you would like to request an accessible option.

Visiting in December, April, or August? Tours are limited.

Tour availability may be limited in December, April, and August based on students' exam schedules and university holidays during these times.

Tours are also unable to go onto residence floors and see student rooms due to the exam quiet hours policy in place for our students. Campus tours during exam periods will show a residence common area (lounge).

Group tours

Interested in bringing a group of students for a tour? Request a group tour.

Faculty-specific tours

Join a student and explore the academic, social, and study spaces in a particular faculty or school. Not sure which faculty offers your program(s) of interest? Check our list of programs by faculty.

Faculty / School Availability Tour length
Arts* Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 10:30 a.m. 45 minutes
Engineering

January 13 - March 7
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

March 17 - April 23
Monday to Friday: 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 3 p.m.

 90 minutes
Environment Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 10:30 a.m. 45 minutes
Health Monday to Friday: 1 p.m. 1 hour
Math (including Computer Science) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 1 p.m. 1 hour
Science Monday to Friday: 2 p.m. 1 hour
School of Accounting and Finance Monday and Wednesday: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. 45 minutes
School of Architecture (located in Cambridge, Ontario) Thursdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Pre-registration is required. 1 hour
Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business (located in Stratford, Ontario)** Tours are generally offered on Wednesdays and require pre-registration. 1 hour

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* If you'd like information about Fine Arts, Music, or Theatre and Performance, use the special instructions section when booking your Faculty of Arts tour to indicate your interest in those programs.
** The Global Business and Digital Arts program is based at our Stratford campus.

Residence tours

While our campus tour includes a stop in one of our largest residences, if you’d like to explore more of our residence communities, register for one of our Campus Housing tours. Stop by a student's room to get a better understanding of what it’s like to live on campus.

Our University Colleges offer additional residences on campus.

Campus Housing tours

Villages

One-hour tours Wednesday and Friday at 9:30 a.m.

Learn about some of the popular residence options on the north end of campus, which include

  • a suite-style residence where you can cook your own meals as well as
  • traditional-style residences with their own cafeterias.

UW Place

One-hour tours Monday – Friday at 3 p.m.

Learn about our residence options at the south end of campus, which include

  • a suite-style residence where you can cook your own meals as well as a
  • traditional-style residence with a cafeteria.

University College tours

A University College is a smaller community on Waterloo’s main campus that offers residence and academic programs within the larger University of Waterloo.

Students from all six faculties at Waterloo can choose to live in a University College.

University College tours

Tour times

University College Weekday tours Saturday tours Tour length
Conrad Grebel University College Monday to Friday: 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. 1 hour
Renison University College Monday – Friday
10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.		 n/a 1 hour
St. Jerome’s University Monday – Friday
11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.		 1:30 p.m. 1 hour
United College Monday – Friday
11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.		 n/a 40 minutes

Conrad Grebel University College

While touring Waterloo's smallest residence, you'll connect with current students to learn about what makes the Grebel community so special. Conrad Grebel houses the Peace and Conflict Studies and Music departments.

Renison University College

Learn about the supportive, close-knit community at Renison. Hear about our programs including Social Development Studies and Social Work, residence life, and 150+ paid student leadership opportunities.

St. Jerome's University

Tours include common spaces like our library, classrooms, chapel, cafeteria, and residence buildings. Find out why students from all six faculties at Waterloo call St. Jerome's their 'home away from home' each year.

United College

United College is home to the Indigenous Studies, Canadian Studies, and Human Rights minors. We offer a French residence floor and Living Learning Communities for Environment, Human Rights and Law, Women in Engineering, and Indigenous students. Greenhouse, Waterloo's social entrepreneurship incubator, and Flint Hub, an business incubator for Indigenous students, are also located here.

Book your tour

Not able to book a certain date?

If a tour doesn’t appear when you click on a day, the tour is fully booked or not offered that day.

Book your tour(s) →

Have a group of 10+ people?

Interested in bringing a group of students for a tour?

Request a group tour →

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Interested in multiple residences?

If you'd like to see multiple residences or see them on a Saturday, we recommend Fall Open House or March Open House.