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.

Types of tours

Campus tours

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

Details: 90-minute tour. Must be booked in advance.

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

Note: Some residence rooms are accessible only by stairs. Let us know in your booking if you would like 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).

Have 10 or more students? Request a tour for your group

Have a school or community group with 10 or more visitors? Request a group tour.

Minimum two weeks notice is required. Tours are led by student staff and even with advanced notice, we may not be able to accommodate based on their academic schedules.

Tours of our faculties and schools

Join a student and explore the academic, social, and study spaces in a particular faculty or school.

To ensure you choose the correct tour, you can click on a faculty name to see the programs in that faculty. 

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

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: 10 a.m.

 90 minutes
Faculty of Environment Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 10:30 a.m. 45 minutes
Faculty of Health

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 1 p.m.

 1 hour
Faculty of Mathematics (includes Computer Science)

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 1 p.m.

 1 hour
Faculty of Science

Monday - 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

Select Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required.

Located in Cambridge, Ontario (not at Waterloo's main campus).

 1 hour
Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business***

Tours are generally offered on Wednesdays and require pre-registration.

Located in Stratford, Ontario (not at Waterloo's main campus).

 1 hour

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* Interested in 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.
** Includes Accounting and Financial Management, Sustainability and Financial Management
*** The Global Business and Digital Arts program is based at our Stratford campus.

Residence tours

The campus tour includes a stop in one of our largest residences. If you’d like to explore another Campus Housing residence, include a Campus Housing tour as part of your visit.

Our four University Colleges offer additional smaller residences in the heart of Waterloo’s campus.

Campus Housing tours

Traditional-style residence tours

One-hour tour 
Wednesday and Friday, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Learn about the benefits of living in a traditional-style residence, which are known for being easier to meet lots of people and house 68% of first-year students. Traditional-style residences are the classic dorm experience where you have a bed, desk, and closet in a single bedroom or shared with another student (double room). There are shared washrooms on the floor (usually single gender) and meals are typically eaten in the on-site cafeteria. You'll see one of our main traditional-style residences on this tour. The exact building/room you see depends on where your assigned tour guide lives. To see all residence options, we recommend visiting during Fall Open House or March Open House.

Suite-style residence tours

One-hour tours
Wednesday and Friday, 3 to 4 p.m.

Learn about the benefits of living in a suite-style residence. Suite-style residences are apartments or townhouses where you have a single or double shared bedroom and you share a kitchen, living area, and bathroom with 2–3 other students. You'll see one of our main first-year suite-style residences on this tour. The exact building/unit you see depends on where your assigned tour guide lives. To see all residence options, we recommend visiting during Fall Open House or March Open House.

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.

University College tours

Tour times

University College Weekday tours Saturday tours Tour length
Conrad Grebel University College Monday – Saturday
10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.		 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. 1 hour
Renison University College Monday – Friday
10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.		 n/a 1 hour
St. Jerome’s University Wednesday and 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 3:00 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, and Women in Engineering. Greenhouse, Waterloo's social entrepreneurship incubator, is also located here.

Book your tour

Our tours are geared toward high school and transfer students and their parents or supporters.

If a tour doesn’t appear on your preferred date, the tour is not offered that day or it's fully booked. Checking other dates may provide more options. Please book all tours in one session to avoid receiving multiple confirmation emails!

Book your tour(s) →

Have a group of 10+ people?

Interested in bringing 10+ students for a tour?

Request a group tour →

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.

Smoke-free campus

As of May 1, Waterloo joins over 100 universities and colleges in becoming a smoke-free campus. This ban includes all forms of smoking including tobacco or other products that produce smoke and/or vapour, e-cigarettes, tobacco products, and cannabis. The ban does not apply to Indigenous ceremonies or traditions or to individuals with medical accommodations.