Chinatown Walking Tour: Canada's Oldest Historical Journey
4.9
29 Ratings
Victoria
Immerse yourself in the visual, auditory, and narrative richness of Canada’s most ancient Chinatown through this 1.5-hour walk. Trace the paths of pioneering gold diggers, traders, workers, and revolutionists as you navigate the primary roads of Chinatown, ultimately entering Fan Tan Alley - the city’s notorious street.
Duration:
1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Chinatown - Victoria was the supply center for the gold rush and grew to become British Columbia’s largest city before the birth of Vancouver in the 1880’s. Victoria’s Chinatown was the home base for thousands of Chinese. Some established their own stores, restaurants, laundries and farms. In the city, some worked as gardeners, servants and cooks in the homes of non-Chinese. Outside the city, many worked for others in the gold fields, coal mines, logging camps and fish canneries. For many years, Victoria had the largest Chinese population in Canada. Today, its Chinese population is small in comparison to other cities, but Victoria will always have the distinction of being home to Canada’s oldest Chinatown.
What's Included
- Local guide
What's Not Included
- If visiting the Tam Kung Temple, an optional donation of $1/person is recommended
- Gratuities
Additional Information
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- No health restrictions
Location
1681 Government St
Government Street
We meet in front of the Bright Pearl Statue (big metal ball) near the corner of Fisgard and Government Streets in the heart of Chinatown.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(29 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Jfirkins98
Apr 7, 2024
A must do - Chinatown Walking Tour - Excellent walking tour by the knowledgeable John Adams and his grandson Oak. I took copious amounts of pictures and they are posted on Facebook. Interesting facts and stories which will ensure we spend more time in Chinatown than in the past! Thank you for a great tour. ps excellent wireless receivers used for the tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Journey45707633788
Feb 4, 2024
Excellent Tour !!!! - Would highly recommend this tour—-we both loved every minute of it!!!!!!! Enjoyed hearing about Historical Chinatown!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joann185
Oct 16, 2023
Great Historical Walk - We had a really enjoyable tour with our guide Chris. He’s an avid story teller and historian. We really appreciated the audio receiver headsets we used so that we could hear him clearly wherever we walked with him. Would highly recommend him.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Judy_g
Aug 27, 2023
Well worth the time spent! - Great tour.... Took my 11 year old grand daughter on the tour and we both loved it.
We were fascinated by the tales about history and lives of the early Chinese settlers. It was a tough life for them, with open discrimination, racism, working and living conditions,. Our guide was excellent, the historical buildings interesting and the time flew by! Would definitely recommend this tour for locals and tourists alike!
Review provided by Viator
Tyiizuka
Aug 15, 2023
John Adams really knew... - John Adams really knew his stuff!...an excellent guide.
We visited the Chinese Museum the day before, and he brought everything to life
Review provided by Viator
Millertime2013
Apr 24, 2023
Fabulous experience - I had organized this tour for our CFUW Saanich Peninsula Learn and Lunch monthly excursion. 11 of us had a great experience. Chris Adams is so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the history of Chinatown and having travelled extensively himself, having a university degree in history, he is able to weave in a lot of storytelling that was fascinating to learn about. His knowledge of geopolitical history added so much to the experience and all of us had a great time. After the tour we enjoyed Dim Sum at Don Mee's restaurant.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ashley71896
Feb 20, 2023
Loved it! - I loved the Chinatown walking tour with John! He was super knowledgeable, and we really got to see a lot and learn a lot. Even though it was a little rainy, it was totally worth it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Doodle1974
Aug 7, 2022
Excellent Tour - John Adams is such an amazing guide - he has so many stories, and so much history stored in his memory - it is fascinating to listen to him. Our group was ages 11-59 and all were captivated by his stories.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anonymous42
Jun 25, 2022
He wrote the book! - Fantastic tour today with John Adams, who literally wrote the book on Chinese Victoria. Deep historical knowledge of Chinatown, integrated with personal anecdotes from growing up in Victoria. Fascinating combination of stories and history. Highly recommend this tour. Six stars.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauren_w
May 29, 2022
John Adam's was a great... - John Adam's was a great guide, knowledgeable and culturally appreciate. Highly recommend taking the time to do this tour.
Review provided by Viator
