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Victoria Food Tour: Uncover Chinatown's Hidden Gems

4.8

68 Ratings

Victoria

Uncover the hidden gems of Victoria's Chinatown on a food tour. Experience authentic local cuisine, explore historic sights, and support small businesses. Book now!

Duration: 2 hours

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Chinatown - We do a deep dive in to Canada’s oldest Chinatown including visiting heritage sites such as the Chinese Language School, The Gates of Harmonious Interest, and some of the oldest buildings in Western Canada.
Victoria Public Market at the Hudson - We start the tour at the historic Hudson Bay Building. Completed in 1922, this iconic building is now the home of the bustling Victoria Public Market. Here we will get a tour of the market that includes a coffee from a local roaster, a savoury hand pie from Victoria Pie Co. and a traditional arancini from La Pasta.
Fan Tan Alley - Named after the Chinese gambling game Fan-Tan, the alley was originally a gambling district with restaurants, shops, and opium dens. It is the narrowest street in Canada, only 0.9 meters (35 in) wide. It was designated as a heritage property by the local government in 2001 and remains a popular attraction. Let us take you through this bustling alley and show you the best places to get the iconic picture that visitors love to get!
Market Square - This bustling square used to be home to opium dens, brothels, and bars back in the rough and tumble gold rush days of the 1860s. Now it is home to cute local shops, modern restaurants, and breweries. Here we will stop at our favorite brewery (Whistle Buoy) to sample some of the best craft beer in the city.

What's Included

Expert local guide
Inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Authentic food tasting experience

What's Not Included

Gratuities (recommended) for tour guide

Additional Information

Explore secret and stylish culinary hotspots in Canada’s most ancient Chinatown and lively Old Town. Dine like an inhabitant at our latest dining establishments away from the tourist crowds, featuring rich South Indian food, farm-fresh dishes, Thai dumplings, an impressive taco, pastries, artisanal beer, and much more. Ideal for the bold traveller seeking a genuine encounter.

WHAT’S ON THE PLATE: A diverse range of international cuisine from some of the latest and trendiest hidden spots in the city. South Indian, Mexican, Japanese, Filipino, and more.

WHY CHOOSE THIS TOUR?

You’ve heard of the wonderfulness of Chinatown and wish to explore it differently. Yes, we do venture down Fan Tan Alley!
You’re a history buff and love visiting historic sites & buildings and listening to tales about Victoria’s fascinating past
You enjoy unearthing little-known businesses that aren’t catering specifically to tourists
You’re after a real local experience and wish to eat food prepared by residents
You’re looking for deals at local food joints

Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Minimum drinking age is 19 years. We have a non-alcohol sample for youth and for those looking for a non-alcohol experience
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking, we need to know of any dietary issues before the tour starts.
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required

Location

Victoria Public Market at the Hudson

Douglas Street

We meet inside the Victoria Public Market. Enter the building through the front doors and head to the middle of the market. We meet at the Community Kitchen space, located near the washrooms. Look for guide holding clipboard and wearing a lanyard nametag.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.8

(68 Ratings)

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Y2260yffrankl

Mar 29, 2024

Amazing way to see the city! - I had a wonderful time on this food tour! How else can you experience seven different places in two short hours? I like how most of the places were smaller ones - local places that are smaller in scale and deserving the attention. It's a pity that I was only in Victoria for a few days; otherwise, I would have loved to return to a few of those restaurants again. Our guide was knowledgable and enthusiastic. A perfect combination for such an event. She warned us that we would get stuffed - even with small bites at each stop. I'm glad we walked everywhere. Although I should have planned better and had a smaller lunch beforehand ...

Review provided by Tripadvisor

929kalebl

Mar 28, 2024

Victoria has such good frickin food - Such an excellent tour - cannot recommend it enough. Jo was a fantastic and thoughtful guide. All of the food we ate made me want to go back to each stop!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Jessica_m

Mar 11, 2024

Fantastic food walking tour - Jo was an amazing guide- she brought the experience to life. Each and every food/drink was delicious, and such a wide variety. Would highly recommend!

Review provided by Viator

Sandy_h

Jan 27, 2024

Come hungry! - This is a great tour! The description online does not do it justice. We stopped at amazing places that we would not have thought to try. We definitely didn't need lunch afterwards. Vasi was a great guide and we look forward to doing this again.

Review provided by Viator

614lizap

Dec 21, 2023

Truly a food tour, at its best - Bonnie was spectacular... speaks fast and brings in so much information in the 2 hours with her.. be prepared for lots of food as you go 😀 it was great and I also got to taste food from my hometown anc it brought back bittersweet memories... in shirt, do it at least once with this company!!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Grant_a

Nov 26, 2023

Fantastic food and wonderful guide! - Our guide was Brenda, who I cannot say enough good things about! She was funny, informative, accommodating, and extremely knowledgeable! I was equally impressed by the variety of places we went. Every spot we visited was an incredible experience, and I would do this same tour again and again every time we come back!

Review provided by Viator

Tracey_m

Nov 12, 2023

Walking and Eating in Victoria - We were pleasantly surprised by the quantity of food on this tour! The stops were all delicious! Our guide, Jo, was friendly and informative We highly recommend this tour.

Review provided by Viator

Encee2017

Oct 16, 2023

“Hip & Hidden Chinatown and Old Town” - Loved it! Husband and I signed up as we always try to do a food tour when traveling, and ended up taking 4 more friends with us at the last minute (TY for flexibility, Off the Eaten Track!!). Brenda was terrific: providing historical context and deliciously varied stops. Now our friends are hooked on food tours also! This came highly recommended, and we totally agree!!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Laura_d