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Hip & Hidden Chinatown + Old Town Food Tour
4.9
106 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!
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:
24 hours
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…
- 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
- Expert local guide
- Inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST)
- Authentic food tasting experience
What's Not Included
- Gratuities (recommended) for tour guide
- 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…
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.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(106 Ratings)
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Hurricanejane66
Sep 29, 2024
Food culture and history lesson combined!! - Brenda has found her niche! She infused the food tour with interesting facts and history of each of the different types of food that we sampled. Her knowledge of cultures and their traditions was fascinating. The tour was seamless and engaging and we very much enjoyed everything about it. Thank you again Brenda!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard_w
Sep 29, 2024
Highly recommended - An excellent combination of food, culture, and history as well as an orientation to the old downtown area.
Review provided by Viator
Carmella_g
Sep 25, 2024
Oni Oni - Oni Oni had the most surprising sushi rice dish...a clever package that keeps the boring seaweed separate from the rice until you pull the packaging apart...presto change-o, voila! And suddenly you have a sushi cone wrapped is fresh crisp nori. Delicious and fun!
Review provided by Viator
Maryaveryg
Sep 23, 2024
Excellent tour! - Brenda’s passion for food, culture and history made this tour great. She is a talented storytelller and conveyed a ton of interesting information while managing the tastings and the crowd with finesse. We did a lot of things while we were in Victoria and this was our favorite. I only wish we had done it on day one so we’d have more time to go back and enjoy and explore all the hip and hidden places she shared with us.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brandon_m
Sep 23, 2024
Great food - This was a great time. our guide was very well informed and helpful. The food was wonderful. I do recommend taking this tour early in your trip so you have plenty of time to revisit the locations.
Review provided by Viator
Amatthys
Sep 21, 2024
Fantastic Tour! - Brenda was a fantastic guide! She took us to so many great places with great foods, and was so knowledgeable about the city, the history, the restaurants, the food and even the chefs. The pace of the tour was perfect and we had a great time! We’ve done food tours around the world & this was one of the best!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Travelwithsawyer
Sep 18, 2024
A fun way to taste your way around Chinatown! - Wander a few blocks in and around Chinatown to taste the authenticity of local chefs and their stories. The first stop and initial moments of tour had us a little nervous, but from then on it was delicious and fun! An ideal way to start off a trip to get ideas of restaurants to return to for quick bites or excellent suggestions beyond the tour for dinner. The walking is quite doable as it does not involve any hills; all sidewalks and little stops to sit and eat as you go. Some places are closed on Mondays in Victoria (day we went) so you'll stop at 1-2 different places as advertised if you do go on a Monday.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Natalie_l
Sep 16, 2024
Definitely 10/10! - The tour guide AJ was amazing. Very knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. The food stops were all delicious and also super friendly.
Review provided by Viator
Stephanie_h
Sep 9, 2024
Great intro to Victoria! - Our tour guide AJ was wonderful! He gave us a history lesson along with our tastings of delicious local bites. It was a fun way to start our 4 day visit to this beautiful city.
Review provided by Viator
Laurenad9238bg
Aug 27, 2024
Hidden was right.... - Hidden was right.... we walked those same spaces the day before and didn't even think to walk into those places. Thai, Mexican, Japanese, Filipino, Craft beer, Plant-based, such a wide variety. It was our 5th food tour but our friends first one and they loved it. We always enjoy learning about a location through it's history but most importantly through it's culture and food. The only thing that they should change up is the tempeh dish from the vegan restaurant. Not a fan... but was interesting to try it.
Loved the honey, green tea and cheese breakfast flaky croissant, tuna onigirri sushi and ube dessert. Fun to try local craft beer as well. It was great that the guide always asked us if we would like to take the samples home or asked us if we wanted to sauce on the side or on it. Made things more customized to our palate and appetites. Friendly and helpful guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
