Victoria Chinatown & Old Town Food Tour: Fan Tan Alley, Craft Beer, Multicultural Eats

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/12

Duration2h 30m

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Victoria’s oldest Chinatown meets new flavors in hidden alleys and lively Old Town corners

You’ll wander Victoria’s Chinatown and Old Town with a local guide who knows every shortcut and story. Taste South Indian dosas, Filipino pastries, Thai dumplings, sample local craft beer at Whistle Buoy Brewery and squeeze through Fan Tan Alley. You’ll hear gold rush tales and meet real locals along the way — there’s laughter, spice on your tongue, maybe some rain on your jacket.

2h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Chinatown and Old Town food gems

Visit Victoria's oldest Chinatown
See Chinese Language School and heritage sites
Walk through Fan Tan Alley
Take iconic photos in narrow alley
Explore historic Old Town square
Sample craft beer at Whistle Buoy brewery

The Experience

I didn’t expect the smell of incense to hit me before I even saw the Gates of Harmonious Interest. We’d barely started our food tour in Victoria’s Chinatown when our guide, Jasmine, waved us over to a little bakery window. “Try this,” she said, handing me something flaky and warm — I still don’t know what was in it (egg? coconut?), but it was sweet and gone too fast. The street was busy but not loud, more like a low hum of voices and clinking teacups coming from somewhere behind those red doors.

We ducked into Fan Tan Alley — honestly, I had to turn sideways at one point because it’s that narrow (Jasmine said 0.9 meters; she wasn’t kidding). There was a mural tucked away in the shadows, and someone selling tiny origami cranes from a table that looked older than my grandma. I tried saying “ni hao” to an old man sweeping his stoop; he grinned but answered in perfect English. That made me laugh. The history here feels layered — gambling halls, opium dens, now bubble tea shops and neon signs.

Old Town surprised me the most. It used to be full of brothels and bars during the gold rush days — now it’s breweries and little shops with handmade soap or vegan tacos (which were actually spicy enough to make me cough). At Whistle Buoy Brewery we sampled craft beer that tasted almost floral; I’m not usually a beer person but maybe that’s changing. The weather kept shifting — sun one minute, drizzle the next — so we just kept eating: South Indian dosa with coconut chutney, Filipino pastries that left sugar on my fingers, dumplings with chili oil that Jasmine warned us about (she was right).

I liked how nobody rushed us. We talked about Victoria’s past while leaning against brick walls still scarred by old shop signs. Locals nodded as they passed or stopped to chat about where to get the best bao (Li laughed when I tried to say it in Mandarin — probably butchered it). By the end my jacket smelled like curry and rain. I keep thinking about that alleyway light slanting through steam from someone’s lunch cart…

What’s included

Your day includes guided walks through Victoria’s Chinatown and Old Town with a local guide leading you to multiple tasting stops featuring multicultural cuisine like South Indian dosas and Filipino pastries; you’ll sample craft beer at Whistle Buoy Brewery (with non-alcoholic options available), plus all taxes are covered so you can just show up hungry.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Off the Eaten Track