Victoria Bites & Sights
4.5
Victoria Bites & Sights
By Hidden Victoria Tours
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-80, max of 11 per group
Duration: 2h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Bites and alcoholic beverages provided
- Passionate and Local English-speaking Guide
- Private transportation
What's not included- Gratuities
- GST (Goods and Services Tax)
- Entry/Admission - Inner Harbour
- Start:Multiple meeting point options.
- Option 1450 Swift St, Victoria, BC V8W, CanadaFrom November to April - Monday to Thursday tour starts outside the entrance of Craft Beer Market
- Option 2721 Government St, Victoria, BC V8W 1W5, CanadaFrom November to April- Friday, Saturday and Sunday tour starts outside the entrance of the Empress
End:- Destination Greater Victoria Visitor Centre, 812 Wharf St, Victoria, BC V8W 1T3, CanadaWe will end in the Inner Harbour right outside the Visitor Centre
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 155810P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Not recommended for travelers who have trouble walking
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 11 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 155810P1
From
$57.06
per adult
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 812 Wharf St, Victoria, BC V8W 1T3, CanadaWe will end in the Inner Harbour right outside the Visitor Centre
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- C8225AWkyliem0 contributionsOur Guide was the Best Megan and our tour was so funOur guide made this the highlight of our trip to Victoria. Megan was so fun and energetic that she made the tour exciting. Going from place to place and trying all the hors d'oeuvers and drinks at each place with random Victoria history and fun facts. Our tour a full 10 people and everyone was like old friends by the end and I credit some of that to Megan for bringing everyone together and helping make all feel comfortable. Thank you for a Great time Megan and we were so happy that we booked this tourWritten December 7, 2024
- J1440RFnatalied0 contributionsIncredible experience with Jack!!Jack was an absolute legend!!!!! What an incredible experience!!!! Went for December 2024 with family & friends and Jack was so great!! Cannot recommend enough. WHAT. A. BLAST.Written December 6, 2024
- L5959XQcalebh0 contributionsThis rocksGreat time overall all the bars and restaurants served great apps. Jack was the best tour guide I’ve ever had for any pub crawlWritten December 6, 2024
- jimmK2740ZL0 contributionsDrinking, Walking / Boating around Victoria & hanging out with nice people!We decided to book this Pub Crawl as a last minute idea of something to do. We were so glad we did & spent a great time with Jack (our guide & friend for the afternoon) & another very nice couple. It was a great 4+ hours of drinking at different pubs/bars & seeing Victoria's inner harbor by boat. The tour is a great value. As I mentioned, Jack was the best guide we could have had! Great story-teller with lots of knowledge of the area & just a cool guy to hang out with.Written November 16, 2024
- McGillDad0 contributionsFascinating hidden VictoriaHad a great time on this tour. There were only 5 of us including the guide so it helped keep things informal. Our guide David, was knowledgeable and entertaining with some great stories (were they really all true?) and gave us a feel for Victoria's quirky and at times poignant history. He also gave us some handy restaurant recommendations. It is a walking tour lasting 2 hours so wear comfortable shoes and bring some water with you. Recommended? Yes!Written October 19, 2024
- rambliniggy0 contributionsPleasant Afternoon on the BayOur tour guide, Jack Berrie, was a delight. A good mixture of local historical knowledge, pub etiquette, and smooth logistician.Written October 17, 2024
- G9448WLkater0 contributionsDo it!Great fun! Saw sites, met some cool people, ate some delicious food, and our guide, Dyson, was great! Highly recommend!Written October 13, 2024
- garybQ742MX0 contributionsA great 3 hours!Had a great time, Jack was quite the awesome guy. The other 4 in our group were fun to be with. Would recommend this tour for people looking for something fun to doWritten October 11, 2024
- brendanknorr0 contributionsAn easy, must do experience!Big shoutout to Jack as our guide as we would go back in a heartbeat. He was a great guide and had so many stories and was non-stop blast on each stop. We had a group of 8 people in our tour and the pricing is unreal, given we took the water taxi 3 times which is $15 a person alone. Free appetizers at each stop. Will be doing this again on our next visit. Thank you Jack!Written October 10, 2024
- 709emilya0 contributionsAwesome afternoon!!We had SO much fun on this tour with Dyson, our guide! We met two other couples and had so many laughs! It’s a great deal considering a ferry ride is $15 a person one way. This way you get three ferry rides and delicious apps all for $55. Our tour was supposed to be three hours long but ended up lasting seven hours because we were having such a great time!!Written October 8, 2024
- Matt C0 contributionsHurry up and WaitUnfortunately the tour seemed unorganized. Spent most of the time waiting on a water taxi to take us to a bar. Once at the bar we were rushed to order a beer and eat an appetizer quickly. We then rushed off to the next bar.Written October 5, 2024
- 218karil0 contributionsSept 2024Pros the little boats were fun part of the experience, to get around victoria. We also always enjoy meeting new people on these types of tours. Cons- My understanding is that the boats are fairly expensive, thus the food you are served is not great, as well the having to qualify for the food at every location meant everyone had to order a certain amount of drinks. Personally I think charging more and having the restaurants showcase better food would be advantageous for all. As well may I suggest the tour guide provide more information and history of Victoria at the locations etc, we have had this on other tours and enjoyed it.Written October 5, 2024
- marytP1870AH0 contributionsPickle Pub CrawlHad an awesome time with Jack our host on this pub crawl. We had lots of fun and laughter along with drinks and appies at each stop. Highly recommend this experience!!Written October 1, 2024
- Jmwc60 contributionsOur “mate” Jack!Jack was our guide! He was very informative, thorough and fun. He was conscious of allowing time for pictures and answering questions(and rest room / coffee stops)! Very enjoyable! He also gave great suggestions for areas and specific restaurants/cuisine! Highly recommend!Written September 30, 2024
- sharronc3260 contributionsBest pub tour in Victoria!We had an outstanding pub tour with Jack! Each of the four stops were unique for drinks and a bite. We would highly recommend this tour, and if you’re lucky enough to get Jack for your guide even better.Written September 23, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
113 reviews
Excellent
103
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
3
Terrible
6
angiero2002
Sellersville25 contributions
Jun 2022
BC Bites and Sights.
This tour was a huge waste of money. It is not described accurately at all on the Royal Caribbean website. I have been on many similar and absolutely wonderful tours in the past in other cities (the owner should travel to San Juan PR and experience the food tour there so they understand what a tour with "bites" in the title should be like).
After complaining to Royal Caribbean we received 50% of our money back, we should have received 100% back. I have never written a bad review like this one.
We ate a scone with nothing to drink, had to share 3 servings among 12 people of something called fish dip which tasted like tuna fish on a crostini, and we ended at a random bar for beer when 4 of the 12 were children! We were taken to Fisherman's wharf but not given any seafood, we then walked to Chinatown, no Chinese food. Furthermore, the description states participants need to ascend 5 steps, it was 1 very steep hill and 2 full flights of stairs. It was also more than a 1 mile walk. When we told the guide this his response was "about every other tour I am told the description is old". Gee, maybe you should do something about this then! Don't get robbed by these deceitful people.
This tour was a huge waste of money. It is not described accurately at all on the Royal Caribbean website. I have been on many similar and absolutely wonderful tours in the past in other cities (the owner should travel to San Juan PR and experience the food tour there so they understand what a tour with "bites" in the title should be like).
After complaining to Royal Caribbean we received 50% of our money back, we should have received 100% back. I have never written a bad review like this one.
We ate a scone with nothing to drink, had to share 3 servings among 12 people of something called fish dip which tasted like tuna fish on a crostini, and we ended at a random bar for beer when 4 of the 12 were children! We were taken to Fisherman's wharf but not given any seafood, we then walked to Chinatown, no Chinese food. Furthermore, the description states participants need to ascend 5 steps, it was 1 very steep hill and 2 full flights of stairs. It was also more than a 1 mile walk. When we told the guide this his response was "about every other tour I am told the description is old". Gee, maybe you should do something about this then! Don't get robbed by these deceitful people.
Written June 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm very sorry you did not have the experience you were expecting. We ask the ships once a week to update the description on the website as that was for an old food tour that received much more funding than we do. That description is over 4 years outdated, it has been updated on the ship, just not the website
This is more than just a food tour, it is to experience all of downtown in a short amount of time. The harbour ferry and the history are a big part of the experience.
The scone is bannock which is an indigenous dish that has been made in Canada for thousands of years, we are always happy to get some water for you if you ask
I'll be sure to filter the groups with kids to other restaurants. The updated description includes alcohol and the tour is built for adults which is 98% of the people who are on it. Our private tours include much more food as we have more funding to support it.
If you are ever back in Victoria please send me an email so I can rectify your experience - hiddenvictoriatours@gmail.com
Written July 2, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Karen R
1 contribution
May 2023 • Couples
I had a most delightful time on a food walking tour in Victoria B.C.
We had the most fortunate luck of having Emily as our guide.
Our tour started with a water taxi tour across the harbour. It provided a unique perspective of Victoria’s harbour.
Once ashore, we started with a cocktail. It was a fantastic way to kick off this experience.
One of the highlights was trying the fish pate, a local speciality. It was incredibly flavourful and a perfect representation of the coastal cuisine.
Strolling thru Chinatown and indulging in authentic Chinese dumplings was another memorable part of the tour.
There was also a stop for beer tasting. We sampled local brews while learning about the beer culture of Victoria.
No food tour is complete without something sweet, and we were treated to chocolates from a local chocolatier. The artisanal chocolates were a true delight, showcasing the city’s sweet side.
Aside from the food, there were numerous stops where Emily gave us entertaining lessons on the history of Victoria.
Overall, this food walking tour was a feast for the senses.
It blended Victoria’s rich culinary heritage with its scenic beauty.
I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Victoria who wants to savour the flavours of the city while exploring its culture and history.
We had the most fortunate luck of having Emily as our guide.
Our tour started with a water taxi tour across the harbour. It provided a unique perspective of Victoria’s harbour.
Once ashore, we started with a cocktail. It was a fantastic way to kick off this experience.
One of the highlights was trying the fish pate, a local speciality. It was incredibly flavourful and a perfect representation of the coastal cuisine.
Strolling thru Chinatown and indulging in authentic Chinese dumplings was another memorable part of the tour.
There was also a stop for beer tasting. We sampled local brews while learning about the beer culture of Victoria.
No food tour is complete without something sweet, and we were treated to chocolates from a local chocolatier. The artisanal chocolates were a true delight, showcasing the city’s sweet side.
Aside from the food, there were numerous stops where Emily gave us entertaining lessons on the history of Victoria.
Overall, this food walking tour was a feast for the senses.
It blended Victoria’s rich culinary heritage with its scenic beauty.
I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Victoria who wants to savour the flavours of the city while exploring its culture and history.
Written September 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amber H
Vancouver, Canada2 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Went on the tour with a group of friends on a rainy fall afternoon and we had such a great time. I am from Victoria and Emily taught me fun facts and stories about my own city that I didn't know. Highly recommend the tour for locals looking for a fun afternoon activity or visitors who want to learn a little bit about our wonderful city. I will for sure sign up again next time I have out of town guests visiting. Emily is a better tour guide than I am :)
Written October 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabby
1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Couples
We went on the BC bites and sites tour through Norwegian cruise line. We did not port Victoria until after 8:30pm and had to be back on the ship at 11:00pm (no fault to the tour group). Going into the tour we knew it was going to go fast and time would be cut. Our tour guide was Jakob. Jakob did walk to the first bar and explained some things in the area but once we got to the bar Jakob never explained the bar/restaurant that we were at or explained what we would be eating or drinking at the bar. We got the food which was a smoked salmon spread with rye bread. Someone else in the tour group asked him what we were eating and then he explained it. Jakob never asked about food allergies or intolerances. We walked to the second place sat down and again Jakob never explained the restaurant we were at or the food that we were eating. The tour group had to ask the server as we were given the food what we were eating. The food we ate was delicious but we were disappointed in Jakob not explaining where we were and what we were eating.
Written July 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello and thank you for the feedback. It is always tough when the ship gets in late and we have been waiting on the pier for over an hour to disembark. I do encourage future guests with late ships to ask Shore Excursions for a partial refund, as we aren't able to fit everything in the short time period we have. I'm sorry Jakob didn't give a proper description of the food, it can be hard to juggle everything when restaurant kitchens are closing and we are rushing to make sure we get our food stops in.
We do leave it up to the ship and the guests to let us know if there are any food allergies as we can only prepare for that prior to the tour starting. We let JR Slims make what they wish because they are very good at what they do and we don't always know what is being served prior to arriving, it's part of the fun.
These reviews really negatively impact our business for future guests, giving us a 1 star for a little missed information and also receiving it when asked seems somewhat unfair to us. Jakob is a fun and intelligent guide and will always answer any questions you have.
Written August 12, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hannah S
4 contributions
Jul 2023 • Friends
We had Dante as our tour guide. It was me and my sister doing the tour and we are in our 20s. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fascinating to listen to, being so knowledgeable with local cultural and agricultural and just general Victoria information. This tour was very good for the money cost of it, showing us the Victoria city as well as the local brews and food.
It was also fun getting to go on the boat taxi as part of the tour.
Definitely recommend to anyone coming to Victoria.
It was also fun getting to go on the boat taxi as part of the tour.
Definitely recommend to anyone coming to Victoria.
Written July 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
These are such great things to say! Thank you for taking the time to write this review
Written August 15, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Roam817490
Ellicott City, MD15 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
My small family group had a wonderful afternoon with Emily in Victoria. She managed the group’s time well, told some great stories, arranged yummy nibbles, and answered lots of questions. One of our group doesn’t drink alcohol, but that was no problem at all. A good bit of walking, but gave us lots of ideas of where to go next. (The chocolate shop, for sure!) it wasn’t a huge amount of food, just right for a summer day. Even included a short ride on a pickle boat -bonus!
Written July 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for finding Hidden Victoria! It was such a pleasure showing you Victoria
Written July 19, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Herewego!!!
Barcelona, Spain65 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
Let me start off by saying that if you enjoy walking doors, then you will certainly enjoy this one. Our guide Ben, was absolutely amazing. When I have gone on walking towards the pass, I’ve had guys that were lackluster and just going through the motions. Ben was engaging Fessional knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Kudos to the tour group for hiring Ben as his enthusiasm and his Love for the city was in full display as a guide us through Victoria. Every stop was filled with not only amazing food, but information and history. This was several of our friends first time on this type of adventure and they absolutely loved it. Victoria is absolutely beautiful and I would highly recommend this walk into her. If you truly want to see a city that you’re visiting put on some comfy shoes and go on a walking tour.
Written June 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda B
4 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
While Victoria was beautiful and it was great to hear about its history, This was described as a food tour. We left having eaten fish pate and a fried cheese stick! In fairness our ship was late but we paid for 2 1/2 hours and were dropped off with time to spare only touring for under 1 1/2hrs. Laurie, our guide, explained that we weren’t really going to be eating?? Save your money , This tour is not what it’s described to be!!
Written June 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm sorry you felt this was not what you signed up for. It is called Bites and Sights because it is focused on seeing Victoria with just a few bites and a sip along the way. Our private tour offers more food as we have a bigger budget. When the ships are late, that is completely out of our control as we have to get you back on time. You can always ask your cruise operator for a partial refund because the tour was cut short.
It's always a shame when you miss out on part of the tour and we hate it as much as you! If you are ever back in Victoria, please send me an email and I will rectify your experience - hiddenvictoriatours@gmail.com
Written June 17, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dawn T
1 contribution
Aug 2024 • Business
We really enjoyed our time on this tour, and the tour guide was great! Living in Victoria for around 10 years, I've realized there's always more history to uncover. The city has a wealth of intriguing historical sites and visiting them is a great experience. I recommend this tour to anyone, whether you're a visitor or a long-time resident, who wants to learn more about Victoria's history.
Written August 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jolynne
Crawfordsville, IN10 contributions
We were on a Royal Caribbean Cruise, and booked this through them. The tour started late, and it was honestly so incredibly boring. The guide didn’t have anything interesting to share and seemed uninterested. We went to the first restaurant, no food. The second restaurant, the “Swan Pub,” was truly shocked to see us. Said they had not prepared. We waited for 30 minutes and the vast majority of us did not receive food. A few were served cod paste and bread. At this point, we asked what was going on. No explanation other than they were running late. Then the guide said this tour only had time for 2 stops instead of the 3 that were advertised. We paid out of pocket for a Lyft back to the ship, which had all dining options closed at that time. We complained to royal Caribbean, and they put the blame on this tour company (. We complained to this company, and they blamed the false advertising that Royal Caribbean did. Either way, what a horrible experience
Written September 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm very sorry about your negative experience with our tour, this is definitely not the feedback we usually receive.
I'm not sure what day you did this tour or what guide you had that was boring, but we did have an unusually busy day at Swan's recently and everyone was very apologetic about the service not being up to par. I am very sorry as well, Swan's is usually a highlight for our tours.
It's very surprising you didn't get any food at our first stop, Imagine Cafe, as this has never happened before, even with the the ships coming in late. Did you sit down and no one served you?
I am the one that deals with the complaints to Hidden Victoria and I never heard this feedback from you or the ship and didn't claimed false advertising. I would love to hear more so we can rectify this situation, the cruise ship tours are very pricey and we don't want anyone to leave feeling this way. If possible, can you email me at hiddenvictoriatours@gmail.com for a few more details and I will see if it's possible to take you on a free tour with me as your guide.
Written September 22, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Buy it with
Top rated
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.