Downtown Victoria Tour & Sightseeing Guide
Our Downtown Victoria Tour & Sightseeing Guide is intended as a reference for people walking or biking around downtown Victoria.
This is the Index page to our Downtown Victoria Tour & Sightseeing Guide. We have made separate links below to individual streets in Victoria’s downtown core so our readers can explore those streets in more detail. Click on the links to get a more detailed walking tour of each street.
Downtown Victoria streets are listed below in alphabetical order:
Bastion Square – Sightseeing Guide
Bastion Square was the original commercial center of Victoria in 19th century.
It has many surviving historic building from that era.
Bastion Square, entrance from Wharf Street
Belleville Street – Sightseeing Guide
Belleville Street is a five block street running east-west along the south side of Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
Belleville Street contains some of Victoria’s most iconic sights, including the Empress Hotel and the B.C. Provincial Legislature.
At its east end, Belleville Street turns into Blanshard Street.
The Steamship Terminal, 396-470 Belleville Street, built in 1924 by architects Francis Rattenbury and Percy Leonard James. Seen from Belleville Street.
Blanshard Street – Sightseeing Guide
Blanshard Street is one one of the main arterial streets in downtown Victoria. It runs north-south from Belleville Street in the south through downtown Victoria before continuing north and becoming Highway 17 running to the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal.
Blanshard Street has several noteworthy historic building, interesting shopping and several good restaurants.
The adjacent photo shows the Temple Emanu-El, the oldest building on Blanshard Street, built in 1863, at 1461 Blanshard Street, at the corner of Blanshard Street and Pandora Avenue.
The Congregation Emanu-el, 1461 Blanshard Street. Dedicated in 1863, it is the oldest synagogue in western Canada
Broughton Street – Sightseeing Guide
Broughton Street runs east-west between Wharf Street on the west and Quadra Street on the east.
It has several historic buildings, including the Royal Theatre, built in 1913, at the corner of Broughton Street and Blanshard Street. It also has a number of interesting shops and some good restaurants.
The adjacent photo shows the Royal Theatre, built in 1913, at 805 Broughton Street at Blanshard Street.
Courtney Street – Sightseeing Guide
Courtney Street runs east-west between the Inner Harbour waterfront on the west to Quadra Street on the east.
It features a number of historic buildings, along with shops, hotels and restaurants.
The adjacent photo shows Christ Church Cathedral, at the intersection of Courtney Street and Quadra Street.
Christ Church Cathedral, Quadra Street elevation at Courtney Street, Victoria, B.C.
Douglas Street – Sightseeing Guide
Douglas Street is one of the main streets in downtown Victoria. It starts at Mile Zero on the Beacon Hill Park waterfront and runs south-north through downtown Victoria before continuing north through Victoria into the neighbouring Municipality of Saanich.
Douglas Street has many historic buildings, along with many shops and restaurants.
The adjacent photo shows Victoria City Hall at the corner of Douglas Street and Pandora Avenue.
Victoria City Hall, designed by architect John Teague. The original section of the building dates from 1878. The majority of the present building was added during subsequent additons in 1881 and 1890-91.
Fisgard Street – Sightseeing Guide
Coming soon.
Fisgard Street is the main street of Victoria’s historic Chinatown. It runs east-west from Store Street on the west to Quadra Street on the east, after which it continues to Cook Street as Balmoral Avenue.
The adjacent photo shows the Gate of Harmonious Interest on Fisgard Street at Government Street.
Read More…
The Gate of Harmonious Interest, Government Street at Fisgard Street
Fort Street – Sightseeing Guide
Fort Street is a one way street running west to east between Wharf Street on the west and Foul Bay Road on the east.
It is named for the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Fort Victoria, where Fort Street originally started.
It is one of downtown Victoria’s major arterial streets.
The Southgate-Laschelles Building, 1102 Government Street/530 Fort Street, built circa 1869 for J.J. Southgate and H.D. Laschelles
Government Street – Sightseeing Guide
Government Street is one of Victoria’s main streets. It runs north-south from the Dallas Road waterfront in the south, all the way through downtown Victoria to its termination at Hillside Avenue in the north.
Government Street contains many historic buildings and has many interesting stores and good restaurants.
The adjacent photo shows Rogers Chocolates, a National Historic Site of Canada, which operates at 913 Government Street in a store built by architect Thomas Hooper in 1903.
909, 911 and 913 Government Street, designed by architects Thomas Hooper and C. Elwood Watkins. Built in 1903.
Herald Street – Sightseeing Guide
Herald Street is one of the historic streets of Victoria’s Chinatown. It runs east-west from Blanshard Street on the east to the Inner Harbour waterfront on the west.
The adjacent photo shows the Hook Sin Tong Charity, 658-666 Herald Street, between Douglas Street and Government Street.
658-666 Herald Street, built in 1911 by architect C. Elwood Watkins for the Hook Sin Tong Charity.
Johnson Street – Sightseeing Guide
Johnson Street runs east-west between Wharf Street on the west and Cook Street on the east.
It is one of Victoria’s historic streets, containing many significant heritage buildings.
The building in the adjacent photo is 550-554 Johnson Street.
550-554 Johnson Street, built in 1893 for the B.C. Land & Investment Company
Langley Street runs three north to south between Yates Street on the north and Broughton Street on the south, passing through Bastion Square.
69 Bastion Square, built in 1885 as the law office of Theodore Davie, who became Premier of B.C. 1892-1895.
Pandora Avenue – Sightseeing Guide
Pandora Avenue runs east-west from Store Street in the west, through downtown Victoria to its intersection with Begbie Street in the east.
The adjacent photo shows the Victoria Conservatory of Music, originally the Metropolitan Methodist Church, 907 Pandora Avenue at Quadra Street,
The Victoria Conservatory of Music, 907 Pandora Avenue. The building was designed in 1890 by architect Thomas Hooper as the First Methodist Church.
Quadra Street – Sightseeing Guide
Quadra Street runs north-south from Beacon Hill Park in the south, through downtown Victoria before continuing north into the neighbouring Municipality of Saanich.
The adjacent photo shows Christ Church Cathedral on Quadra Street at Courtney Street.
Christ Church Cathedral, Quadra Street elevation, Victoria, B.C.
Store Street – Sightseeing Guide
Store Street runs north-south from Pembroke Street at the north end to the 500 block of Johnson Street on the south. At Johnson Street, Store Street continues south as Wharf Street.
Store Street has several historic buildings along with good shopping and restaurants. It also runs through Victoria’s Chinatown at Fisgard Street and Herald Street.
1601-1613 Store Street, now Swan’s Hotel. Originally built in 1913 as a warehouse for Scott & Peden, a feed and grain company
Vancouver Street – Sightseeing Guide
Vancouver Street is a two way street running north-south through downtown Victoria.
Vancouver Street contains a mixture of residential and commercial areas.
The adjacent photo shows 737 Vancouver Street, one of several surviving houses on Vancouver Street built by architect John Teague in 1892.
737 Vancouver Street, designed and built in 1892 by architect John Teague (photo by Victoria Online Sightseeing Tours)
Wharf Street – Sightseeing Guide
Wharf Street runs north-south between Johnson Street to the north and Government Street at the south. It is one of Victoria’s oldest commercial streets and still contains several significant historic commercial buildings from the 1860’s.
Apart from its historical interest, Wharf Street also has many interesting stores and restaurants.
The adjacent photo shows the Customs House, built in 1876, at the intersection of Wharf Street and Broughton Street.
At Johnson Street, Wharf Street continues north as Store Street.
The Customs House, 1002 Wharf Street, built in 1874-75.
Yates Street – Sightseeing Guide
Yates Street is one of Victoria’s historic streets. It runs east-west from Wharf Street in the west through downtown Victoria until it intersects with Fort Street on the east.
Yates Street has many historic buildings along with many shops, restaurants and other businesses.
The adjacent photo shows the former Carnegie Library, built by architect Thomas Hooper in 1904 and still standing at 794 Yates Street at the corner of Blanshard Street.
The Carnegie Library, 794 Yates Street. Built in 1904 by architects Thomas Hooper and C. Elwood Watkins with a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation.
Would you like to leave a comment or question about anything on this page?
Error: Contact form not found.
Get Social