Come See Victoria, History & Architecture Walking Tours

Come See Victoria, History & Architecture Walking Tours

Come See Victoria, History & Architecture Walking Tours
5
Historical & Heritage ToursWalking ToursPrivate Tours
About
Come See Victoria offers guided walking tours of Victoria, BC. Our History and Architecture walk traces the evolution of the city through the eyes of its architecture. Victoria has a wealth of surviving 19th century buildings ... and every building has a story! On our Victorian Characters walk you will get to know the larger-than-life personalities of Victorian Victoria. You will hear their stories and sagas, and appreciate their lasting legacy to the city, province, and country. We also offer a Historic Pub Walk, where you will tour vibrant pubs in some of the grandest heritage buildings in the city. We provide customized private walking tours to groups of all sizes.
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

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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 waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles136 reviews
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126
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Rockfamily68
Victoria71 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2014 • Friends
My husband, mother-in-law and myself took Dave's History and Architecture tour on April 13th, 2014. I was born and raised here in Victoria and my husband and mother-in-law are transplants from Alberta. Dave was very well versed on Victoria's history and we all learned new things about the area and it's buildings and he tailored the tour to our interests.

I would highly recommend this tour to both residents of Victoria and tourists. It's a lovely way to spend a few hours in downtown Victoria.
Written April 13, 2014
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.

Gwen008
Perth, Australia337 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2014 • Couples
Our tour with Dave was early March, before there were many tourists around so it was just two of us with him on a lovely afternoon. Dave had kindly arranged the tour to suit us as I had been emailing him for some time hoping to arrange a tour during our visit.
In the almost 2.5 hours we were with him, Dave showed and told us things about Victorian history and architecture we would never have noticed or known. His depth of knowledge and his ability to bring the history of the city to life is amazing. Added touches like a quiz in which we had to guess the original purpose of various buildings added a challenge to the tour and made us think even more about our surroundings (I lost!) . Victoria is a great city for walking and Dave moved at an easy pace and there was plenty of time to stop, look up, ask questions as well as look at various photos Dave carried with him to show us how things used to be. We moved from the waterfront, past commercial areas and shopping precincts, to Chinatown and Civic buildings, each having played its part in making Victoria the beautiful city is is today. I thoroughly recommend a Come See Victoria tour to all visitors to Victoria.
Written March 29, 2014
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.
Thanks for the strong recommendation, Gwen! Winter can be fairly quiet, but I am always willing to set up a date and time in advance for interested visitors ... If others join, fine, if not, well, it becomes a personal tour like you and Chris enjoyed in March. Cheers!
Written April 2, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

mrandmrsbeas
Sydney, Australia525 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2016 • Couples
We were blessed with a beautiful day in Victoria when we were booked on Dave's walking tour. The meeting point was at the Tourist Information Centre right on the harbour. We had a group of six people. He did have a speaker to use when the background noises were loud but for the most part we could him without this. His knowledge of Victoria's early history and the buildings was comprehensive and delivered in an interesting and engaging manner. He took us to little gems that we wouldn't have found on our own - really loved the smallest street in China town and the Tobacco shop (and I am anti smoking!). This is a walking tour and the pace was pretty reasonable. This is a really good value tour and high recommended. Thanks Dave!
Written September 21, 2016
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.
You're welcome, and thanks for the very kind words. You describe some of the diversity that tells the story of Victoria - historic architecture, Old Town streets and squares, quirky alleys, and some glorious original interiors as well, all knitted together with an informative (and entertaining, I hope) narrative that gives folks a good overview of the city. You mention my little audio system, which definitely helps deal with the inevitable background of vehicles and street musicians, and I will tend to use it even with modest sized groups. Thanks, again! ... Dave
Written October 1, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Berengaria1
15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Couples
Midway through our recent Alaskan cruise (12 days, Seattle-to-Seattle, on the extraordinary REGATTA), and in search of a worthwhile endeavor for our day in beautiful Victoria, we Googled "Victoria BC Walking Tours," and were fortunate to come up with Dave Mason's Come See Victoria. As there were no other bookings, our morning with Dave turned into a very special private walking tour of downtown's historical and architectural highlights, including Wharf Street, Chinatown, Government Street, and several century-old interiors along the way. Dave's knowledge of Victoria's fabled past is formidable, and his obvious love and enthusiasm for his city is evident. Affable and easy-going, Dave is the ideal tour guide, and we consider ourselves most fortunate that it was he who introduced us to this very special city. His tours last a little over two hours, and he is amenable to customizing your tour, depending on your tastes and desires. And his rates are unbeatable! If you are headed to Victoria, and you are looking to explore and learn about this gem of a city, you really can do no better than Dave Mason.
Written July 7, 2015
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.

YogiCoach
Vancouver, Canada18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2014 • Couples
I've been to Victoria many times and, until joining Dave Mason on his tour, had relatively little knowledge of the city's history and architecture. Dave is friendly and personable fellow with an outstanding knowledge of Victoria's past. His natural charm and witty sense of humour brought this history to life in an engaging and interactive way and I now look at Victoria with a newfound sense of fastination.

I highly recommend this tour, whether you're visiting Victoria for the first time or are a resident who wants to know more about this city's rich history.
Written December 7, 2014
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.

deltaiks
Vancouver, Canada1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2014 • Solo
Absolutely fantastic! If you like history and want to see more than just facade you should definitely take his tour. Dave is very enthusiastic about what he is doing (nothing like boring hired guides in tour buses!). I was solo this time, but I'll be back with my family. It will be amazing in any weather.
Written May 8, 2014
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.

Brent45
Chicago, IL183 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2018 • Couples
Tour guide Dave Mason leads an interesting and informative walk-through of the city's history and architecture. Congenial Dave knows his stuff; he's an architectural technician and house designer. His two-hour tours start at the Visitor Centre. It's easy to find. Look for the Art Deco Tower next to the inner harbour. An added treat is a stop and selfie-session in the interior of an elegantly decorated, Victorian-style "tobacconist" shop.
Written August 17, 2018
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.
Victoria’s Architecture is remarkably diverse; pick your decade from Victorian times to the present and you will find excellent architectural examples from that period. You might see Italianate, Tudor revival, Gothic revival, classic Beaux Arts, Chateau style, Romanesque, Second Empire, Chicago style, Art Noveau, Art Deco, Mid-Century Modern, and (if at all interested) Brutalist! Some historic interiors are always part of the tour as well, like the century-old tobacconist shop. Thanks for the fine recommendation! ... Dave
Written August 23, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

cuisinedarlene
Lake Arrowhead, CA1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2016 • Couples
We spent the afternoon exploring Victoria. The soft rain didn't stop us from this great tour. Victoria has much history and David made it so interesting. He is a funny guy so he had us laughing most of the afternoon. I would highly recommend this tour to get to know the city.
Written September 17, 2016
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 glad you enjoyed the tour. History and architecture need not be dry topics at all, and I do enjoy adding some fun to the tour. And a bit of rain is never a problem, as there are lots of interior stops we can include in a tour. Thanks for the kind review! ... Dave
Written September 19, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

remarcm
108 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2015 • Couples
In to Victoria on a cruise. Have done a number of other excursions here and wanted something different. Saw this was highly rated so decided to give it a try. Dave is extremely knowledgeable and answered any question promptly. His old pictures give you a perspective of what you are looking at formerly looked like. Only complaint I have is you cover a large area in 2 hours. Maybe he should cover a smaller area in the same amount of time, seemed rushed sometimes. Would still recommend.
Written September 23, 2015
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.

Gmarie2013
Northfield, MN22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2015 • Couples
David Mason offers a fascinating and very informative tour of the city of Victoria. This included not only insights into the history of the city, but the distinctive nature of the architecture of the city's many interesting buildings. In addition David is a good story teller which made the history of Victoria come alive. Once the tour was over it made us feel differently about Victoria as we had come to see the city with new eyes and have an appreciation for why Victoria is a special place.
Written September 22, 2015
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.

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