Located a scenic, 15-minute walk from Victoria’s Inner Harbour, Fisherman’s Wharf offers visitors a front-row seat for watching life on the bustling waterfront. Seals, otters, and eagles make appearances near the colorful houseboats (known locally as float homes) moored at the eastern end of Fisherman’s Wharf. Boats flying flags from around the world tie up at the docks here, and the restaurants feature ultra-fresh seafood and shellfish pulled straight from nearby fisheries. The attraction is a stop on some Victoria Harbour boat tours and a featured destination on many Vancouver Island sightseeing tours.
Most restaurant seating is outdoors, so bring extra layers if you plan to dine on cooler days.
Public bathrooms are available on-site.
Avoid feeding seals or other wildlife at the wharf, as it’s both banned and harmful to the animals.
You can enter Fisherman’s Wharf via St. Lawrence Street or Dallas Road: The entrances are a 15-minute walk from Victoria’s Inner Harbour and a 10-minute walk from The Breakwater District at Ogden Point cruise terminal. Water taxis that shuttle visitors around the harbor and surrounding waterways also stop at Fisherman’s Wharf; you can book your ride via a QR code, displayed at each Harbour Ferry stop.
Fisherman’s Wharf is open year-round, but its outdoor restaurants and tourism businesses really bustle during the sunny summer months (June through August). If you’re planning a return trip by water taxi, keep in mind that the shuttles run from mid-morning through evening each day.
On weekends from April through October, the captains of Victoria’s maneuverable harbor ferries showcase their skills at free “water ballet” performances featuring synchronized boating. To watch a water ballet, check the Victoria Harbour Ferry website for showtimes. While you can see the boat show from around the harbor, the best vantage point is from the waterfront Steamship terminal, a 0.6-mile (1-kilometer) walk from Fisherman’s Wharf.
