diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index bd06634095..57adc26a19 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -5810,6 +5810,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "sha2 0.10.8",
+ "tap",
  "tendermint",
  "tokio",
  "tokio-stream",
diff --git a/crates/view/Cargo.toml b/crates/view/Cargo.toml
index b7b4800241..4f43124d18 100644
--- a/crates/view/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/view/Cargo.toml
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ rand_core = {workspace = true, features = ["getrandom"]}
 serde = {workspace = true, features = ["derive"]}
 serde_json = {workspace = true}
 sha2 = {workspace = true}
+tap = {workspace = true}
 tendermint = {workspace = true}
 tokio = {workspace = true, features = ["full"]}
 tokio-stream = {workspace = true, features = ["sync"]}
diff --git a/crates/view/src/service.rs b/crates/view/src/service.rs
index a074b0845a..90e47504e5 100644
--- a/crates/view/src/service.rs
+++ b/crates/view/src/service.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use futures::stream::{self, StreamExt, TryStreamExt};
 use penumbra_auction::auction::dutch::actions::view::ActionDutchAuctionWithdrawView;
 use rand::Rng;
 use rand_core::OsRng;
+use tap::Tap;
 use tokio::sync::{watch, RwLock};
 use tokio_stream::wrappers::WatchStream;
 use tonic::{async_trait, transport::Channel, Request, Response, Status};
@@ -91,14 +92,27 @@ pub struct ViewServer {
 
 impl ViewServer {
     /// Convenience method that calls [`Storage::load_or_initialize`] and then [`Self::new`].
+    #[instrument(
+        skip_all,
+        fields(
+            path = ?storage_path.as_ref().map(|p| p.as_ref().as_str()),
+            url = %node,
+        )
+    )]
     pub async fn load_or_initialize(
         storage_path: Option<impl AsRef<Utf8Path>>,
         fvk: &FullViewingKey,
         node: Url,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
-        let storage = Storage::load_or_initialize(storage_path, fvk, node.clone()).await?;
+        let storage = Storage::load_or_initialize(storage_path, fvk, node.clone())
+            .tap(|_| tracing::trace!("loading or initializing storage"))
+            .await?
+            .tap(|_| tracing::debug!("storage is ready"));
 
-        Self::new(storage, node).await
+        Self::new(storage, node)
+            .tap(|_| tracing::trace!("constructing view server"))
+            .await
+            .tap(|_| tracing::debug!("constructed view server"))
     }
 
     /// Constructs a new [`ViewService`], spawning a sync task internally.
@@ -109,16 +123,19 @@ impl ViewServer {
     /// by this method, rather than calling it multiple times.  That way, each clone
     /// will be backed by the same scanning task, rather than each spawning its own.
     pub async fn new(storage: Storage, node: Url) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
-        let (worker, sct, error_slot, sync_height_rx) =
-            Worker::new(storage.clone(), node.clone()).await?;
+        let (worker, state_commitment_tree, error_slot, sync_height_rx) =
+            Worker::new(storage.clone(), node.clone())
+                .tap(|_| tracing::trace!("constructing view server worker"))
+                .await?
+                .tap(|_| tracing::debug!("constructed view server worker"));
 
-        tokio::spawn(worker.run());
+        tokio::spawn(worker.run()).tap(|_| tracing::debug!("spawned view server worker"));
 
         Ok(Self {
             storage,
             error_slot,
             sync_height_rx,
-            state_commitment_tree: sct,
+            state_commitment_tree,
             node,
         })
     }
diff --git a/crates/view/src/storage.rs b/crates/view/src/storage.rs
index da3b93ef07..7ac5afcd41 100644
--- a/crates/view/src/storage.rs
+++ b/crates/view/src/storage.rs
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@ use r2d2_sqlite::{
     SqliteConnectionManager,
 };
 use sha2::{Digest, Sha256};
+use tap::{Tap, TapFallible};
 use tokio::{
     sync::broadcast::{self, error::RecvError},
     task::spawn_blocking,
 };
+use tracing::{error_span, Instrument};
 use url::Url;
 
 use penumbra_app::params::AppParameters;
@@ -75,20 +77,37 @@ pub struct Storage {
 
 impl Storage {
     /// If the database at `storage_path` exists, [`Self::load`] it, otherwise, [`Self::initialize`] it.
+    #[tracing::instrument(
+        skip_all,
+        fields(
+            path = ?storage_path.as_ref().map(|p| p.as_ref().as_str()),
+            url = %node,
+        )
+    )]
     pub async fn load_or_initialize(
         storage_path: Option<impl AsRef<Utf8Path>>,
         fvk: &FullViewingKey,
         node: Url,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
-        if let Some(path) = storage_path.as_ref() {
-            if path.as_ref().exists() {
+        if let Some(path) = storage_path.as_ref().map(AsRef::as_ref) {
+            if path.exists() {
+                tracing::debug!(?path, "database exists");
                 return Self::load(path).await;
+            } else {
+                tracing::debug!(?path, "database does not exist");
             }
         };
 
-        let mut client = AppQueryServiceClient::connect(node.to_string()).await?;
+        let mut client = AppQueryServiceClient::connect(node.to_string())
+            .instrument(error_span!("connecting to endpoint"))
+            .await
+            .tap_err(|error| {
+                tracing::error!(?error, "failed to connect to app query service endpoint")
+            })?
+            .tap(|_| tracing::debug!("connected to app query service endpoint"));
         let params = client
             .app_parameters(tonic::Request::new(AppParametersRequest {}))
+            .instrument(error_span!("getting app parameters"))
             .await?
             .into_inner()
             .try_into()?;
diff --git a/crates/view/src/worker.rs b/crates/view/src/worker.rs
index 395f91a150..81d3a6f34f 100644
--- a/crates/view/src/worker.rs
+++ b/crates/view/src/worker.rs
@@ -28,8 +28,10 @@ use penumbra_proto::{
 use penumbra_sct::{CommitmentSource, Nullifier};
 use penumbra_transaction::Transaction;
 use proto::core::app::v1::TransactionsByHeightRequest;
+use tap::{Tap, TapFallible};
 use tokio::sync::{watch, RwLock};
 use tonic::transport::Channel;
+use tracing::instrument;
 use url::Url;
 
 use crate::{
@@ -55,6 +57,10 @@ impl Worker {
     /// - a shared, in-memory SCT instance;
     /// - a shared error slot;
     /// - a channel for notifying the client of sync progress.
+    #[instrument(
+        skip(storage),
+        fields(url = %node)
+    )]
     pub async fn new(
         storage: Storage,
         node: Url,
@@ -67,7 +73,12 @@ impl Worker {
         ),
         anyhow::Error,
     > {
-        let fvk = storage.full_viewing_key().await?;
+        tracing::trace!("constructing view server worker");
+        let fvk = storage
+            .full_viewing_key()
+            .await
+            .context("failed to retrieve full viewing key from storage")?
+            .tap(|_| tracing::debug!("retrieved full viewing key"));
 
         // Create a shared, in-memory SCT.
         let sct = Arc::new(RwLock::new(storage.state_commitment_tree().await?));
@@ -83,7 +94,8 @@ impl Worker {
             .with_context(|| "could not parse node URI")?
             .connect()
             .await
-            .with_context(|| "could not connect to grpc server")?;
+            .with_context(|| "could not connect to grpc server")
+            .tap_err(|error| tracing::error!(?error, "could not connect to grpc server"))?;
 
         Ok((
             Self {