Tours and Tickets to Experience Washington DC Chinatown

There are plenty of ways to experience Washington DC Chinatown. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• DC's Delicious Donut Experience with a Sweet Side of History

• Washington DC History & Monuments American Minibus Guided Tour

• Best of DC: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour, Arlington, and Night Tour

• DC: Hop-On Hop-Off Tour with 17 Stops and Arlington Walking Tour

• DC Monuments Day or Night American History Electric Cart Tour

There’s no charge to visit Washington DC Chinatown. To join a guided tour that makes a stop here alongside other Washington DC attractions, expect to pay anywhere from US$40 for a bus or hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour to over US$500 per group for a customizable half-day private tour.

One of Washington D.C.’s most vibrant neighborhoods, Chinatown is known for its Chinese-American heritage, colorful scenery, and delicious Chinese restaurant scene (plus Japanese and Mongolian cuisine). Its major landmark is Friendship Arch, an arched gate featuring Chinese dragons and red tiles created by architect Alfred Liu.

The shoulder seasons of spring and fall are the best weather windows for visiting Washington DC, especially if you plan on doing a lot of outdoor sightseeing. But the Chinese New Year—a 2-week festival that occurs each year in January or February—is when you can catch Chinatown’s lively street parade.

That depends. Unlike Chinatowns in New York City or San Francisco, Washington DC Chinatown is very compact. An hour is sufficient to snap a photo of the famous Friendship Arch and poke into a few stores. If you’re factoring in lunch or dinner, then add on another couple of hours.

Yes, visiting Washington DC Chinatown is worth it—although the Chinese-American community living there has dwindled over the decades. You can still see retail chains such as Starbucks or Walgreens with Chinese lettering on their storefronts, visit the Chinese Community Church, or catch an exhibit at the Chinese Community Cultural Center.