Chinatown Food & History Walking Tour - Small Group
Badge of Excellence
San Francisco, USA
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
San Francisco's Chinatown is one of the largest Chinese communities outside of Asia, so explore the ins and outs of this lively multicultural neighborhood with a guide who knows the way. Venture beyond the tourist shops to learn the history of landmarks like Portsmouth Square and the Dragon's Gate, stopping along the way to sample authentic dim sum and tour a fortune cookie factory.
- Avoid aimless wandering and see the best of Chinatown
- Get tips on ordering dim sum like a local
- Watch how fortune cookies are made at a factory
- Learn about the neighborhood's long history in a respectful way
What's Included
- SnacksFortune Cookies samples
- BrunchIndividual Dim Sum boxes for each guest at Delicious Dim Sum
- Coffee and/or TeaCookies at Eastern Bakery
- Hotel Pick up or drop off
- Tips (not included)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 352 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94108, USA
Please be at the meeting point: Dragon's Gate. Bush St & Grant Ave (San Francisco) about 15 minutes before the tour begins. Our guide will be waiting for you in front of the Café de la Presse.
End point
- Portsmouth Playground718-736 Clay St, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA
We'll end our tour at Portsmouth Square
Operating hours.11:00 am
Itinerary
1
Dragon's Gate
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Old Saint Mary's Cathedral
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Eastern Bakery
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Delicious Dim Sum
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
5
Golden Gate Fortune Cookies Co
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Portsmouth Square
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Stroller accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Not wheelchair accessible
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.6
based on 36 reviews
Glenn_S, Jul 2025
Joseph gives a wonderful tour. We took his North Beach tour also. We found he is both knowledgeable and answers our questions.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Hi Glenn! Thank you so much! We're thrilled you enjoyed both tours with Joseph. He's passionate about sharing his knowledge, and we're glad it made your experience memorable!
richard_l, Jul 2025
This is a very good tour, wish there would have been a little more food. What there was, was still good. Our guide was very informative. Take the tour and some extra money. We'll worth it.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Hi Richard! Thanks for your feedback! We're glad you enjoyed the tour and found the guide informative. We'll keep the food note in mind—hope to see you again soon!
PaulaE, May 2025
We had Joe as a tour guide. He taught us a lot about the history of Chinatown and let us sample some yummy treats at some of the businesses (buns, fortune cookies and dim sum). The only thing I was surprised about: there was no tea sampling. Tea is a pretty big deal in Chinese culture (although, more so in Japanese culture). The history lesson and the walk about was great and Joe was a very personable host to the 4 of us.
Response from Host, May 2025
Hi Paula! Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! We're so glad you enjoyed the tour with Joe and the tasty samples along the way. We appreciate your note about the tea sampling—that's a great suggestion, and we’ll definitely consider it for future tours.
Anne_S, Aug 2024
I gave this tour as a gift to family members. They were thrilled with the tour and were so impressed with the tour guide, Robert.
They described how knowledgeable Robert was and were fascinated with the history. They weren’t familiar with the food and loved experiencing new flavors. They now love Dim Sum and will return to experience Chinatown again.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Hi Anne! Thank you for sharing! We’re thrilled to hear your family enjoyed the tour and were impressed with Robert’s knowledge. It’s wonderful that they enjoyed trying new flavors and are excited to explore Chinatown again.
L_G, Jul 2024
First off, I have a minor handicap that can often slow me down, but I could easily keep up with the group - the only thing that kept me behind was waiting for people to clear so I could take a picture of something, haha. The tour moved slowly enough that I was able to walk easily and the frequent stops gave me time to catch my breath. We ALL struggled with some of those really steep blocks, even our guide. (there were really only 2 separate steep blocks, the others were nearly flat or had an easy incline)
I took my 14yo niece to SF and chose to do a few tours and make it a learning experience. This was not my first trip to SF, but my first time doing anything "touristy" - it was WORTH IT! Every penny. We learned so much about history, destruction, and reconstruction. The food stops were delicious! The stories were memorable. I asked my niece on our way home what she had learned. Everything she repeated came from THIS tour. The kid was paying attention!
Our guide, Joseph, was knowledgeable and friendly and took the time to get to know each of us in the group.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Hi LG! Thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you and your niece enjoyed the tour and found it informative and enjoyable. It's great to know that the pace and frequent stops worked well for you, allowing you to fully experience the tour. We appreciate your kind words about our guide Joseph, and we hope to see you both again on another adventure in the future!
Heather_T, Jun 2024
Our guide, Joseph, was very friendly and knowledgeable. I learned so much on this tour. The places we stopped to eat were wonderful.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Hi Heather! Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our guide, Joseph, who was friendly and knowledgeable. It's fantastic that you learned a lot during the tour and enjoyed the places we stopped to eat. We hope to see you again soon for another enlightening journey!
Joanna_C, Apr 2024
We had a great time with Joseph on our culinary walking tour! He was friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to answer our questions. We learned a lot about the history and culture of Chinatown and San Francisco in general. The food stops were delicious and provided a filling lunch!
Pauline_J, Sep 2023
We had a great tour with our tour guide. Hr gave us many great insights to the Chinatown area and also the immigration of that area as well. I would highly recommend the tour and working with our tour guide. Thanks for all your knowledge and depth of the area. Dan and Pauline.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hi Dan and Pauline,
It's wonderful to hear that you had a great tour with your guide and that you gained valuable insights into Chinatown and its history. Thank you for recommending the tour and sharing your positive experience. We hope we have the opportunity to serve you again soon.
Angela_B, Sep 2023
Our tour guide was so great! He's a native of San Francisco and truly gave us more than what we expected. We felt more connected in the city where we work.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hi Angela_B,
Wow, we're thrilled to hear that your tour guide, a native of San Francisco, provided you with a wonderful experience that exceeded your expectations. It's fantastic that you felt a stronger connection to the city through his insights. Thank you for sharing your positive feedback, and we hope to provide you with more enriching experiences in the future.
Stefanie_W, Feb 2023
Super competent and friendly guide!
Nice Food, Places that I would have missed without the tour. Thank you!
Response from Host, Feb 2023
Dear Stefani,
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us.
We are so happy to see that you enjoyed our tour and had a great time.
We hope to serve you again soon!
John_O, Oct 2022
We booked the small group Chinatown tour. The directions ask you to arrive 15 minutes late which our group of seven people didd. The guide arrived perhaps a minute or two after the hour. The bigger issue was that the guy who apparently normally leads this group was out and the person who guided us had not done this tour before. Very sweet guy but pretty mediocre experience unfortunately.
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear John,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. I’m sorry to hear that your experience hasn’t met your expectations on this occasion.
Sincerely,
Gray Line.
Sally_S, Jun 2022
Our guide, Joseph, was fantastic. So knowledgeable about the history of the area and able to answer all questions. Only five in our group which made it so manageable. The stop at the fortune cookie place was interesting and tasty as was the dim sum. I highly recommend this!!!
Donna_T, Feb 2022
Joseph made this a great tour. His knowledge of the area, the history of the markings on the buildings...making sure to point out interesting facts about the residents who occupied the apartments in the past, and who stayed. We enjoyed the pace and the food. Getting to see how the food is still made by hand. We even went back to buy more Dim Dum, but they were closed Wed. Definitely worth every penny. Wish we could give him 10 stars.
Response from Host, Feb 2022
Hello Donna, thanks for your beautiful review!
Joseph is truly a gem! At Gray Line San Francisco, we learn every day from him and get impregned by the love and passion that he has for this beautiful city.
Please refer this activity to friends and family! every bit of awareness helps us out a lot.
We're looking forward to welcoming you back soon!
Xavier
General Manager
Gray Line San Francisco
Mary_J, Jul 2021
Joseph was a wonderful tour guide. He shared so many interesting facts about San Francisco and China Town. If you’re looking for history and some great food, I highly recommend this tour!
Response from Host, Jul 2021
Thanks for your kind words, Mary!
We are so happy that this tour gets this kind of feedback as we recently launched it after the pandemic.
Please share your experience with familiars and friends so we can make this experience a popular one in San Francisco.
Come back to visit us soon!
Susana
Guest Relations Manager
Gray Line San Francisco
Craig_K, Jul 2021
Joseph the tour guide ! He was great. Personable, knowledgeable, accommodating. He was the reason for the success of the tour. Thanks Joseph. The Kepharts
Response from Host, Jul 2021
Hello Craig,
Thanks for your great review from Joseph and all of our team members at Gray Line San Francisco.
It really matters to us you reviewed this tour, as it is one tour we launched after the pandemic, and it makes us proud to see that it gets feedback like this.
Please get in touch with us during your next visit, and we'll be happy to host "The Kepharts" on any of our other tours.
Xavier
General Manager
Gray Line San Francisco
Likely to Sell Out
From $85.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Likely to Sell Out
Chinatown Food & History Walking Tour - Small Group
36
2 hours 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$85.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Food Tours
- Shore Excursions
- Full-day Tours
- Wine Tastings
- Bus Tours
- Food & Drink
- Day Trips
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Private and Luxury
- Private Sightseeing Tours
- San Francisco
- Food Tours - Sausalito
- Shore Excursions - Sausalito
- Wine Tastings - Sausalito
- Bus Tours - Sausalito
- Food Tours - Oakland
- Shore Excursions - Oakland
- Full-day Tours - Oakland
- Wine Tastings - Oakland
- Bus Tours - Oakland
- Food Tours - Napa & Sonoma
- Shore Excursions - Napa & Sonoma
- Full-day Tours - Napa & Sonoma
- Wine Tastings - Napa & Sonoma
- Bus Tours - Napa & Sonoma
Attractions in San Francisco, USA
- Conservatory of Flowers Tours & Tickets
- SoMa (South of Market) Tours & Tickets
- Grace Cathedral Tours & Tickets
- Golden Gate Bridge Tours & Tickets
- Lombard Street Tours & Tickets
- Yosemite National Park Tours & Tickets
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Tours & Tickets
- War Memorial Opera House Tours & Tickets
- Bay Bridge Tours & Tickets
- Hayes Valley Tours & Tickets
- Union Square Tours & Tickets
- Lands End Tours & Tickets
- Tunnel View Tours & Tickets
- Napa Valley Wine Train Tours & Tickets
- Haight-Ashbury Tours & Tickets
- Beat Museum Tours & Tickets
- Presidio Tours & Tickets
- De Young Museum Tours & Tickets