Chinatown Tours: The 15 Best Walks off Grant Avenue

1.Chinatown & North BeachLittle Italy: 7 Tastings & History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,070 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $96Our pick

Walk from Chinatown’s Dragon Gate to North Beach with a local guide, sampling dim sum, tea, a Chinese meal, chocolate, cannoli and pizza along the way. The four-hour tour costs $96, includes food and non-alcoholic drinks, and caps groups at 15. Guides include Brian, Isabella, Andre and Scott, though your guide is not guaranteed.

“Don’t make dinner reservations. The tour is 4+ hours long and you won’t be hungry when you’re done. The guide loves the sound of his voice.”

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2.Ghost Hunt in SF Chinatown with a Professional Investigator

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 922 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $55

Spend about 90 minutes walking from the Transamerica Pyramid area through Jackson Square and Chinatown with a professional guide and a provided EMF detector. Guides such as Jamie, Aliya, Mac, and Rose mix San Francisco history, true crime, and ghost stories, and may bring out additional tools such as a spirit box or dousing rods.

“This was an awesome experience and my teenage daughters loved it! Jamie was fun and knowledgeable and very respectful, considering the sensitive history of the area.”

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3.San Francisco Chinatown Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 778 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $59

Meet your English-speaking guide at Old St. Mary’s Cathedral for a two-hour walk through Chinatown. Visit Portsmouth Square, Stockton Street’s food markets, an herbal goods shop, Waverly Place, and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookies factory, where you can watch the cookies being made and sample one. Groups are capped at 15.

“Linda is so fun to be with and gives a fabulous tour. Our entire family loved the tour. Took the time to know all of our names and kept their attention. She is a wonderful tour guide.”

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4.Chinatown Walking Tour: Food, History & Flavor

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 575 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $86

Walk from Dragon Gate through San Francisco’s Chinatown with a local guide and a group of no more than 15. Expect stories of immigration and neighborhood life, tastings such as dim sum and BBQ pork buns, a visit to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, Stockton Street markets and a tea tasting. Guides have included Ryan, Andre and Scott, but your guide may vary.

“Do it. I’ve been to China town before but had missed so much history on my own. Andre did a great job at showing us hidden gems.”

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5.Chinatown Culinary Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 265 reviews · 3 hours · from $84

Meet your English-speaking guide at Chinatown Gate for a three-hour walk through markets, alleys, tea shops and food stops. Taste dim sum, fortune cookies and tea, and look for hand-made fortune cookies, a Buddhist temple and a cathedral. Guides have included Brian, Andre, Scott, Cynthia and Isabella.

“Our guide was incredible! He was knowledgeable & outgoing. The food was good.”

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6.SF’s Chinatown: Tea & Dim Sum Food Tour – Includes full meal, 3hr

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 153 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $99

Start with dim sum at House of Dim Sum, then sample fortune cookies, bubble tea and Chinese pastries before finishing with a 30-minute tea tasting. Guides such as Robert, Jacob, Robin and Marcy lead groups of up to 10 through Chinatown’s food stops and alleyways. Expect a full meal, plenty of walking and a playful tea presentation.

“We had such a wonderful experience. Robert was a fantastic guide. Delicious food and great history lesson. Highly recommend!”

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7.Food Walking Tour of Chinatown & North Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 148 reviews · 4 hours · from $94

Spend four hours on foot with an English-speaking local guide, tasting dim sum, tea, coffee, pizza and wine while exploring Chinatown and North Beach. You’ll see fortune cookies made by hand, hear about Barbary Coast and Beat Generation history, and visit places linked to The Godfather and Steve Allen.

“Great food and great quantity of food. Guide was extremely knowledgeable and fun to walk around with.”

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8.San Francisco Chinatown Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 138 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $99

Spend about three hours walking Chinatown with a local guide, stopping at landmarks, a fortune-cookie bakery, and Chinese restaurants for five tastings. Expect enough food for a meal, with highlights that may include barbecue pork buns, dumplings, noodles, dim sum, and egg tarts. Groups are capped at 12, and vegetarian options are available if requested in advance.

“Amazing food and educational tour! Our guide was very knowledgeable and nice. Me and my fiance had a great time!”

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9.San Francisco North Beach & Chinatown Food Tour with 5 Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 137 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $87

This three-hour walking tour links North Beach and Chinatown through five food tastings, from artisanal coffee and Italian pizza to stuffed dumplings and a surprise dish. You’ll meet at the Cable Car Museum and finish near Eastern Bakery. Guides such as Zachary, Dara, Mark and Jamie have led the tour, sharing San Francisco stories along the way.

“Dara was great. We had fun walking around town and hearing her stories and trying all the different foods? Also fun meeting another couple from Germany.”

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10.Chinatown Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 58 reviews · from $99

Spend three hours walking San Francisco’s Chinatown with an English-speaking local guide and a group capped at eight. Taste five specialties at Chinese-owned eateries and bakeries, including a barbecue pork bun, dim sum and an egg tart, and visit a fortune cookie factory, a Buddhist temple and a traditional market. Food is included; drinks are not.

“The food was incredible and sharing the experience with the a diverse group! They were locals in our group”

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11.GPS Talking Tour Cars: Chinatown/Downtown Loop

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 53 reviews · 1 hour

Take the wheel of a two-seat GoCar for a one-hour GPS-guided loop through North Beach, Chinatown, Union Square, the Financial District and AT&T Ballpark. The car gives turn-by-turn directions and recorded stories in nine languages. You can follow its route or make your own choices, but traffic and timing affect how much you see.

“We loved the adventure!! Best way to see the town!”

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12.Chinatown Food & History Walking Tour – Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 36 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $85

This 2.5-hour Chinatown walk starts at Dragon’s Gate and ends at Portsmouth Square. Expect neighborhood history, bakery cookies, an individual dim sum box, and a visit to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookies Co. Guides including Joseph and Robert have led the tour, though your guide may vary. The group is capped at 12.

“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.”

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13.1HR San Francisco Chinatown and Downtown GoCar Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 32 reviews · 1 hour (approx.)

Take a one-hour self-guided GoCar tour from Fisherman’s Wharf in a two-seat, three-wheeled vehicle. Built-in GPS gives turn-by-turn directions and stories as you drive, and you can stop to explore. The route description includes Chinatown, Lombard Street, the Presidio and Golden Gate Bridge viewpoints. Price is $99 per car, not per person.

“So much fun. Navigation gives you turn by turn instructions along with historical information as you’re passing through your route. Can’t wait to come back and do the two hour route.”

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14.Chinatown Food and History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 27 reviews · 2h 30m · from $85

Spend 150 minutes walking San Francisco’s Chinatown with a local English-speaking guide and a group of up to 12. Visit Stockton Street, Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Portsmouth Square, and a fortune cookie factory, with tastings at Eastern Bakery and Delicious Dim Sum. Joseph is a guide whose history storytelling has drawn particular praise, though guide assignments may vary.

“The Guide was very experienced, friendly and fullfilled all our needs. We have got a lot of Information and insights into the history. Thank you!”

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15.Alcatraz Island & Chinatown Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 14 reviews · 4 hours · from $99

Spend about four hours combining a ferry ride to Alcatraz, a 45-minute cell-house audio tour and a Chinatown walk. You’ll hear prison stories in one of 11 audio-guide languages, then see the Dragon Gate and neighborhood markets with an English-speaking guide. The Chinatown details also describe an app-based, self-paced option, so confirm the format and timing before you go.

“It got done, a pretty easy ferry ride and plenty of information to get you to the right place.”

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