Free tour

Chinatown Food & History Tour with a San Francisco Local

5.00

Excellent (62 ratings)

San Francisco

Duration: 3 hours

Languages: English

Guru: David

PRO

Verified quality

Registered on 08 August 2021

I’m a native San Franciscan born and raised in the city. My parents were immigrants from China, and San Francisco’s Chinatown was their point of entry into the United States. I started giving tours of SF because I’ve had great experiences taking free walking tours during my travels across the world (50+ countries). I’m a foodie at heart and have my own food blog, Instagram, and Yelp account, and I’ve written a review for every restaurant I’ve visited in the last 9 years! That means that I know the best local places in the city to take visitors to.

Free booking and cancellation

Pay-what-you-wish tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free

Tour description

Explore the rich culture of San Francisco’s Chinatown, full of fascinating architecture, street art, and most importantly, good food! This tour takes you on an expedition through the narrow alleyways, colorful storefronts, and bustling markets of one of the city's most iconic neighborhoods. You’ll make stops to sample dim sum, fortune cookies, tea, and more, all while learning about the history of the oldest Chinatown in North America, from the early days of Chinese immigration to the thriving community it is today.

Food & Drink Stops (subject to change):

At each place, I’ll recommend items for you to try, but you’re free to order anything you’d like. Expect to pay $15-$30 per person depending on what you get (a bargain for San Francisco).

Dim Sum - freshly-made dumplings, buns, pastries, and more
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory - handmade fortune cookies
Tea Tasting - sample Chinese teas including green, black, oolong, and pu-erh
Egg Tarts - finish off with dessert from a Chinese bakery

Other Sights:

Dragon Gate (meeting point) - entry to Chinatown
Grant Avenue - souvenir shops galore
Stockton Street - local shopping street with bakeries and produce markets
Chinatown Alleyways - side streets for a look at local life
Portsmouth Square - historic center of SF and a gathering place for locals

How is this tour different from other food tours in SF?

If you take other food tours in Chinatown, you’re likely to pay $75-$90 per person upfront without any guarantee of the quality of the tour. My tours are oriented to visitors who want to experience local spots at local prices. At each food stop, you’ll pay only for what you order, and at the end, you can pay-as-you-wish for the tour based on what you thought it was worth!

Additional Information

Weather in SF can be unpredictable, so check the forecast and come prepared.
We will be dining indoors at some of the food places, so we sadly cannot accommodate pets on this tour.

Highlights

What will we see on this tour?

Meeting point:

342 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94108, USA

Outside Hotel Triton across from Dragon Gate

Outside visit

Dragon Gate Chinatown SF

Grand entry to Chinatown

Outside visit

St Mary's Square

Peaceful park with monuments

Outside visit

Old Saint Mary's Cathedral

Historic Gothic church

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours don't have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end the amount they consider appropriate (amounts usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).