The 15 Best Chinatown Tours in San Francisco

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

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

Spend about four hours walking from Chinatown’s Dragon Gate to North Beach, with dim sum, tea, a Chinese meal, chocolate, cannoli, pizza, and local stories along the way. Guides may include Brian, Isabella, Andre, Andrea, or Scott. Expect generous portions, hills, and a small group capped at 15.

“Great tour, lots of walking up and down the hills. Lots of Chinese, not as much Italian food as we would like. Where is the tiramisu”

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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

Walk from the Transamerica Pyramid into Jackson Square and Chinatown with a guide such as Jamie, Aliya, or Mac. Use an EMF detector, EVP tools, dousing rods, and a spirit box while hearing stories of buried bodies, murders, gang wars, and old San Francisco hauntings.

“We had a great time on this ghost tour in San Francisco! The stories were really interesting, mixing spooky legends with actual history, which gave us a whole new look at the city. Walking through Chinatown at night added to the atmosphere, and our guide kept us interested with all the details. It was a fun family outing with just the right mix of spooky and fun moments. Definitely recommend it if you’re into ghost stories and history!”

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3.San Francisco Chinatown Walking Tour

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

Meet Linda Lee at Old St. Mary’s Cathedral for a two-hour Chinatown walk through food markets, herbal shops, Waverly Place, pagoda-style buildings, and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookies Co. Expect local stories, small-group access, and plenty of time for questions.

“Linda Lee is awesome! Chinatown is a special place. Linda does well to provide history and details one might not notice. I took my little brother, and he loved it!”

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4.Chinatown Walking Tour: Food, History & Flavor

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

Start at Dragon Gate and walk Chinatown’s alleys, markets, tea shop, and food stops with a local guide such as Ryan, Andre, or Scott. Tastings include dim sum, BBQ pork buns, pastries, fortune cookies, tea, and possibly Peking duck. The three-hour route serves as both lunch and neighborhood introduction.

“This was more a history and culture tour than a foodie tour. Our guide, Scott, was a wealth of information and was able to weave history and pop culture together in a single tour. Scott was exceptional at keeping our attention and involving us in the questions and answers. I would say that some of the food stops had great food (e.g. "Scott's noodles" - these are off-menu, the Vital Tea Leaf Shop) whereas the rest was just okay. I would definitely recommend you go for the history, but if you're only interested in food, I might forgo a tour and find places on your own.”

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5.Chinatown Culinary Walking Tour

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

Spend three hours walking San Francisco Chinatown with an English-speaking guide such as Brian, Scott, Isabella, or Andre. Taste dim sum, pastries, tea, fortune cookies, and more while visiting food markets, tea shops, alleys, a Buddhist temple, and historic storefronts.

“Great overview. Plan to come back to several places as pace is quick. Definitely worth it!”

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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

Spend three hours eating through San Francisco Chinatown with a small group and local guide. Try dim sum, fortune cookies, bubble tea, pastries, Cantonese dishes, and a lively tea tasting. Guides such as Jacob, Robert, Robin, and Dale bring different personalities to the food and neighborhood stories.

“Come hungry and willing to try new things! Lots of different flavors and interesting facts about Chinatown.”

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7.Food Walking Tour of Chinatown & North Beach

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

Walk from Chinatown Gate through Chinatown and North Beach with an English-speaking local guide. Sample dim sum, tea, fresh-ground coffee, pizza, wine, sweets, and more while seeing handmade fortune cookies, Beat-era landmarks, and the café where Francis Ford Coppola wrote *The Godfather*.

“Brian was awesome!! Super knowledgeable and took us to all the right spots! Tried different food and finish with some cannolis and pizza!”

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8.San Francisco Chinatown Food Tour

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

Start at 10 a.m. on Grant Avenue for a three-hour Chinatown walk with guides such as Jinny, Michael, Ted, and Spud. Expect five generous tastings, temple and neighborhood history, fortune cookies, dumplings, dim sum, barbecue pork buns, noodles, and egg tarts.

“The food was delicious and plentiful. We learned a lot about Chinatown and some of the local buildings and temples. Loved the fortune cookie company tour.”

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

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

Spend three hours walking from the Cable Car Museum through North Beach and Chinatown, with five tastings including coffee, dumplings, pizza, dessert, and a secret dish. Guides such as Zachary, Dara, Mark, and Jamie add local stories, food background, and plenty of San Francisco character.

“Fun experience and excellent food. Zachary did a wonderful job. He was informative and friendly, and it was a great way to learn some history and try some new things.”

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10.Chinatown Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 58 reviews · from $99

Walk San Francisco Chinatown with an English-speaking local guide and taste five Chinese specialties, from barbecue pork buns and dim sum to Shanghai dishes and egg tarts. You’ll visit a fortune cookie factory, Buddhist temple, and Chinese market in a group limited to eight.

“We had an excellent time on this tour. It exceeded our expectations regarding the amount and variety of food tasting. Our guide Jinny was so knowledgeable and we enjoyed all the information she provided. I recommend this tour and will tell my family and friends to take it when in the city.”

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11.GPS Talking Tour Cars: Chinatown/Downtown Loop

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 53 reviews · 1 hour

You drive a two-seat GoCar from Fisherman’s Wharf on a one-hour GPS-guided loop through North Beach, Chinatown, Union Square, downtown, and past AT&T Ballpark. Built-in narration offers directions and stories in nine languages, while you choose to follow the route or make brief stops.

“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

Walk San Francisco Chinatown with a guide such as Joseph or Robert, stopping at Dragon’s Gate, Eastern Bakery, Delicious Dim Sum, and a fortune-cookie factory. You’ll taste dim sum, cookies, and bakery treats while learning how Chinatown shaped San Francisco. The small group has a maximum of 12 people.

“Super competent and friendly guide! Nice Food, Places that I would have missed without the tour. Thank you!”

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13.1HR San Francisco Chinatown and Downtown GoCar Tour

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

Drive a two-person GoCar from Fisherman’s Wharf through Chinatown, Downtown, the Presidio, Crissy Field, and Fort Point. Built-in GPS provides turn-by-turn directions and city stories, while you choose where to pause. The one-hour route is lively but tight, so plan for quick photo stops.

“It was really fun!! Got to see a lot of cool places and nice buildings!!! Honestly tho, I don't think an hour is enough so you'd probably need a day pass”

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14.Chinatown Food and History Walking Tour

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

Meet at Dragon's Gate for a 150-minute Chinatown walk with an English-speaking Gray Line guide. Visit Stockton Street, Old Saint Mary's Cathedral, Portsmouth Square, Eastern Bakery, Delicious Dim Sum, and a fortune cookie factory. Groups are limited to 12.

“Tour was comprehensive. Better than we could have hoped. Joseph had an encyclopedic knowledge of the area and history. Outstanding job all the way around.”

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15.Alcatraz Island & Chinatown Walking Tour

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

You’ll ferry from Fisherman’s Wharf to Alcatraz, enter the former federal prison, and follow a 45-minute audio tour in your chosen language. Later, meet at 329 Columbus Ave for a 60-minute English Chinatown walk, with time afterward for food and shopping.

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

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