8 Walking Tours in Chinatown Worth Booking

1.San Francisco Chinatown Walking Tour

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

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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2.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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3.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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4.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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5.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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6.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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7.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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8.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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