All About Chinatown Tours is the #1 Chinatown Walking Tour on Trip Advisor and Yelp. Don’t take our word for it, read the reviews of what our guests say!
Viator Review - David G - February 28, 2024
When you visit the Chinese Fortune Cookie Factory, check out the weathered newspaper clipping just inside the entrance. You may find a quote from your tour guide! You will learn more about Chinese-Americans living in San Francisco’s Chinatown on this tour than you would from spending years anywhere else in San Francisco.
Yelp Review - Deanna B - September 1, 2023
My family and I had a wonderful experience and would highly recommend this tour of Chinatown. This was the highlight of our staycation with family visiting from out of town. Being a SF native, raised right outside of Chinatown, I thought I was fairly familiar with the history of Chinatown, but I learned so much from Linda. She was so knowledgeable and added a personal touch with some of her childhood stories growing up in the area. I especially enjoyed learning about the buildings and businesses in some of the small alleys in Chinatown as well as some of the customs. Linda was entertaining and enthusiastic. She took time to answer questions and provided really interesting historical information. She stopped along the way if we noticed something interesting and we never felt rushed. The walking pace was perfect for our group with an age range of 15-75+. There was a good balance of walking and stopping to learn more about what we were seeing. I would definitely sign up for this tour again. Linda is fantastic!
Viator Review - Lori_S - June 6, 2023
Beth shared her wealth of knowledge about the past & present Chinatown. She was very considerate of taking the tour at a pace that was suitable for us. We appreciated her recommendation of places to have a delicious dim sum lunch. The fortune cookie factory was extremely busy which may have been the reason the lady at to door wasn’t very friendly; otherwise, we would highly recommend this tour!
Viator Review - Kerrilynn_R - May 6, 2023
Our family really enjoyed the tour! Lynn was wonderful and so full of knowledge about all things Chinatown. Thank you!
Viator Review - Keri_O - May 7, 2023
We learned lots of interesting facts about Chinatown. Specifically, we enjoyed learning about immigration history and burial rituals. Alan our guide was very friendly.
Yelp Review - Craig W. - January 2, 2023
This was a fantastic tour. We’ve previously visited Chinatown many times and have taken self-guided tours but we are so glad to have taken this tour by someone who grew up in Chinatown. Linda was engaging, informative, and entertaining. She welcomed questions and gave everyone on the tour special attention. We learned about the history of Chinatown and so much more. We also learned how and why the Chinese came to America (at least some of them). We learned about Chinese medicine and the medicine shops here. We visited a shop that sold offerings for the deceased. Of course, no visit to Chinatown is complete without talking about the grocery stores and other food shops. We also learned about Chinese culture, languages, religion, and more and more. Yes, you could visit all of these shops on your own but you probably won’t know what you’re looking at. Linda provided a rich history of the shops and what was in them. I can’t recommend this tour highly enough. You are going to get an education in a highly entertaining way, and that’s really the best method, right? Thank you, Linda! Your tour was a highlight of our trip.
Viator review - Nicki T. - December 30, 2022
Fun and educational walking tour of Chinatown! Our guide, Linda, was very personable and knowledgeable about the history of the Chinese in America and their important contributions towards the development of San Francisco. She helped us explore the culture, cuisine, religion, and various social clubs of the local community – which we would have never understood just walking around on our own. Dim Sum lunch at the Oriental Pearl was the perfect ending of the tour. Delicious! Highly recommend this tour to travelers who want to experience this vibrant neighborhood in San Francisco!
M3TravelM3 from Tripadvisor November 7, 2022
We booked this tour for a work team activity. It was the perfect ratio of walking, stopping, and information with historic photo exhibits. Super informative. Easy for any age/ability. Great for out-of-town attendees as well as long-time locals. Beth was super friendly and her love for the city shone through. As a former educator, she was a natural at speaking to a group of people and encouraging questions.
Don’t forget to buy some fortune cookies at the factory 🙂
Greg_B from Viator October 2, 2022
Our tour guide Don was outstanding. The guy is amazing. Extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. – Greg_B
Bill S from Tripadvisor August 22, 2022
So many reviews on this site were written to acknowledge Linda. I toured on Saturday 8/20. No Linda!! But we had Don. His tour was fantastic. Language, culture, history, he had it all. Very open to questions and handled them all while tying into his ongoing dialog. We learned so much about this amazing city within a the city. Even got good tips on how to tell genuine jade from fake. We had a teen with us and even she cocked an eyebrow once or twice! Loved it. The dim sum lunch was delicious and good value, with a mix of regular dishes plus 3 or 4 dim sum items. Our only surprise was when Don left the restaurant without giving us an opportunity to share a gratuity with him – perhaps he’s used to guests who don’t understand the custom – but my wife was able to track him down before he got too far! Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone wanting to learn more than the superficial tourist stuff. – Bill S
Ram_R from Viator August 15, 2022
We were initially a large group, so got split into two. We stayed with Jim, who was very knowledgeable and informative. There are also free walking tours, but to us, having a small group with a great guy made this certainly worthwhile. Though our tour didn’t include lunch, most of us went to lunch together after the tour, to a great dim sum place recommended by our guide. – Ram_R
Elke_C from Viator August 15, 2022
Don was a great guide with an expansive knowledge of China itself and Chinatown, along with other fascinating places around the world. It was time well-spent, and a nice lunch afterward. – Elke_C
Candice_S from Viator August 15, 2022
Our tour with Jim was fantastic! We learned so much about the culture and history of Chinatown, and he kept our two kids (13 and 11) more than entertained. Jim even bought the group some pork buns to share. We experienced so much more than we would have on our own – worth every penny! – Candice_S
Amberohs From Trip Advisor - July 16th, 2022
I really enjoyed learning about the history of San Fran, how much influence the Chinese had, hearing the stories of the people who founded Chinatown, and how that flows through into modern day. My son even opted for a haircut afterwards. Our guide, Don was very knowledgeable and gave the tour a welcoming and inviting feel. He was so pleasant and easily answered any questions during our time together. We are so glad we did this tour and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in experiencing Chinatown in an authentic way. – Amberohs
Brandon_S From Trip Advisor - May 31, 2022
We have lived in San Francisco for years and signed up for the tour as part of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month to get to know Chinatown better. We had an excellent experience and felt that our guide, Beth, had a breadth of knowledge to inform us of both the history and culture that has defined Chinatown over the years. I would recommend for anyone wanting to learn more about San Francisco and American history and culture. – Brandon_S
From Viator on May 1, 2022
Linda Lee clearly enjoyed her job as the guide. She was friendly, engaging with all age groups, and imminently knowledgeable. We had strolled through Chinatown the previous day. She explained things that we had seen and had questions about and she showed us things we missed on our own as well as explaining the background of what we were seeing. Great tour! I highly recommend it for anyone including residents of San Francisco.
From Viator on Apr 21, 2022
Our guide, Linda, was extremely knowledgeable. She had in-depth details regarding Chinese culture, foods, history, and architecture. She shared personal stories about growing up in Chinatown and provided lots of anecdotes. We truly enjoyed the tour, the lunch was delicious, and we would highly recommend it.
From Viator on Apr 10, 2022
My family were very happy with this tour. Linda was informative and she presented personal pictures to make this tour interesting. My teen daughter and teenage grandson learned something about the Chinese culture and they still talk about the fortune cookie factory and facts about the culture.
Thank you
Erney family
From Yelp on Nov 17, 2021
I am a middle school teacher. My students recently enjoyed a wonderfully fun and educational tour Linda gave us. All of us on the tour – kids and chaperones alike – loved her lively presentation style and the wealth of information she was able to share with us. In particular, her personal experience growing up in Chinatown made the experience authentic and powerful. She even took the time to follow up on my students’ questions, looked into the history of Angel Island. I highly recommend Linda if you are looking for a dynamic, informative, and personal way of experiencing SF Chinatown.
From Google on Nov 14, 2021
I can’t recommend this tour enough! We were looking for an in-depth tour of the history and culture of Chinatown, and we certainly found it in the tour presented by Linda Lee. She is absolutely delightful, with a wonderful sense of humor and an incredible knowledge of the area and the people. If you’re looking to expand your knowledge of the City of San Francisco and Chinatown and its people, this is the tour for you! And the Dim Sum lunch afterward was perfect!
Dixielucy from Trip Advisor on Oct 24, 2021
Linda Lee was super fun and informative. Even though I’ve lived in San Francisco for a long time and have spent time in Chinatown, I learned so much from the tour. Highly recommended!
mcswisher from Trip Advisor - Jul 12, 2021
I cannot say enough good things about Linda and this tour! Linda is a warm and friendly guide. I knew immediately that I was going to enjoy her tour. She had first hand cultural information to share. She obviously loves Chinatown. She is funny, upbeat and very good at keeping the tour moving. The dim sum lunch was great. I am glad I went with the lunch. I am always worried that I won’t choose the right restaurant. Linda took care of everything! I highly recommend this tour.
MajkenR from Trip Advisor on Aug 31, 2021
Linda was fabulous and we had a great time! Learned of history but also some current cultural things we would never have known had we not done the tour. Dim Sum at the Oriental Pearl was really really good. Highly recommend the tour!
davidcN4951EY Trip Advisor - Mar 13, 2021
great inside info from a resident. taken this tour 6 times in 16 years and always great and something new. a must in SF
Reviewed by Pat A. on Yelp, May 28, 2021
Our tour, led by Linda Lee was great! It was quite informative, especially because of Linda’s personal perspective of having grown up in Chinatown. She shared many touching, funny and insightful observations about life in Chinatown. She gave us a peek into historic events, especially important as they relate to today’s struggles for the AAPI community. And our dim sum lunch was delicious. Everyone visiting San Francisco should treat themselves to the Chinatown Walking Tour!
SDEDZEDV from Trip Advisor on Apr 7, 2021
Linda was a wonderful guide and perfect for our family. She had extensive knowledge and shared personal experiences which made the tour rich and vivid and provided wonderful “behind the scenes” stories of real-life in San Francisco’s China Town, both its history and current day. We would definitely book with Linda again on our next visit.
Coach G Volleyball from Trip Advisor on Jun 14, 2019
I’ve been taking these tours with the same guide for over 15 years. She never ages but her tours are always fun, informative, and so much more engaging than any other tour I’ve done in San Francisco and one of the best I’ve ever attended around the world.
Indrayani W from Trip Advisor on Jul 10, 2019
I had a wonderful experience taking the Chinatown food and walking tour. Our tour guide was Lynn. She was great! This was my first guided tour that I enjoyed thoroughly. It was well managed and informative. I would certainly recommend this to anyone wanting to experience a wonderful time in Chinatown.
Reviewed by ldb4450 Trip Advisor - Apr 5, 2021
First, my tour guide Linda was excellent. As a native of Chinatown herself, I got to experience it as if I had lived there. The history of the people past and present was so fascinating and meaningful. The fortune cookie factory, shop honoring the deceased, markets, and temple were just some of the many highlights. This is an experience I will always remember and would definitely do again.
65cynthiag Trip Advisor - Jun 4, 2021
Great tour. Tour guide Beth is extremely knowledgeable about the entire history of the area. Explored areas if Chinatown we didn’t know existed. Very fun and interesting!! Would highly recommend. The optional lunch was great.
Gillian L Trip Advisor - Jun 4, 2021
My husband and I had the most incredible walking tour of Chinatown today led by Linda Lee. She is an awesome guide. She is remarkably knowledgeable and shared the history and culture, the architecture and customs, adding her own personal experiences growing up Chinese in the area. She took us into many of the shops showing us what we were looking at, we would never have known any of it without her. The Chinese paper store with gifts for the departed, Chinese medicine, items and functions and so much more. She is personable, funny, and such a pleasure to be with sharing her knowledge and passion for her culture. In addition, it was great watching the Chinatown residents going about their day.
Reviewed by Diana W, Trip Advisor, Feb 18, 2019
We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour with Beth and Chinatown Tours. She provided interesting facts as she navigated our group through China Town. The Dim Sum lunch was amazing and so much food! We would definitely recommend this tour.
cwhelan60 Trip Advisor - Aug 5, 2019
Guides Lynn Eichinger & her husband, Jim Adams were very gracious and knowledgeable informative guides and hosts. highly recommended!
Reviewed by lauraL o, Feb 19, 2019
What a wonderful tour of Chinatown! it was fun, informative and our guide Beth was terrific. I would recommend to anyone thinking of joining up.
Reviewed by Noelle P. on Yelp, Jul 3, 2017
We LOVED it!! Regina was so much fun! She made our trip to SF worth it! So glad we went on the tour. We were able to navigate Chinatown on our own the next day. She really made history come alive and it was fun getting to hear about her childhood. I would definitely recommend this tour!
