San Francisco Chinatown Walking Tour with Optional Lunch

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Pass By: All About Chinatown Tours, 660 California St Old St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 94108-2501

Meet at Old St Mary's Cathedral to begin your walking tour of Chinatown's most popular sights and hidden locales. Your guide will teach you all about the history and culture of Chinatown, explaining how the remarkable authenticity of ancient Chinese culture has been preserved and celebrated in its road to becoming a must-visit San Francisco attraction.

As you navigate a historic maze of mysterious sights, have your camera out as you admire eye-popping Chinese decorations adorning the streets. Pass pagoda-style buildings and hear about their significance, and step inside an herbal pharmacy to learn about the uses of ginseng root for longevity, pearl pills for beautiful skin and gecko lizards for energy.

Stroll down Stockton Street past busy markets selling some of the freshest and most exotic foods in the Bay Area. Gain an understanding of Chinatown's religious culture as you visit an authentic Buddhist temple, where you'll see dazzling altars adorned with red lanterns, gold antiques and incense-filled bronze urns. You'll also see a Chinese language school to find out how local Chinese families keep alive language and cultural traditions for their children.

At your next stop, Waverly Place, your guide will give you the inside scoop on Chinatown's most interesting alley full of temples, private clubs and secret societies. This 2-block-long street may seem unassuming at first glance, but you may be surprised at what you learn.

If the intoxicating sights, sounds and smells aren't enough, get ready for a great taste of Chinatown. Visit a fortune cookie factory to sample these 'wise' cookies and watch how they're made. Upgrade to include a hosted 10-course dim sum luncheon at one of Chinatown's most popular restaurants!

Ending back near your original starting point, you'll leave with a list of recommended stores and restaurants in Chinatown, so you can continue exploring Chinatown like a real insider.
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ITINERARY
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Dim sum sample menu (if option selected; subject to change):

Savory pieces

Pork and shrimp dumpling

Pork and shrimp pot sticker

Steamed Shanghai pork dumpling

Steamed chicken and cilantro dumpling

Steamed barbecued pork bun

Vegetable egg roll

Vegetarian fried rice

Chicken chow mein

Dessert

Sesame ball filled with sweet bean paste

Specialty teas

Jasmine and chrysanthemum

Stop At: St. Mary's Cathedral, 1111 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94109-6686

The tour departs daily at 10am from Old St. Mary’s Cathedral, on the corner of California St. and Grant Ave.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Chinatown, Grant Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94108

This electric neighborhood of 100,000 people is not to be missed, and it's not hard to find: listen for the clack of mahjongg tiles and nose out the salty spicy squid.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Portsmouth Square, 50 Walter U Lum Pl b/t Clay St & Washington St in Chinatown, San Francisco, CA 94108

Chinatown’s outdoor living room and the birthplace of San Francisco’s first American flag, first public school, and first cable car line

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA

Stroll among the freshest and most exotic foods in the Bay Area at the Stockton Street Food Markets

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Golden Gate Fortune Cookies Co, 56 Ross Aly, San Francisco, CA 94108-1204

We’ll sample these “wise crackers” and watch how it’s done.

Duration: 20 minutes