America's Largest Chinatown: San Francisco

The 24 square blocks of San Francisco's dynamic Chinatown teem with activity 365 days a year. Beloved Grant Avenue, with its red lanterns and bright facades, brims with woks, kites, and kitschy souvenirs galore. Locals shop at Stockton Street's bargain-priced open-air markets, or relax and gossip at monument-filled Portsmouth Square. Enticing smells waft through the air: dim sum dumplings, mooncakes from traditional bakeries, and fortune cookies from a back-alley "factory." Vying for space on the packed thoroughfares and quiet alleyways are old-fashioned apothecaries, incense-filled temples, historic churches, one-seat barbershops, family benevolent associations, serene teahouses, fresh fruit stalls, and worlds more.

Take a look below for more info on this tour!

Download Now

Order Now

How To Download Tours
Buy at the Kindle Store
Buy at the Nook Store

Gift Certificates

* Free Map With Purchase

Visual Tour + Free Map
Be sure you have sufficient space on your device, approximate sizes listed below.
    For PC and Windows Mobile Devices - .wmv - $15.95 (29MB)
    For Mac, iPod, iPad, and iPhone - .m4v - $15.95 (60MB)
Download to your iTunes Videos on your Mac or PC, then sync to your mobile.
    For most cellphones - .3gp - $15.95 (31MB)
    For most smartphones - .mp4 - $15.95 (49MB)
    For larger screens (desk/lap tops, tablets) - .mov - $15.95 (240MB)
Audio Only + Map for any audio device - .mp3 (13MB) + Free Map - $9.95

Chapters in this tour:
     Introduction
     Grant Avenue
     Historic Portsmouth Square
     Eating Throughout Chinatown
     Chinatown Alleyways
     Places of Worship

Transportation:

By Foot - Easy walking

Specialty:

City/Town

Category:

Guided Tour - play before & while you tour

Tips in this Tour:

	Head to bustling Stockton Street for some of the best deals on fresh produce, plus an extensive variety of Chinese spices and traditional treats. Just be prepared for elbow action on congested sidewalks.
	This is one of the worst neighborhoods for street parking in San Francisco! Skip the headache of looking for a spot and head straight to the garage under Portsmouth Square.
	There are many narrow alleyways that can be used as shortcuts to quickly scamper through when the congestion of major thoroughfares becomes too much to bear. You might discover an interesting shop or restaurant along the way, too!
	This neighborhood isn't too hilly (at least compared to some other treacherously steep parts of the city), however the incline does increase dramatically once you are west of Stockton Street. Chinatown is serviced by several Muni bus lines, but be prepared for a sardine-packed ride in the morning and evening. If you're not going far, walking may be more enjoyable.

Click to see how our tours display--tons of images with either text or narration--much better than any audio tour because you can see the sites. It's like having a friend show you around, with priceless advice and insider information, to enjoy at your own pace. Our samples feature different locations throughout the year.

Provider: Barbara Rockwell

Barbara Rockwell is a San Francisco-based writer specializing in travel and the arts. A native of the SF Bay Area, she has written for guidebooks including "Step by Step San Francisco" and "Smart Guide San Francisco," and regularly contributes to a variety of destination-based websites.

Other Tours in this Area

	Angel Island: Guarding San Francisco's Bay
	San Francisco's Academy Of Sciences
	San Francisco's Ferry Building And Embarcadero
	The National Recreation Areas Of San Francisco
	The Open Spaces Of California's Marin County
	The Spectacular Golden Gate Park
	Sausalito: San Francisco's Favorite Getaway
	There Is Only One Berkeley
	California's Point Reyes National Seashore
	Surf's Up In Santa Cruz