San Francisco Chinatown & North Beach Food Walking Tour

Taste the best of two worlds, Chinatown and Little Italy.
$84 per person - 4 hours


All food, a glass of wine, and non-alcoholic drinks included

On their own, North Beach (Little Italy) and Chinatown stir your senses...

Together, they awaken you to the tastes of a city like San Francisco, where food is everything to us.

While there will always be plenty of noteworthy restaurants to taste across our 7x7 metropolis, there's always something special that draws us, locals and travelers alike, to Chinatown and North Beach's most classic restaurants.

On this small-group walking food tour, your Bay Area local guide weaves history and storytelling into a handful of stops where you enjoy full servings of what makes this food scene so eclectically San Francisco: peking duck, teas, fortune cookies, pizza, cannolis, and more.

The only two things you really need to know for this tour: wear comfortable shoes and come hungry! These neighborhoods sit next to each other, making it easy to walk from one side of the world to another in just four hours.

Highlights

  • Start in Chinatown with moon cakes from one of the neighborhood's oldest bakeries
  • Enjoy tea tastings in Chinatown
  • Sit down for Chinese food at a local favorite spot
  • Enjoy chocolate from one the top chocolatiers in the US
  • Bite into a fresh cannoli from an Italian bakery, which has been making cannoli since 1942
  • See famous sights like Coit Tower from lesser-known vantage points and secret alcoves
  • Relax with pizza at Mona Lisa Restaurant
  • Expect more than 5 generous food and drink tastings along the way
  • Vegetarian and special dietary needs welcome
  • All food, a glass of wine, and non-alcoholic drinks included
  • Whether you are in Union Square, Pier 39, Market Street, or Nob Hill, our tours are easy to get to.

Taste of the Tour

These are just some of the highlights when you come out with our San Francisco local guides.

dragon-gate
Start at the Dragon's Gate of Chinatown

Begin under the archway of the intricately designed gateway into North America's oldest Chinatown. Throughout the tour, you zigzag across Kearny, Grant, and Stockton streets — often cutting through alleyways — to see the elaborate architecture, stop in some of Chinatown's oldest restaurants, and more.

dragon-gate
Stop for treats at Chinatown Bakeries

One of the first stops is at an iconic Chinese bakery in San Francisco, where you get to try complimentary moon cakes. It opened in 1924, and has been a neighborhood mainstay ever since. In 2020, loyal customers ensured this beloved bakery stayed open, with many people special ordering its popular coffee crunch cake and moon cakes with homemade filling.

dragon-gate
Sit down for a traditional Chinese meal

In addition to generous samples, this tour also includes a sit-down meal at a favorite local spot in Chinatown. Enjoy Peking Duck, potstickers, sesame balls, and tea, as you chat with your small group. Vegetarian and vegan options can be added!

dragon-gate
Savor Local Favorites

Enjoy everything from BBQ Pork Buns, Sui Mai, Rice Cakes, Shrimp Dumplings, and more from Chinatown's favorite restaurants. Savor Dim Sum; from onion pancakes to Shanghai Dumplings and more, at local Chinatown eateries.

dragon-gate
Enjoy tea tastings at a wonderful local spot

We also stop in a wonderful local spot for a variety of tea tastings where you learn Chinese customs regarding tea ceremonies, as well as the health benefits of the tea leaves you taste.

dragon-gate
Meet chocolatiers, cannoli pioneers, and more in North Beach

During this portion of the North Beach walking tour, you experience the friendliness of this neighborhood through its rich and delectable foods. Expect samples from a top U.S. chocolatier, cannolis from a Sicilian bakery, and of course local pizza! Bonus: Enjoy a glass of wine with your pizza during our stop to the Mona Lisa Restaurant on Columbus Avenue.

Important Information

  • Upon booking, let us know if you have any dietary requests for the tour
  • Our tours operate daily
  • If you need to get in touch with us, we are available 24/7. Contact us here , or by phone at (415) 665-0480

Cancellation Policy

Local Tastes of the City Tours wants your entire experience with us to be exceptional and we want you to feel confident reserving a tour, whether by phone or online.

We ask you to give us 48 hours notice to cancel a tour. If it's less than 48 hours, and the unexpected happens, such as being delayed at the airport, flight cancelled, or something else, call us and we'll do our best to make you happy.

Meeting Location

Our tour begins next to 400 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA (Chinatown) at Bush and Grant, in front of the Chinatown (Dragon) Gate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, please let us know at the time of booking.

Yes, and we've heard from plenty of parents how much fun their kids had in the fortune cookie factory in Chinatown!

Yes, we are happy to accommodate dietary needs. Please let us know at the time of booking.

Vaccinations are not required on our tours; however, we highly recommend that you are vaccinated.

Masks may be required in some stops. Proof of vaccination is required on all tours.

This tour covers about 8-10 city blocks with some slight inclines on hills, particularly in the North Beach neighborhood.

Locals call it North Beach and people outside San Francisco call it Little Italy, however it is the same neighborhood.

Local Tastes of the City Tours wants your entire experience with us to be exceptional and we want you to feel confident reserving a tour, whether by phone or online, which is why we offer one of the most flexible change/cancellation policies around.

We ask you to give us 48 hours notice to cancel a tour. If it's less than 48 hours, and the unexpected happens, such as being delayed at the airport, flight cancelled, or something else, call us and we'll do our best to make you happy.

Our Chinatown and North Beach Food Walking Tour begins next to 400 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA (Chinatown) at Bush and Grant, in front of the Chinatown (Dragon) Gate.