Check what our customers are saying about our tours !

For a review of our Heritage Tour from one of our school groups, please click here!

“A Tale of Two Chinatowns”— a Heritage Walking

Tour led by the Chinese Culture Center

 

~Explore the Journey~

Thank you to all of our Groupon participants! The promotion has ended  for 2011. Please check back for future promotions, or see below to book.

 

 

Prices:

•  $30 Adult
•  $25 Child (under 15)/students with ID
•  Free for children under 5
•  For an additional fee, a lunch option is available on all tours.
•  Private tours available

Reservations:

Small groups (1-9)  require a reservation with advance notice of at least 3 business days.

(Please note during our off-peak seasons, there are no regular tours departing. During our summer season, we have tours departing every Saturday at 10am. For groups less than 4, please fill out a reservation form to check availability.)

Group tours (10+) require a reservation with an advanced notice of at least two weeks.

Book Online:

 

OR

FILL OUT A RESERVATION FORM

**Please fill out a form if you are booking for a tour group of 10 or more, or booking for School, Non-Profit, or Community rates.

 

Departure Times:

Book early for best available dates and time. All tours require a reservation. If you have not received a confirmation, you do not have a tour scheduled.

Tours are available: 

Tuesday-Saturday

10am, 12pm, 2pm

Private tours and tours in Cantonese available by request and subject to availability. Private tours do not have a minimum person requirement.

Location:

You will meet your tour at the Chinese Culture Center Gallery (750 Kearny St, 3rd floor, inside the Hilton across from Portsmouth Square). Please arrive 10-15 minutes before your tour time to check-in. The tour is approximately 2 hours long.

Dress warmly, in layers, and wear comfortable walking shoes. San Francisco weather can be quite unpredictable and Chinatown is hilly. Expect uphill walking and stair-climbing.

Tour information:

• Non-profit organization leading tours in Chinatown for over 20 years
• Tour emphasizes heritage and Chinatown as a living, vibrant community
• Proceeds go toward supporting arts, culture, and economic development in Chinatown

San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in North America, and hosts the largest Chinese community outside of Asia. As your guide to the densest neighborhood in San Francisco, our knowledgeable docents will navigate and lead tour participants through street mazes to discover the many sides of hidden Chinatown.

With “A Tale of Two Chinatowns,” visitors will experience the evolving culture of Chinatown and live the history behind each site—and walk away with a piece of one of the most storied and vibrant neighborhoods in America.

The Chinese Culture Foundation (CCF) was founded in 1965 to preserve, promote and influence Chinese art and culture. In 1973, the Chinese Culture Center (CCC) opened as CCF’s primary program site. As one of CCC’s long-standing programs to educate through promoting Chinese culture and heritage, our tour takes visitors from the tourist surface to dive deep into the heart of the Chinatown community.

Our walk will take you to Chinese temples, herb and tea shops, food markets, churches, schools, community organizations and to other architectural and historical points of interest, and unearth fascinating stories, lore, and more! Discover Chinatown as an energetic shopping district. Demystify culinary delights, customs, and alleyways. Explore Chinatown past, present, and future.

We are a not-for-profit organization and all of the proceeds go towards supporting arts, community, and economic development in Chinatown. As one of the premier destinations supporting the arts in Chinatown, our tour includes a gallery walk of the Center’s exhibitions. Please check our website for the most current exhibit.

Tour Highlights

Here are some noteworthy highlights (may not get to every location on each tour):

 

• Portsmouth Square: this historical site is now one of the city’s most intensely used recreational spaces, aptly named “Chinatown’s Living Room.”

• Tin How Temple: (or Tien How Miu) is the oldest Chinese temple in America, established in 1852. After a trek up the stairs, you will be rewarded with a tiny temple filled with offerings covering the ceiling, with views of the alleyway below.

• Chinese Produce Markets: a bustling street, with locals daily scouring the markets for the freshest foods.

• Chinese Telephone Exchange: the EastWest Bank is the original site of the Chinese Telephone Exchange Company, the only foreign language telephone exchange in the US, with operators knowing several Chinese dialects to serve the community.

• Fortune Cookie Factory: Located in tiny Ross Alley, this is the only fortune cookie factory in the Bay Area that still makes their cookies by hand!

 

Important Information:

Tours depart rain or shine. No refunds are given. We reserve the right to cancel a tour. In the instance that the Chinese Culture Center needs to cancel a tour, a refund/credit will be given or the tour will be arranged for another date.

Inquiries:

For all inquiries or questions, please email tour@c-c-c.org

If emailing or leaving a message, please include your contact name, phone number, and email.

 

Reservation and Cancellation Policy:

To better serve our customers, we adhere to the following reservation and cancellation policy:

Small groups of less than 10 are reserved at least 3 business days in advance. No fee will be charged for tour cancelled with more than 48 hours notice. If a tour is cancelled within 48 hours of the tour time, the CCC will retain 25% of the total fee. If a tour is cancelled within 24 hours, we will retain 50% of the total fee. No shows are charged the full fee and no refunds will be given. No refunds are given after the tour has taken place. A credit card number is required to reserve your booking. Your credit card will not be charged unless you do not show up for your tour or cancel within 48 hours. An invoice will be sent out and balances are due at the time of the tour.

Group Reservations and Cancellation/Change Policy:

Group tours of 10 or more are booked at least 2 weeks in advance. No fee will be charged for tour cancelled with more than 48 hours notice. If a tour is cancelled within 48 hours of the tour, the CCC will retain 25% of the total fee, with a minimum of $60 cancellation fee. If a tour is cancelled within 24 hours, we will retain 50% of the total fee. No shows are charged the full fee and no refunds will be given. No refunds are given after the tour has taken place. Change Policy: A change fee of $60 within 10 days of the tour date will be charged for a decreased number of every 5 persons to your group and subject to price changes if you were given a group discount. For increased numbers to your group, no change fee will be charged. A $25 fee will be charged for last minute accommodations (within 48 hours of tour) in the tour and meal. Extra docents for your group cannot be guaranteed after the 48-hour period. A credit card number is required to reserve your booking. Your credit card will not be charged unless you do not show up for your tour or cancel within 48 hours. An invoice will be sent out and balances are due on the tour date.

About Chinatown

San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in North America. It is also the largest Chinese community outside of Asia. Established in the 1850s, it was featured significantly in popular culture venues such as film, music, photography and literature. It is one of the largest and most prominent centers of Chinese activity outside of China.   Between 1850s to the 1900s, most immigrants came from the Southern region of China – the Guangdong province. The Guangdong (Canton) port was the only port allowed by the Chinese government at the time to be opened for foreign trade, thus most of the travelers that lived in San Francisco are Cantonese speakers. Chinatown is now a community and a tourist attraction. It has many businesses, temples, churches, associations catering to those living in the community, as well as many restaurants and gift shops that attract the attention of the tourists.

 

Our Docents

 

 

Lynn Eichinger: Lynn’s interest in the Chinese in America goes back decades, inspiring her to lead tours of Chinatown and Angel Island State Park, where she is a docent. Previous professions include working for IBM and McKesson Corporation as an information technology manager, as well as having taught in public schools for 9 years.

 

Blandina Farley (no picture available): Blandina’s interest in becoming a docent was inspired by her travels throughout the world , most especially, by the glorious summer she spent in Florence, Italy. Returning home after a wonderful stay, Blandina decided to become a Tour Guide in order to share her knowledge and personal experiences of San Francisco’s exciting history with visitors and tourists alike.

Shelly Ginenthal: Shelly has been a resident of San Francisco for 38 years. She’s been a docent for about 5 years, and is also a long time volunteer for SF Jazz, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (deYoung, Legion of Honor). In her free time, Shelly enjoys spending her time oil painting, drawing, and doing yoga. Shelly is bilingual in English & Portuguese.

 

 

 

 

Janice Hom: Janice Hom, a native San Franciscan and has been a community volunteer for many years. Involved with the Asian Art Museum, Chinese Culture Center, Asian Business League, and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, she has an extensive knowledge of Chinese culture, Chinese art and Chinatown. Janice speaks English & Cantonese.

 

 

 

 

Anita Rao (no picture available): Anita is of Indian-American origin… or rather, of a multi-cultural background. She has lived and worked in various countries and therefore has a keen interest in all the cultures that make up our diverse city. As she used to live in Hong-Kong, Anita had a lot of contact with the Chinese culture. She is a tour guide in the SF Bay area. Anita speaks English, French, Spanish, German, Hindi & Telegu.