Chinatown Tour: A Walk Through the Culinary and Cultural History of the Neighborhood

Enjoy delicious cuisine while learning the compelling stories of Chinatown’s history

Take a field trip into the alleyways of New York City’s world-famous Chinatown which is more than 150 years old. You will see neighborhood landmarks, savor culinary delights, and discover Chinatown’s incredible history including the commitment of its residents to build a better life for the next generation. Come hungry because you will taste four savory dishes and one dessert on this 3-hour tour!

Chinatown and Chinese food are an intrinsic part of New York City life and culture. This small group experience is a sensory treat of tastes, sights, and sounds with a diverse menu of Chinese cuisines from noodles to dumplings. In between bites, the tour explores the history and cultural heritage that makes Chinatown so special.


Limited Tickets Available for Each Tour

Book online now!

Tastes of Chinatown: Neighborhood History and Food Tour will include:

  • Four tasty savory dishes and one dessert, tea/water included (Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available)

You will hear stories of:

  • Afong Moy, the first known Chinese woman in the US
  • The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act
  • A tofu shop that dates back to 1933
  • Zhe “Zack” Zeng, a hero of 9/11
  • Sister Ping, a notorious human smuggler
  • “Bloody Angle” and the gang rivalries of the neighborhood
  • How the egg roll was created in New York City
  • And many more!

You will see many different parts of Chinatown:

  • East Broadway “Little Fuzhou” or “New Chinatown”
  • Doyers, Pell and Mott Street, the nucleus of Chinatown
  • Columbus Park, the center of the notorious “Five Points”
  • Mulberry and Canal Streets, the gateway to Little Italy

A review on Google for our Chinatown Tour:

“Went of the new food and history of Chinatown tour. Great and informative guide. Food was plentiful and tasty. Another great Bowery Boys tour.” 

A review on TripAdvisor:

“Excellent tour. Robert was an excellent guide. He provided a lot of history about the area and interesting stories as well. Good variety of food to sample. Generous portions offered at each stop” 

Book online now!

The Tour

The tour lasts about 3 hours and covers a little over a mile of walking. Most tours will have no more than 8 guests. The tour meets near Think!Chinatown and concludes near Columbus Park. (We will send the exact meeting place when you sign up).

Rates

$95 per person

Includes four savory dishes and one dessert (vegetarian and gluten-free options are available)

Please note: No promo or discount codes can be used for this food tour.

Two person minimum: You can book the tour for one person, but please note, in order to run the tour, we need a minimum of two people to sign up.

Don’t see a date on the calendar that works for you? Please contact us to set up a private tour! Our Chinatown food tour makes a great team-building event for any business or organization.


Duration

Walking Tour: 3 hours. The total walking distance is about 1 mile.

Ages

This tour is best suited for ages 12+

Book online now!

Your Guide:

Robert Zhu is a proud New York City tour guide with 29 years of local knowledge under his belt. He moved to New York City in 1995 and majored in economics and cinema studies.

Before becoming a Licensed New York City Sightseeing Guide, he was a Licensed Real Estate Agent and worked in the hospitality business. He conducts art, history and foodie tours all over the city.

Read more about Robert and the tour on our blog.

Prep for the Chinatown Tour by listening to the Bowery Boys episodes: “Manhattan’s Chinatown” and “Chop Suey City: A History of Chinese Food in NYC”