Chinatown Walking Tour

Rick is a great tour guide who offered a unique and interesting perspective. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting or living in SF!

Whether you are a native to the Bay Area or just visiting, you do not want to miss Rick Evan’s Chinatown tour and you will want to take it more than once. Even as a native Bay Area resident, my perspective about SF Chinatown’s considerable history and contributions has been profoundly enlightened by this tour and I highly recommend it. Rick has a cultural understanding and appreciation that is deeply respectful and informative, and he is welcomed into places that I doubt I would have seen otherwise. Don’t miss this opportunity! Best deal in SF.

First off, Cynthia W’s review is slanderous. This is NOT a «fishy» tour or guide. We have taken 3 different tours with Rick, all without problems and plenty of email communication. Do not let the bias review of that Unilocaler influence you. I am a real person with no association or relationship to this tour or guide. That is a fact.
Now for the review. My husband and I were born and raised here in the East Bay. We have now taken the Chinatown, Architecture and North Beach walking tour from Rick and loved each one. We have learned so much about these neighborhoods that we have visited for a lifetime and didn’t know much about.
Rick’s tours are so popular with our friends, that we all have decided to take every single tour he offers, including the Russian Hill one which he calls his «cardio» tour (I might rethink that one).
If you are a local, or visiting this fine, fun and crazy city of San Francisco, Rick’s tours are a must!

Just came back from the tour. Both my husband and I absolutely loved it. Rick is a fantastic tour guide. We are local and have been to Chinatown many times, I didn’t realize how much depth we were really missing. One of the less expected parts of the tour was great information about history of the city. It was so nice to forget about the day to day thoughts and play a tourist in the city for a couple of hours. Also using registration form online was super easy.

I hate to ruin their perfect record but the tour guy never showed! I followed the instruction online to make a reservation, even worked our tourist attractions around this walk tour only to be disappointed w a no show from the tour guy!!! There’s was a few people outside waiting and come 2:10pm when no one showed, they dispersed. If there wasn’t enough people, the decent thing would have been to email us to let us know. If that was the case, I would have had made other arrangements.
To be quite honest, this now comes off fishy… there’s no confirmation after the email reservation and it’s Only Cash??? Makes me wonder if all the previous reviews are actually true!!! I would highly suggest checking out other tour and not let previous reviews fool you into this one!!! This was a NO CALL, NO CONFIRMATION, and a NO SHOW!!! What a waste of time.
Now we have to rearrange our other events to fit in another food tour! Again do not waste time on this one!!!

This is a great walking tour. We were able to visit Tin How Temple, beautiful parks, Old St. Mary’s Cathedral, and more. Rick is a friendly, informative guide who offers a lot of insight on the city’s culture, both past and present.

My daughter and I took Rick’s tour this past week. We have strolled through Chinatown many times and were ready to do more than walk in and out of tourist traps. Rick gave us the history of Chinatown complete with old photographs and maps. We learned things you will never see in a guidebook. If you like to dig deeper into the significance of the area you are visiting, I would highly recommend this tour.

We really liked the tour. Rick is a historian and will give you the unvarnished truth about Chinatown, it’s history, society, challenges and triumphs.

I highly recommend Rick’s Chinatown tour! My family (total 7 people) had a fabulous time. Rick has a talent for describing place and history: he weaves historical facts and everyday detail together to create a fascinating walk through place, time, and culture. He has lots of funny historical anecdotes to keep you entertained, too. Rick is congenial, knowledgeable, and relaxed, but very organized. I’m glad our group was small, so that all of us could easily see the many photographs that he used to illustrate what he was talking about. Nothing of this tour was dry or boring, none! Rick chooses locales that bring you up close to San Franciscan and Chinese history. You won’t be disappointed. Yes, $ 40 per person is a bit expensive, but it is worth every penny. I plan on taking his architectural tour!

Unilocalers,
Rick’s tour is excellent. My wife is a native San Franciscan and I am 35 years in the Bay Area and we saw streets and shops in Chinatown that we did not know existed. Rick tells you up front that he will show you «a side of San Francisco that is rarely seen» and he delivered! We enjoyed Rick’s knowledge regarding the history of the City as well as Chinatown. Experience the culture, traditions, the environment and the food! Highly recommended!

Absolutely exceeded my expectations. Our group did the tour in the pouring rain, and nobody left early. Rick’s knowledge is amazing.

The Unilocal 5 star reviews are correct. Took tour with my husband and 16 yr old son. My 16 yr old even told us he enjoyed the tour and would do it again. (Hoping to do rick’s other tour when we’re back in San Francisco) And that alone for us tells us ricks tour was worth the money. My son is no book worm but a water polo player. Was so full of facts. Rick even had laminated pictures to show us what China town looked like Before. The day we were on the tour it was drizzling by the end the tour we were drenched. All worth it!!!

Chinatown is reeking with culture left and right.
It is true when they say this is the closest you will get to China without having to go to China.
They have really cool stores that you can haggle prices with the owners there.
And really authentic chinese restaurants as well.
My boyfriend and I found a little hole in the wall restaurant. We got our little chinese boxes to go with some teas. AND low and behold their was a pigion in the restaurant! I sucked it up and ate my food regardless and well it was actually quite tasty!
My personal favorite was the park in chinatown. You just feel the unity from the asian people and experience a bit of their culture.
I recomend getting your meal to go and just sitting at the park and observing what goes on at the Chinatown park. It’s really a cool experience.

My friend and I went on Rick’s Chinatown Walking Tour last weekend. It was raining and cold, but Rick’s contagious passion and enthusiasm was unwavering. I loved every second of the tour and, despite the incessant rain, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Being a life-​long student and a lover of local history, I was extremely impressed by Rick’s knowledge of the subject. He is not the type of guide who walks you around the town and tells you things any 5 year old could point out. Rick has an expertise that could only have come from years of study and a genuine passion for the area.
He’s culturally sensitive, knowledgeable, savvy and funny. I can’t say enough great things about this tour. I can’t wait to do his architecture tour!

I’ve lived in San Francisco for over six years, had many visitors, and experienced a lot of local tourism. It wasn’t until my father suggested a walking tour of Chinatown that I ever considered such a visit. Boy, am I glad we did! Rick was not only extremely personable and comfortable to be with, but he was more than knowledgeable and connected to the history and culture of Chinatown. As a teacher, I thought I knew a lot about the history of our city, but Rick is a historian and researcher and knows so many fascinating stories. He has made close connections with businesses, Benevolents, and temples that we were able to experience on the tour. To quote my father who has traveled the world, including seven trips to China, «Rick is one of the best tour guides we’ve had the pleasure to experience.»
And to top it off, as if reading all of our minds, he recommended some great restaurants after the tour. We ate at R&G Lounge and had a fantastic dinner.
We all *highly* recommend Rick Evans’s Chinatown Walking Tour. Not only is it an intimate perspective into this neighborhood’s rich history, but also of San Francisco’s.

Awesome. I realized why Rick has 5 stars. It’s because he really understands and appreciates the Chinese contribution to the US and California. I learned more on this tour than any others combined, but I also gained a new appreciation for Chinatown and it’s significance in American History.
If you can handle three hours of walking through small alleys and narrow buildings without many opportunities to purchase goods or food… and you can do it in comfortable shoes/​clothes so you can avoid complaining and whining, take the tour. Also make sure you bring small bills if you plan to donate to the temple. I purchased through Goldstar, go a discount, but would pay full price.
Now, when I travel, I will forever remember to pay greater attention to the buildings, the streetwalks, the placards, etc. History is always underfoot and most people do not notice them.

Wonderful tour. Rick was such a wonderful host. I have been to SF many times, and we’ve even taken other tours, but this was by far the best. I have a bad leg, and I could do just fine on the whole tour– except the visit to the temple. Sadly I skipped that– but I loved the tea shop, the herbalist, the fortune cookies shop and the visit to the place where you buy goods for the temple– (clothes for the after life, food, jewels, etc)
I really want to take Rick’s architecture tour now.

The tour was fantastic! I learned so much. Rick really knows the area and the history.
On the site there are «warnings» about the strenuous walk. Rest assured there are many, many breaks for learning. I never broke a sweat or wished we would slow down. The only exception is the three story walk to the temple. Take it at your own pace. The rest of the tour is easy walking.
In addition to learning much of the cultural history, the tour took us to places most tourists don’t get to see. We also received a map of the area pointing out places we’d visited for further investigation.
I wish we had time for Rick’s architectural tour. Next time we will check it out as well.
If you want to see and learn about Chinatown, this is the tour to take!

I have been to San Francisco Chinatown about half a dozen times, but I did not know the history of it’s existence. My friends and I decided to take a tour to find out the origins of San Francisco Chinatown.
Rick’s tour concentrated on the history and architecture of the Chinatown. He was very engaging and patient with our tour members, I had a buddy who has a disability.
Rick showed us many parts of Chinatown I was not aware of. We were able to visit two Buddhist temples as well as Rick explaining and guiding us through the significance of the items in the temples. We also visited a couple alleyways and Rick explained where the Chinese play their games of mahjong. We visited a park the city erected and we were explained why the Chinese did not recognize this park. We also visited another park in Chinatown the Chinese recognized.
I enjoyed the pace and information Rick gave us about Chinatown.
We visited many parts of Chinatown that the I had not visited before. I was very impressed by Rick’s knowledge of Chinatown. During the whole tour, I did not look at my watch. I was captured by Rick’s stories and the architecture of Chinatown.

Forget the kitchsy shops lining Grant Street’s main drag. If you want to see San Francisco’s real Chinatown, Rick Evans is your guy.
Evans has been heralded by locals and tourists alike for his downtown SF architecture tour. He’s recently curated a Chinatown tour with the same passion for place and enthusiasm for digging up the historical dirt. Like the original tour, he peppers this one with vintage photos, facts, and anecdotes you won’t find in guide books.
Against a soundscape of cable cars, Cantonese, and Chinese violins (known as erhus and played vertically), Evans reveals the hidden gems of Chinatown’s back alleys as well as historical highlights that get lost in the shuffle of 30,000 people inhabiting 24 square blocks.
Chinese immigrants came to San Francisco looking for gold, but found extreme prejudice instead. You’ll walk past several still thriving institutions borne of necessity, including the Chinese Hospital and numerous schools. You’ll also experience the raucous fish and live poulty markets where, as with other culturally relative issues (like gambling), authorities look the other way.
Evans repeatedly demonstrates that Chinatown is a series of contrasts and superlatives. The area contains the City’s highest concentration of churches and Edwardian architecture (albeit ornamented with Chinese fixtures).
San Francisco’s first Roman Catholic Cathedral was built smack dab in the middle, set against the gleaming towers of the Financial District. Although the inside of Old St. Mary’s was gutted by the earthquake-​related fire of 1906, the original bricks remain, and you can see them up close. We peeked inside and were treated to a wedding ceremony and some of the most stunning stained glass I’ve seen inside the US.
Outside of the cathedral, the enormous park is all but deserted. Three blocks away, though, the smaller Portsmouth Square is affectionately known as Chinatown’s Living Room. Find out why on the tour!
You’ll also learn the significance of one-​time San Franciscan Sun Yat-​sen and why he’s beloved by both mainland Chinese as well as Taiwanese.
One of my favorite parts of the tour is how Evans has uncovered obscure markers and monuments that routinely go overlooked. Case in point – we spotted a group of lovely aunties (straight from an Amy Tan novel) enjoying a game of mahjong, completed oblivious to the fact that this is where Capt. John Montgomery planted the first US flag… on then Mexican soil. The irony runs even deeper when you see that the plaque’s sponsor is the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Don’t worry, it’s not all history and there are plenty of window and food shopping opportunities. I’ve posted a photo of the mahjong tile necklace and bracelet I’m now coveting…
The tour also stops at a spot even Bill Clinton couldn’t resist on his 1996 trip. No, it’s not one of the ubiquitous massage parlors, but it does involve artery clogging snacks. Personally, I couldn’t resist this bakery’s famous Moon Cake. I know it’s sacrelege, but I snagged a chocolate-​covered wedge for $ 1.25. Good thing they’re sold in quarters, sinced they’re filled with a dense, rich mixture of lotus paste and duck egg yolks.
In addition to Old St. Mary’s cathedral, you’ll experience one of the few Buddhist temples open to the public as well as the church that cupcakes built… can’t give away all of the secrets, you’ll just have to trust me.
There are other surprises, including the Street of Painted Balconies, the city’s only kite shop, a fortune cookie factory (bring quarters for the 50 cent photo charge), an erhu-​playing barber, and the site of San Francisco’s first house.
The Chinese herbal shop was another highlight. For $ 10, the Chinese doctor/​herbalist is in – no appointment necessary, but it is a doctors office, so you may have to wait and hours vary. The good news is that you don’t need insurance and your herbal prescription gets filled a lot faster than at Walgreens. (Evans provides a map at the end of the tour so that you can return to all of the sites visited as well as some there aren’t time for.)
Another amazing surprise is the presence of a Julia Morgan building in central Chinatown! She was one of the few female architects at the turn of the century and is most famous for Hearst Castle. (Berkeley-​ites know her for the City Club and a handful of other iconic buildings across the bay.) Again, don’t want to spoil the surprises, but I’ve posted some close-​ups illustrating her dedication to craftsmanship… note the presence of her beloved asymmetry in the design and placement of the windows.