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A Chinatown Day in San Francisco: Markets, Alleys and Dim Sum

A Chinatown day plan: Stockton Street markets, Dragon Gate, Ross Alley, a museum and lunch, from our neighborhood page, with a pin map.

Red lanterns strung across a Chinatown street lined with shops and signs.
Grant Avenue-style lantern street in Chinatown, per the photographer’s description.

Chinatown is two neighborhoods in one: Grant Avenue for the postcard and Stockton Street for the working street. This plan walks both. All sights and eats come from our Chinatown neighborhood page.

From our Chinatown neighborhood page. Prices there are approximate and bakery hours can be unpredictable, so confirm before you go.

  1. MorningStockton Street marketsProduce, dried goods and fish markets, busiest and best before 10 a.m., per our Chinatown page.
  2. Late morningDragon Gate, then the alleysStart at Grant Avenue and Bush Street. Waverly Place, Ross Alley and Spofford Alley take about 45 minutes with stops, per our page.
  3. MiddayGolden Gate Fortune Cookie FactoryWatch cookies folded by hand on Ross Alley; free to enter, a small charge for photos.
  4. LunchHon’s Wun-Tun House or City ViewWonton noodle soup (about $10 to $14) or cart dim sum (about $15 to $25), per our page. Good Mong Kok Bakery is cash only and takeout.
  5. AfternoonChinese Historical Society of America MuseumOpen limited days, currently Wednesday and Saturday per our page. Check before you build the day around it.
  6. Late afternoonWillie “Woo Woo” Wong Playground or Portsmouth SquareA breather; Portsmouth Square may be partly fenced during a redesign.

Route Map

Four Chinatown places that are in our directory. Dragon Gate, Waverly Place, Stockton Street and Portsmouth Square have no pin yet. Tap a numbered pin for the place page and directions. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Getting There

Per our Chinatown page: the Chinatown-Rose Pak station on the Central Subway is at Stockton and Washington, the California Street cable car runs along the top edge, and Powell Street BART is a ten-minute walk. Parking is tight; the page names the Portsmouth Square and Sutter-Stockton garages.

See also our Chinatown neighborhood page and where to eat.

More Plans

One Day in San FranciscoThe first-timer route.Two Days in San FranciscoAdds Golden Gate Park.Three Days in San FranciscoAdds Mission and Hayes Valley.Four Days in San FranciscoAdds the Presidio and a day-trip choice.

What We Could Not Confirm

  • Walking and riding times between stops: we did not confirm them from an official source, so none are listed. The map draws straight lines between pins; they are not walking routes. Use SFMTA or a map app for live directions.
  • Hours and prices: each stop’s own page on this site links to the operator and shows the date we checked. Confirm before you go.
  • Restaurant prices and hours listed on our neighborhood page are the page’s approximate figures; we did not re-read each restaurant’s own site for this plan.
  • Opening times for the Chinese Historical Society of America museum: our page says limited days. Check the museum’s own page.

Print / Save As PDF

Cite this page: Project SF, “A Chinatown Day in San Francisco: Markets, Alleys and Dim Sum”, projectsf.com/itineraries/chinatown-day-in-san-francisco/ (updated ).

Printed from projectsf.com on . Hours, prices and dates can change, so check with the venue before you go.