Chicago Chinatown Tours

This pocket-sized neighborhood is big on flavor and character, and injects a dose of Chinese culture to Chicago’s South Side. Chinatown draws residents and tourists with its pagoda-like architecture, specialty shops, and eateries that dish up dim sum, noodles, buns, and bubble tea.

The most popular activity for most Chinatown visitors is eating; there’s a range of budget-friendly options along Wentworth Avenue. Discover Chinese delicacies that you may otherwise have missed on a food-and-walking tour, which typically include dishes such as Hong Kong-style barbecue, Cantonese dim sum, and spicy Szechuan noodles. Pick up imported Chinese herbs and traditional ingredients at local grocers, or shop for Far East-inspired trinkets at souvenir shops.

Chicago's Chinatown is centered around Cermak Road and Wentworth Avenue. It’s bounded by 18th Street on the north, 23rd Street on the south, State Street on the east and the Chicago River on the west. Catch the L Red Line to Cermak-Chinatown station or take a water taxi from downtown Chicago.

Chinatown is especially lively during annual festivals such as Chinese New Year in January or February; the Chicago Dragon Boat Race for Literacy in June; Chinatown Summer Fair in July; and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in September.

While Chinatown is best known for its food, there are a handful of cultural attractions worth visiting, too. Step inside a functional Buddhist temple on Wentworth Ave, stroll past traditional-style buildings in Ping Tom Memorial Park, and admire public art such as a column covered in spiraling dragons near Cermack and Princeton streets.