Chinatown Food & Culture Walking Tour

What's Priceless?

Book your Chinatown Food & Culture Walking Tour with Mastercard and get a free 2-hour bike or kayak rental (to be used within three days of your tour, weather permitting.)*excludes Saturdays between Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day. Kayaking only available from June-September. This offer adds a special touch to your journey, blending culinary delights with the unique sights of Chicago.

Curious about Chicago’s Chinatown but unsure where to start? Let our Bobby’s Bike Hike Chinatown Food and Culture Walking Tour be your local guide on this tour!

Chicago’s Chinatown, located next door to the Loop on Cermak Street and Wentworth Avenue, bursts with colorful shops, impressive monuments, and of course, delicious restaurants. Like a Chinese menu, the sheer number of possibilities can be overwhelming. Fortunately, with our local knowledge and partnerships we have created the perfect sampling tour for you.

You’ll sample culinary delights from five distinct Chinese regions while learning interesting facts about China and the history of Chinese immigration to Chicago. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a Chicago native, our walking culinary tour of this thriving neighborhood will whet your appetite for another visit!

All food samples are included in ticket price.

What to Expect

The Tour Starts with Cantonese Cuisine

Our first stop is a restaurant featuring cuisine from the southeastern region of Guangdong, formerly known as Canton. The Cantonese were the first Chinese people to emigrate to the United States during the California Gold Rush; to this day, most Chinese restaurants in America serve predominantly Cantonese or Cantonese-derived dishes. The restaurant we’ve chosen specializes in the traditional Cantonese appetizers known as dim sum, served with two varieties of Chinese tea.

Sweet Stop at a Chinese Bakery for Dessert Sample

The many offerings on display at the Chinese bakery we’ll visit next are a feast for the eyes, as well as the tongue. We’ll enjoy a popular dessert from the former Portuguese territory of Macau which melds Chinese and colonial traditions. Be warned, though, that you may have difficulty leaving the premises without purchasing an extra treat or two for the ride home!

Try Xi’an Cuisine

Perhaps the greatest advantage of having such a well-developed Chinatown in our city is the opportunity to experience regional Chinese cuisines that aren’t widely available in the US. The third restaurant on our tour features delicacies from the northwestern city of Xi’an, one of China’s ancient dynastic capitals. This food has a Middle Eastern influence due to Xi’an’s position at the eastern terminus of the ancient network of trade routes known as the Silk Road.

Visit Chinatown Square for Sichuan Cuisine

Next, we’ll visit Chinatown Square for a taste of the bold, exciting flavors of Sichuan cuisine. Sichuan’s famous chili peppers are found in dishes from every region of China. You’ll enjoy samples of spicy chili chicken and eggplant with garlic sauce at a restaurant founded by one of Chinatown’s best-known celebrity chefs.

Sample the Best Noodles in All of Chicago

Our fifth and final stop is for what Chicago Magazine dubbed “the best noodles in all of Chicago.” The centerpiece of the noodle soup is a large cauldron of broth placed atop a heating element at your table. You an add to your soup from a platter of thinly sliced meat or vegetables cooked to your liking. Several spices and sauces are also provided for a variety of delicious flavor combinations.