DISORIENT YOURSELF
IN THE HISTORY AND MYSTERY OF CHINATOWN
San Francisco's oldest neighborhood may be her most distinctive one as well. Chinatown is home to the City's original town plaza, Portsmouth Square, and many other claims to fame, such as the state's oldest school and the birthplace of the martini (the real San Francisco treat).
It's the largest Chinatown outside of Asia--they have bigger ones in China, but they're just called "towns" over there--and by far the most crowded neighborhood in San Francisco, and the second most compact neighborhood in the country.
Learn why the Chinese settled in this area, their role in building the Transcontinental Railroad, and how they rebuilt the area after the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906. You'll pass dim sum restaurants, herb shops, temples, and open-air markets along the route. It's our smelliest tour by far.
Chasing the Dragon is a trip to another country, without the fuss of a passport. You'll actually get three perspectives on what this famous neighborhood is all about: a center of culture, history, and curious tourists.
