“What you would
expect - with a great guide!”
Us:
Fairly cosmopolitan family from Australia, with 4 kids (4 to 10 years
of age).
Cost: $180 for a two hour tour, then a dim sum/yum cha lunch.
The tour consisted of Linda Lee showing us around Chinatown, with some brief stops (5-10 minutes each) to explain some of the highlights of the area, and for Linda to provide some anecdotes about growing up in Chinatown.
In general, the tour was pitched at a fairly basic level; for my wife and I, with many friends from Asian backgrounds in Australia, there were only a few surprises in the tour and the meal.
A couple of things pushed this tour above the average. Firstly, our guide, Linda, was genuinely friendly and attentive to those in her group - she tailored her presentation to those present quite well. Her anecdotes were amusing, and her impersonations of her relatives were the spitting images (toothpicks in teeth and all) of several of my friends' extended family members. Secondly, Linda was able to engage well with our kids and had excellent props - even the younger pair found several things of interest that they continue to animatedly describe.
The main downside was the cost. The yum cha was reasonable value (I think - I am used to Australian prices) at $80, but the tour seemed a little steep at $100. Especially compared to the almost-as-good guided tours provided by the volunteers at San Francisco City Guides. Still Linda WAS excellent, and I certainly don't begrudge her for making a living providing this service.
OVERALL: A solid tour, pitched at those new to (genuine) Chinese culture and cuisine. Content as expected, tour guide significantly better than average, cost perhaps a little high.
Cost: $180 for a two hour tour, then a dim sum/yum cha lunch.
The tour consisted of Linda Lee showing us around Chinatown, with some brief stops (5-10 minutes each) to explain some of the highlights of the area, and for Linda to provide some anecdotes about growing up in Chinatown.
In general, the tour was pitched at a fairly basic level; for my wife and I, with many friends from Asian backgrounds in Australia, there were only a few surprises in the tour and the meal.
A couple of things pushed this tour above the average. Firstly, our guide, Linda, was genuinely friendly and attentive to those in her group - she tailored her presentation to those present quite well. Her anecdotes were amusing, and her impersonations of her relatives were the spitting images (toothpicks in teeth and all) of several of my friends' extended family members. Secondly, Linda was able to engage well with our kids and had excellent props - even the younger pair found several things of interest that they continue to animatedly describe.
The main downside was the cost. The yum cha was reasonable value (I think - I am used to Australian prices) at $80, but the tour seemed a little steep at $100. Especially compared to the almost-as-good guided tours provided by the volunteers at San Francisco City Guides. Still Linda WAS excellent, and I certainly don't begrudge her for making a living providing this service.
OVERALL: A solid tour, pitched at those new to (genuine) Chinese culture and cuisine. Content as expected, tour guide significantly better than average, cost perhaps a little high.
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| I'm not sure what was so exciting standing to the left of Julie ... |
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| The tour group outside the Chinese Benevolent Society. |
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| Yum! Free (unrolled) fortune cookie samples! |
