Sydney’s Chinatown Street Food and Stories Walking Tour
Description
Sydney’s Chinatown is full of secrets and excellent restaurants, and on this experience, you’re going to see and taste a bit of everything! On this tour you’ll sample a range of street foods and snacks from some of Chinatown’s best restaurants, with a minimum of 4 food samples included. All samples are snacks or street foods that represent different parts of China and are designed to be eaten on the move. Vegetarians, vegans and guests with other dietary requirements are more than welcome – just let us know in advance. This tour has a strong focus on uncovering Sydney’s long connection with China, and the contributions Chinese-Australians have made to the community. You’ll learn more in 2.5 hours about Australia’s Chinese community than you could possibly imagine, and “pub trivia” style games will keep it interactive and fun. At the end of the tour, you’ll get a souvenir to take home, plus a great map and guide to Chinatown, covering all the best restaurants and what to order.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We start the tour outside Paddy's Markets, an important institution that heralded the beginnings of Sydney's Chinatown.
Walk through Dixon Street, the heart of Sydney's Chinatown and the largest Chinatown in the Southern Hemisphere. You'll hear stories of how the area has developed over the decades, and continues to change. Be introduced to several important Chinese-Australians and their contributions to Chinatown, Sydney and Australia. Sample delicious regional street foods from several different restaurants on and near Dixon Street.
We pause outside the Chinese Garden of Friendship and tell you about the history of this lesser-known attraction. Over 30 years old, the Chinese Garden of Friendship is modelled on a Southern Chinese style scholars garden, and a beautiful spot for respite in the middle of the city. We don't enter the garden, although you can visit it after the tour and take your time exploring.
Explore Darling Square, one of Sydney's newest precincts full of restaurants, cafes and things to see.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Tour not recommended for children under 8 years of age as it involves 2 hours of stories and eating international foods
Reviews(163)
A great experience and highly recommended for locals and visitors alike. I was fascinated by the history of the Chinese people role in the great gold rush, their contribution to both world wars, and the heavy handed approach of governments to hinder their migration to Australia.
Roger gave us a great insight into the history of China Town in the broader Sidney context. We tasted fabulous foods and discovered hidden eateries.
Thanks for the review, Roger will be very happy to read it. Glad you enjoyed the food and learnt about Chinatown along the way. Cheers, Justin from Local Sauce Tours
I recently joined the Sydney Chinatown Street Food and Stories Walking Tour, and it was a wonderful experience. Our tour guide, Richard, was kind, knowledgeable, and always willing to help. He shared interesting stories about Chinatown’s history, culture, and food, which made the tour both fun and educational. The street food was delicious, and we had the chance to try a variety of local favorites. What made the experience even better was the amazing group of people on the tour. Everyone was friendly, open-minded, and willing to try anything. The positive energy from the group made the whole experience enjoyable and memorable. Thank you, Richard, for making the tour so engaging and welcoming. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to discover great food, fascinating stories, and meet wonderful people along the way.
Very well organised from start to finish. We had a large group of 26 but Justin was able to look after us all. We had 4-5 small dishes each, all were really tasty. The dumpling place was my personal favourite.
Such a fun time, Roger was very informative about Chinatown & the history of Chinese immigration. Delicious food with good recommendations. Loved the lollies.
The tour was great. We learnt about the history of Chinatown while sampling delicious traditional Chinese food from different regions. The tour supported local family owned eateries. Roger our tour guide was interesting and passionate about fresh local food. Highly recommend the tour. Trish and Niki
I took this tour on the morning I arrived in Sydney, after a 15 hour flight from Los Angeles, so I was badly jet-lagged. I am sorry to say I do not remember the name of both guides; one was Justin. Forgive me for not remembering the other gentleman, because both were EXCELLENT. Well informed, knowledgeable about Sydney’s history and founding, how the Chinese and other ethnic communities arrived in Australia, the origin and stories surrounding many of the foods we sampled. The tour itself does not cover a huge area, but the history, span, and communities that are part of the story are vast. These gentleman did a lovely job. The restaurants and food stalls we visited were fun and tasty. The foods sampled are relatable, not too exotic or off-the-path. (As they said, “no chicken feet.“) They also gave us a list of the places we visited, so we can find them again; the places are easy to find again, if you want to go back. Finally, I was personally quite interested in the rather darker period in Australian history/politics which ushered in the White Australia Policy. (I have known quite a number of Australians with whom I have talked who tried to whitewash or minimize this law — and the attitude it comes from.) Justin and (forgive me for forgetting) the Other Fellow were up-front, unafraid to talk about uncomfortable topics, and clear about explaining the history. Bravo! This tour is excellent, fun, and delicious!
The tour guides where passionate and extrememly knowlegeable. The food was amazing. The tour was beyond my expectations. Highly recommend it. Esp because I am not a very adventourous eater but the food was amazing. I have a whole new undersatanding of Chinatown now, past and present. Roger was so animated and invested. Great time
Roger was our guide and it was an amazing experience! Not only did we get some great bites of food from local restaurants but we got a really great history of Chinese life and culture in Australia.
Bruce was a bit of a Ledgend. Superior knowledge of the history, culture but also the cuisine . Would definitely recommend this tour
