Things to do in Chinatown, San Francisco

San Francisco's Chinatown, founded in the 1840s, is the oldest Chinatown in North America and one of the densest neighbourhoods in the city. Grant Avenue is the tourist-facing spine, entered through the Dragon's Gate at Bush Street, lined with souvenir shops, pagoda-style facades and restaurants aimed squarely at visitors.

One block over, Stockton Street is where residents actually shop: produce stalls, fish markets and bakeries with little English signage and few concessions to tourism. Ross Alley, off Jackson Street, holds the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, where a small bag of fresh cookies costs a few dollars.

Both streets are a 15-20 minute walk from Union Square, easily covered on foot in an hour or two.