A Wok Around Chinatown: Culinary and Cultural Walking Tour Led by a Chef
5
A Wok Around Chinatown: Culinary and Cultural Walking Tour Led by a Chef
By A Wok Around Chinatown
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About
Let an off-duty chef navigate for you on this food and walking tour of Vancouver’s Chinatown. After a leisurely stroll through the iconic Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden, head into the heart of Chinatown to sample a variety of traditional foods and enjoy a dim sum lunch. The tour allows you to avoid the hassle of making reservations and scouting out the area’s best eateries on your own.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 10-80, max of 14 per group
Duration: 4h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- Chinatown can be overwhelming: Let an off-duty chef navigate for you
- Learn about Vancouver’s Chinese culture in the world’s top urban garden
- Food tastings, tea samples, and dim sum lunch included
- A small group size ensures a memorable experience
Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best
2024
- Walking tour that includes food samplings, tea, and dim sum lunch
- Entry/Admission - Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
What's not included- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Start the morning at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden. As you stroll through the gardens, your guide provides an overview of Chinese culture in Vancouver and points out landmarks you may not have recognized had you come on your own. The sheer number of restaurants in Chinatown can be overwhelming, so let your guide choose for you. Visit hidden gems and establishments loved by locals where you sample a variety of traditional foods and treats. Cap the tour with a sit-down meal of piping hot dim sum. A small group size ensures a personal experience and the full attention of your guide. The tour ends with plenty of time left in the day to explore on your own.
- Start:
- Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, 578 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K2, Canada
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 14283P1- The Tour requires a minimum of 2 persons per booking. If less than the minimum, the Tour will be cancelled
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Please indicate if there are any food allergies / considerations
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 14283P1
From
$99.94
per adult
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Itinerary
- 578 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K2, Canada
- 1The Chinatown Tour starts at the beautiful Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden.( Rated as one of the top urban Garden in the world) From there, the Tour becomes a walking adventure through the colourful Vancouver Chinatown District sampling various foods and having a delicious Dim Sum lunch
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- M S0 contributionsWell worth it, ask for MaggieMaggie was our guide and you could tell she loved the market. Her knowledge was excellent and her tour included many great stops. It was raining and we debated on canceling. So glad we went was a great was to spend a good part of the day. Had very little room for lunch.Written September 26, 2024
- jgthompson20 contributionsYummy for Your Tummy!!!Our guide, Michael, was an off-duty chef that took us to the Public Market to sample many, many different cuisines. Wow, so much food, we could not eat it all! We had wonderful breads and 4 different spreads, tasted various flavors of pickles; had a chai tea; a charcuterie plate with meats, cheeses and breads; a piece of gourmet chocolate; a saki flight; and so much more! Michael was so informative and he felt like a friend that was just taking us through the market. That place was HUGE!!! I was glad we had a guide through it because you can get lost in there! I highly recommend you take this tour and ask for Michael as your guide.Written September 18, 2024
- karamel_110 contributionsSpectacular tastes of The Granville Public Food MarketThe Granville Public Food Market is an oasis for your pallet! Our knowledgeable guide, Michael, selected a plethora of gourmet treats. Our taste buds were in heaven, enjoying the likes of candied salmon to garlic pickles to fine chocolates. Michael shared stories of his various experiences in the food industry which we found very interesting!Written September 11, 2024
- sandeel20160 contributionsVery nice!Lots of food samples and insights into the history of the food market. Really enjoyed learning about cooking from chef Michael.Written August 30, 2024
- GinnyLouH0 contributionsBeautiful food displaysThe market was amazing! So many different types of food. The displays were beautiful. Michael did a great job telling us about the island.Written August 9, 2024
- ozziek20220 contributionsA Great tour for localsMy husband and I had the opportunity to play tourists in our own city. We absolutely loved getting to know Chinatown by a local expert. Bob was outstanding with his extensive knowledge of Vancouver's Chinatown, both historically and culinary. We got to sample many traditional foods offered by established vendors. The tour was carefully curated and allowed us time to shop and pick up some unique products so that we could continue our experience at home. I highly recommend this tour for those seeking to experience a culture rich in history and have a love for food. Bob is engaging, vastly knowledgeable and beyond stunning as he weaves you through time.Written July 9, 2024
- S2910FUaustinr0 contributionsGreat host, great food, loads of fun!We definitely recommend to start your trip off with a "Wok Around" tour, these were fantastic and an excellent price! We wish we started our vacation off with these, it would have made our trip just so much more amazing. Come hungry!! There was an excellent amount of food to sample, and some that we probably wouldn't have even tried if it wasn't for this! Bob takes you through many of the shops/stalls, sampling things from good jelly/jams, to soups, to meats/cheeses, pickles, and so much more! The pickles were my favorite. My wife and I lucked out with such a small group, that we got more one on one with Bob. Once our tour wrapped up, we sat down for some sake (not included in the tour). Fantastic and friendly host with an amazing personality! It was a wonderful experience, through and through! We cannot recommend it enough! The next time we're in the area, even though we've done each tour once, it'll be worth it to go again.Written June 25, 2024
- Shelia R0 contributionsTeen Approved TourBob has a wealth of knowledge, not only about Granville Island but about Vancouver itself. The tour was informative and delicious! We sampled a variety of offerings available at the market. And returned after the tour to stock up on some of our favorites.Written June 19, 2024
- O7004IRkatiem0 contributionsA tasty adventureA wonderful tour, Bob was so friendly and the food was so fantastic, introducing us to so many different foods and tastes. Make sure you bring an empty stomach with you as there is plenty of food!Written June 12, 2024
- johnwD1806JK0 contributionsWok aroundA great introduction to the Vancouver China town and the Chinese history in Vancouver. Bob did a great job getting us to understand China town from his perspective. The food was amazing. Starting with visiting specialty shops and getting a taste of what they specialized in and ending with a wonderful dim sum lunch.Written June 2, 2024
- cheryllouo0 contributionsDay Out in ChinatownBob did an amazing job. Told us stories and just info information to really peak our interest. Always ask us questions about ourselves and encouraged us to ask lots of questions. He was always thinking about us regarding letting us sit down, washroom breaks, etc. We always think we know lots about different cultures but after taking Bob's tour you find out quickly you really know nothing. If you live in the lower mainland or a tourist from afar I encourage you to taks Bob's tour. Also the food was really delicious.Written May 27, 2024
- ALali19780 contributionsGreat way to experience Vancouver's Chinatown.Great tour that gives you an opportunity to learn about a perhaps lesser know part of Vancouver's history. Robert is a great guide and has a lot of knowledge to share. And some good food along the way only makes this tour even better!Written May 26, 2024
- W8037JOdianem0 contributionsJust book it!If you are debating about this, just go ahead and book it. You won’t regret it. Bob is personable, knowledgeable and a great host. Our tastings included small samples as well as some full size items. You will not leave hungry. Our family of 4 adults loved it.Written May 14, 2024
- FranklinFlyer0 contributionsBest tour in Vancouver, British ColumbiaI cannot say enough good things about this tour. Four stars rating. Bob, our tour guide was so knowledgeable (growing up in that area)...explaining the culture, the history of Chinatown. We toured Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, ate Chinese bar-b-que and apple dumplings, visited two museums, had a dim sum lunch, visited an open air grocery, and had a traditional tea celebration, with 15 year old tea leaves at The Chinese Tea Shop.Written May 14, 2024
- Charlotte W0 contributionsGreat foodie tourBob did a great job telling us the history of the island. This was my favorite food tour of the Vancouver area - Chai Tea, charcuterie board, soup, macarons - wonderful!!Written May 8, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
287 reviews
Excellent
284
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3
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Sharon B
vancouver9 contributions
Oct 2021 • Family
Bob was such a nice man. Warm and so welcoming from the get go and put us right at ease. His knowledge of Chinatown and the history that dates back was so interesting. He knew Chinese families personally from years ago and their stories …. We would stop at various building and he’d tell us all about the people who used to live there and their affect on the city. People actually stopped him on the street today asking when his next tour was! He happily handed them his card and carried on with us. My mom, as always, had tons of questions and he answered every one!! :-). The time flew by and it was time we’ll spent. So much cultural and history knowledge and the food! We need to go back for one of those apple tarts!!
Written October 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Sharon
My pleasure to show you & your Mom around Chinatown.I'm proud of my heritage & culture, so it's important for me to share, educate & entertain from a Culinary & Cultural perspective. Again...please email me if you have cultural & culinary questions. I will be your "Go to" person.....With regards
Written October 10, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
C L H
North Vancouver, Canada1 contribution
Nov 2021
I highly recommend Robert Sung’s Wok Around Chinatown, a culinary/cultural tour of Vancouver’s Chinatown. I was fortunate to be given this tour by a friend as an “experience” birthday gift and took advantage of the gift with this friend yesterday. It was a memorable, educational and fun experience with Bob (Robert) in charge (in spite of the November rain). Even though I have always lived in Vancouver and a visit to Chinatown was a common event for me, a guided tour with Bob has expanded my memory bank in the most delightful way! A visitor from Florida happened to be was with us yesterday and she let us know how impressed she was with the experience as well - adding to our pleasure. We went home smiling.
Written November 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello C1433:
Thank you for your review. Appreciate your comments and it's always great to interact! Every tour is a fun tour. Every guest comes from a different circumstances, so the dialogue between each other is lively & topical. Am enjoying getting to showcase my "hood"!!!
Please contact me if you need information of Chinese Culinary & Culture
Regards
Bob
Written November 20, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chris C
Parksville, Canada3 contributions
Jun 2022
Bob's passion for all things Chinatown was infectious as he led ten of us on a delightful tour. It was jam-packed -- tea masters and fishmongers, the famous classical garden, intriguing fruit and vegetables, a dim sum feast, historical and architectural insights, and timely samplings of baking and BBQ pork. We discovered much about Chinese culture and ate too well. Would highly recommend the tour to visitors and British Columbians alike.
Written June 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
loveitallx6
Duluth, MN18 contributions
Jul 2022
First of all, thank you Bob for being just a great human being. You took the time to make a connection with every person on our tour and by the time we shared our meal of dim sum I felt we were among friends. You have great awareness of your surroundings and the people you are leading which makes you an incredible guide! We could have visited Chinatown on our own dozens of times and not experienced it with such depth and delight.
If you are serious about experiencing Vancouver while having a whole lot of fun, A Wok Around Chinatown is essential.
If you are serious about experiencing Vancouver while having a whole lot of fun, A Wok Around Chinatown is essential.
Written August 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind words
I truly love what I do
Bob
Written August 17, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chefette
Boston216 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
If you enjoy learning about the history of the Chinese immigration to Canada and enjoy delicious Dim Sum this is the tour for you. Our guide Bob took us to a few markets selling fish, meat and produce as well as a beautiful garden seeped in history. The medicinal store was filled with unusual items for sale. We sampled roast pork and delicious pastry at small shops along the way. We stayed a short time in a museum where we learned about the history of the wave of immigrants to BC. Final stop was a very enjoyable lunch where he chose assorted dim sum that our group enjoyed. Highly recommend the tour.
Written August 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind review!! Glad to know you enjoyed the Tour . Please stay in touch
Regards
Bob
Written August 15, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dave H
1 contribution
May 2022
This was one of Bob's first tours after the pandemic. Bob was on top of his game and very excited to show us his town. He did a fantastic job of conveying the meaning of the various aspects of the Sun Yet Sen gardens. Great dim sum for lunch. I even tried the chicken feet. Great explanations of the history of the Asian communities in the BC area.
Written May 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Renee R
2 contributions
This tour left me with a deep appreciation of the contributions Chinese immigrants have made to North America. Their determination, hard work, their cuisine and their art could all be witnessed on this tour. Bob, our guide, delivers a fair and balanced view of the challenges Chinatown faces and passionately shares its culinary and artistic gifts. Don’t hesitate to do this tour!!
Written August 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thyme4us
Ontario, Canada30 contributions
Sep 2020
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed out tour through Chinatown with Bob. It exceeded our expectations. It was so much more than just a foodie tour. We learned about history, culture, and culinary. Bob was very engaging. We quickly felt like we were out for a stroll with a friend. We tasted lots of delicious foods during our walk and stopped for dim sum at a local restaurant. Bob took into consideration any allergies when ordering lunch. Everything was yummy. We enjoyed exploring the different shops along with Bob's explanations of the different fruits, vegetables and medicinal ingredients.
The tour finished with at a tea shop where we learned the proper Chinese way to prepare and drink tea - very fascinating. The tea shop owner was a wealth of knowledge.
We would highly recommend this tour!
The tour finished with at a tea shop where we learned the proper Chinese way to prepare and drink tea - very fascinating. The tea shop owner was a wealth of knowledge.
We would highly recommend this tour!
Written October 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jack G
Chandler, AZ23 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Bob was perhaps the best tour host we have ever had.
He started with very interesting perspective of the Chinese culture and then used that information to help us to fully appreciate the garden where we started the tour. This was not the kind of droning on that some people do - Bob was engaging, energetic and his interpretation of what we were seeeing, and why it was that way only made the tour that much enjoyable.
Again Bob did a great job of leading our group of 13 throughout Chinatown and feeding us well. He successfully kept those few wanting to dominate the tour with their questions in check in a very successful manner. He was sure to invite all to ensure that we all had more than we could eat.
Bobs pride in being a Canadian of Chinese descent was apparent and it only made the tour more enjoyable.
I recommend without any reservations.
He started with very interesting perspective of the Chinese culture and then used that information to help us to fully appreciate the garden where we started the tour. This was not the kind of droning on that some people do - Bob was engaging, energetic and his interpretation of what we were seeeing, and why it was that way only made the tour that much enjoyable.
Again Bob did a great job of leading our group of 13 throughout Chinatown and feeding us well. He successfully kept those few wanting to dominate the tour with their questions in check in a very successful manner. He was sure to invite all to ensure that we all had more than we could eat.
Bobs pride in being a Canadian of Chinese descent was apparent and it only made the tour more enjoyable.
I recommend without any reservations.
Written July 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for letting me show you around Chinatown and for letting me showscase my heritage & culture!!
Regards
Bob
Written August 1, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rhiannon R
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
From the text the day before providing clear instructions, to the final destination for lunch, Bob has thought of everything to make this a rich, enjoyable experience. My 20 year old son and I loved every minute. Bob was knowledgeable, entertaining and simply a lovely individual that had us hanging on his every word. The well planned stops at various locations while sharing his vast knowledge meant the four hours flew by. We talked, laughed, ate and explored China town, learning so much about the past. As someone who has pain issues, I was a bit worried but it was the perfect pace of walking, resting and fun throughout. And I think it's clear that Bob is like the King of Kensington (for those of you not too young to know that reference). I would highly recommend this cultural and culinary exploration to all adults. I'm so glad we did it.
Written November 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear R & R:
Thank you for your favourable review. Glad to know you had a good time.!. Each tour is a new tour, filled with new insights & perspective. Your tour was no exception. It's I wanting to thank you for your storytelling. Regards from Bob
Written November 14, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We would love to take your tour but we will be in town only on Monday, November 25th? It’ll be two of us. Wonder if one of your off duty guiders can help us?
Written November 19, 2024
One member of our group of 5 has a gluten allergy, I do see food allergies can be accomodated but before I book I would like to know if the Dim Sum provides some options for this person. I would hate for them to feel or be left out.
Written August 4, 2019
That’s a question for the tour leader Robert. I think you could access his contact info on line. I would hate for your friend to miss the tour too!
Written August 5, 2019
Does this tour cater to vegetarians and gluten allergies?
Written February 9, 2019
Cater to...no. Accommodate... yes
Written February 9, 2019
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