When you hear Chinatown in the United States, you may think of New York or San Francisco. But you might be surprised to find that Chicago actually has a bustling Chinatown not far from downtown. As of a few years ago, it was the only growing Chinatown in the US. While other cities’ Chinatown neighborhoods are shrinking, Chicago’s continues to grow. If you are planning a trip to Chicago, set aside time for some of these fun things to do in Chinatown Chicago!
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Getting to Chinatown, Chicago
Chicago’s Chinatown is just south of the Loop and is easy to reach from the Loop and Mag Mile areas. My favorite way to get to Chinatown is to take the Chicago Water Taxi. The water taxi Chinatown stop is at Ping Tom Memorial Park, which covers over 17 acres along the South shore of the Chicago River. (Ping Tom also has a boat launch, a perfect location for kayaking the Chicago River!) The Chicago water taxi only runs in the summer, which is fine because it would be miserable on the river in Winter!
You can also take public transportation to Chicago’s Chinatown. You can take the Red Line on the “L” and exit at the Chinatown stop. From there, it’s a five-minute walk to the main Chinatown Square. While I don’t usually recommend driving in Chicago, parking is plentiful and relatively affordable in Chicago’s Chinatown. Some Chinatown businesses will validate parking, so ask at the lot before you park.
Chinese New Year in Chicago
If you happen to be in Chicago for the Chinese New Year, check out the schedule for the Chinese New Year festivities. I made sure to catch the parade one year, and I am so glad that I did. The Lunar New Year parade kicked off with a bang, literally, as the entrance gate had ribbons of firecrackers streaming down. It was really loud to be so close, and many around me covered their ears, especially the little ones. It was so fun to see the colorful dragon costumes and experience a little bit of a different culture for the day.
2026: Chicago Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade: Sunday, March 1, 2026, at 1 PM (starts at 24th & Wentworth Avenue)
Bacon is Magic has a great post on Chinese New Year food to try!
Chinese American Museum of Chicago
A great place to start your visit to Chicago’s Chinatown is the Chinese American Museum of Chicago. The building serves as a cultural center where visitors and residents can celebrate Chinese American art, culture, and innovation. The Chinese Community Center is another place to learn about the area.
Chinatown Chicago Restaurants
My favorite part of a Chinatown Chicago visit is, of course, the food. If you haven’t tried Dim Sum, this is the place to give it a shot. Dim Sum is dumplings served in small plates or steamer baskets. It’s like tapas in that you order lots of items to share with your table. The larger the group, the more dishes you will sample. Some restaurants provide a menu to order from, while others have carts that circle the room, and you select what you want as the cart passes by. It seems like most of the Chicago Chinatown restaurants go for the menu approach, which I liked. As a picky eater, I am not prone to grabbing random things off a cart and just eating them. I like to know what I’m getting into.
On a recent visit, we went to Phoenix Restaurant for Sunday brunch. We arrived before 10 am and got a table right away. By the time we left at 11:00, there was a line out the door. I’ve found this to be the case all over town. I don’t consider myself a morning person, but compared to the rest of Chicago, I guess I am.
Do you know what else I love about dim sum? The price! We ordered 5 plates, plus tea, and our bill was $24. A visit to Chicago can be pricy, so this is a good option if you are visiting Chicago on a budget. We sampled a variety of sweet and savory items, including Sesame Ball, creamy egg yolk buns, and seafood dumplings. The menu at Phoenix has about 70 small plates and a “regular” menu of rice and noodle dishes as well.
Be sure to save some room for dessert as Chinatown Chicago is lined with bakeries and pastry shops. If you have a sweet tooth like me, you’ll love the sesame balls but don’t forget to check out some of the best donuts in Chicago! Chiu Quon Bakery on South Wentworth Avenue is the oldest bakery in Chinatown; well worth checking out their sweet and savory items.
Food tours are one of my favorite ways to explore a new city and sample tons of local food! Join Chicago’s Chinatown Food and Walking Tour for a Guided experience!
Chinatown Chicago Shopping
As with most Chinatown areas, shopping is plentiful in Chicago Chinatown as well. Unlike New York’s Chinatown, I didn’t see the faux designer accessories or bootleg movies sold on the streets here. The shops are stuffed to the ceiling with your typical tourist trappings, Chinese trinkets, Buddha statues, and regular household items like teapots and rice cookers.
Hotels near Chinatown Chicago
There are several great places to stay in Chicago, but Chinatown is not one of them. It’s an easy day trip from some of the more popular neighborhoods like the Loop or the Mag Mile / Gold Coast.
Other Chicago Attractions
I may be biased, but I think Chicago is one of the best cities in the United States. There is so much history and community throughout the city and surrounding suburbs. Some of the lesser-known Chicago attractions that I recommend include:
- Graceland Cemetery on the North Side is where many of Chicago’s founding fathers are laid to rest
- Pullman Historic District is a great example of a “company town” and the history of Chicago
- Dog-Friendly hikes in and around Chicago
- Visit the Pilsen neighborhood for Day of the Dead in Chicago!
I love when you find an authentic Chinatown and you get to sample Cina’s authentic food. I used to have dumplings in bamboo baskets for breakfast while I visited China and I still dream about them. The ones you tried look delicious!
Breakfast in Asia is so different, I love it!
It’s crazy how a total different culture can still do their own things and is not that far from home. I love the post! Everything looks so good. 😊
A great reflection of the melting pot that is our American culture! So lucky to live here 🙂
That’s so cool. I spent a ton of time working near Chicago on various projects last year, and now I wish I’d ventured into the Chinatown area.
There’s so much to choose from in Chicago, it is overwhelming!
I feel like every place I travel to that has a Chinatown must be visited. I have never been let down by the food, decor, or atmosphere.
I don’t usually seek it out while traveling, but maybe I should!
I visit the Chinatown of pretty much EVERY city I’ve been to that has one, and now Chicago is on my list! I never even knew they had one! That dim sum looks incredible, by the way – especially the creamy egg yolk bun…
Any other favorite Chinatown areas to recommend?
My brother lives in Chicago! I should definitely check this out with him the next time I’m in time.
Yes, definitely! Let me know what you think!
This is so great!!! I did the same thing in New York for Chinese NewYear and it was fabulous. Also think dim sum is a great Sunday brunch idea. Will totally check out Chinatown when I make it to Chicago.
I’ve never eaten in the Chinatown in NY – I bet it’s just as good!
I did not know Chinatown in Chicago until I read your blog post. It is very interesting trip and nice photos. I love Dim Sum, I will try it with your advices when I go to Chicago.
Yes, let me know what you think!
I would say that pretty much every big American city has its own Chinatown ! but it is just great, because you can almost travel to Asia without actually being there. The smells and the food must be just awesome! However, curiously, Chicago never really attracted me.
Yes, the smell is certainly enticing!
I have not been to the China Town in Chicago. I wonder how different it is from San Francisco’s China Town? Makes me hungry for authentic chinese food, I am in Germany…
I feel like San Francisco Chinatown is much larger, but admittedly haven’t spent much time there.
I’ve been to Chinatown once but haven’t done dim sum yet. Thanks for sharing!
NYC’s and San Francisco’s Chinatown neighborhoods are obviously well-known destinations for visitors, but you don’t often hear about other cities’ Chinatowns. I love that you showcased Chicago’s in your post even though in all my visits to Chicago, I haven’t yet visited Chinatown. I should change that on my next visit because that dim sum looks tasty. It has been a while since I’ve had really good dim sum, too. Oh, what I would give for a dumpling right now! Thanks for the foodie inspiration for my next Chicago trip! #WeekendWanderlust
Anytime! I hope you get to check it out!
Love your pictures and recommendations! Traveling to Chicago next week and hope to check some of these out!
Great – what did you think of it?
I feel so ignorant. I never knew that parts of America celebrated the Chinese new year let alone had a China Town. Chicagos Chinatown sounds particularly interesting.
Great post, I’ve never been to Chicago except for a stopover but I do love Chinatowns so will add this to my list of places to visit if I’m that way again!
chitown used to go there a quite a bit when I was in college. Miss that place. Chinatown was always a getaway for food.
This post left me hungry! I love how you have these truly authentic Chinatowns in the U.S. Here in Europe we’re glad if we can find a good Chinese restaurant 😉
That’s really cool! I literally stayed right on the edge of Chinatown last month (at the Chicago South Loop Hotel) but we didn’t have time to get out and explore it! I wish I had now!
Bummer! But, Chicago has so much to offer, it can be hard to choose.
Great idea for a way to spend some time while in Chicago. They city has so many great things to offer and this is a hidden gem of the city. Easy way to spend half a day or so walking around soaking in all of the sites. The food is great! We ate at Strings Ramen last time we were in town. Easy trip from downtown on the L (Chinatown stop). Enjoy!
Too many restaurants here…I could eat out every day for a year and not make a dent in all the places I want to go!
Oh man, now I’m hungry! Thanks so much for the great tips, saving for future reference!
Chinese pastry is the best! Craving for Chinese food now because of this wonderful post!