Our walking tours and Chinatown experiences are a great way for young people to explore and understand our iconic neighbourhood.

Chinatown Stories tours uncover the rich, layered and complex history of this iconic London district. These unique experiences, led by our trained volunteer History Champions, include a 1.5 hour guided walking tour followed by a Chinese lunch served family-style. Chinatown Stories are a fantastic way to inspire students, particularly those learning history or Mandarin, and can be used to reward students for their hard work at the end of the year, or to provide them with a unique educational experience at Lunar New Year or Mid-Autumn Festival.

We can also accommodate private group tours on a date that suits you, and you can choose to have the tour given in English or Mandarin, or in English with Mandarin speaking guides to allow opportunities to practise throughout the experience. Tours take place in the morning when groups can pass through Chinatown more safely. Our typical timings are 11:30-2pm.

Chinatown Stories are led for the benefit of the community – all guides are trained community volunteers and a donation from each ticket supports charities operating in the area. The £27 ticket includes a delicious lunch in one of Chinatown’s restaurants, a perfect opportunity for students to experience Chinese culture and practise their Mandarin language skills. We can also offer a ticket option without lunch. The ticket price is £14 per person.

Some testimony from visitors:
“The students thoroughly enjoyed the tour and the lunch – they kept talking about it!”
-Mandarin Subject Leader and Head of Community Languages, Grey Court School

“The tour was brilliant! I have lived in London for many years and been to Chinatown numerous times but I learnt so much about the area’s rich and colourful history.”
-Walking Tour Guest

Please check out the China Exchange YouTube Channel to see a taster of the tour and to meet some of our incredible award-winning volunteers.

We understand that considering a tour may raise a number of questions for teachers, parents and administrators, as well as the students themselves. You can check our FAQs here and download the schools information pack, school FAQs and our booking forms here.

The tours connect with the curriculum in a range of subjects – Mandarin, geography, history, humanities and art. The experience is ideal for young people from years 7-13. We can arrange primary school activities. Please contact us for prices and information.

For older students, we offer the Chinatown Photo Challenge. In this 2.5 hour experience, the students are encouraged to see the area in a different way. Following a briefing from one of our trained volunteers, guests explore Chinatown independently to take photographs with particular themes. The images are submitted at the end of the session and everyone goes to enjoy a meal together. While food is served, the images are shared with the wider group and prizes are awarded for the most effective images and creative teams. This experience is recommended for students in years 11-13 and for schools where students are able to explore a small area unchaperoned.