San Francisco Chinatown: Ghost Hunt Tour with EMF Gear

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.82 (938 reviews) 88% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/12

Duration1h 30m

GroupUp to 26

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Walk haunted alleys in Chinatown with real ghost gear and true stories

You’ll walk through San Francisco’s Chinatown at night with a professional investigator, using real EMF detectors while hearing gritty stories of hauntings, murders, and lost cemeteries. Expect both laughs and chills as you explore hidden corners and learn how history lingers in these streets—you might even catch something on your own ghost hunting gear.

1h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Ghost hunt in SF Chinatown

Meet near Transamerica Pyramid
Hear about buried bodies and ships
Use EMF detector for ghost hunting
Walk haunted alleys and neighborhoods
Visit old Gold Rush district
Learn about 1800s hauntings
Explore old red light district
Hear stories of murders and gang wars
Walk by multiple historic locations

The Experience

I didn’t expect my first time holding an EMF detector to feel so…awkward? It buzzed in my hand as we stood near the Transamerica Pyramid, our guide (who introduced himself as “just call me Dave, everyone does”) grinning at us like he knew a secret. The city was still humming—distant car horns, the faint smell of incense drifting from somewhere in Chinatown. Dave handed out our ghost hunting gadgets and I tried not to look too skeptical. He said, “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” I wasn’t sure if he meant the device or the idea of ghosts.

We followed Dave down these narrow alleys—some lit by neon, some just shadows—and he started weaving stories about Gold Rush cemeteries buried under our feet. There was this moment outside an old brothel site where someone’s EMF lit up and everyone got quiet, except for a guy at the back who nervously laughed. I caught a whiff of something sweet and metallic—maybe incense mixing with city air?—and for a second it felt like the past was right there with us. Dave pointed out spots where gang wars had changed San Francisco forever; his voice dropped when he talked about unsolved murders from the 1800s. I got goosebumps but maybe that was just the wind whipping through Jackson Square.

Honestly, I thought this would be just another ghost tour but it’s more layered than that. The stories are rough around the edges—true crime mixed with old Chinatown legends—and Dave didn’t sugarcoat anything. We even stopped by Vesuvio Cafe, which looked inviting in a slightly faded way; apparently poets used to drink there after midnight hauntings. I tried to imagine them swapping ghost stories over cheap wine. The whole thing made me see San Francisco differently—like every alley had its own memory, not all of them friendly ones.

What’s included

Your evening includes use of modern ghost hunting gear like an EMF detector for each person and guidance from a professional investigator who leads you through historic alleys and shares gritty local stories along the way.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by The Haunt Ghost Tours