Since the later 1880s, Seattle's Chinatown-International District has been an important neighborhood for new immigrants and their American-born descendants. The C-ID is a unique pan Asian neighborhood where Chinatown, Nihonmachi (Japantown), FilipinoTown, and Little Saigon (the Vietnamese community) all settled together, and the area also had a thriving jazz scene in the 1920s with many Black musicians playing here because they were not welcome in the white clubs.
Excursions to this neighborhood allow you to discover the neighborhood’s diverse cultures and heritage, immigration issues, support small locally owned businesses and work with the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA) to support their stewardship of clean streets and public space enhancement. There are many group bonding activities we can help arrange for you in this exciting neighborhood!
Please click on the "express interest" button below to connect with us to discuss the specific needs and interests of your group! A sample itinerary is outlined below and can be customized to meet your group's needs.
This tour is one of our Compassionate Community Tours & Team Building Experiences click here to learn more!
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS are below, click on ITINERARY to see all the details.
With the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), the health and safety of Global Family Travels’ travelers, community partners, colleagues and guides are of paramount importance to us. Our COVID-19 Safety Protocols, which can be found under Tasks section, outlines our commitment to mitigate and manage the risks associated with COVID-19 when you travel with us. You can find more detailed information on our website COVID-19 and Travel, and please also refer to the tasks which has specific details for your activity and destination.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about these protocols or your tour. Thank you for helping to keep yourself and fellow travelers and guides safe!
Much more than a traditional tour operator, Global Family Travels’ mission is to “Learn, Serve and Immerse” through community-based travel programs. In partnership with non-profit organizations and schools, we offer family-friendly and sustainable travel experiences in support of education, gender equality, access to clean water, preservation of local cultures, conservation and economic growth, all of which foster cross-cultural understanding and global citizens.
Our trips include a unique mix of cultural and educational activities, homestays and participation in local service projects aimed at improving the lives of people in the communities we visit.
An expert in immersive sustainable travel, we are now offering corporate team-building experiences to strengthen local communities. We make it easy for your team to explore cultural and heritage landmarks while engaging with Greater Seattle partners who tackle community challenges. Build bonds while working and playing together in beautiful and historic Pacific Northwest locations.
These experiences revitalize teams, broaden perspectives and open new lines of communication.
Expect to expand your family circle when you embark on a Global Family Travels trip! Visit our website for more information: Global Family Travels
As a National Park Service Affiliated Area and the first Smithsonian affiliate in the Pacific Northwest, the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience offers an authentic and unique perspective on the American story. Nationally recognized for our work in creating dynamic, community-driven exhibitions and programs, we put our community at the heart of each exhibition we create. The stories you see and hear within our walls are their authentic experiences and perspectives. From the struggles of early Asian pioneers to accomplished works by national Asian Pacific American artists, their contributions give us a look at what it means to be uniquely American.
Photo by Kelly McCoy
You will engage in a day of learning and caring for our community, that begins with a private tour of the neighborhood given by the Wing Luke Museum of the Pacific Asian Experience. During this tour, you will learn about the history of the Chinatown - International District and the important role that the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience plays for members of our community by providing a unique and authentic perspective of the American story.
Photo by Kelly McCoy
Among many sights in the community, you will have an opportunity to take a unique glimpse into Seattle’s Japanese history at a National Historic Landmark the Panama Hotel & Tea House. The hotel served as home to generations of new immigrants to the US by settling in the area known as Japantown. You can also see some of the remaining belongings stored there during Japanese incarceration in WWII and never reclaimed.
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Carbon Removal: According to the State of Global Carbon Dioxide Removal Report by University of Oxford, natural methods of removing carbon from the atmosphere are not enough by themselves due to the amount of pollution currently in the atmosphere. Innovations in removing and permanently storing carbon emissions are needed to conserve nature and reverse the course toward further climate change.
Tomorrow’s Air: Global Family Travels is passionate about encouraging tourism that is not only sustainable but regenerative. To help with our mission, we seek to partner with like-minded brands such as Tomorrow’s Air, which operates within the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
Tomorrow’s Air is a collective of carbon removal innovators that work to permanently remove and store carbon from the atmosphere. Travel is a large contributor to global emissions, and we feel it is important to educate and empower travelers to support efforts that combat climate change! Clients can opt-in for a $25 donation to Tomorrow’s Air through the payment page.
Photo by Kelly McCoy
During the tour enjoy a visit to Kobe Terrace Named after Seattle's International Sister City of Kobe, Japan. Adorned with Cherry Trees and winding pathways, your group will learn the history of the park and it's importance to the community, along with the importance of the Danny Woo Community Garden which can be found in the lower terrace of the park.
Photo Courtesy Tai Tung Restaurant
Lunch is included in this tour. Enjoy visiting Tai Tung, Seattle's oldest Chinese restaurant!
Photo by Merrill Images
Work with local community organizations like the Danny Woo Community Garden/Interim CDA or the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA) to support their stewardship of the community garden, public space enhancement, and clean streets.
The Danny Woo Community Garden was founded in 1975 and is located in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District at 620 South Main Street. The Garden is approximately 1.5 acres and contains nearly 100 plots that are cultivated and cared for by elderly Asian immigrant residents of the neighborhood. The garden is also home to a children's garden, chicken coop, outdoor kitchen, and fruit tree orchard. As the largest green space in the Chinatown/International District and Little Saigon area, the Danny Woo Community Garden is an essential place for the surrounding community to engage with nature, access safe and healthy food, and build cohesion with neighbors.
InterIm CDA’s Mission is “Advancing social justice and equity for low-income, Asian and Pacific Islander, immigrant, and refugee communities.”
We are a nonprofit affordable housing and community development organization based in Seattle’s Chinatown/International District (CID). Since 1969 InterIm CDA (ICDA) provides multi-lingual, culturally competent housing and community building services to those disenfranchised due to lack of English, low acculturation and poverty. Though historically ICDA’s focus was on the API community living in the CID, we currently serve about 5000 unduplicated low-income limited English speaking individuals from Asia, Africa and America throughout the greater Puget Sound.We help build sustainable communities by leading neighborhood improvement projects and teaching leadership development for high school students through the WILD program.
The Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area works to improve and promote Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. In addition to providing public safety and sanitation services, the CIDBIA coordinates several of the neighborhood’s major events including the Night Markets and Lunar New Year Celebration, in addition to Dragon Fest. The BIA also advocates on behalf of its constituents with respect to a host of public policy, planning, safety, and quality-of-life issues.
Meet our Northwest Team Bonding Facilitators! They are here to help asses your organization's philanthropic approach and how it relates to overall team effectiveness, communication strategy, and engagement with the local community. They will help your organizational team address issues such as diversity, equity, and inclusivity, tying in corporate challenges to community issues.
LORI MEYERS | BLUE SKY COMMUNICATIONS NW: COMMUNITY RELATIONS & PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERSHIPS
With experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, Lori works with organizations to create a philanthropic strategy and build a culture of supporting the community through strategic alliances with Puget Sound area non-profit organizations. Driven by a passion for helping companies define and realize their business and communications goals, Lori launched Blue Sky in 2013. She is a Seattle native, with more than 20 years of experience working with clients to develop and launch successful and meaningful campaigns, create strategic alliances, and develop communication and community relations strategies that result in positive perception, philanthropic corporate cultures, and employee satisfaction.
Lori has experience working with local companies like Taco Time NW, The Hope Heart Institute, and the City of Renton Community Services, among others, to make meaningful connections with local non-profit organizations.
DOUG NATHAN: TEAM BUILDING & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT
Doug provides leadership development, team-building and conflict engagement services. He works with individuals, teams and organizations to create opportunities for learning and inspired results by helping them gain knowledge, self-awareness and best-practice skills. Doug uses this approach as a consultant designing change interventions for non-profit and corporate clients; as a training specialist facilitating classroom experiences for employees and managers; and as a mediator helping disputants find common ground.
For many years, Doug explored the power of poetry to teach leadership and team-building skills to MBA students and business professionals. I have designed innovative classroom and online training solutions for employees, managers, and leaders across corporate, government and non-profit agencies.
Doug’s whole-systems approach to design and delivery addresses the complex nature of employee, management, and leadership development issues. Fields of inquiry that influence my work include systems thinking, creativity and innovation, appreciative inquiry, and conflict and communication theory. Learn more about Doug here.
Chinatown/International District, Seattle, WA, USA 
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