Even on a tight schedule, Chinatown earns the hours.
Allow 1.5–2.5 hours.
Smaller and far less touristy than the coastal Chinatowns, which is exactly its appeal — Cantonese bakeries, dim sum halls, and a working community feel just a short Red Line ride from the Loop. The honest catch is that it's compact: an hour or two of eating and browsing, not a half-day.