My boyfriend and I had talked about doing this tour since we first met. We finally made it happen this weekend. Be sure to book online so you get your spot. You can also tip when you book or you can choose to tip at the end. The tour itself was just okay. The guide was informative and had a lot of interesting information. The tour itself of a basement with low ceilings and crappy floors. Neither my boyfriend and I felt or saw any ghosts. Which of course is not predictable. Haha At the end of the tour, you have some choices of alcoholic and non-alcoholic option. My boyfriend and I don't drink beer, but they did have wine options. read more

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Excellent tour! Really informative, fun storytelling, and a little creepy. We met our tour guide upstairs for the beginning of the tour and after the tour we were told we could redeem a free drink at the bar. We got there a little early and saw that there was also paper waivers you could sign if you hadn't gotten to the electronic one. We left promptly on time, so get there early! The tour went really smoothly, just remember: *Be respectful to your tour guide *Don't weirdly interrupt with side jokes *Don't talk to the people within your group while the guide is talking *For the love of all that is holy, stop fidgeting when the tour guide is talking. *It is insanely annoying and ultimately so rude. There are low spaces, very dark/low visibility areas, uneven floors, steep and narrow stairs and low hanging pipes. If you can't maneuver regular stairs, this tour isn't for you. Our guide's name was Skippy- I believe, they were great! The group I was with had done this tour 5 times already and they said this tour guide was the best one yet. At the end of the tour there is a tip jar that you can tip your guide or they provide their Venmo as well. IDs are checked at the beginning of the tour only for the people who plan to partake in the beer tasting that is at the tail end of the tour (not in the restuarant). After the tour I got the non-alcoholic option and ordered a mango flavored Italian soda with cream, which was incredible!! read more

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Unsure of the low rating this tour got but I thought it was great. Our tour guide, Doug, was very knowledgable and a great story teller. The tour is quite creepy and there are plenty of opportunities to take photos. The meetup spot is at Old Town Pizza, upstairs. Be on time and use the restroom beforehand because it starts right away. After the tour you are offered some of their beer samples and then a drink of choice upstairs. The drink options include a well drink, a wine, beer from the list, or for a non alcoholic option an italian soda. read more

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We were coming into town from Tacoma. I booked it for 6PM thinking we would have plenty of time. Traffic from Tacoma to Portland of course can be unpredictable. We got there at 605. The tour had already started and the tour guide seemed flustered by our tardiness. Not his fault, but get there on time. Tour was pretty cool. Guide was knowledgeable. The tunnel portion was a bit shorter than I thought it would be, but still cool nonetheless. read more

Shanghai Tunnels - Historical Tours Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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There is a network of tunnels underneath Portland that was once used for nefarious as well as legitimate activities. Legitimate - storage for businesses, easier transportation of goods than on the streets above; nefarious: human trafficking, opium dens, prob gambling, and etc. We took a tour of one portion of the tunnels starting from the hosts of the tour at Old Town Pizza and Brewery on Davis. The tour guides there are delightful, with tons of intriguing stories, both old and new, of the history of the tunnels and the alleged haunting of the tunnels. There's a bit of footwork required-the walking surfaces can be uneven, there are low doors and low-hanging pipes, and narrow stairs. They keep it dark for the added ambience, and in this case, give you small lamps to carry (which was fun); they also light small candles here and there and have added period-specific furnishings or memorabilia. I found the old newspaper postings hung on the walls most fascinating. Why not five stars? Well, almost nothing is left from the original time, which isn't the fault of the tour hosts but is a disappointment nevertheless. It's up to the person if you are able to fully absorb the ambience though we sure appreciated the efforts of the host to make it as interesting as possible and to give a very informational tour. Certainly recommend if for no other reason than to learn from history so as not to KEEP repeating it. It's fun, it's different, it's a unique way to spend 90 minutes, and then get some beer and pizza upstairs. Perfect. read more

Shanghai Tunnels - Historical Tours Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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terrible! I am a believer of paranormal activity and this is not real. The guide was full of himself

Great tour to learn about Portland history and it's connection to human trafficking, boot leggers and more illegal underground activities. read more

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GREAT TOUR! I enjoyed a lot walking through the Shanghai Tunnels, it was spooky, interesting and mysterious. Also, the guide tour Natasha is super friendly and smart. You can tell she loves her job as she knows the entire history of the Shanghai Tunnels and the architecture of Portland. Highly recommend it!!! read more

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I booked the 7 PM tour for my family and friends from out of town. We were incredibly excited to learn about the history and the ghosts which is an activity we do in every city we visit. We showed up early and ate dinner. When it came time for the ghost tour we started getting ID'd and one of my kids who is 20.5 years old was told she could not go on the tour because they are trying to create an "adult" experience which they couldn't actually explain to us what that means. My issue was not the ridiculous rule that a full grown adult can't go on an adult tour my issue is that the incredibly rude bartender told us they will not be refunding any of our cost for tickets which was $300. A real happy holidays and screw you. So if you are up for a rude bartender that treated us like crap from the minute we ordered our first drink until she told us to take a hike with no refund then this activity is for you. My suggestion is take your business elsewhere. There are too many wonderful activities to do in Portland with wonderful people who will treat you with respect rather than deal with people like this. read more

It's really just a tour of their basement. Tour is pretty lame with objects added and not authentic.

I'm not sure why all the poor reviews but my husband and I really enjoyed this tour. We started our tour at Old Town Pizza where we got food beforehand. Our guide Natasha was a great story teller and had so many fun historical facts. The tunnels are truly creepy and it was really interesting hearing about what they were used for and the scale of it. I won't give any spoilers but I think it's something I would definitely recommend if you're into morbid history. Just fyi there's a bit of walking underground, meaning dusty floors, and the tour can be in the dark at times. We were given lanterns to light the way and it really adds to the experience but just fyi if you have allergies or asthma worsened by dust. The beer tasting at the end was the cherry on top. It was such a cool place to have a tasting. Overall a fun way to learn about the city's history. read more

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We were a party of 3. When we got to the starting point at Old Town Pizza, the fact that I had to use my cell phone flashlight to see to enter the code to get into the bathroom (as well as to see inside the bathroom) before the tour and the dimly lit upstairs prompted me to ask the tour guide what the light level was on the tour. She said it was much darker. I have poor vision and need more light than that, so I did not go on the tour. My friends went, and said the tour guide was great and they enjoyed the tour a lot, although the subject matter was grim and they looked a bit shell-shocked at the end. The tour was lit only by torches carried by the tour guide and cell phone flashlights of those on the tour. read more

It was an okay tour, I've taken a few ghost tours in different parts of the country and this is definitely at the bottom of the list. Don't get me wrong, the history is interesting and the vibes are spooky. Based on the other reviews I think I just pull the short stick and didn't get the best tour guide. She was nice but a bit passive in my opinion. Felt a little bit of ageism (myself and my spouse are in our early 20's). She only checked our ID's then later in the tour gave an over explanation of no jump scares cause she always has someone in their early 20's try to do that. The tour guide at one point was guiding us to a different part of the tunnels and when I went to go the way she was explaining she grabbed my arm and said "I'm going first" I don't think it was of ill intent probably a safety precaution but still, you can't just grab people. She explained she was a teacher and that definitely showed in the historic aspect of things, not a lot of spooky stories. LOTS of science and facts. If you've got extra cash and wanna blow it on an experience I would say do it. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. We learned a lot about Portland's past and the ghosts that allegedly haunt Old Town. This is a perfect tour for folks who like history and the supernatural. It's not so perfect for people who don't like dark and small spaces. Doug was a fantastic guide. read more

I vote to change the name of this tour to the Shanghai basement tour of pdx. First they had us sign a waiver saying we might die. Just to be in the basement and crawlspace of a pizza joint and old hotel. Half the stuff down there is trash or stuff the new owner put in as props. $40 bucks a person to be in a basement. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED. I'm sure the pre Covid tunnel experience was MUCH better but there was not one tunnel we went through. I expected more. What a shame. read more

$38 to walk around in a basement. Our tour guide seemed like she just walked off the stage of a high school play. Annoying and over the top. I felt like I learned more by looking at the Wikipedia page as our guide talked in circles (and too much about herself) and the information presented was not clear. read more

You start off at Old Towne pizza, which is a vibe all in itself. I believe Old Towne acquired the tunnel tour rights in 2021. Kaitlin was our guide and she had her schtick down. The tour itself was a little cheesy, but aren't most haunted tours? A couple of ghost stories are shared but the tour does a good job of exposing some of the nefarious activities that went down back then. Thinking about the crimping and other activities makes the tunnels creepy indeed! The tour ends up with some underground beer tasting from local brews, along with an extra drink coupon for use in the pizzeria. I love going to new cities and getting a little history along with the macabre. The tunnels are kind of like the dark web in real life. It delivers! read more

Old Town Pizza seems to have access to the largest remaining continuous tunnels under Portland's China Town, & they're doing their best to restore it with era-accurate memorabilia. Natasha, an obvious theater darling, gave us what felt like a thorough and dramatic account of, not only the intriguing underbelly of a seedy city, but also historically accurate information about the real hardships, racism, and abuse perpetrated and endured by the people who passed through these tunnels. I appreciated her breadth of knowledge, that she didn't sugarcoat the darkness that others may be inclined to romanticize, and her dramatic flair that gave a playful balance to the history lesson. I highly recommend this tour to locals and tourists alike. read more

Great tour guide Natasha, great beer, creepy tunnels! Truly interesting historical walking, climbing, and ducking tour. My friends took a pic in one of the holding "cells"/rooms, too creepy for me. Loved getting our beer tasting in front of the underground bar! read more

Very disappointed nothing but a basement and just a sheet hanging in the middle of the tour. read more

Shanghai Tunnels - Historical Tours Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I've been to Portland several times and I've always wanted to do this tour. Although most of the tunnels have been filled in, it was nice to step back in time and learn about the history of Portland. Our tour guide Jason was very informative and entertaining. He really made the tour a lot of fun! I'd highly recommend this tour if you're ever in Portland ! read more

Well well well... Let's say it just wasn't 100% what I thought it would be. I read the reviews by others but thought I would form my own opinion so I scheduled a group of 10 people to go. The tour starts at Hobo's Restaurant. I'm sure they get a lot of business by people waiting around eating and drinking before the tour starts. Because that's what some of our group did. They make you sign a waiver because who knows what people might do. And the tour starts on the outdoor patio of Hobo's. The outdoor patio is where everybody smokes, so it reeked of cigarettes and there were half full ashtrays on the tables. I would say the patio was the coolest part of the restaurant so I'm not sure why they would even have a smoking area. The lady we had for a tour guide was also in college for history of some sort. She was very energetic But she kept referring to her school work and personal experiences over and over which had nothing to do with their tour. On the patio she talked for probably 20 minutes before we went out front and headed down into the tunnel. You better wear some comfortable shoes, clothes and be ready to stand a lot and not move. If you are claustrophobic this is probably not the tour for you. You will be walking on dirt floors and people kicking up dust that you will be breathing in. We went in like three rooms which wasn't very far but we stayed in each room for 20 minutes hearing the speech of what may of happened. We saw some old boots, lots of wood, some concrete, an old wicker love seat and lots of dirt. A hot summer evening may not be the best time to go on this tour because the last room we went into was extremely hot and humid and very close quarters. Several of us went back into the previous room because it was just too hot. Our tour went over the 1.5 hours. And most people could not wait to leave. I think it may have been better if we just sat on the outdoor patio of Hobo's restaurant And she did her spiel for an hour and then we went down in the tunnels for maybe 20-30 minutes just to take a look. Boring! We spent most of our time just standing in the dark with her talking. On another note when we left a couple blocks away we were able to catch a concert at Dante's that was super fun and the great band. :-) read more

They can't improve anything, because the tunnels no longer exist. But on that note, how do you call this a tunnel tour when there are no tunnels? It's a basement tour. It's a damp, dark, mildewy basement that may or may not have actually been linked to any network of tunnels. I have been in basements like this before. I have actually been in basements that have real tunnels connecting a city, back home. I was so excited for this because of the Shanghai history. It was hugely disappointing. If anyone wants a tour of my basement, it's also dark and damp and I promise to tell you a ghost story or two. Plus, for 40 bucks, I'll give you a whole 6 pack of PBR. read more

If wandering around the dusty dirt floor basement of a pizza restaurant ducking under sewer lines, electric cables and hearing just one bit of a "haunted story" on a 1.5 hour tour sounds like fun to you then by all means book this tour. Such a bore and very uninteresting. And don't forget the "beer tasting" which consisted of a few cans (yes cans, not draft) of beer being divided amongst everyone on the tour down in the basement. On the plus side, the pizza upstairs smelled and looked really good and we would like to come back and try it. read more

Ok- we did a "underground walking tour" of Portland- and I want to dispel any ideas that you actually go underground - the so-called tunnels have all been filled in- that being said- the tour itself was absolutely AMAZING! 10/10 with history and building architecture and really fun things to learn. The history of Portland and it's bad and good past are presented in a little over an hour with a nice walk all around and historical pictures for context. read more

Shanghai Tunnels - Historical Tours Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I'm sad to say I was quite disappointed with this tour. I was SUPER excited to go on this tour but it didn't live up to my expectations. The space we looked at was pretty small, I thought for a 1.5 hour tour it was going to be more extensive. The tour guide was knowledgeable but she didn't really answer or invite questions. She kind of gave the run around. I would suggest if you're interested to still take the tour, I'm glad to say I did. But I wish they would have been more inviting for questions or extra information if the guests on the tour are curious. Also, you can't post pictures unless you ask permission because the company has copyright claims. read more

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Loved this. Immediately when entering the underground I wonder how much it would cost for a private tour because just like a lot of these reviewers, our tour mates were rude! It's a group of about 25 on our excursion with several bad apples. Our guide (I can't remember his name but he had blue hair) was very knowledgeable and definitely brought pizzazz to our tour. He let us pick what we wanted our focus on: general history, ethnic history, or ghost stories. He was able to sprinkle some ghost stories of the individuals along with the traditional ethnic history. Flashlights were provided and phone flashlights were allowed. I liked when it was eerily dark as it's intended to be during the time. The artifacts were labeled and their stories were intriguing. Worth the $15 entry for an hour and a half of history. Would recommend if you haven't done it before. read more

Shanghai Tunnels - Concerned if I should smile during such a horrific place for a photo op. This was an original cell for the Shanghai'd victims. - Historical Tours Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Recently I wanted to attend with my 9 year old grandson. It turns out that the tours are run by a beer bar and with the ticket one has to buy food and alcohol! This completely undermines the educational purpose of this unique historical site of the city. What a shame. read more

This tour and the story are scary (in a ghost story, horror movie kinda way, not bad). I wish I would've known more walking into this tour because there's speculation that "Shanghaing" is an urban myth. But when you see the tunnels and cells and trap doors that go along with it...it becomes pretty real. The guide does a great jobbing of keeping your interest through stories about the discovery of the tunnels, what the rooms were used for and even ghost stories. I compare this to the Seattle Underground Tours and think this one is by far more interesting. That said, the underground look is extremely similar. But I recall the Seattle tour as being WAAAY more expensive and less interesting. Definitely more of a tour trap than this one. There weren't any touristy things to purchase after the tour...there were pamphlets on human trafficking and signs to look for... Needless to say, I'm now obsessed with uncovering more mysteries about the Shanghai tunnels because I found it so interesting. I also found it interesting that they plan on opening a new portion of the tunnel soon. Hoping that's true, because if it is...I'd go back to check it out. read more

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Not a review of the tours done by portlandwalkingtours.com but for tours at https://shanghaitunneltours.ticketleap.com/ It is not for the claustrophobic, scared of the dark, physically limited, or those looking for a romantic outing. This is more of a historical tour and the dark side of Portland's history. This tour company is the historical society preserving the tunnel(s) and trying to tell the dark history so we don't repeat it. You will do lots of standing an listening to history as we currently know it. If you are looking for something more romantic or thrilling, take the food/beer tour with another company. Looking to hear some history and maybe a little spooked (the biggest room there spiked my anxiety for no good reason!) take the tour. For me it was worth the money and the time to go see and hear this history! read more

Sorry, but this is essentially just an over-hyped and expensive tour of Hobo's basement. There's a *lot* of story-telling about the vast underground tunnel system of Portland; men who were "shanghaied" and enslaved on ships; and hearsay stories about regular ghostly sightings and experiences. They paint a picture of pure customer amazement. Um, in reality...not so much. :-( The 90-minute "tour" doesn't go very far at all. Just the basement footprint of Hobo's restaurant. And there's not much there than a couple of reconstructed rooms and the remains of a holding cell. No tunnels (plural). You'll see more restaurant heating and AC duct work, electrical wiring, and piping than you will historic artifacts and catacombs. What a tremendous disappointment. Shanghai Tunnels shanghaied my money. Period. :-( read more

I knew before going on this tour that I wouldn't be exploring some massive underground or expecting that ghosts would be jumping in my face. Basically I was just looking forward to being there and hearing some of the history after seeing it on the scariest places in America list, a bucket-list thing. Even though that's exactly what I got, I felt relieved that it was over in the end. The tour meets at Hobo's which is a cool place to chill for drinks and food. When the tour starts, there's a big group that gathers in the back of the restaurant for orientation. The tour was overbooked and the hosts insisted that our large group split into two so we weren't so crowded. When they didn't get enough volunteers to go into group B which left fifteen or so minutes later, a voice in charge made it seem like it was group A's fault for not having enough people volunteering and we were about to be a bit crammed. As far as I was concerned, I wanted to go on the tour time I paid for and I did. Indeed, the tour was a bit crammed. We all walked out into the street and proceeded underground. Seemed as if we stayed in one spot for a while before moving to the next little spot while our tour guide told us a story in each corner of the rooms. I was getting hot down there and wanted to move around. People were bumping into me, photos were hard to take at times since there was a line for every little thing. As bad as I make it sound, I'm glad I did the tour in the end. It's been a curiosity for a few years now and another thing off the bucket-list. The underground is what it is, but the tour shouldn't have been overbooked and I would have liked to move around on my own a bit. Give everyone a hard hat, flashlight and call it a day. I thought that the tour guide did a nice job as well whether the stories were accurate or not. read more

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Pretty disappointing. Basically a basement "show and tell" with a little generic history thrown in for novelty. Calling the subject matter, "Tunnels" invokes a different imaginative fodder from what you get to really tour. The stories shared are not personal and/or dont really draw you into any eerie connection with their basement space. The guide shares that your funding further basement renovations by taking this "ghost" tour. Cool idea, just needs some further development. read more

Our host was entertaining and the experience was unique and enlightening. It's an experience you won't get anywhere else.

A 100 years ago, the waterfront saloons of Portland were on top of a series of underground tunnels with trap doors used to kidnap unsuspecting victims for forced maritime labor. The practice of "Shanghaiing" lasted from 1850-1941 and earned Portland the nicknames of "Forbidden City" and "Unheavenly City." Much of that history has been eagerly forgotten by the City of Roses, but thanks to volunteers and tours like this, the brutal and dangerous story of Portland's dark past survives. The Shanghai Tunnels Tour is a-ok. You meet at Hobo's Bar, start in the courtyard, and then head down through an entrance in the sidewalk for a 1-hour tour through small rooms and hideaways that have been cleared of debris by the tour company. It's a creepy experience that doesn't actually cover a lot of area underground, but the guide does a nice job of filling in the experience with stories. Some of them, I actually believe. The tour costs $13/person and must be pre-paid. It may not be the best way to spend your money, but as you'll learn on the tour, there are a lot worse things that could happen to you. I recommend the Shanghai Tunnels Tour for those that have exhausted most of the classic Portland tourist traps and are looking for something below the beaten path. read more

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We went right before Halloween. I think everybody should do this tour once. It was highly educational and enlightening to find out the horrors that occurred right under our fair city. You will want to pray for the lost souls who died. read more

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Fascinating tour. Don't confuse with fake tunnel tour. This is the real deal offered by the non profit Cascadian Historian Society. Drew was an excellent guide. We were in the tunnels for about 2 hours. Portland's last opium den. read more

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We came on a Saturday night and grabbed the last tickets in person around 5:40pm for the 6pm tour because we weren't sure if we wanted to do the tour. You however, should plan ahead and probably buy them online. I thought the tour was great and one of my favorite parts of visiting Portland. I kayaked, hiked, and did plently of other things, and still, this tour ranks highly. I heard about the tunnels on the History Channel and really wanted to see some of Portland's history. The tour starts at Hobo's, a nice place to have a drink while you wait. Our group was large at first (maybe 20-30), but decreased after the drunk people left, which was a relief. I didn't think it was too hard to listen or see if you paid attention. It is dusty and it is underground of course. I know some people mentioned ghosts, but I don't care for learning about ghosts nor is that what I expected or was advertised. I'm not sure what tour that is honestly, but maybe avoid that if you're expecting "real" ghosts... I really enjoyed our tour and appreciated the work of our tour guide and people who maintain the tunnels (all volunteers!). I would highly recommend it! It's great work these folks are doing! read more

Shanghai Tunnels - The entrance to the tunnels outside Hobo's Restaurant that they guide you through. - Historical Tours Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Super cool tour, but so CREEPY to think that this happened before in history... The tour itself was interesting but I still couldn't grasp the concept on how people were able to get away with doing this, and what made it stop.... I guess it's still a taboo topic as mentioned by our guide. read more

Let me preface this review: I got invited to an event that included the tour, so it was free for me. I bet if I'd paid for it I'd be a little more put-out. It was interesting, educational, and eye-opening. The guides wove ghost stories and reality together pretty well, and were nice except for the really pushy short gal. It was also a bunch of basements and hokey props in about a square block of an area that was once 5 square miles. I get that it's all volunteer but I'd love to have seen more of it with less stories. Include some of the tunnels to improve, Portland Underground by Cascadia Historical Society (I think that's the name of the group). All in all, a nice try.... But it needs work. read more