Portland: Underground Shanghai Tunnel Tour with Beer Tasting

Portland’s Shanghai Tunnels are less a vast underground city than a short, atmospheric look at a troubling part of Old Town’s past. Your guide leads you below the former Merchant Hotel, sharing stories of sailors, forced labor, old Portland, and Nina, the tunnel’s resident ghost. The history gives the spooky tales some weight.

I like the history-first approach and the clever finish at Old Town Pizza, where your $44 ticket includes a special beer tasting and one full pint. Guides Doug and Natasha have earned especially strong praise for their storytelling and ability to keep a group involved. The main drawback is practical: most of the old passageways are closed, and the remaining route includes tight spaces, stairs, pipes, and uneven dirt.

Key points to know before you book

• The tour lasts 90 minutes, with the underground portion followed by a beer tasting and full pint at Old Town Pizza.
• The tunnels are narrow and uneven, with low obstacles, old stairs, tight doorways, and dirt floors.
• Doug and Natasha are standout guides, mixing Portland history with ghost stories and questions from the group.
• The tour includes a special craft beer tasting plus one full pint, giving the experience a social finish.
• Guests ages 13 to 20 can attend only at noon, 2 p.m., or 3 p.m. Later departures are for people age 21 and older.
• Arrive 10 minutes early. Late arrivals may miss the underground portion and do not receive a refund.

What the Shanghai Tunnels tour is really like

This is a compact walking tour beneath Portland’s Chinatown and Old Town, not a long expedition through miles of open passageways. You begin at Old Town Pizza & Brewing, enter the former Merchant Hotel, and head below street level with a live English-speaking guide.

The tour’s central stories concern the old tunnels and their alleged role in moving unsuspecting sailors toward ships on the Willamette River. The guides also connect the underground spaces to Portland’s rougher past, giving you more than a simple ghost walk.

That balance matters. If you want only paranormal thrills, parts of the tour may feel more historical than frightening. If you enjoy local stories with a spooky edge, the mix works well. The strongest feedback centers on guides who know how to build suspense without turning every moment into a cheap scare.

Guides Doug and Natasha are names worth noting when you see them on the schedule. Doug has been praised for his storytelling and for drawing people into the subject. Natasha, also listed as Natascha in one account, is described as friendly, entertaining, and good at handling questions during the beer portion. A guide identified as Kaitlyn also received praise for making the history engaging.

Starting beneath Old Town Pizza and Brewing

The meeting point is Old Town Pizza & Brewing. Go inside and say you are there for the tour. If the tour begins before business hours, knock on the door.

This location is more than a place to gather. The restaurant occupies the lobby of the former Merchant Hotel, which gives the experience an immediate connection to the stories below. You do not need to cross town between the history walk and the beer tasting, and you can eat at the restaurant before or after the tour.

Arrive at least 10 minutes early. The guide takes the group underground, and a late arrival can mean missing the entire tour. There are no refunds for late arrivals, and same-day cancellations or changes are not allowed. This is one activity where a relaxed arrival is far better than cutting it close.

The group then heads downstairs into an old building. The setting is part of the appeal, but it also sets the limits. This is not a polished museum with wide paths and bright displays. Expect old stairs, narrow doorways, overhead pipes, and areas that require you to duck.

Portland’s darker stories, told underground

The guide explains how the passages are tied to Portland’s maritime past and the movement of sailors toward ships at the river. The tour presents these stories as part of the city’s darker history, alongside the better-known ghost lore.

You will also hear about Nina, the resident ghost associated with the tunnels. The supernatural material adds suspense, but the tour does not rely only on ghost claims. Several guides have been praised for giving useful local context and for treating the paranormal side as one part of the story.

That approach suits mixed groups. A person who loves haunted places can listen for signs of Nina, while someone less interested in spirits can focus on Portland’s development, the building, and the way the underground passages were used or are said to have been used.

The guides also seem to understand the value of pacing. One guide was praised for building suspense carefully, while another was noted for speaking clearly enough for everyone to follow. In a confined space, that matters. A good voice and a steady pace make it easier to follow the story when the group is spread between stairs, pipes, and narrow rooms.

How much of the tunnel network will you see?

Keep your expectations realistic. You will not spend the full 90 minutes racing through a huge network of open tunnels. Some passages are closed off. The accessible route includes selected sections, old features, and areas where you may need to crouch or move carefully.

One of the reported sights is an old cell, along with a creepy photograph. These details help give the underground setting a physical focus. Still, much of the experience comes from the guide’s narration rather than from a long list of rooms or preserved exhibits.

That is not necessarily a weakness. The tunnels are old and restricted, and the limited route helps explain why the tour is built around storytelling. You are paying for access to a difficult-to-see part of Portland plus a guided account of its past, not for a large underground attraction with extensive displays.

The setting can feel atmospheric precisely because it is plain and rough. Uneven dirt floors, low pipes, and aged construction create a sense of place that a reconstructed attraction would struggle to copy. On the other hand, anyone expecting a full underground maze may come away wanting more.

The stairs, pipes, and dirt floors matter

This tour is not suitable for people with mobility impairments. You will walk up and down stairs, pass through narrow doorways, maneuver around pipes, and deal with uneven dirt floors. Some obstacles require you to duck under them.

Wear comfortable shoes. High heels are a poor choice here, both for balance and for the uneven surfaces. The tour description also advises bringing a passport or ID card and signing a waiver.

The space can be awkward for anyone who dislikes confined areas. The supplied information does not describe the exact width of every passage, so I would not assume that all sections feel comfortable for every person. If stairs, low ceilings, or uneven ground cause you trouble, choose another Portland activity.

Parents also need to plan carefully. Children under 13 are not permitted. Ages 13 to 20 can attend only the noon, 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. departures. Later tours are for people age 21 and older. Some departures are 21-plus only, so check the time before booking if your group includes younger adults.

The beer tasting and full pint at Old Town Pizza

After the underground portion, you return upstairs to Old Town Pizza for the included beer experience. The package includes a special tasting of award-winning beer and one full pint of Portland craft beer.

This finish gives the tour more value than a standard short ghost walk. You have time to sit, sip, and talk through what you just saw. One account specifically appreciated the chance to ask questions during the beer tasting, and another described the beer portion as a nice touch.

The beer is not just a coupon for a drink at some unrelated bar. It takes place at the same Old Town Pizza setting where the tour begins, in the building tied to the story. That makes the ending feel connected to the main activity rather than tacked on.

The drink also changes the mood. Underground, the focus is on dark stories and careful footing. Upstairs, you can relax with a full pint and compare the history, ghost tales, and odd details with your group. If you do not drink alcohol, the supplied details do not specify a nonalcoholic replacement, so ask before booking if that matters to you.

Old Town Pizza is also available for a meal. The experience information specifically notes that you can eat there, and pizza makes practical sense if you are scheduling the tour around lunch or dinner. Food is not listed as included, so plan to pay separately.

Is $44 a fair price?

At $44 per person, this is not the cheapest short activity in Portland. The value depends on how you judge the package.

You are receiving a 90-minute guided tour, access to the tunnel area, a special beer tasting, and one full pint. The drink and tasting make the price easier to justify than a brief walk with no included extra. The location also saves you from traveling to a second venue after the tour.

I would consider it fair value if you like local history, ghost stories, and craft beer. You are getting a focused experience rather than a major attraction, so the price may feel high if you mainly want to see a large network of tunnels.

The tour also benefits from strong guide performance. Doug, Natasha, and the other praised guides appear to add much of the activity’s value through clear narration, humor, suspense, and questions. That means the quality of the experience can depend heavily on the guide leading your departure.

The score of 4.3 from 102 ratings suggests a solid experience with some room for different expectations. The most likely source of disappointment is not the beer or the guides. It is expecting to explore every tunnel beneath Old Town and finding that many sections are closed.

Choosing the best departure time

If someone in your group is age 13 to 20, book the noon, 2 p.m., or 3 p.m. departure. Those are the permitted times for that age group. Later tours are restricted to people age 21 and older, and some departures are specifically 21-plus.

The activity is usually offered in the afternoon and evening. A daytime departure may suit you if you want to continue exploring Old Town afterward. An evening time can add to the spooky mood, but it also comes with the strict age rules and the need to arrive on time.

You should not plan another time-sensitive activity immediately afterward. The tour is scheduled for 1.5 hours, but you will want a little breathing room for the tasting, questions, and any food order at Old Town Pizza.

Who will enjoy this most?

I would recommend this tour to you if you enjoy:

• Portland history with a dark side
• Ghost stories presented alongside real places and local context
• Small, unusual attractions rather than big museums
• Craft beer and a relaxed drink after a walking tour
• Guided storytelling, especially when the guide welcomes questions
• A slightly rough setting with old stairs, pipes, and dirt floors

You may want to skip it if you need step-free access, dislike tight spaces, or want a long underground route. It is also not a good fit for families with children under 13, and mixed-age groups must choose an approved departure time.

Paranormal skeptics are not automatically left out. One of the useful features of this tour is that the history gets as much attention as the ghost stories. You can enjoy the setting, the old building, and Portland’s past without accepting every supernatural claim.

Booking, cancellation, and arrival advice

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. The reserve-now, pay-later option lets you hold a place without paying at once, which is useful when your Portland plans are still moving.

Do not depend on same-day changes. They are not allowed, and late arrivals receive no refund. Have your ID ready, sign the required waiver, and wear shoes suited to stairs and uneven ground.

The activity is conducted in English. If you need another language, the provided information does not list one.

Should you book the Shanghai Tunnel tour?

Book it if you want a short Portland activity that combines local history, ghost lore, and craft beer in one place. Guides such as Doug and Natasha appear to make the biggest difference, and the restaurant setting gives the evening a comfortable finish.

Do not book it expecting miles of open tunnels. You will see selected underground areas, crouch around obstacles, and hear much of the story through the guide. For me, that is the right way to judge it: this is a guided history and folklore experience with a beer finish, not a large underground attraction.

The best match is an adult or older-teen group that values storytelling and does not mind rough footing. At $44, the included tasting and pint help the price feel reasonable. Just arrive early, choose the right departure time, and keep your expectations focused on atmosphere and stories rather than tunnel mileage.

FAQ

How long does the Shanghai Tunnel tour last?

The tour lasts 1.5 hours, including the guided underground experience and the beer tasting with one full pint.

Where does the tour meet?

Meet inside Old Town Pizza & Brewing. Announce that you are there for the tour. If it is before business hours, knock on the door.

What does the $44 price include?

The price includes the guided tour, a live English-speaking guide, a special beer tasting, and one full pint of beer.

Is beer included in the ticket?

Yes. The experience includes a special beer tasting and one full pint at Old Town Pizza.

Can people ages 13 to 20 attend?

Yes, but only at the noon, 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. departures. Later tours are for people age 21 and older, and some departures are 21-plus only.

Are children under 13 allowed?

No. Children under 13 are not permitted on the tour.

Is the tour suitable for people with mobility impairments?

No. The route includes stairs, narrow doorways, low pipes, obstacles to duck under, and uneven dirt floors.

What should I bring and wear?

Bring a passport or ID card and be prepared to sign a waiver. Wear comfortable walking shoes, and avoid high heels because of the stairs and uneven surfaces.

What happens if I arrive late?

You may miss the tour because the group will already be underground. Late arrivals do not receive a refund, so arrive at least 10 minutes early.