Part of Piccadilly ward
Parking in Chinatown, Manchester
The Chinese arch on Faulkner Street, dim sum lunches, late-night noodles, and one of the liveliest restaurant strips in the city centre — Manchester's Chinatown packs a lot into a few blocks, and parking disappears fast around Portland Street and Nicholas Street. Parkwise maps every pay & display bay and car park from the arch to Piccadilly Gardens, with official council tariffs, max stays, enforcement hours, and live space reports from drivers.
Car parks from £3.90/hr · £26.50/day — verified tariffs
Download the free app to unlock live availability and every verified spot in Chinatown.
Official data. Driver verified.
21+
Street bays mapped
8
Car parks nearby
Piccadilly
Official ward
1,249+
Locations mapped across Manchester
The Chinatown parking map
Every verified bay and car park in Chinatown, plotted from real Parkwise data — with the three closest car parks, prices, and max stays. This is a snapshot: for live availability on every spot, download the free Parkwise app.
29 locations mappedChina Town Car Park
Car Park · Deansgate
- Type
- Car Park
- Price
- Paid · £3.90/hr · £26.50/day
- Max stay
- No limit
- Hours
- Mon–Sun · 24 hours
- Operator
- Manchester City Council
- Distance
- 87 m from centre
- Address
- China Town, M1 4EE
Good to know
- • Surface car park.
- • Charges: Up to 1 hour £3.90 · Up to 2 hours £6.10 · Up to 3 hours £8.60 · Up to 4 hours £10.30 · Up to 5 hours £13.00 · Up to 6 hours £15.00 · Up to 24 hours £26.50.
- • Up to 12 hours evening/overnight £8.40 (Any single visit between 5pm-6am for up to 12 hours).
- • Blue Badge holders are only exempt from payment if parked within a marked disabled bay; if parked within any other bay they are not exempt from payment.
- • All payments cashless — pay on arrival by app or ticket machine.
- • Official Manchester City Council directory record.
Numbered pins are the closest car parks — tap one for details. Every other dot is a verified street bay or car park. Live availability shows in the app only — download the app to see where drivers found spaces in the last hour.
Parking in Chinatown: the local's guide
Chinatown sits between Piccadilly Gardens, Oxford Street, and the Gay Village — a compact grid of restaurants, supermarkets, and bakeries centred on Faulkner Street and the ceremonial arch at its southern end. Drivers arrive for set-time dim sum bookings, supermarket runs, and Saturday-night dinners, all competing for a small pool of on-street bays in one of the densest restaurant districts in Manchester. Loading bays, taxi ranks, and through-traffic on Portland Street add to the squeeze.
Dedicated car parks make Chinatown more drivable than it looks. China Town Car Park is the closest confirmed option at £3.90/hr or £26.50/day, under two minutes from the arch. Faulkner Street Car Park sits even closer at around 35 metres with roughly 78 spaces. NCP Manchester Piccadilly Plaza, Q-Park Piazza, Chorlton Street Car Park, and Sackville Street Car Park all sit within a few minutes' walk towards Piccadilly and St Peter's Square.
Saturday lunch and Friday-to-Sunday evenings are peak Chinatown — arrive before your booking time or head straight for a car park. Chinese New Year and festival weekends multiply the pressure on every nearby street. Some meters relax in the evening but hours vary street by street — exactly what Parkwise verifies: real signs, checked by real drivers, with live space reports that expire after 60 minutes so the map never lies to you.
Live availability
Spaces come and go in minutes — see what's free right now in the app
The map around Chinatown updates as drivers report spaces. Green means someone recently confirmed availability; amber and red mean limited or full. Every report expires after 60 minutes — so you are never looking at stale data.
- Filter by duration, price, and parking type before you set off
- Set your destination to Faulkner Street or Nicholas Street and see parking around it
- Earn free access by reporting spaces when you park
Chinatown parking tips
China Town Car Park at £3.90/hr is the closest confirmed tariff — under two minutes from the arch on foot.
Faulkner Street Car Park is the nearest surface option at around 35 metres — ideal for a timed restaurant booking.
Q-Park Piazza and Chorlton Street Car Park add capacity when the core streets are full — a short walk saves circling time.
Chinatown has only one verified free street bay — do not rely on finding unpaid parking near the arch.
Festival weekends and Chinese New Year close or fill Faulkner Street — book a car park before you set off.
Some meters relax in the evening, but hours change street by street — do not assume 6pm rules apply on Portland Street.
What's in Chinatown
A few reasons drivers park here — and where bays tend to fill first.
Chinese Arch on Faulkner Street
The ceremonial gateway at the heart of Chinatown — photo stops are quick; Faulkner Street Car Park is steps away if on-street bays are taken.
Faulkner Street restaurants
Dim sum, Cantonese, and Sichuan along the main strip — book ahead on weekends; China Town Car Park at £3.90/hr suits a set lunch arrival.
Wing Yip & Asian supermarkets
Bulk shopping draws drivers from across Greater Manchester — allow time for a car park; street bays are poor for loading bags.
Chinese New Year celebrations
Lion dances and street food fill Nicholas Street and Faulkner Street — road closures make car parks essential on festival weekends.
Piccadilly Gardens
Green space and street food five minutes north — park in Chinatown and walk up Portland Street; compare tariffs before you commit.
Canal Street & the Gay Village
Bars and venues east of Chinatown — one car park covers dinner in Chinatown and drinks on Canal Street; check live reports before Saturday night.
Busy nights & events near Chinatown
Saturday lunch and weekend dinner service fill Faulkner Street and Nicholas Street from Friday evening. Chinese New Year and festival weekends bring road closures and extra footfall across the whole Piccadilly ward — drivers in the app report live availability as they arrive, and reports expire after 60 minutes so you are never looking at stale data.
Streets drivers search for:
- Faulkner Street
- Nicholas Street
- George Street
- Charlotte Street
- Portland Street
- Oxford Street
- Chinese Arch
- Dickenson Street
Chinatown parking questions
Is there street parking in Chinatown?
Yes, though bays are limited in the core streets around Faulkner Street and Nicholas Street. The verified set includes twenty-one street locations and one free bay. Parkwise shows the exact tariff, max stay, and enforcement hours for every bay — check the sign on the street matches the app.
Where is the nearest car park to Chinatown?
Faulkner Street Car Park is the closest at around 35 metres from the arch, with roughly 78 spaces. China Town Car Park is confirmed at £3.90/hr or £26.50/day, under two minutes on foot. Parkwise lists verified prices, height limits, and opening hours for each.
Is Chinatown parking free in the evening?
Some pay & display bays relax in the evening, but hours vary street by street and the single verified free bay has its own sign rules. Parkwise lists enforcement hours for every location so you know whether the meter is running before you arrive.
How do I see live parking availability in Chinatown?
Download Parkwise and open the map around Chinatown. Drivers report spaces as they arrive and leave — markers show green, amber, or red based on the latest report, which expires after 60 minutes.
How much does parking cost in Chinatown?
China Town Car Park is confirmed at £3.90/hr or £26.50/day — the cheapest verified hourly rate in the area. On-street tariffs are set by Manchester City Council. Parkwise shows the verified tariff for every bay and car park so you can compare before you set off.
Can I park in Chinatown on a Sunday?
Usually, yes — Sunday lunch dim sum is busy but less pressured than Saturday night, and some meters have reduced or no enforcement. Hours vary by street. Parkwise lists each bay's hours so you know whether the meter applies on the day.
Do I need RingGo or PayByPhone to park in Chinatown?
Council pay & display bays around Chinatown take coins or phone payment where signed — many use PayByPhone, with the zone number printed on each sign, while private car parks set their own payment methods. Parkwise is not a payment app: it shows every bay and car park with the verified tariff, max stay, and payment method before you drive, so there are no surprises when you arrive. You pay however the sign tells you.
What ward is Chinatown in?
Chinatown sits within the Piccadilly ward — one of Manchester's 32 official electoral wards. Parkwise uses ward names for data accuracy; Chinatown is the familiar neighbourhood name most drivers search for.
Know before you go.
Verified tariffs, live space reports, and free access for contributing drivers.