Singapore: UNESCO Street Food & Cultural Experience
Description
This Mixed-Group tour brings you to the ethnic neighbourhoods of Chinatown, Little India & Kampong Glam. You will learn from your licensed guide and an academic historian about the history, people, culture & heritage of Singapore. You will experience the everyday lives of the locals not only through sight and sound, but also through street food in UNESCO inscribed hawker centres. Get the chance to sample authentic local cuisines and drink, and experience street food trades that have been passed down from one generation to another. This will unfortunately disappear in time to come. To experience the local experience even further, we will also be taking public transportation between the different ethnic quarters, which are efficient, convenient and comfortable. This tour will help you understand how the locals live their lives, reflecting Singapore's unique multi-racial and cultural lifestyle, and at the same time filling your stomachs with an authentic experience of food and drink.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your tour is a fun and educational discovery of 3 ethnic neighbourhoods: Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam. You will learn more about its history and experience local living, through walking in the area as well as sampling local street food at UNESCO inscribed hawker centres at Chinatown and Little India, and dessert in the Malay Quarter of Kampong Glam. In Chinatown, you will learn more about the lives of early Chinese immigrants who flocked here in large numbers due to the vibrant community and work opportunities. Businessmen, traders, craftsmen, hawkers and peddlers sought to make a living here. While some found success, many others found themselves succumbed to vices like opium, gambling and prostitution. Remnants of these memories can still be found along the streets of Chinatown and you will get the opportunity to relive the lives of the past in the present day.
Your tour is a fun and educational discovery of 3 ethnic neighbourhoods: Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam with a street food experience at UNESCO inscribed hawker centres at Chinatown and Little India. In Kampong Glam, you will learn more about how this place came about and that Malay royalty used to govern Singapore, whose palace used to stand in the grounds. Be enthralled by the grand Sultan Mosque that still continues to attract Muslims from all over the island. It is an important focal point for religious, cultural and social activities. During the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, this area transforms into a popular night market with numerous food stalls as Muslims gather to await the prayer call to break their fast at sunset. You will get to sample locally known desserts by an independently run store in the area while soaking in the old and colourful wall murals that adorn all along the walls of shophouses.
Your tour is a fun and educational discovery of 3 ethnic neighbourhoods: Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam. You will learn more about its history and experience local living, through walking in the area as well as sampling local street food at UNESCO inscribed hawker centres at Chinatown and Little India, and dessert in the Malay Quarter of Kampong Glam. In Little India, you will be absorbed in the vibrancy of colour, sight and sound of flower markets, traditional clothing stores, fruit stalls, incense shops and Hindu temples that still continue to revolve around the lives of the Indian community today. You will feel like you have been transported to another place as your guide shares with you more about the history of the coloured streets, the trades and opportunities that inspired the early Indian community to move here from the original Little India located elsewhere.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We have a hotel pickup option (Note: Location Dependent - City or Central Areas Only) and will meet you at the lobby. Kindly indicate the hotel name in your booking. Alternatively you can also choose to meet us at the starting point which is at the MRT station. Kindly contact us for more information.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- A maximum of 8 people per booking
- Not recommended for travelers with dietary restrictions
- Not recommended for travelers who are vegetarians as experience will be compromised
- Not recommended for travelers with children in prams
- Not recommended for travelers with Personal Mobility Aids / Devices
- Not recommended for travellers with food allergies
Reviews(548)
This was not just an amazing food tour, but a highly educational and fun experience with Gerry. He was the best tour guide I’ve ever had, super friendly, knowledgeable, and brought his iPad to explain the culture, rules, and history of Singapore. He also brought some additional historical items which were great surprises. It was really fascinating and wonderful, and the food was absolutely delicious and way more food than you could ever imagine. Book this tour with Gerry and get a great introduction to this beautiful city from a local!
We’ve done quite a few food tours over the years, and this ranks amongst the very best. We booked the Singapore: UNESCO Food and Cultural Tour expecting some great local food. We left with something far more valuable, a genuine understanding of the history, culture and people that have made Singapore’s hawker culture worthy of UNESCO recognition. From the moment we met, Gerry made us feel like friends rather than customers. His warmth, humour and enthusiasm made the day fly by. Every stop came with a story, whether about the city, the origins of a dish, the families who have been cooking it for generations, or Singapore’s diverse communities. The food was exceptional. Highlights included curry puffs, satay with ketupat, authentic Hainanese chicken rice, black and white fried carrot cake and fried pork and chive dumplings in Chinatown. We then explored Little India, enjoying fragrant chicken briyani, lamb chukka, onion rawa masala dosai, many more I cannot remember oh and of course crisp papadums. One of the real highlights for me was visiting the Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre. If you want to experience authentic Singapore, this is the place. There is no pretence, no tourist gimmicks or Yuppies, only hardworking uncles and aunties serving food that has been perfected over decades. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming and completely genuine. Gerry explained that many of these traditional family run stalls now depend heavily on older generations of customers, making support from visitors and younger Singaporeans increasingly important. If you visit Singapore, please make time to eat here. You’ll enjoy exceptional food while helping preserve one of the country’s most important living traditions. What impressed me most was Gerry’s respect for the people behind the food and the city. He introduced us to the hardworking uncles and aunties who have dedicated their lives to preserving these traditions. By the end of the tour, you realise that Singapore’s food is about far more than flavour. It is about heritage, family, community and identity. One of the nicest touches came after the tour, when Gerry thanked us for supporting the local community and the hawkers, and for sharing such great conversation throughout the day. That summed him up perfectly. He genuinely cares about his guests, the people he introduces you to, and the culture he is so passionate about sharing. The biggest compliment I can give is that we left wanting to revisit many of the places we had been, and with a far deeper appreciation of Singapore than we had that morning. This wasn’t simply one of the best food tours we’ve experienced. It was one of the best guided experiences we’ve had anywhere in the world. If you want to understand the heart and soul of Singapore through its food, its history and its people, spend a day with Gerry on the Singapore: UNESCO Food and Cultural Tour. Karen and David (UK)
Gerry was an amazing tour guide! The tour was conversational and timed well with lots of food and touring local sites intermingled. Gerry was personable and so knowledgeable. It was the perfect way to see the 3 areas of Singapore. Thank you Gerry!
If you’re looking to sample the food in authentic hawker stalls in both Chinatown and Little India, visit fantastic local markets selling fresh produce, have the opportunity to shop for gifts and souvenirs, and sample award-winning gelato in Haji Lane, then this is the tour for you. Gerry is generous with the food and drink and provides an interesting and entertaining commentary on the history and culture of the areas.
If you are lucky enough to book Gerry as your guide in Singapore, book immediately and thank yourself later. My husband and I had an absolutely unforgettable day exploring Singapore with him through Chinatown hawker stalls, Little India, and Haji Lane, and honestly, it ended up being one of the highlights of our entire trip. Gerry somehow managed to make us feel like we were exploring the city with an old friend who also happens to know EVERYTHING about Singapore. His knowledge of the country’s history, culture, food, neighborhoods, and traditions was incredible, but what made the experience truly special was how warm, welcoming, and genuinely fun he was the entire time. We ate what felt like a hundred amazing dishes from every corner of Singapore’s cultural landscape, drank cold beers between stops, wandered colorful streets and hidden alleys, popped into shops, laughed nonstop, and completely lost track of time in the best possible way. We tried so much—popiah, curry puffs, Hainanese chicken rice, gelato, laksa, seeraga chicken biriyani and everything in between. Every stop had a story. Every dish had context. Every neighborhood came alive because of Gerry’s passion and energy. The Chinatown hawker experience alone would have been worth it, but then Little India exploded with color, smells, and flavors, and Haji Lane brought this cool, artsy, vibrant energy that perfectly rounded out the day. Gerry curated the experience so naturally that it never once felt rushed or scripted. It felt immersive, personal, and wildly fun. What stood out most was how much Gerry genuinely cared that we felt comfortable and at home in Singapore. By the end of the tour, we didn’t just feel like tourists checking off attractions…we felt connected to the city itself. This was not just a food tour. It was a full cultural experience packed with history, personality, laughter, amazing food, and memories we will talk about for years. Gerry is an absolute gem, and we cannot recommend him highly enough.
This was a fantastic tour of Singapore and the food and culture. Gerry gave a thorough tour allowing us to experience many different dishes and neighborhoods. Not only did he explain the food, but he also told us a lot about the culture and history of the city. He even helped us with the public transportation system, which we ultimately used a lot during our stay. Do this tour at the beginning of your trip for the best introduction to Singapore.
Gerry was the absolute best tour guide we could have asked for to experience the street foods of Singapore! He really made it a fun experience for our group as well as providing a tons of history and so very much delicious food along the way. 100% recommend!
We had a wonderful time exploring Singapore‘s most famous dishes and truly enjoyed every minute of it. Not only was the food selection delicious, the knowledge behind the dishes as well as the historical facts and the insight Gerry gave us into Singapore‘s melting pot was something we wouldn‘t have had without the tour. It made us see Singapore in a different light and we highly recommend you doing this tour at the beginning of your trip - if only to come back for seconds at your favourite stops (like we did). Thank you Gerry for this experience!
Gery was just amazing. Explaining all the details of the history of all the migrations to Singapore. Even had pictures of the way things were in the past. Took us to tocal eateries and always made sure we were comfortable. Just a terrific tour guide. Can't recommend him enough.
Gerry was so kind, knowledgeable , humorous , engaging and communicative. Would repeat without hesitation
