Singapore: Chinese, Indian & Arabic Quarters, Culture & Food Tour
Overview
Available languages
5 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Your host is a friendly 4th generation Singapore Chinese Peranakan with a strong passion to share real life experiences about growing up in Singapore since the 70's.
His in-depth experience of the different ethnic neighbourhoods and hawker markets promises an adventure of discovery the vibrancy of the local streets and street food now run by 2nd or 3rd generation family members, the people and the diverse communities. You will be introduced to a wide variety of locally popular street food favourites and get to know better your host and the country through his eyes and life's experiences.
This fun and engaging Mixed Group adventure is for those who want to experience unique traditional street food in the UNESCO inscribed hawker centres located in the ethnic neighbourhoods of Chinatown & Little India. This unique culture has been deeply embedded in the Singapore way of life since the colonial days of early 19th century until today.
Additional Info
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
Not recommended for travellers with gluten intolerance
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 or strollers
Not recommended for travelers with Personal Mobility Aids / Devices
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Chinatown
The experience starts off with an exploration of Chinatown where you will get to soak in the sights of the Chinatown neighbourhood. Stories will be shared of it's history capturing the struggles of early Chinese immigrants, their trials and tribulations of making ends meet in a rough neighbourhood filled with vices like opium, gambling, prostitution, and death. These buildings still stand today. Old images will be shown where you will see the quick transformation of Singapore's development from the past to the present day. We will also be visiting a hawker centre and get to sample locally popular Singapore Chinese street food cuisines, and at the same time experience the local way of life that has been around for the past decades.
Little India
In Little India, you will be brought around the area where the vibrancy of colour from street stalls selling fresh fruit & vegetables, flower garland markets, traditional clothing stores, and incense shops will charm your senses. It is due to these trades and other opportunities that had inspired the early Indian community to move from the original Little India near the old seafront, up here where water buffalos used to roam the swampy area. We will be visiting a hawker market here and get to sample a variety of Pakistani, North Indian & Indian Muslim street food cuisines, and experience the exciting vibrancy of the Indian community having their daily meals here.
What‘s Included
Soda/Pop
Bottled water
Alcoholic Beverages
Lunch
Snacks
Dinner
Coffee and/or Tea
Gratuities
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Singapore: Chinese, Indian & Arabic Quarters, Culture & Food Tour
Pickup included
Reviews
774 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Amazing!
Donna P,,Jan 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Gerry made our experience incredible. He was very personable, knowledgeable, and humorous. The food was plentiful and amazing. I highly recommend this tour while in Singapore.
Loved it!
Excursion35282330213,,Dec 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What an incredible way to explore the city. Not just the city I saw in the pictures. A city you must feel with your heart not just take in with the eyes. The food was incredible. The laughter was great. However, it is the people I will remember. The simple smiles shared through a language gap can speak volumes. Gerry guides and explains everything along the way, everything and I mean everything is handled for you. It is clear that he isn't doing a job. He is taking you to meet his friends. He cares for each of the people you visit. Bring a hungry stomach and an open heart. Thank you Gerry for widening our perspectives and making our world feel a little smaller, a little more like home.
Your heart, mind and stomach will be pleasantly full.
642rajivr,,Dec 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Gerry is an easy-going yet jocular story-teller who will fill your hearts, minds, snd stomachs with a unique perspective on Singapore. It was a six hour tour that passed by so quickly! The food was so delicious!
Excellent tour
Lesley W,,Dec 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Gerry was an amazing guide, food was amazing and the tour was wonderful. Exactly what we wanted, maybe a little too much food :)
Brilliant
sarahjY8090TL,,Dec 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great tour. Probably the best one I have been on. Gerry is very knowledgable and his love for Sinapoure shines. I would definitely reccomend it.
Wonderfully insightful, educational and fun Singapore experience
Meander62636995433,,Dec 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A definite must experience for all Singapore visitors - Gerry was a treasure trove of interesting historical moments and the food was absolutely delicious. The variety of meals on offer catered for our entire family (including a vegetarian and another with a shellfish allergy). We also appreciated that leftover food was donated. The tour was the highlight of our visit and post the tour we gained confidence in using the reliable bus & MRT services. Thanks for sharing a glimpse of your Singapore , the Lawrence Family
Great mix of food and culture
Rebecca S,,Dec 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Gerry was really fun and knowledgeable as a guide. He did a great job leading us through the three areas of the city and this tour combined a fair bit of culture with a lot of food! You should come hungry and feel free to ask all your questions. Gerry shared a local’s perspective while also hitting some key highlights of tourist spots. Another couple on the tour this was actually their second time taking the tour with Gerry and they came back because it is that good! It is a longer tour, mostly walking, so make sure you’re prepared for the heat and sun. We had a great time!
The best intro to Singapore
sgstock travels,,Dec 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Awesome tour! Just look at all the 5 star reviews... couldn't imagine a better introduction to Singapore! Gerry is an awesome tour guide, fun guy, and the man will FEED YOU. There is A LOT of food to try on this tour, especially in the Chinatown Hawker Center. Gerry brings you a bunch of different plates to try -dumplings, satay, laksa, water rice cakes, singapore "carrot cake", naan, biryani and more. There were only 3 people on our tour and there was seriously way too much food for us to finish. The great thing about this tour is that Gerry knows the local Chinese community who eat at the Hawker Center, and ensures any food not finished gets shared with the community. So we got to sample a wide array of dishes without any guilt of wasting food, which makes this tour really special. After eating Gerry walked us around the Hawker stalls (so many people came up and said hello to him, Gerry is popular here haha) so we could meet everyone who made the delicious food for us. He walked us around each of the 3 neighborhoods -Chinatown, Little India, and the Arab Quarter- giving history on each and explaining the changes that took place in each during the 20th century till now, as well as touching on his predictions for the future of Singapore. Was really nice getting to talk to him and hearing his insights. Overall great vibes and great food throughout the tour, would recommend it to anyone visiting Singapore!
Gerry's Singapore Tour: Amazing food (life changing dumplings), culture, MRT navigation and even some Guinness! Must do!
Anthony M,,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Leaving a review here a month or so after travelling to Singapore and having the joy to experience a walking and thankfully, eating (along with a few cold Tiger beers and Guinness) tour in Singapore. Firstly the small group was amazing and it was a fantastic mix of people. Secondly the locations visited were incredibly vibrant and cultural and I loved the feeling of being in these places. Thirdly, the food... Amazing. I am genuinely still thinking about the soup dumplings that we had at the Chinatown Complex. Life changing haha! Finally, and I would say most importantly, the host, Gerry. What an absolute legend. He brought the vibes to the whole day and spoke so passionately about Singapore and the local vendors throughout the day while being genuinely engaged with all of the people on the tour. I think as an addition, just learning to navigate the city with Gerry by taking the MRT and some buses to different locations really helps, especially when it is your first time in the city. This was our first morning so to get that exposure to navigating the city on public transport really helped give us confidence for the rest of our trip. I've already recommended to friends, family, colleagues and anyone who'll listen that if they go to Singapore that they should go on this amazing tour.
Great introductory tour to Singapore.
Ron D,,Dec 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Great tour. Gary gave great insight into Singapore culture. Took the time to discuss history, current demographics norms/trends, and each community culture. Highlighted food and life for the food stall staff. He was very caring and attentive to the tour participants. Great tour to understand what is both visible to the eye, and what is often overlooked. Enjoyed the tour, food and seeing areas of Singapore we may not explored on our own. Highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes, and doing this tour early in visit to learn the city transportation available and layout.
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