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‘s Included
Soda/Pop
Bottled water
Alcoholic Beverages
Lunch
Snacks
Dinner
Coffee and/or Tea
Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
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.
Options
Singapore: Chinese, Indian & Arabic Quarters, Culture & Food Tour
Pickup included
Reviews
759 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Fantastic food and cultural tour
Saskia302,
Dec 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great tour, the food is very good and you learn about the history community of Singapore. The tour guide Gerry is very friendly and take you to the quarters and local people for a great experience.
Come hungry - generous...
ALEX T,
Nov 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Come hungry - generous portions and delicious food! Our guide, Gerry, gave us a lot of interesting history of the areas we visited and was very helpful in topping up our beers!
Outstanding guide, food, and cultural experience.
retsodj,
Nov 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour was outstanding. Gerry, our guide was knowledgeable, and very informative. He provided us with much information about the cultures and history of Singapore. To top it off, there was so much and many kinds of foods to eat. There was also a little time for purchasing a few gifts in the markets.
Great tour
Joyce M,
Nov 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great tour. Our guide, Gerry, was fantastic! The food, there was a lot. Some good, some didn't agree with my palate. But that happens on every food tour. Learned a lot about the various neighborhoods. Took the MRT and a bus to go from one area to another. I highly recommend.
Best of our five tours in Singapore
John G,
Nov 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This tour started at 0845. DO NOT EAT BREAKFAST BEFORE THE TOUR. Gerry Tan was our guide. We could not have asked for a more knowledgeable and connected person. It seemed that he knew everyone. Every thing ran on time. We started in Chinatown with a sampling of traditional foods and an explanation of the hawker culture. The food was great, the teaching done was even better. Be careful of how much you eat, there is more to come and more walking to do. Advertised as 6000 steps, we walked 9050 steps. Gerry had a iPad with what the streets used to look like. As we walked along, he showed us what was and pointed out what is. He explained nuances that we would have never eaten noticed on our own. Then it was off to India town. Again, a fascinating walk through of the back streets, and of course, more food. If you like it spicy, this is your place. The food was very rich and flavorful. Then it was time for more walking. The shops included the wet market and the vegetable market. Very interesting to see this enormous market in action. We did this tour on Saturday, so there were shoppers everywhere. We also visited the Buddhist Temple just outside the market. Throughout all of this Gerry was giving a historical context to what we were seeing. Finally, Arab town. The Grand Mosque of Singapore is properly named. It is at the foot of one of the streets featuring numerous restaurants with any kind of middle eastern cuisine you could desire. Again, we got a healthy dose of historical context. We moved one street over to find fabrics and carpets of every kind. We finished the tour with unbelievably good ice cream and the need for a nap. This was our fifth tour while here in visiting Singapore, and by far the best.
The best tour in Singapore
johnawc,
Nov 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour started at 0845. DO NOT EAT BREAKFAST BEFORE THE TOUR. Gerry Tan was our guide. We could not have asked for a more knowledgeable and connected person. It seemed that he knew everyone. Every thing ran on time. We started in Chinatown with a sampling of traditional foods and an explanation of the hawker culture. The food was great, the teaching done was even better. Be careful of how much you eat, there is more to come and more walking to do. Advertised as 6000 steps, we walked 9050 steps. Gerry had a iPad with what the streets used to look like. As we walked along, he showed us what was and pointed out what is. He explained nuances that we would have never eaten noticed on our own. Then it was off to India town. Again, a fascinating walk through of the back streets, and of course, more food. If you like it spicy, this is your place. The food was very rich and flavorful. Then it was time for more walking. The shops included the wet market and the vegetable market. Very interesting to see this enormous market in action. We did this tour on Saturday, so there were shoppers everywhere. We also visited the Buddhist Temple just outside the market. Throughout all of this Gerry was giving a historical context to what we were seeing. Finally, Arab town. The Grand Mosque of Singapore is properly named. It is at the foot of one of the streets featuring numerous restaurants with any kind of middle eastern cuisine you could desire. Again, we got a healthy dose of historical context. We moved one street over to find fabrics and carpets of every kind. We finished the tour with unbelievably good ice cream and the need for a nap. This was our fifth tour while here in visiting Singapore, and by far the best.
Great food tour
Sheila B,
Nov 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Gerry organized an amazing tour of Chinese and Indian food and gave us a well informed and fascinating overview of cultures of Singapore. Gerry was generous, organized and Very engaging. Great day.
Incredible culture and good tour. You will not be disappointed
Lynmeag,
Nov 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour is worth every penny! We are so glad we joined this tour. We learnt so much about Singapore and tasted great food. And there was so much food ( and beer ;) ) Gerry is one of the best tour guides I have ever done a tour with. It’s a great way to see the 3 neighborhoods. Honestly, don’t miss this tour if you choose one to do - its easy enough to see all the other main sites on your own. But to have someone explain a lot of the food and culture really helps make the whole trip even better. Thank you for taking good care of us Gerry !
Wonderful way to explore...
Stephanie A,
Nov 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Wonderful way to explore some local neighborhoods and food within the city. We had a wide variety of food and a lot of it. Gerry is a fabulous guide!
Wonderful guided tour
Debora M,
Nov 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a highlight of our trip to Singapore. Gerry is a wonderful guide who teaches about the food, history, and cultures of Singapore. I cannot recommend this tour enough!
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