Guided Tours in Singapore: Our Best Picks for History, Culture, and Hidden Stories

Exploring a new country is always more rewarding when you understand its history, culture, and local stories. In Singapore, guided tours offer a variety of ways to do just that.

Each tour provides a unique lens into the city’s identity, whether it’s through heritage buildings, hidden neighbourhood gems, vibrant food culture, or colourful community stories.

From historic streets to modern landmarks, Singapore’s guided experiences help you see the city in a new light and uncover stories you might otherwise miss. Each of the guided tours below offers a different lens into Singapore’s identity from its communities, flavours, and spirit!

1. A Unique Character-Led Tour: “Under One Roof” by the Chinatown Heritage Centre

Days: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

Time: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes 

Language: English

Booking: Via CHC or SG Culture Pass website (for Singapore Citizens only)

The Chinatown Heritage Centre (CHC) is the best place to start for some historical context on a key heritage area in Singapore: Chinatown, where every street tells a story.

Our guided tours offer deeper insights into local culture, history and landmarks you see in our centre. This specific tour will be provided by a “character from the past”, giving you an unforgettable encounter with 1950s Chinatown through live storytelling and re-enactments.

You step back in time with portrayals of real-life figures such as a coolie, hawker, and a Samsui woman. You hear stories of their struggles, resilience, and community beyond the display plaques.

The intimate group size of up to 12 participants allows for highly personal and interactive storytelling. This deepens your emotional connection to the characters as you walk in their paths, hear their voices, and bridge the past and present.

See the full details of this tour here.

Insider Look Guided Tour by the Chinatown Heritage Centre 

Days: Saturdays and Sundays 

Time: 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm 

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes 

Language: English (Saturday)/Mandarin (Sunday)

Booking: Via CHC or SG Culture Pass website

For visitors who prefer a deeply informative experience, the Insider’s Look Guided Tour provides a guided walk through CHC, accompanied by cultural insights from trained guides.

You will explore artefacts from early migrants and uncover stories behind family trades, street occupations and community life. This tour offers a grounded understanding of Chinatown’s evolution from a crowded immigrant settlement to a vibrant cultural district.

To make the experience even more personalised, private tours are also available. These can be arranged before or after the centre’s public operating hours (8am - 10am / 6pm - 8pm) or during opening hours (10 am - 7 pm). 

It's an excellent option for travellers who want a meaningful introduction to Singapore’s Chinatown heritage.

Learn more about this tour here.

Chinatown Free Walking Tour, Singapore — Image from Monster Day Tours

Chinatown Free Walking Tour by Monster Day Tours

Days & Times: Tuesdays & Sundays (10:00 am to 12:30 pm) 

          Wednesdays & Fridays (4:00 pm to 6:30 pm) 

Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Language: English

Website: Book here

This free walking tour is one of the most popular ways to explore Chinatown’s storied landscape. A trained guide will take you through temples, markets, narrow lanes and heritage streets, all while explaining how early migrants shaped the district. 

Along the way, you’ll learn about the origins of Sri Mariamman Temple, the rituals behind the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and the stories of clans, guilds and trades that once defined the neighbourhood. 

This tour also sheds light on how Chinatown has changed over the years, from overcrowded living quarters to a vibrant cultural and culinary hotspot today.

Check out the full details of this tour here.

Singapore City Free Walking Tour, Singapore — Image from Monster Day Tours

Singapore City Free Walking Tour by Monster Day Tours

Days: Daily 

Time: 10:00 am to 12:30 pm and 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Duration: 2.5 hours 

Language: English

Website: Book here

For a broader perspective beyond Chinatown, the Singapore City Free Walking Tour highlights major landmarks that shaped the nation. 

The route connects major civic landmarks such as the Padang, Merlion Park, Esplanade, Marina Bay and colonial-era buildings. The guides will also share how Singapore evolved from a trading port into a modern global city, and how each of these iconic structures reflects the different chapters in Singapore’s history.

You’ll get a glimpse into how restored historical buildings share space with cutting-edge skyscrapers, and how waterfront areas have been transformed into public spaces that blend culture, architecture and recreation!

Read about this tour here.

Michelin and Local Hawker Food Tour, Singapore — Image from Monster Day Tours

Michelin and Local Hawker Food Tour by Monster Day Tours

Days: Daily 

Time: 9:30 am to 1:00 pm 

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

Language: English

Website: Book here

If you love food and are looking for a walking tour that combines culture and cuisine, this is the one for you! This tour is perfect for travellers who see food as more than a meal, but as a narrative of heritage, livelihood and pride. 

In this half-day tour, visitors follow a curated trail across hawker centres and stalls. Guides explain how certain dishes became iconic, and how multicultural influences have shaped Singapore’s F&B scene.

You’ll get to try a mix of Michelin-recognised dishes and nostalgic favourites – from fragrant Hainanese chicken rice and handmade noodles to Peranakan kuehs and traditional kopi (coffee)! 

At each stop, you’ll also learn about the family legacies, entrepreneurial journeys and the cultural evolution of Singapore’s food landscape.

Learn more about this tour here.

Guided Mandarin Chinatown & Chinatown Heritage Centre Tour by 8explore

Days: Wednesday and Saturday 

Time: 9:30 am to 11:00 am 

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes 

Language: Mandarin 

Website: Book here

This tour offers a culturally immersive way for Mandarin-speaking visitors to understand Chinatown’s roots and feel authentically connected to the heritage of early settlers. 

It includes both an indoor guided visit to the CHC and an outdoor walking segment of Chinatown, where the guide will share more on customs, temple architecture, community traditions and the migration patterns that shaped the district. 

Inside the CHC, the storytelling deepens as you explore the reconstructed shophouse interiors, with a deep dive into how Chinese immigrants upheld their cultural values while adapting to a new environment.

More about this tour here.

Heritage and Culture Tour in Singapore — Image from Changi Airport

Heritage & Culture Tour by Changi Airport Group

Days: Daily 

Time: 10:00 am to 12:30 pm and 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes 

Language: English

Website: Book here

This free tour is a wonderful option for transit passengers with at least 5.5 hours to 24 hours to spare till your connecting flight. The Heritage & Culture Tour offers a curated journey through Singapore’s most historic and culturally vibrant districts!

Visitors will get an overview of the city’s architecture, its colonial influences and its multicultural heritage – all guided by an expert who shares stories behind the landmarks. 

The tour passes through key areas such as the Central Business District and Chinatown, where participants can visit Chinatown Heritage Centre at an exclusive admission ticket rate.

Check out more details here.

Experience Singapore Through Tours Today

There’s no better way to experience Singapore than through the stories of its people. Guided tours transform familiar sights into living narratives that blend discovery with reflection.

The Chinatown Heritage Centre is where this journey begins. Our guided programmes invite you to step into the world of early immigrants to listen, see and feel what life once was in the heart of old Chinatown.

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a curious local discovering your roots, join a Chinatown guided tour and see Singapore through new eyes – the ones that built it. Book a tour today!