One of our favorite ways to explore a new place is by doing a biking or walking tour. It combines our favorite things — burning off all the food we eat on vacation, and exploring places often not listed in our well-worn Lonely Planet guidebook. But more importantly — it takes the pressure off of me to answer all of Kevin’s MANY questions. Over to you, tour guide!
What to look for in the Best Walking Tours of Singapore?
On a walking tour through Singapore — our guide holds up a photo of the same backdrop from the movie Crazy Rich Asians.
One of the most important things to be on the lookout for in a tour is the quality of the guide. Be sure to read through reviews on sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp. If you have a good guide, even the most boring topics will come alive — like our recent tour with Museum Hack through the Getty Art Gallery in LA… An activity that typicall would put Kevin fast asleep!
Kevin checks out the artwork along the Museum Hack Tour of the Getty.
Finally, if you’re doing more than one tour, be sure the walking itinerary doesn’t cover the same ground. I mean, who wants to hear the same story twice? And besides, you may feel tempted to jump in and correct your guide…which is never annoying. Never!
Snack break! Enjoying some more food on one of our walking tours of Singapore.
So without further adieu. We’ll recap our top 3 favorite walking tours of Singapore. Each tour covers completely different parts of the city and focuses on different aspects of living in Singapore — from food to history to local hangouts.
Best Pay What You Wish Walking Tour of Singapore
One thing is certain. You’ll feel like you walked onto the set of Crazy Rich Asians within minutes of arriving in Singapore’s Chinatown. Many of the film’s most iconic scenes were shot in and around this atmospheric neighborhood. Ann Siang Hill is located in Chinatown and served as the backdrop for several key moments from the movie. The street is lined with historic shophouses and is a popular spot for bars and nightlife. To get the full picture of the city, we recommend taking a walking tour with Sneak Peek Singapore. We joined their all-in-one signature tour that took us inside centuries-old temples and past the glitzy facades of the central business district and the historic core.
Inside one of the hidden temples along the Sneak Peek Tour of Singapore.
Of course, there are specific tours just about Crazy Rich Asians. But Sneak Peek goes so much deeper — covering Singapore’s colorful history, unique eateries and cultural nuances. Plus, did we mention it’s pay what you can? They just suggest $20 USD for the entire 5-hour tour. I’m starting to feel pretty crazy rich with such an affordable tour.
Singapore Walking Tour – Fit for a Foodie
Sampling the Singapore dish — Popiah, my new obsession, on our food walking tour of Singapore.
We joined Monster Tour’s Asia 101 Food Tour, and basically ate our way through Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam, Bugis and Orchard Road. This 5-hour walking tour covers a lot of ground while combining stories about the history of Singapore with snacks. This sounds like my kind of tour!
Inside one of the temples in Little India along the 5 hour Monster food walking tour.
Kevin loves all the murals in Singapore’s Little India.
You’ll get a wide taste of Singapore with such major highlights as the Chinatown Complex with its popular hawker centre and wet market. You’ll then hop on the subway to Little India, where you’ll be introduced to the difference in North and South Indian traditions and cuisine. Finally, you’ll end up in Kampong Glam, the city’s Muslim quarter and Haji Lane, a lively spot with artisan cafes and bars.
Kampong Glam is the Muslim center of Singapore, and is traditionally home to mosques, carpet shops, and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Monster Day Tours was one of the more pricey walking tours we took, priced at $138 USD per person. But we felt it was worth it for it’s scale and seeing so many different parts of Singapore. And at least you won’t need to shell out for dinner that night. You’ll be plenty full by the end of the tour.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of Tiong Bahru Market and Joo Chiat Road
For those who don’t like to be tied down to a formal guided experience, we have an option that might be perfect for you. Kevin put together a 2-hour self-guided walking tour through a few of Singapore’s least explored neighborhoods — hitting up the top markets, bakeries and shops. Clearly after 14 years together, he knows how to make me happy.
One of the many baked goods consumed on our self-guided walking tour.
Start your morning off in Joo Chiat, one of Singapore’s first heritage towns, known for having some of the best Peranakan food in the city. What is Peranakan food? Essentially it’s Chinese ingredients combined with Indonesian and Malaysian spices and cooking techniques. Joo Chiat is is a quick 10 minute ride from Marina Bay Sands by taxi or on the ride sharing app Grab. We suggest making your first stop the Peranakan Houses located at Koon Seng Road and Tembeling Road. You’ll beat all the crowds to get that perfect Insta shot.
The colorful shophouses along Koon Seng Road.
From here, you’re just steps away from Mr Mrs Mohgan, which ranked as our #1 pick on the best food we ate in Singapore. This is one of Singapore’s best kept secrets, located in an open-air food court along Joo Chiat Road. Come early, since they often sell out. Each crispy paratha is shaped by hand, topped with oil and then thrown on the griddle and fried. It’s a one man operation so expect to wait even if there is no line.
Enjoying the parathas from Mr & Mrs Moghans, my top foodie pick in Singapore.
After enjoying the light snack, continue down Joo Chiat Road towards East Coast Road. You’ll pass plenty of sidewalk cafes as well as interesting shops like Cat Socrates, with it’s one-of-a-kind gifts from Singapore. Hopefully you still have room for another foodie spot. As you walk along East Coast Road, stop inside Rumah Bebe (bakeshop) – to explore Pernakan culture. Then arrive just in time for lunch at Katong Laksa, famed for its rice noodle soup with broth and seafood. Kevin loved this dish. Personally, I thought it was disgusting. Though, I’m not into seafood. I guess to each his own!
Kevin digs into the Laksa. He basically ate it all.
For those who are more visual, below is the exact route we followed. And of course, there are other little shops you can stop along the way. Try timing this trip for a weekend, since some of the shops may be closed during the week (particularly Monday when many things are shut).
At this point, grab a taxi or take a ride on Grab (Singapore’s version of Uber), to the Tiong Bahru neighborhood. This is one of Singapore’s top expat enclaves with some great bakeries and boutiques to explore. Start your journey at the lively Tiong Bahru Market and explore the 2nd level food hawker center. You likely won’t be all that hungry, but you can at least get a sense of the energy inside.
There aren’t a lot of landmarks to check out in Tiong Bahru, but we enjoyed just roaming the sidewalks and popping inside the comfy hangout spots like Merci Marcel Cafe, a french cafe near the market with a lovely back garden with tables. And heading inside Tiong Bahru Bakery for their freshly baked Kouign-amann (a butter cake, or as the NY Times once described it, “The Fattest Cake in All of Europe”).
Did someone say bakery?
We weren’t done with our pastry tour yet (and clearly, it’s good we’re walking!). We headed next to a commercial strip lined with a variety of shops like the hipster BooksActually with an entertaining book vending machine out front. You’re probably not hungry yet. But of course you’ll stumble across more foodie stops like Plain Vanilla Bakery and Creamier (if you’re in the mood from some handmade ice cream). And full disclosure — I couldn’t pass up the carrot cake cupcake from Plain Vanilla Bakery. Clearly, I’ll be living at the gym once I return to West Hollywood.
The indie bookstore, located just a few doors down from Plain Vanilla Bakery.
Inside Plain Vanilla Bakery with tasty cupcakes.
Once again, if you’re a more visual person, check out the map below where we’ve plotted out the full walk. Allow about 1 hour (or more if you like to take breaks along the way).
And there you have it! These tours cover a lot of ground and will give you a wide perspective of what life is like in Singapore. Looking for other ideas for your trip? Check out our 3-day itinerary with our top recommendations for Singapore. Did you love the movie Crazy Rich Asians as much as we did? Then you’ll definitely want to check out our list of the best spots from the movie.
Enjoying the high life in Singapore like in Crazy Rich Asians at the Marina Bay Sands.
As small as Songapore is, so many interesting places to see.
We loved our time there – and we agree, so many great little neighborhoods. We are ready for our next trip back!