Free tour

Chinatown Heritage & Food Trail – Taste Singapore’s Story

4.86

Excellent(7)

Singapore

Duration: 3 hours

Languages: English

Guru: Emily C Yin

Registered on 30 June 2025

For years, Emily thrived on leading workshops and managing projects, dedicated to fostering connections and driving diverse groups toward their objectives. As a Singapore host, she enthusiastically shared the authentic spirit of Singapore—its daily life, culture, and heritage with her guests. Emily is also a trained artist. She is convinced that painting or sketching allows for a deeper, more personal connection with the subjects. Now, as a Tourist Guide, Emily crafts extraordinary Singapore experiences with routes that offer insights of Singapore past, presence and aspirations. She invites her guests to unleash the artist in them and explore the city's seascapes, culinary delights, and historic sites through the captivating medium of art, ensuring a unique and lasting memory.

Free reservation and cancellation

Pay-what-you-want tour, no set price, reservation and cancellation are free

Tour description

Chinatown is famous for its rich heritage, culture, and wide variety of food found in hawker centres, heritage shophouses, and eateries at malls.

This food tour takes you on a complete journey — starting with breakfast at Maxwell Food Center, a visit to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) City Gallery, where you’ll learn about how Singapore’s dinning culture evolved. Then, we’ll enjoy tastings of popular local dishes at Kreta Ayer and the Clarke Quay areas by the Singapore River.

Along the way, Emily and her guides will share stories behind the dishes that shaped Singapore’s food identity and stop at beautiful photo spots, including murals and heritage sites.

Tour Timings: Morning (at 9am) & Evening (4pm) sessions available.

Good to Know:

Food is not included.
Each guest will pay for their own food (around SGD 15–50 per person).
Please bring cash, as many hawker stalls do not accept credit cards.
Minimum 2 participants required.
The tour will be rescheduled if fewer than 2 guests sign up or if it rains heavily.

Highlights

What will we see on this tour?

Meeting point:

Maxwell Food Center

Maxwell MRT Station exit 2, Above Ground. Please take Thomson-Eastcoast or the Brown MRT line to reach the Maxwell MRT station. Please exit the station. We could be easily identified with our red Tourist Guide badge.

Outside visit

Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) City Gallery

At URA City Gallery we will learn about Singapore’s journey from roadside food stalls to modern hawker centres. The gallery showcases Singapore’s city planning, infrastructure, and how hawker centres became an important part of community life — alongside schools, healthcare, and transport networks.

Outside visit

Heritage Food Businesses at Kreta Ayer

Step back in time as we visit some of Chinatown’s oldest family-run food shops and take photos at My Chinatown Home, The letter writer and Mid Autumn festival murals. Heritage businesses are - Tong Heng for special pastries for wedding occassion Lim Chee Guan Bak Kwa, traditionally barbecued meat slices. Nanyang Coffee Museum and Mei Heong Yuen Dessert

Outside visit

Eu Tong Seng Road towards Singapore River

We will take a short bus ride (bus fare can be paid with a credit card) to the Singapore River and Clarke Quay. Found out the interesting story telling past at Read Bridge and Ellenborough market

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours don't have a fixed price. At the end, each person contributes to the guide the amount they consider fair based on their satisfaction. As a guideline, Guruwalk recommends between €15 and $50 per participant.