Free tour

Real Singapore Stories: All-In-One Tour with your Singaporean Friend

5.00

Excellent(16)

Singapore

Duration: 3 hours and 30 minutes

Languages: English

Guru: Timothy

Registered on 24 November 2023

Hi! I'm Timothy, a proud Singaporean born and lived here for all my 29 years of existence. I'm a former government worker, and I started offering fun tours due to my passion for storytelling and adventure; and to make use of my degree in history and politics (which doesn't exactly pay very well...) Come with me to explore the real Singapore, with captivating stories and experiences that'll give you a newfound appreciation for Singapore's culture and society. 😁

Free reservation and cancellation

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

Tour description

Hello friend! Welcome to my hometown of Singapore! 🙆🇸🇬

This is a complete tour of Singapore's heritage and civic district; Full Itinerary Below. This is not a conventional tour. My tour promises:

✅ 100% authentic local experiences and stories; fun tour with hidden gems. I will be showing you the typical sights, but I will also show you places and hidden gems even locals do not know about.

✅ Stories that critique conventional narratives. All my stories are well-researched and draw from the personal lives of real Singaporeans, including myself. I will explain and support or criticise various policies. Ask away about any topic :)

✅ Photo spots. I can help you take great photos for your Instagram posting.

✅ Breaks in every district. I will also give you cooling wet wipes for free.

✅ Small group tour capped at 2-6 pax to ensure a personal, engaging, and effective tour experience.

✅ Youth-approved recos on good local food places, experiences, and souvenirs to buy. After the tour I will share a Google Maps link and itinerary, curated by my friends and I, of our favourite eateries and fun things to do.

If you enjoy my tour, may I politely recommend tipping SGD $30-50 per pax, and a good review on Guruwalk please? This tour is officially free, please tip me based on your enjoyment of my tour. Thank you for your kindness! 🙏

Highlights

What will we see on this tour?

Meeting point:

Chinatown MRT Station, Exit A, Street Level

I'll be at Chinatown MRT Station, Exit A, street level. I am wearing a red or dark blue "Cats of NUS" t-shirt, with shorts (national costume of Singapore btw); with a submarine plushie on my bag.

Free entry

Chinatown

We begin our tour by admiring the restored shophouses of Pagoda Street. We then make our way to Chinatown Complex for your intro to Singaporean cuisine, and to get authentic local coffee/tea. Afterwards, we will visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Sri Mariamman Temple. I will talk about Singapore's darkest hour - the Japanese occupation at the Sook Ching Inspection Site.

Outside visit

Parliament House

This next segment of the tour is more air-conditioned. Our tour continues, passing by Clarke Quay and the colourful Old Hill Street Police Station. We then round the Elgin Bridge to the Asian Civilisations Museum for postcard perfect pictures of the Singapore Skyline and Clarke Quay. We then bypass the National Gallery and the Padang.

Free entry

Armenian Street

Coming from the National Gallery, we shall take a nice air-conditioned rest and tea break at Adelphi or Funan mall. As we rest, we shall talk about some of Singapore's overlooked ethnic minorities - the Perenakans and the Eurasians. We will stop by the Armenian Church, and take some nice pictures at the Perenakan Museum, before proceeding to our final official stop in Kampong Glam. On the way there we will pass by the legendary Raffles Hotel and Bugis Street.

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.