Half-Day Singapore Cultural Food Tour Review: What to Expect

What to do when you only have a day in Singapore? How about a five-hour food crawl that includes ten tastings and seven other cultural stops?

I mean, there’s no way you’re gonna fit all those into your layover without some guidance, right?

I’m a massive fan of food tours when I travel, and I put them as early into the trip as possible to help me get a grounding of the local culture and food scene.

Some that I joined were underwhelming, but this half-day tour more than met my expectations.

In one morning, I got to eat 11 local menus (Yes, chicken rice is included), went to Chinatown, visited Buddha’s Tooth Relic Temple, went to Haji Lane, saw Sultan Mosque, and half of Little India. I’ll tell you everything. Whether it’s right for you, I’ll let you decide.

Get ready to come with me on this half-day Singapore cultural food tour. “Cultural” is the keyword! It’s not just about food!

Tour Overview

• Tour Duration: 5 hours
• Number of Tastings: 11
• Cost: US$148 per person
• Atmosphere: Small group, casual, easy to connect with tour mates
• Cancellation: Free up to 24 hours before start time

That price tag would make me jump, too. You can think of it as the cost you pay to see everything in half a day instead of paying for one extra night in Singapore.

Dishes You’ll Eat on This Tour

First off, the burning question: What will I get to eat on this tour?

Depending on what’s available at the centers each day, you may end up getting something different than this list, but here’s a quick list of everything I tasted on the tour.

• Roti Prata
• Vadai (Lentil fritters)
• Teh Tarik
• Lontong Curry Soup
• Mee Rebus
• Nyonya Kueh
• Sweet Pork Jerky
• Pandan Chiffon
• Kaya Toast
• Traditional Kopi
• Chicken Rice

What to Expect on The Tour: Stop-by-Stop Recount

Here’s what’s unique about this tour: You don’t just eat food and be done with it. The tour lets you taste dishes while learning cultural insights across three distinct neighborhoods in the city.

Meeting Point: Little India MRT Station

The meeting point for this tour is Exit C of the Little India MRT station. I got there about 10 minutes early because it was only an 8-minute walk from my hotel. Two other people were already there.

As we waited for four more tourmates to arrive, we started chatting with each other and with our guide as well.

One elderly Asian woman from London is actually Chinese, and from Thailand. So we started talking in Thai, too. It was the funniest coincidence.

Stop 1: Tekka Centre

The tour started at 9 AM, right on the dot.

After giving us a bit of background information on Singapore and its diverse cultural landscape, we started walking towards Tekka Centre, an Indian-forward hawker center.

Inside the Tekka Centre, we walked around the wet market section once, looking at all the stalls selling fruits, vegetables, and meat.

Our guide pointed out many familiar fruits like Rambutans and Longans, and told me that Singapore imports most fruits from Malaysia and Thailand.

Once we were done looking at the wet market, we grabbed a seat and enjoyed Roti Prata with Curry, a popular dessert option, Vadai, lentil fritters with various stuffings, and the famous Teh Tarik.

Stop 2: Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple

The second stop was pretty amazing. The Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is a Hindu temple built by Bengali laborers in 1881.

Unlike the famous Sri Mariamman Temple in Chinatown, this one is still frequented by the locals, and closes from 12 to 5 PM, according to Hindu traditions.

Since we were there in the morning, it was still open, with locals and priests and chants happening in all its glory. Do keep in mind that you’ll have to wrap yourself in a sarong before going in if you’re in shorts.

Bus Ride to Kampong Glam

After the temple, we walked across Little India, passing many flower and deity shops, to wait for our bus to Kampong Glam. Of course, a transport card is included in the tour cost.

Hold on to it tight, though. The guide will ask for the card after you get off the bus.

Stop 3: Haji Lane & Arab Street

Next stop was the indie alley of Kampong Glam, Haji Lane. The number of sticker studios on this street could get you confusing Singapore with Seongsudong in Seoul (😂).

We then moved on to Arab Street, another notable part of Kampong Glam, where Turkish lamp shops and restaurants line the two sides of the road.

And of course, we made a turn right at the best place to take photos with the Sultan Mosque.

Stop 4: Rumah Makan Minang

We walked right by the Sultan Mosque without going in (Argh! 😂) and sat down outside of Rumah Makan Minang, ready to taste some Malay dishes.

We tried two dishes here: Lontong Sayur Lodeh, a curry soup with lots of vegetables and compressed rice cakes, which I was obsessed with, and Mee Rebus, a sweet and spicy noodle dish.

Our guide also got us a few different types of Nyonya Kuehs. And because they were so similar to the snacks we have in Thailand, I straight up forgot to take photos of them. Sorry… 💀

Stop 5: Sultan Mosque

After having our fill of Lontong, Mee Rebus, and Kuehs, we headed into the mosque (FINALLY). This was easily the most memorable part of the tour for me, the language nerd.

You see, I don’t know much about Islam at all. I just knew that you’d see the Arabic script, which I started studying, in whichever Muslim place.

So I asked the very kind-looking lady who worked there to explain the connection between Islam and the Arabic script. She was so enthusiastic about it, she ended up reciting a chant for us in Arabic, too.

We spent a good 20 minutes with the lady, and it was so wholesome. In the end, our guide had to tell her that we were on a schedule. 😂

MRT to Chinatown

The walk from the mosque to the Blue Line MRT felt like the longest walk of the tour, and the only part of it where we were literally just walking without a story to accompany it.

Nothing wrong with that. I appreciated the silent moment.

Again, our guide gave us back the transport card. He kept an eye on all of us while we were on the train to make sure no one was left behind. Once we got off the train at Chinatown Station, we got a bathroom break.

Stop 6: Pagoda Street

Coming up Exit A of Chinatown Station felt like you’ve made it to the lively food land.

The famous Pagoda Street is full of souvenir shops and restaurants on both sides, with colorful shophouses above, and people everywhere.

We stopped to taste amazing sweet jerky at Bee Cheng Hiang before moving on to the end of Pagoda Street.

Stop 7: Sri Mariamman Temple

At the corner of Pagoda Street and South Bridge Road is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, Sri Mariamman.

Due to how many tourists visit China, this temple is also the only one that leaves its doors open to visitors between 12 and 5 PM.

Also, because of how touristy it is, the doorbells that worshippers would ring upon entrance get moved up the doors to be out of children’s reach (😂), while they usually would be around waist height.

Stop 8: Nanyang Old Coffee

After a quick peek into Sri Mariamman Temple, we walked a few more blocks down South Bridge Road to what became one of my favorite breakfast spots, Nanyang Old Coffee.

Here, we got to try pandan chiffon cakes, kaya toasts, and traditional kopi, just when we were getting hungry again from all the walking.

Stop 9: Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

You’re not in Chinatown until you’ve seen the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, or at least the outside of it.

This Chinese-style Buddhist temple is easily the most striking building in all of Chinatown. It’s so massive that it’s hard to get a good shot of it from up close. You’ll get a much prettier photo from across the street.

We got to go inside the temple, too.

I’ve noticed that while Theravada Buddhism (in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia) makes temples elegant on the outside and slightly more humble on the inside, the Mahayana Buddhist temples (in China and Japan) are much more lavish inside.

You can choose not to go in, but it’ll be your loss.

Stop 10: Maxwell Food Centre

The last stop, where you’ll have your late lunch, is the Maxwell Food Centre, the smaller but more touristy hawker center in Chinatown.

Of course, you’re ending the tour with the most well-known Singaporean dish, the Hainanese Chicken Rice.

One note from our guide: Judge a chicken rice by its sauce. If the sauce is bland or not spicy enough, it ruins the dish, even if the chicken is perfectly tender!

How I Found This Tour: Complete Accident

To be completely honest, I didn’t book this tour. I booked a different one that only takes you around Chinatown. I didn’t even remember seeing this tour on the platform when I booked.

But I got a message from the tour company asking if I’d like an upgrade to this 5-hour tour instead. I looked at the tour information they sent me, and I was like, “Hell yeah, why not?!”

All in all, I can confidently say that I enjoyed the tour and I highly recommend it, especially if you have a limited number of days in Singapore and would like to see as much as possible in five hours.

Got More Time and Less Budget?

If you have more time in Singapore… and less money to splurge on experiences, I can highly recommend this evening riverside food tour.

It was actually the first food tour I took, right after landing in Singapore. I also learned a ton about hawker culture and tasted a lot of great food. You just won’t get to see all the main sights, too.

But the tour works amazingly if you’re able to explore each neighborhood on your own.

Want something with less food and more personal vibe? The Intan Tea Experience serves Peranakan snacks with tea, along with an exclusive hour with a local relics curator.

Bookmark my Singapore Cultural Travel page for more information you can use to plan your trip.

Resources For Your Trip to Singapore

Below are some of the resources to help you get ready for your time in Singapore.

Don’t forget to check your visa requirements, and fill out the Digital Arrival Card no more than 3 days before you land.

Read up on the local laws and my top travel tips before you get there, and a bit about how to get around as well.

• Get your trip covered with Safety Wing Insurance
• Stay connected in Singapore with this eSIM
• Must-have Apps: Grab, City Mapper

Find a Place to Stay in Singapore

Still looking for somewhere to stay? Read my guide on the most convenient neighborhoods to stay in and use the map below to find the best hotel for you!

Grab My Singapore E-Checklist

To make sure you don’t leave anything important out of your preparations, I’ve made a digital checklist to help you get ready. I leave 2 pages blank for you to customize your own checklist, too!

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