The 15 Best Historical Tours in Singapore

Historical Singapore Bike Tour on Full-Sized Bicycles - Funan and the Civic District: old institutions, new ideas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,421 reviews · from $64Our pick

See Singapore from a full-sized bicycle on a four-hour small-group ride with guides such as Tay, Alfie, Tang, and Jackie. You’ll visit Kampong Glam, Chinatown, Marina Bay, and the F1 pit lane, with water, a poncho, and a local snack included.

“Jackie was a brilliant guide - knowledgeable, funny and engaging. We loved the route - including Grand Prix diversions - and refreshments were perfect.”

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Cycling Tours, Half-Day, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Singapore: Historical Half-Day Bike Tour

2.Singapore: Historical Half-Day Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 399 reviews · 4 hours · from $63

Ride 9.9 miles through Singapore with guides such as Tay, Alfie, Jackie, and Kavin. Expect Kampong Glam, public housing, the Singapore River, Chinatown, Marina Bay, the Merlion, and the F1 route, plus a local snack and drink at a traditional coffeeshop.

“Excellent guide, very informative. A great way to see the city”

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Food, Food & Drink, Historical Tours, Private, Singapore Food Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Singapore Private Food, Culture and Heritage Tour with 9 tastings

3.Singapore Private Food, Culture and Heritage Tour with 9 tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 394 reviews · from $185

Spend about six hours with a private English-speaking guide such as Pam, Walter, Marcus, or Swee Lin, moving by foot, MRT, and bus through Singapore’s ethnic quarters. Expect nine to ten fixed food and drink tastings, hawker centers, heritage sites, and a river cruise on the six-hour option.

“Pamela was fabulous. She explained the history of Singapore as it relates to the ethnic groups and food. We had a very enjoyable time. I would highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys food.”

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Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Singapore Group History & Culture Walking Tour

4.Singapore Group History & Culture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 160 reviews · from $126

Join a guide such as Pam, Gee, Kavin, or Daryl for a small-group walk from City Hall to Chinatown. You’ll visit colonial landmarks, cruise the Singapore River, eat chicken rice and sugar cane juice, then learn tea etiquette at Tea Chapter. Expect about 9 km of walking.

“wonderful stops!! Fabulous views of the city! A must tour for anyone visiting Singapore for the first time.”

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Historical Tours, Lunch Experiences, Singapore Chinatown Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Singapore: Chinatown Historic Walking Tour with Lunch

5.Singapore: Chinatown Historic Walking Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 134 reviews · 3h 30m · from $54

Spend 210 minutes walking from Raffles Place through Chinatown with an English-speaking guide such as Ping. Visit temples, old shophouses, tea and medicine shops, and enjoy soy sauce chicken at Chiew Kee Noodle House. Lunch and a disposable rain poncho are included.

“A fascinating morning with Ping. We learned so much about the history, religion and culture of Singapore. Ping is an excellent guide, knowledgable and very personable, her insights made our stay in Singapore much more enjoyable. Highly recommended!”

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Historical Tours, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Private History & Culture tour (Walking tour)

6.Private History & Culture tour (Walking tour)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · from $225

Explore Singapore with a private guide, from St Andrew’s Cathedral and City Hall to a bumboat cruise, Merlion Park, Chinatown chicken rice, and tea at Tea Chapter. Guides such as Kavin, Pamela, Su Ling, Richard, and Young have led this route. Expect about 9 km of easy-paced walking.

“Mr. Young was a wealth of information. This Tour was well planned and we hit everything that was on the literary. All of the attractions and public transportation costs were included. We enjoyed seeing the Church and tea ceremony. The pace was good and Mr. Young made sure we didn't get overheated.”

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Historical Tours, Singapore Chinatown Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Chinatown Heritage Centre (Admission Ticket)

7.Chinatown Heritage Centre (Admission Ticket)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · from $20Best value

Visit the Chinatown Heritage Centre independently with a mobile ticket and timed entry. Across three floors of a historic shophouse, you’ll see recreated rooms, old trades, household objects, and stories of early Chinese settlers. Plan about an hour, with last admission at 6:00 PM.

“I took a weekend off to visit the Chinatown Heritage Centre. I was able to see the older looks of the shop houses and the exhibition in CHC. I truly enjoy my time here.”

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Full-Day, Historical Tours, Malacca Day Trips from Singapore, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours

Malacca Historical Private Full Day Tour from Singapore

8.Malacca Historical Private Full Day Tour from Singapore

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews

Leave Singapore at 5:00 am with a private cross-border vehicle and guide such as Andy, then spend the day visiting Melaka’s mosque, temples, Dutch Square, A Famosa, Jonker Street, river, and Taming Sari Tower before returning. Expect a long 15-hour day, with meals and attraction fees extra.

“Without question of all the tours my wife and I have done Andy is the best guide we have ever had. Polite, helpful, knowledgeable and genuine all adding up to becoming our friend during our day trip from Singapore to Malacca, MalaysiRead more”

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Food, Food & Drink, Historical Tours, Singapore Food Tours, Singapore Street Food and Hawker Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Street Food, Cultural & Historical Tour of 3 Ethnic Quarters

9.Street Food, Cultural & Historical Tour of 3 Ethnic Quarters

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · 6 hours · from $148

Spend six hours with Gerry, a Singapore-born Chinese Peranakan guide, exploring Chinatown, Little India, and Kampong Glam. Taste hawker dishes, Indian and Malay food, drinks, and dessert while visiting markets, temples, textile shops, and old streets by public transport.

“Gerry is a local and knows his stuff. We tried a big selection of food and learnt so much. Time went by so fast. Definitely worth it.”

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Historical Tours, Kampong Glam and Arab Street Tours, Little India Tours, Singapore Chinatown Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Singapore Chinatown, Kampong Glam, Little India Cultural Tour

10.Singapore Chinatown, Kampong Glam, Little India Cultural Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · from $88

Spend four hours walking through Chinatown, Kampong Glam, and Little India with an English or Chinese-speaking guide. See major temples, Sultan Mosque, Haji Lane, Tekka Centre, street murals, and heritage shophouses. Ganesh and Joyce have earned special praise for clear explanations and thoughtful help.

“Very much recommended activity to get to know SG better. Ganesh was really knowledgeable and a great guide who has a lot of insight about the city”

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YachtCruiseSG Kusu Island Speedboat Heritage Tour

11.YachtCruiseSG Kusu Island Speedboat Heritage Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $95

From Sentosa Cove, a small speedboat carries you toward Kusu Island and Singapore’s Southern Islands. Your local guide, often Max, explains the islands’ past and present before you visit Chinese and Malay shrines and the turtle sanctuary. Expect a personal group of no more than eight.

“This was an unique experience. We learnt a lot about the islands around Singapore. The crew and the tour guide was very friendly. It was one of our best trips ever.”

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Food, Food & Drink, Historical Tours, Singapore Chinatown Tours, Singapore Food Tours, Singapore Street Food and Hawker Tours, Tour Reviews, Walking Tours

Chinatown Heritage Walk & Street Food Tasting (Small Group)

12.Chinatown Heritage Walk & Street Food Tasting (Small Group)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 2h 30m · from $51

Meet your English-speaking guide at Maxwell MRT Station for a 150-minute walk through Chinatown, with 7 to 8 food and drink tastings. Guides such as Jason and James share food stories, local customs, and practical context while you try chicken rice, laksa, traditional snacks, and possibly durian.

“We had such a great time exploring Chinatown with our guide, Jason! In just 3 hours, we got to see so many interesting spots and taste a wide variety of delicious local food. Everything was well-organized, and Jason made the experience fun and insightful. We only had 2 days in Singapore and we highly recommend this tour if you want to taste Singapore’s flavors in a short time!”

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Historical Tours, Singapore Chinatown Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Chinatown Heritage Centre Tour Experience

13.Chinatown Heritage Centre Tour Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $36

Explore Chinatown Heritage Centre with an English-speaking guide, walking through recreated 1950s living spaces, preserved shophouses, and original household objects. Guides such as Ah Choo, Swee Lin, and Karen, known as Mah Jie, have brought the stories of coolies, samsui women, and hawkers to life.

“The sharing session by the tour guide was engaging and informative, providing meaningful insights into the historical stories of Chinatown, Singapore. Through the guide’s explanations, I gained a deeper understanding of the area’s rich cuRead more”

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Kuala Lumpur and Malacca: Private Historical Tour from Singapore

14.Kuala Lumpur and Malacca: Private Historical Tour from Singapore

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $700

Leave Singapore at 4:00 am for a private, guided day in Malaysia. Visit Batu Caves, the Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur landmarks, Dutch Square, A Famosa, and Jonker Street. Guides such as Vikram and Lingesh add local context, food advice, and photo help.

“Excellent. Very complete the whole tour. The guide Vicram very attentive and good photographer. All I consider is that you could take advantage of the mall in the Petronas for a while and make the visit in Malacca shorter. The Portuguese quarter is not necessary to visit.Auto-translated”

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Batam Day Trips from Singapore, Historical Tours, Lunch Experiences, Massage, Massage & Relaxation, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Singapore, Batam Heritage Day Tour with Lunch & Massage

15.From Singapore, Batam Heritage Day Tour with Lunch & Massage

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 10 reviews · 1 day · from $197

Spend a long day crossing from Singapore to Batam with an English-speaking guide such as John. Visit Galang’s former refugee settlement, learn about Cheng Ho, eat seafood, sample layer cake, shop for luwak coffee and batik, and finish with a 90-minute Indonesian massage.

“The activity is absolutely great! I would recommend it 10/10. I was skeptical about the price, but also the lunch and the massage was high quality. The lunch was very fresh and a good amount of food. The Massage was very professional. If you wanna see Batam and the other Islands, then this is the best option.”

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