Treasures of Singapore: a Colonial Heritage Tour in Singapore - Singapore_Colonial_Heritage_tour_MAIN.jpg
4.8

Treasures of Singapore: a Colonial Heritage Tour

  • 2.5 hours
  • City Highlight Tours
  • Singapore
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Choose one of 9 locals available

Experience hosted by Arthur, Kangzhi & other locals

  • Private Tour
  • Carbon Neutral

You’ve probably heard that Singapore is well-known for its Colonial Heritage, but do you know the stories and origin behind it? Or how much influence it has on the locals daily life? On this private city tour, you are in for a cultural treat!

Destination
Singapore
Category
City Highlight Tours
Duration
2.5 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
English, 中文
Included
  • Private Guide
  • All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral
Excluded
  • Entrance to Attractions

6 reasons to book this tour

  • Can be 100% customized to your wishes
  • Get to truly embrace the culture of the city
  • Learn about the Colonial Heritage in Singapore
  • Connect with a knowledgeable local
  • Hear fascinating stories and insights
  • Discover cultural highlights & their local relevance

What you can expect

Treasures of Singapore: a Colonial Heritage Tour in Singapore - Singapore_Colonial_Heritage_tour_MAIN.jpg

Relive the days of the British Empire as you explore the heart of colonial Singapore. This walking tour will take you to some of the city’s most iconic colonial landmarks, blending stories of Sir Stamford Raffles, the East India Company, WWII, and the path to independence.

As you stroll past grand neoclassical buildings and through leafy boulevards, your local host will bring history to life with tales of early merchants, civil servants, and the shifting tides of empire. Along the way, take time to admire the beauty of restored buildings and enjoy the calm of historic green spaces in the midst of a modern metropolis.

This is a journey of heritage, contrast, and transformation — perfect for travelers curious about Singapore’s layered history.

Through your local host’s storytelling skills and different stops, you’ll fully submerge yourself in the culture of Singapore and dive into the subject of your tour, Colonial Heritage. Discover cultural traits around Colonial Heritage and how they have shaped Singapore, from past to the present. Because isn't culture what makes a city truly special?!

The local hosts are natural storytellers, each with a different background ranging from history to art. They can't wait to share some of their unique stories and personal anecdotes with you! Feel like changing the route a bit? No problem, the hosts will be happy to personalize the tour to your wishes and make their Singapore, your Singapore!

Choose your local

Get to know these 9 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

  1. Meeting point

    Meet at at the entrance of the church - Singapore to start your journey

  2. Itinerary

    This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

  3. Culture of the City

    On this private tour, you’ll experience and discover Singapore through its culture. Whether it’s focused on a tradition, a special part of town with a story to tell, cultural beliefs, or around a cultural activity that shaped the city into what it is - this tour will be a cultural awakening you can’t miss!
  4. Colonial Heritage in Singapore

    Your tour will focus on Colonial Heritage, a very important cultural subject in Singapore. Thanks to your local host, you’ll learn and see how Colonial Heritage made an impact in Singapore, making you experience the city from a different perspective.
  5. Cultural Highlights

    As you deep dive into the subject of your tour, you’ll make stops to visit unique spots that will give you a full picture of the city. Visit Chijmes, Cavenagh Bridge, Raffles Hotel, and more and see how these cultural highlights are part of the local life but have so much history behind them!
  6. Storytelling Journey

    As you discover the cultural side of Singapore, you’ll be able to embrace it thanks to the amazing stories and storytelling skills of your local host. Feel free to ask any questions and feel as if you are reliving history in the present time.
  7. Make it yours

    Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

    Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

    Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

  • Feel confident booking

    Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

  • Change of plans?

    Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

  • Loved by travelers worldwide

    Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

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Marianne
(About local )
31 July 2025
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James🇸🇬 Singapore
(About local )
31 July 2025
Enjoyable tour with Stefan. Temples, hdb tour and last remaining kampung visit. Good facts, questions answered and steady pace in hot weather. Nice to see a side to Singapore that is away from the shiny MBS and Singapore sling at the raffles hotel. A refreshing change
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Lydia🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
27 July 2025
Die Führung mit Grayson war super toll. Er hat uns das Alltagsleben eines Singaporers näher gebracht, verborgene Streetart gezeigt und als Highlight die Nation Gallery.Tolle Führung mit großartigen Highlights
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koen 🇧🇪 Belgium
(About local )
25 July 2025
the perfect start to our Singapore trip Grayson is a top-notch guide. He takes his time to explain everything clearly and in detail, and we learned so much about Singapore thanks to him. It was 100% worth starting our city trip with his tour. I would absolutely book Grayson again – highly recommended!Outstanding guide
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Timo🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
25 July 2025
Grayson is a very knowledgeable guide, who is giving his absolute best for you to make the tour completely worth it: It is not too much information and not to little, just exactly right! We had an amazing 4 hours with the local Grayson. Thank you so much! 👍🏼🤩Fun and interesting Tour!
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Sascha🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
24 July 2025
thank you so much Jack for your time and experience. it was such a great day and we will never forget the time with you...Highly recommend ... wonderful Guide
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Maria🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 July 2025
Jon was very accommodating. He included all the spots we requested based on our short transit time in SIN. Very informative and funny too!
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Anna
(About local )
21 July 2025
Would highly recommend Joisse as a tour guide. She met us in our hotel lobby and took us to all the areas we requested and she had a really thorough knowledge of Singapore and its history. She was such a lovely person too - thank you Joisse!Great personalised tour with Joisse
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Shirley 🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
19 July 2025
Ze laat je kennismaken met Singapore en zoekt koele routes waar mogelijk. Gezellig dame, die zegt dat je tenminste 10000 stappen zet en veel van de stad ziet.Vriendelijk, weet alles over de stad!
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Dirk🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
18 July 2025
We really had a good time with Arthur. He explained a lot about Singapore’s local culture and took us to the local hawker centres. When you want to see the local side of Singapore, choose Arthur! Also nice interaction with our daughters, he listened carefully to their questions.Perfect guide for our family!
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Andrea🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
18 July 2025
Exceptional knowledge and enthusiasm was passed on to us during the whole tour.A Tour with Arthur
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Jacqueline🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
18 July 2025
Grayson was very informative and interesting. It was our first day in Singapore and the tour was a good start to getting to know the place. Very enjoyable!A good introduction to Singapore
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Merel🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
16 July 2025
Arthur truly knows his stuff! His tour is 5 hours of delicious food, drinks, history and more. He’s got so much knowledge and takes you to places you wouldn’t normally find yourself. If you are looking for a good tour in Singapore, look no further. A must do in singapore!
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Gregory🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
15 July 2025
Fantastic experience from start to finish - including booking. Could not find tour on website to book - emailed Monica and her quick reply enabled my booking to proceed - Yay Monica Ended up at wrong meeting point - messaged Monica and she came to our location - yay Monica Tour was for our 5 year old Granddaughter and was exactly what we wanted to introduce her to food and culture from other countries - including local food , markets etc - yay Monica Thank you again MonicaTasty Tour for Little Foodies
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Laura🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
13 July 2025
Grayson met us on time in the Arab quarter, where we had our first tastings. He selected traditional dishes that locals would choose. He explained how the dish came about and how they are prepared. Next stop was little India where we visited a Hawker center. On the way over there he explained some aspects of Singaporian life as public housing. The last stop was China town which we got to with the MRT. The food in Chinatown was really good and interesting. These were dishes that we wouldn’t have selected on our own. Overall great experience and glad we did it.Great Food Tour
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Andy & Lisa
(About local )
11 July 2025
A fantastic experience, don’t eat before you go you will finish full! A Food Experience With Grayson
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Rachelle🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
10 July 2025
We had a really good and nice experience with Grayson. He showed us beautiful places where we wouldn’t have come if we had to go by ourself. Also Grayson learned us a lot about the history of Singapore. It was really nice!
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Laura🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
6 July 2025
Monica introduced us to so many Singaporean dishes that we would never have found on our own. Thank you, Monica, for a great food tour!A Singaporean feast
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sean🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
6 July 2025
The route and stops are cool, with good places to visit and food that was at least interesting, if not always to my taste. The value was challenging tho with three of us sharing some quite tiny plates of food. The guide - Hundred - was a very strange man. Mildly offensive at times with his 'jokes', not fit enough to walk the route, keen to tout random trinket stores on the way, and he managed to allow the group - there were three of us - to get split up on the train system, which I reckon is a easy fail for guiding. I'll certainly never forget the tour tho! Good tour, get a different guide.The guide was like a weird uncle
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Robin🇸🇬 Singapore
(About local )
5 July 2025
Even as Singaporeans, we enjoyed this tour by Grayson. He was helpful and quite a mine of information about our home town. Definitely recommended especially for visitors to the Lion City. Learning New Things About Singapore!
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Anna🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
5 July 2025
We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour with Grayson. He was very knowledgeable, considerate and able to adapt to our large age range 7-75. After the trip we felt we had a good understanding of the history and how Singapore function todsyA great introduction to Singapore
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Maura
(About local )
2 July 2025
We really enjoyed our tour with Grayson. We only had 36 hours in Singapore and got to see more of it than we ever would have on our own. The 3 areas we went to were fantastic and the history of Singapore was so interesting to hear. The food was great and again, we wouldn't have tasted these on our own. Many thanks.A lovely lunch out
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Brian
(About local )
2 July 2025
HJ was easy to find at our meeting place and was well-prepared for our walking tour. He took us to a few hawker stalls in Chinatown and explained each item we were served. HJ took pics and even provided captions for each dish in the photos. He surprised us with a gorgeous outdoor rooftop view 50 stories up of the city. Great time!Excellent experience with HJ
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Lori🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
30 June 2025
This tour was one of our Singapore highlights! We loved the diversity of the food and the three neighborhoods we visited. Grayson was well-organized and an effective communicator. We enjoyed his commentary on Singapore culture.Great Food, Great Guide
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Lauren🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
29 June 2025
We had fun sampling different local, tasty foods. Grayson was thoughtful about accommodating our dietary restrictions. We also enjoyed learning about some of the history of Singapore and the Chinatown district. Delicious food tour
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Peter🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
27 June 2025
Grayson was fantastic. vVery accommodating and very knowledgeable. It would be hard to imagine I better host and guide to the city! Top Notch!
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Nathan🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
24 June 2025
Monica was great in customising a great tour for us and for being flexible with our plans. She made sure we saw all of the highlights!Great flexible tour guide!
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Mel🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
22 June 2025
My daughter and I organised it so that we had an overnight layover in Singapore before our next flight. Went with Monica in the morning to discover what we could in 4 hours! It was a really great experience. We had so much fun and saw so many things. She accommodated us with times and with a couple of places that we wanted to see as well. Would definitely recommend!Amazing experience
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Susan and David🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
21 June 2025
If we could give Grayson more than 10/10, we would. The food tour exceeded our expectations and we really enjoyed our morning with Grayson. He is a very pleasant unassuming man with a relaxed but professional personal style. Although, this tour has a focus on Singapore food, we learnt so much about life in Singapore, the cultures, and lots more. We really appreciated that he was happy to answer our questions. Susan has a hearing loss and really appreciated that Grayson was happy to use her remote microphone which fed his voice through to her hearing aids. This made it much easier for her. Thank you so very much Grayson. This tour with you was one of the best things we have done in Singapore. By the way, we really enjoyed the food tastings and the different environments that we visited to experience them.Exceeded 10/10
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Jeremy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 June 2025
Signed up for a tour with HJ on short notice. He took me to 2 different Hawker centers plus several other small restaurants and food stands to try Singapore’s dishes, snacks, and desserts. The tour also showed the history and the development of the city. Went through Chinatown, the downtown area, and ended in Boat Quay. Great afternoon in Singapore!Fantastic private food tour in Singapore
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Aaron🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
17 June 2025
A big thank you to Grayson - he was organized, insightful, and engaging. We tried 10 different intriguing foods that you might not find in the guidebook. We walked through Arab Street, the Malay section and took the MRT to Chinatown. Along the way, Grayson gave us context for the food that we tasted along with the history of its introduction. As we walked, he gave us insights into Singaporean culture and politics that added to the experience. We were impressed by his depth of knowledge and appreciated him sharing his life experience. I would give him a 10 out of 10 and would recommend this to anyone visiting Singapore, ideally you might do it on your first day as Grayson was also full of suggestions that were very useful. Thank you! More than just food - insight into culture
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Dave🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
14 June 2025
We had a fantastic afternoon with Grayson!Dave
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Unknown
(About local )
14 June 2025
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Daphene🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
12 June 2025
Grayson was very knowledgeable and well prepared for our tour of Singapore. He took us to some amazing sights. Grayson also selected some amazing foods that we might’ve have tried! Grayson was very kind! My husband had lots of questions. Grayson enjoyed explaining and digger in deeper into Singapore history! We learned a lot about and we are so happy we booked with locals. com! Because we were able to learn from a locals perspective!10
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Tara
(About local )
12 June 2025
Our family had a great time with Jack and we enjoyed the food. He is very knowledgeable. Gteat tour
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bjcruikshank
(About local )
11 June 2025
Grayson was an incredibly helpful and informative guide. He not only showcased the food of three different areas well, but he gave us a fantastic insight into the history of each area and the culture of Singapore. We couldn’t think of a better way to get to know the city than this tour. Great food, brilliant insight to Singapore
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Rodney🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
10 June 2025
We had a great afternoon on a tour with Jon in Singapore. He was great with communication and very flexible. We had a really well thought out tour with a mix of history, Singapore now, highlights and how to get around. We would highly recommend Jon as a guide for you to get to know Singapore.Great Afternoon in Singapore
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Michelle🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
7 June 2025
From the moment we met HJ, we knew we were in for an adventure! He led us on a path to one of the Hawker Center’s detailing the history and culture of the area. At our first stop, he opened up his backpack to pull out water bottles and tissues before hurrying off to get our first tastes. He came back with plates of food to sample. Before we took a bite, he took a group pic (at the end of the day, he sent us all the photos he took with the dishes labeled). Next we went upstairs where he showed us around the “wellness” stalls and then the local garment stalls. Our next stop was the lower level for the fresh food stalls. He pointed out the various fresh fish, the buckets of live eels and giant prawns! We stopped at a fruit stand where he described the Asian fruits. When we told him we had never tried a mangosteen, he purchased a few and showed us how to get to the edible fruit center. We were skeptical but his enthusiasm encouraged us to try it. HJ was correct - we all loved it! As we walked to another market, he pointed out the public art and the historical buildings. The next food stop included MANY more dishes to sample and then dessert! After we couldn’t eat any more, HJ led us through the streets pointing out even more local history and art. We ended up on the rooftop of an apartment complex with views of Singapore and Malaysia & Indonesia in the distance. We thought our tour would simply be a sampling of tastes from the Hawker Center, but it was so much more!! Tour with HJ and you will have a great taste of Singapore.Fabulous tour of Singapore sights & tastes
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Jennifer🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
7 June 2025
Grayson’s tour is both informative and delicious. We learned things about Singapore that we would never have known on our own. We highly recommend it!Absolutely worth the time and money
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Nathan🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
6 June 2025
Monica was really knowledgeable and really patient with the children!Great Guide
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Susan🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
3 June 2025
HJ was very good at introducing us to lots of Hawker Stalls and food shops in various parts of Chinatown. He also showed us murals and signage that helped explain the history of the Hawker stalls as well as the experience of the Chinese people coming to Singapore and how they lived. Lots of food! Come hungry! Great Hawker Chinatown Experience
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Linda🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
3 June 2025
Monica picked me up at the hotel and showed me a side of Singapore that many tourists don’t see from the singing birds to the original village and local shopping areas. She was so considerate and aware of how hot it was for me that we popped into air conditioned places. So interesting to hear her personal life. A non tourist experience
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Ryad🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
(About local )
29 May 2025
Thank you Grayson for this excellent tour!Top tour!
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Lara🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
28 May 2025
We had a great food tour with Grayson. In addition to being knowledgeable about the food, he shared lots of good information about Singapore and the history of the area. The foods he chose for us to sample were delicious and he provided a wide range of new flavours for us to try. He was great company all day and I would recommend him to anyone looking for a tour!Top-notch Food Tour
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Annabel 🇸🇬 Singapore
(About local )
28 May 2025
I had an amazing experience thanks to Monica. She is friendly, passionate, knowledgeable, and considerate. The perfect guide. Highly Recommend!
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Emily🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
26 May 2025
My friend and I had a private tour of the hawker centres in Kampong Glam, Little India and Chinatown arranged within a day's notice. We had great food and lots of insights into both historical and modern Singapore. Grayson was kind, funny, considerate and so knowledgeable. This was the highlight of our trip.Wonderful afternoon, wonderful host!
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Claire🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
23 May 2025
We had a fantastic food tour with HJ. He was so knowledgeable about not only the food but also culture and history. We were able to try dishes that we would have missed out on without HJ’s guidance. Thoroughly recommend.Fantastic insights in Hawker Markets
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Makaylaa
(About local )
20 May 2025
Grayson was very attentive, professional, and shared lots of information points throughout our tour. He promptly guided us to many different food areas and we sampled Indian, Malaysian, and Chinese dishes. There is a bit of walking involved, so I would recommend bringing a fan and/or an umbrella to cool down. All of the places we stopped to eat at did not have aircon, so just be prepared for the hot weather. Grayson noticed we were thirsty and led us to a nearby 7-11 to hydrate, as well. Grayson also went into more detail about the history of each area we visited and answered all of our many questions about housing, daily life, and more in Singapore. I would definitely recommend this tour with Grayson for anyone looking for an insider view of the city. And to enjoy a variety of delicious treats!Great food with Grayson!
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Ulrike
(About local )
19 May 2025
Jack adjusted the tour to my wishes which was great, I saw a lot and he also extended the schedule. Unfortunately he was quite unfriendly and not in the right mood. Sometimes he weren't listening and didn't answer my questions or in a complete different context and kind of arrogant. Sorry to say that, but I didn't feel welcome. Highlights of Singapur
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Sue
(About local )
9 May 2025
Grayson was a wonderful host as well as trying many food samples he also explained the history of Singapore to us as we went. Having a private tour was great as we were able to stop along the way as well as ask many questions. Highly recommend Grayson as a guide.Great walking tour

Withlocals experiences
are always

Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.

Other City highlight tours in Singapore

€34.93per person