Singapore Chinatown Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Chinatown in Singapore. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Small Group: Michelin and Local Hawker Food Tour with 9 Tastings

• The Award-Winning PRIVATE Food Tour: 10 Tastings of 3 Cultures

• Private Singapore Tour With a Local, Highlights & Hidden Gems 100% Personalised

• Singapore Private Food, Culture, and Heritage Tour with 9 Tastings

• Private Singapore Full Day Round Island Tour With River Cruise

There’s no cost just to visit Chinatown, but taking a guided tour is a good way to learn more about the culture, cuisine, and architectural features. Tour prices vary depending on inclusions, length, mode of transportation, and group size, plus many Chinatown tours include food tastings. For a half-day outing, expect to pay around US$85 for a small-group walking tour, and between US$150 and US$250 for a private tour.

It’s easy to get to Chinatown from other parts of the city. On the subway (MRT), head to the Maxwell station (Thomson-East Coast Line) or Telok Ayer (Downtown Line), right in the heart of the neighborhood. Other stops are dotted around the edge, within walking distance of Chinatown locales including Tanjong Pagar, Outram Park, and Raffles Place.

Among the many landmarks in Singapore’s Chinatown, some of the top sights include Chinatown Food Street, Smith Street, and the Chinatown Heritage Centre museum, as well as religious sites such as the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, the Hindu Sri Mariamman Temple, the Masjid Jamae mosque, and the Thian Hock Keng Temple. It’s also worth stopping by the Chinatown Point multifloor, open-air shopping mall. Be sure to allow time for just wandering through the streets, where you’ll see colorful heritage storefronts and modern street art.

There are benefits to visiting Chinatown at different times of day. For thinner crowds and cooler temperatures, visit in the morning. Lunch and dinner are also ideal times, as the neighborhood is renowned for its hawker stalls and restaurants. The temples—both Buddhist and Hindu—tend to be liveliest in the evenings, though you can visit throughout the day. And lots of visitors go to Chinatown for the nightlife, with bars staying open until around midnight to 2am, depending on the day of the week.

Yes, Singapore Chinatown is a great place for families to visit. There are places to suit kids of all ages, from diverse, affordable eateries to interesting temples, colorful buildings, bustling markets, and museums and art galleries for a blast of air conditioning when needed. Like the rest of Singapore, Chinatown is a safe destination for families.