Monster Day Tours

Monster Day Tours is a Singapore-based tour operator, a brand of Woopa Group, which focuses on local experiences in Singapore and also runs tours in Melaka and Shanghai. It is best known in Singapore for its neighbourhood walking tours and food tours, and it has received Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice awards. The company's guides aim to show visitors the everyday life and food of the city as well as its landmarks.

Its free Chinatown walking tour is a popular introduction, with guests tipping the guide at the end according to how much they enjoyed it. The route of around two and a half hours covers Pagoda Street, Sri Mariamman Temple, Chinatown Food Street and Chinatown Complex, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Club Street and Ann Siang Hill, and Thian Hock Keng Temple, combining religious sites, shophouse architecture and stories of the immigrants who built the area. It meets at street level outside Exit B of Telok Ayer MRT station, and places should be booked online beforehand.

Paid tours go further. The Michelin and local hawker food tour and the street food and night tour, each priced at S$109 per person, take small groups to hawker stalls and eateries to taste local dishes with explanations of their origins. Private walking tours, private food and heritage tours that include a river cruise, and customised private car tours can be arranged for families and groups of up to ten. Check the website for current schedules, as departure days vary by tour.

The tours suit first-time visitors, solo travellers who want company while exploring, and food lovers keen to try hawker dishes with someone to explain them. The Chinatown walk is suitable for children but not wheelchair-friendly, as routes include steps and uneven pavements. Bring water and an umbrella for sun or showers, and wear comfortable shoes.

Telok Ayer MRT station, the meeting point for the Chinatown walk, is on the Downtown line, and Chinatown and Maxwell stations are close to the route. After the walk, Maxwell Food Centre and Chinatown Complex are good places to try the dishes discussed along the way, or you can head to the bars of Club Street and Ann Siang Hill in the evening.