A Tour Built Around You
Your group, your pace, your guide — from just two people to a corporate team.
Three ways to join us
Which one is right for you?
| Join-in | Private | Tailored | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who's on the tour | You + other guests | Your group only | Your group only |
| The route | Our standard route | Our standard route | Designed around you |
| Your guide | Shared with the group | Dedicated to you | Dedicated to you |
| Customisation | Dietary needs noted | Pace, stops & dietary | Everything |
| Start time | Fixed | Flexible | Flexible |
| Pricing | Per person | Per group (quote) | Per group (quote) |
| See join-in tours | See the tours | Design your tour |
A recent tailored tour
Penang · July 2024
A conference full of fisheries researchers wanted to eat what they study
The 21st International Fisheries Economics & Trade Conference brought researchers from 40 countries to Georgetown. A group of attendees reached out: they'd spent three days in conference rooms talking about aquatic food systems and wanted to actually handle one.
We took them to the wet market first thing in the morning — not to eat, but to shop. They moved through the fish stalls with the focused attention of people who understood exactly what they were looking at: threadfin, grouper, stingray. They bought for the whole group.
Then we drove inland to Balik Pulau. The tourists don't come this way. We visited a working belacan factory — fermented shrimp paste, the base of most Malaysian cooking — and the smell alone was worth the drive. A local restaurant cooked the fish they'd bought that morning. After lunch we walked a quiet fishing harbour before driving back to Georgetown.
The tour existed because they asked for it. We'd never run it before.
What a private tour means
You book the guide. You get the guide. No strangers, no compromises.
Your guide, your group
No other guests on your tour. Your guide's full attention stays on your group all day — adjusting pace, answering questions, staying as long as you want at a stall.
Your schedule
We set start times around you. Morning, late morning, evening — whatever works, and you're not waiting on strangers or cutting a stall short because someone else is tired.
Your interests
Dietary needs, languages, how much you want to walk — we work all of this out with your guide before the day, not on it. Nothing is an afterthought.
Who books private tours
Families
Set a pace the kids can handle. Stop when you need to. We've run private tours with children as young as four and adapted the route and commentary to match.
Couples
No schedule pressure, no waiting for a group. A private tour is one of the more memorable ways to spend a day somewhere new — unhurried and genuinely yours.
Corporate groups
Team meals and client visits that don't feel like team meals. We take groups to the stalls where Kuala Lumpur actually eats — not the restaurants on the tourist strip.
Special occasions
Birthdays, anniversaries, farewell trips. We've marked all of them. Tell us what the occasion is and we'll shape the day around it.
What's included
Every Simply Enak tour
- Certified local guide
- Food samples at every stop
- Cultural commentary at each stall
- Local prices — no tourist markups
What changes when it's private
- Pre-tour WhatsApp planning call with your guide
- Flexible route — we adjust on the day if you want to linger
- Dietary needs briefed in advance, not as an afterthought
- Group photo stops whenever you want them
- Start time that works for your schedule
Every tour is available privately
Choose the tour that fits your group, then tell us you'd like it private.
For corporate groups: We also take work groups and corporate visitors to the stalls locals eat at. Learn more about group tours →
What guests say about going private
Most guests who book a private tour tell us afterwards they wish they'd done it from the start. Here's what a few recent groups said.
Try It Now
Design Your Private Tour
Tell us who you are and what matters — we'll sketch a route and refine it on WhatsApp.
Let's Start Here
How Would You Like to Experience Malaysia and Its Food?
There's no wrong answer — it just helps us understand what you're after.
Pricing depends on group size and tour
Private tours are priced per group, not per head — so the more of you there are, the less each person pays. Send us your dates and group size and we'll come back with a quote within a few hours.
Common Questions
Private Tour FAQs
Is a private tour worth the extra cost?
That depends on what you're after. If you want to move at your own pace, have the guide's full attention, and not worry about anyone else's dietary needs or energy levels — then yes, it's worth it. Most guests who book a private tour tell us afterwards they wish they'd done it from the start. If you're happy meeting other travellers and sharing the experience, a join-in tour gives you the same stalls and the same guides for less.
What's the minimum group size?
Two people is fine — we've done it plenty of times. Most private groups run between 4 and 8. If there are two of you, you'll split the full tour rate between you rather than across a larger group, so it works out to more per head. Still worth it for a lot of couples.
Can we change the route?
Once you book, your guide will reach out on WhatsApp before the day to go through the plan. If you'd like to add a stop, skip one, or linger somewhere longer, that's the time to say so. On the day itself we can adjust too — if you're loving a stall and want to stay, we stay.
How far ahead should we book?
A week ahead is comfortable, two is better. We've pulled tours together in 48 hours when we had to, but it gives your guide more time to prepare and brief the stalls. For groups of 8 or more, three weeks is ideal.
Can you handle dietary restrictions?
That's one of the main reasons people go private. On a join-in tour we work around dietary needs on the day — on a private tour, we brief your guide and the stalls in advance so nothing is a surprise or an afterthought. Vegetarian, halal, allergies, strong dislikes — tell us when you enquire.
Explore More Options
Ready when you are
Your Table Is Waiting
Small groups, real neighbourhoods, stories worth telling. Pick a date that works for you.
Join 5,000+ guests who've eaten their way through these streets since 2011.