NUS, NTU warn against unofficial campus tours advertised online

Unofficial campus tours of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are being advertised online, against university regulations.

AsiaOne found listings for such tours, conducted by Chinese firms Trip2EU and Dalian Leixiang Technology, ranging from $63 to $165 per person on GetYourGuide, a third-party booking platform.

The listings include a bilingual "2-hour expert-guided tour", which are purported to be "led by experienced professionals providing meticulous and attentive service".

Posts on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu were also found advertising NUS and NTU campus tours, though pricing was not revealed.

An NTU spokesperson said that such listings are "not part of NTU's official campus tour programme and are not authorised to conduct tours on behalf of the university", in response to queries from AsiaOne.

"NTU does not position or market its campus as a tourist destination, nor does it work with any operator to conduct such tours," the spokesperson said, adding that the school is reviewing its options to address such unauthorised listings.

Separately, an NUS spokesperson told AsiaOne that the university "does not engage, authorise or endorse any third-party tour operators", and advised visitors to refer to the NUS Visitor Centre website.

Official tours led by NUS student ambassadors are available for booking, with two routes offered. These were introduced in 2025 to manage visitor traffic during peak periods.

Separately, the spokesperson said that guides licensed by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) may conduct tours on campus during off-peak travel seasons. 

Students found marketing or conducting guided tours without a licence from NUS will face disciplinary action, while any guide without a valid STB licence will be dealt with by campus security and reported to the relevant authorities, said the spokesperson.

On Aug 1, NUS issued an advisory on its official WeChat account, reminding visitors to book only authorised campus tours through official NUS platforms.

A user on Reddit, claiming to be a student associate at NUS, said that they have a reporting protocol for such unofficial tours, and that they have personally reported one such instance.

"I'm not sure what happens after they are caught, but there are soft surveillance forms you can fill in for follow up from the school," they said, adding that anyone who notices such tours should take a photo and inform the school.

AsiaOne has reached out to Trip2EU, NTU, NUS and the Singapore Management University (SMU) for comment.

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dana.leong@asiaone.com