32 Best Sights in Singapore

Beautiful by day but especially lovely by night, Chinatown’s most iconic landmark is tiered in ornate red and gold, the design inspired by the Buddhist mandala, a symbol of Buddhist culture that represents the universe. The temple takes its name from what’s thought to be the left canine tooth of the Buddha, recovered from his funeral pyre in India and displayed inside the temple grounds.

ION Sky offers panoramic views of Singapore from the 56th floor of ION Mall, 718 feet above the ground. It's free to enter, but only after spending S$50 in ION Mall (you need to download the ION Orchard app, then scan your receipt to receive your QR ticket). Your admission includes a complimentary welcome drink at 1-Atico Lounge. Alongside the great views are a number of interactive exhibits, including films screened on the glass walls and historic portrayals of how Singapore once looked.

The first site in Singapore to gain UNESCO Heritage status is also the first and only tropical botanic gardens in the world to make the list. Once you start to explore the winding trails of the enormous park, which sprawls across more than 128 acres of lush greenery, you'll understand why. It is neatly segmented into different gardens featuring all the hallmarks of Victorian design—gazebos, pavilions, and ornate bandstands included. Highlights are the National Orchid Garden, showcasing over 1,000 species of brightly colored blooms, and the Ginger Garden, where several hundred varieties of ginger grow. Try to time your visit to coincide with the free guided tours that almost always take place around 9 am on Saturday (see the National Parks website for more details).

Singapore's oldest Hindu temple has a pagoda-like entrance topped by one of the most ornate gopurams (pyramidal gateway towers) you're likely to ever see outside of South India. Hundreds of brightly colored statues of deities and mythical animals line the tiers of this towering porch; glazed concrete cows sit, seemingly in great contentment, atop the surrounding walls. The story of this temple begins with Naraina Pillay, Singapore's first recorded Indian immigrant, who arrived on the same ship as Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 and set up his own construction business, often using convicts sent to Singapore from India, quickly making a fortune. The first temple, built in 1827 of wood and attap (wattle and daub), was replaced in 1843 by the current brick structure. The gopuram was added in 1936. Inside are some spectacular paintings that have been restored by Tamil craftsmen brought over from South India. This is where Hindu weddings, as well as the firewalking festival Thimithi, take place.

Renovated in 2023, this is one of the city's largest and busiest wet markets (where meat and fish are sold). Tekka also has a staggering array of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices for sale. On the Sungei Road side of the ground floor are stalls selling Chinese, Indian, Malay, and Western foods. Many of the stalls are run by second- or third-generation hawkers, making this an excellent place to sample Singapore's famed hawker food. Upstairs shops sell hardware, shoes, luggage, textiles, and Indian clothing.

This structure was completed in 1842 to replace a simple shrine built 20 years earlier. It's one of Singapore's oldest Chinese temples, built on the spot where, prior to land reclamation, immigrants stepped ashore after a hazardous journey across the China Sea. In gratitude for their safe passage, the Hokkien people dedicated the temple to Ma Chu P'oh, the goddess of the sea. It's richly decorated with gilded carvings, sculptures, tile roofs topped with dragons, and fine carved-stone pillars. On either side of the entrance are two stone lions. The one on the left is female and holds a cup symbolizing fertility; the other, a male, holds a ball, a symbol of wealth. If the temple is open, note that as you enter, you must step over a high threshold board. This serves a dual function. First, it forces devotees to look downward, as they should when entering the temple. Second, it keeps out wandering ghosts—ghosts tend to shuffle their feet, so if they try to enter, the threshold board will trip them.

Inside, a statue of a maternal Ma Chu P'oh surrounded by masses of burning incense and candles dominates the room. On either side of her are the deities of health (on your left) and wealth. The two tall figures you'll notice are her sentinels: one can see for 1,000 miles; the other can hear for 1,000 miles. The gluey black substance on their lips—placed there by devotees in days past—is opium, meant to heighten their senses. Although the main temple is Taoist, the temple at the back is Buddhist and dedicated to Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy. Her many arms represent how she reaches out to all those who suffer on earth.

This is a good place to learn your fortune. Choose a number out of the box, then pick up two small stenciled pieces of wood at the back of the altar and let them fall to the ground. If they land showing opposite faces, then the number you have picked is valid. If they land same-side up, try again. From a valid number, the person in the nearby booth will tell you your fate, and whether you like the outcome or not, you pay for the information. Leave the grounds by the alley that runs alongside the main temple. The two statues to the left are the gambling brothers. They will help you choose a lucky number for your next betting session; if you win, you must return and place lighted cigarettes in their hands.

This mosque was completed in 1910 and has recently been restored. Though it has none of the exotic, multicolor statuary of the Hindu temples, it still woos you with its intricately detailed Moorish facade in the Muslim colors of green and gold and its unusual architectural symmetry. Shorts are not allowed, and remember to take off your shoes. Only worshipers should enter the prayer hall, and visitors should avoid evening prayer sessions and Fridays.

Standing on a busy road in Chinatown, this ornate mosque was once just a thatched hut, built in 1827 as one of Singapore's first mosques for Indian Muslims. Also known as Kuchu Palli (Tamil for "mosque hut"), the existing structure dates from 1855. Though much of the mosque's original ornamentation has been replaced, its original timber panels and fanlight windows have remained. You can visit during the week except on a Friday lunchtime, when devotees flock in for the midday prayers.

Land reclamation projects throughout the 19th century pushed the seafront several blocks away from Collyer Quay. At that time, the view from here would have been a virtual wall of anchored ships. Today, you look out onto Marina Bay. European traders once arrived by steamship and Chinese immigrants arrived by wind-dependent junks at Clifford Pier, a covered jetty with high, vaulted ceilings that ceased operations in 2006. Nearby, the Customs House building once facilitated the arrival of leisure seekers and traders. Now, the historical buildings host some of the trendiest restaurants and bars in town, with The Fullerton Bay Hotel nestled between.

This breezy, 460-acre seaside park isn’t just one of Singapore’s largest beaches, it’s also the most popular, with a plethora of dining and recreational activities. There’s fun for the whole family here, whether you choose to cycle along the bike-dedicated paths, go waterskiing, have a seafood dinner, or even camp overnight, though if you do want to camp, remember to apply for an electronic camping permit first ( nparks.gov.sg). A cable-ski park, Wake Park ( singaporewakepark.com), is set up around a lagoon for wakeboarding enthusiasts. You can also go windsurfing, winging, sailing, or simply take a dip in the sea. Aloha Sea Sports Center ( www.alohaseasports.com) offers rentals, storage, and courses, and also organizes occasional races. Further away along the wide, well-manicured park are public barbecue pits, 7.5 km (4.7 miles) of sandy beaches, and a hawker center. Before the upcoming Thomson–East Coast MRT Line connects the park with other parts of Singapore in 2024, a taxi or public bus is your best bet for getting here. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking; windsurfing; winging.

Singapore's "outdoor art gallery" is open 24/7 amid the back alleyways off Muscat Street. Here, more than 30 colorful murals have been drawn by artists like local graffiti pioneer Slacsatu, international artists, and graduates from Singapore’s LASALLE College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

In 1845, Hajjah Fatimah, a wealthy Muslim woman married to a Bugis trader, commissioned a British architect to build this mosque (hajjah is the title given to a woman who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca). The minaret is reputedly modeled on the spire of the original St. Andrew's Church in the Civic District, but it leans at a six-degree angle. No one knows whether this was intentional or accidental, and engineers brought in to see if the minaret could be straightened have walked away shaking their heads. This relatively small mosque (and gazetted national monument) is an intimate oasis amid all the bustle. It's extremely relaxing to enter the prayer hall (remember to take your shoes off), sit in the shade of its dome, and admire the 12 lancet windows with yellow and green stained glass. French contractors and Malay artisans rebuilt the mosque in the 1930s. Hajjah Fatimah and her daughter and son-in-law are buried in an enclosure behind the mosque.

Popularly called Masjid Chulia, this simple, almost austere mosque was built in 1826 by Chulia Muslims from India's Coromandel Coast, on its southeast shore. So long as it's not prayer time and the doors are open, you're welcome to step inside for a look. Note that you must be dressed conservatively and take your shoes off before entering.

This temple's main altar is dedicated to Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy)—also known as Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara—and is framed by beautiful, ornate carvings of flowers, a phoenix, and other birds. The temple, also called Dragon Mountain Temple, was built in 1926. To the right of the main altar is an image of Confucius to which many parents bring their children to pray for intelligence and filial piety. If you enter from the prayer hall's side doors, you'll reach the ancestral hall in the rear, where you can see tablets with the names of deceased worshippers. When you visit, be sure to observe a modest dress code.

Tens of thousands of devotees visit this sprawling multi-religious temple every month to pay their respects to the Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu deities and worship in the Muslim shrine here. Elaborately carved patterns on the ceilings demarcate the different areas in the temple, which is especially popular with those seeking wealth and good fortune. During the Nine Emperor Gods Festival in the ninth lunar month (from late October to early November), the temple takes on a carnival atmosphere as some 100,000 Taoist pilgrims descend on it, bringing exotic foods, flowers, joss sticks, and candles as offerings for their prayers.

This cool, contemporary space is one of Singapore's most well-known galleries, with works of art from some of the greatest painters in the world, including Salvador Dalí and Andy Warhol. The gallery, which also has outlets from Paris to New York, hosts a number of specialist exhibitions throughout the year in the Singapore branch. Many of the paintings and sculptures are also available to buy, though expect a hefty price tag.

This wide, sandy beach is a hive of activity thanks to the concentration of beach clubs, water-sports centers, and nearby attractions such as the Mega Adventure Park. There are a number of casual eateries along the stretch of sand, and in-line skaters zoom up and down the promenade. For swimmers, there are red and yellow flag markers (swim here), as well as beach patrol officers if help is required. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunset; swimming.

Also known as Hong Lim Park, this spot was declared a "free speech zone" by the government in 2001. It looks like nothing more than a small patch of grass, but from 7 am to 7 pm on some days, you may be able to catch carefully crafted words and speeches from people with an opinion to share. Those who wish to speak need to register with the police at the park station or online. This was intended as a place for people to express their opinions freely, but it hasn't been very successful: you can't address religious or racial issues, and having to register means that your presence has been noted.

Shaped like a numeral three from above, this stretch of beach is busy on weekends thanks to the always vibing beachfront Tanjong Beach Club. It's also popular with dog owners and their water-trained pooches. Come on a weekday if you fancy having the beach all to yourself. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming solitude.