The 10 Best Outdoor Spaces in Singapore

One of Singapore’s most underrated green spaces, this is a 14-mile hiking and cycling trail that stretches from Spooner Road to the Kranji MRT station in the north of the country. The route sits in the footprint of a former railway that once shuttled goods from Singapore to Malaysia. While the steam engines are long gone (the final railway journey took place in 2011), the route is dotted with reminders of its past, whether it’s the wooden sleepers embedded in the asphalt or the Bukit Timah Railway Station, built in 1932. It was restored and reopened in 2022, and original features on display include the track-switching levers and a tiny ticket hatch. The entire length of the route was rewilded with species that grew here during the railway’s heyday, and as a result, it’s become a paradise for a wide range of creatures, including rare species (such as the Sunda pangolin) that use the Rail Corridor to move between the nature reserves lining the route.

In full disclosure, this might well be one of Singapore’s most popular green spaces, but it never ceases to amaze. Two of the gardens – the Cloud Forest, which has the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, and the rainbow-hued Flower Dome – are inside giant glass domes, but in our opinion, it’s the outdoor areas that should be at the top of your hit list. Take the Supertree Grove, where you’ll find 12 towering structures made from reinforced concrete and steel and covered with 162,900 plants spanning 200 species. Seven have been fitted with tech designed to harvest solar energy, and the tallest one has a restaurant on top.

Think you can handle heights? Make a beeline for the OCBC Skyway, a 419-foot aerial walkway suspended between two of the Skytrees. Other highlights include the Sensory Trail, which connects the Bayfront Plaza and the Active Garden, and the sculptures dotted throughout the gardens. Bonus points if you spot the giant snail.

A sprawling park surrounding Singapore’s largest reservoir, the McRitchie Reservoir has it all – a vast network of walking trails, a treetop canopy walk, and lots of wildlife, including colugos (otherwise known as flying lemurs), owls, monitor lizards and squirrels. It’s a great spot for water sports fans (we recommend hiring a kayak for a leisurely paddle across the reservoir), although there are plenty of benches for those in need of some time out. When energy levels flag, head to the café near the entrance (we recommend the chicken curry puffs), but keep an eye out for the cheeky macaque monkeys, which will swipe your lunch given the opportunity.

Singapore’s islands are seriously underrated – and we’re not just talking about Sentosa. One of our favorites is the crowd-free Lazarus Island, which has a beautiful palm-fringed lagoon and glass-clear waters. It takes just 15 minutes to get to the island on the ferries that set sail from Singapore’s Marina South Pier. Once you’re there, we recommend hiring a bicycle to explore the island, although its small size means it’s easily covered on foot.

Can’t bear to leave? In 2023 five one-bedroomed Tiny Houses appeared on its beach. These compact accommodation units are seriously sustainable – not only are they built from eco-friendly materials such as wood fiber and recycled plastic, but they’re solar-powered, too. Other amenities unveiled on Lazarus Island in 2023 include a convenience store and non-motorized water sports.

Yes, Sentosa Island’s Siloso Beach can get crowded, but there are endless reasons to spend a few hours here. We’ll start with the opportunity to snap a selfie on the suspension bridge which marks the Southernmost point of Asia, and the Central Beach Bazaar, which serves up delicious street food, is another of the island’s hot spots. Base yourself on Siloso Beach, and you’ll be close to some of Sentosa Island’s most exciting attractions, including HeadRock VR, a virtual reality theme park, Wings of Time, which is a nightly light show, and the Sand Bar, with its fairy-light-bedecked palm tree. Head to this gorgeous bar to sip on a cocktail while watching the sun sink beneath the waves.

Bear with us here. Yes, this 1.6-mile boulevard is lined with some of Singapore’s largest malls, but it’s also one of our favorite spots in the country. We suggest walking its length and allowing plenty of time for stop-offs, whether it’s to admire the various outdoor art installations, such as Kumari Nahappan’s giant nutmeg (a nod to the nutmeg foundations once found nearby) outside the ION Orchard shopping mall, or Gerard D’Alton Henderson’s Eulogy to Singapore, a series of carved reliefs outside the Hilton Singapore. For stunning views, head to the rooftop garden atop the Design Orchard boutique. Our top tip? Visit at dusk, when thousands of mynah birds settle into the hundreds of trees lining Orchard Road, filling the air with birdsong.

This is one of Singapore’s wildest green spaces – a vast wilderness where visitors can hunker down in hides to watch the wildlife or explore the network of paths that weaves through the reserve. It’s a magnet for twitchers because it doubles as a stop-off for migratory birds (keep an eye out for the breathtakingly beautiful golden-feathered sunbirds), although other creatures to look out for include crabs, water snakes, wild boars, monitor lizards, and otters. Get lucky (or unlucky, depending on your viewpoint), and you’ll see an estuarine crocodile. These particular creatures are surprisingly timid, although visitors who come across one are urged to keep their distance and back away slowly (no matter how tempted you are to do your best Usain Bolt impression).

One of Singapore’s newest attractions, Mandai Bird Paradise, opened in late 2023 at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. Head to this series of eight interconnected aviaries – they’re in the open air but covered with netting – to admire 3,500 birds, whether it’s the beautiful roseate spoonbills in the wetlands area or the hornbills you’ll see flitting between clusters of bamboo in the Asia section. A huge tangle of multi-level walkways makes it easy to see these winged wonders up close, and visitors can sign up for pelican-feeding sessions. A word of warning – given that their diet consists almost entirely of fish, this probably isn’t for the squeamish.

Time for a history fix. Sentosa Island’s Fort Siloso (Siloso is derived from a Malaysian word meaning “rock”) is Singapore’s only well-preserved coastal fort. It’s a great place to learn about the history of Singapore, thanks largely to the on-site museum – this is where you’ll find a huge selection of WWII memorabilia along with the remains of fortified military structures and a series of waxwork figures of Japanese and British soldiers depicting the moment the Japanese surrendered. Don’t miss the chance to snoop around the former officers’ mess, which provides a fascinating insight into life in this enormous fort.

A monument-filled park just a few feet from Orchard Road, Fort Canning has an incredibly rich history. In medieval times Malay royalty ruled from this spot, which was also the site of the Japanese’s surrender during WWII. Historical highlights include Maritime Corner at Fort Canning, where you can learn about Singapore’s history as a trading post and the remnants of a fort built in the 1800s.

Don’t miss the park’s fabulously fragrant Spice Garden or Battle Box, a subterranean military complex used in WWII. The park doubles as a venue for various events, including Shakespeare in the Park and Ballet Under The Stars. These typically take place on Fort Canning Green, one of the park’s most popular locations due to the beautifully manicured lawns and ornate eighteenth-century stone gateways.