139 Best Sights in Singapore

Housed in the stunning red-and-white brick building of the Central Fire Station built in 1908, this free museum is an exciting peek at Singapore's firefighting capabilities across the years. Besides a collection of dated firefighting artifacts and miniatures of Singapore's different fire stations from the 1980s, the museum's main attractions are two vintage fire engines—one horse-powered and one steam-powered—that were manually operated with pulley systems. A reenactment of the 1961 Bukit Ho Swee fire, with mock-up firefighters working hard to put out the flames, is a grim reminder of Singapore's biggest fire disaster.

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.

Originally the Ford Motor Company's first car assembly plant in South East Asia, this building is now better known as the site where British forces surrendered to the Imperial Japanese Army in 1942. It is now a museum operated by the Singapore National Archives. The museum’s permanent exhibition details what life was like during Japanese colonial rule and the legacies of the war for ordinary Singaporeans. Volunteers lead guided tours on weekends that leave from the lobby; check online for timings and confirmation.

Offering a green sanctuary from the bustling city below, Fort Canning is where modern Singapore's founder, Sir Stamford Raffles, built his first bungalow and experimented with a botanical garden. Massive fig trees, luxuriant ferns, and abundant birdlife—including piping black-naped orioles and chattering collared kingfishers—flourish here. The hill's trails are well marked by signs, or you can explore the area with the help of augmented reality via the free BalikSG app offered by the National Heritage Board. In addition to the lush greenery, there are ancient artifacts for history buffs and occasional theater productions and music festivals for arts lovers.

This well-preserved fort covers 10 acres of gun emplacements and tunnels created by the British to fend off the Japanese. Unfortunately, the Japanese arrived by land (through Malaysia) instead of by sea, so the huge guns were pointed in the wrong direction. Fort Siloso is now home to a treasure trove of World War II memorabilia, including coastal guns and the remains of fortified structures. The displays have been successfully revamped with lots of interactive high-tech audiovisual and animatronic effects. Photographs document the war in the Pacific, and dioramas depict the life of POWs during the Japanese occupation. Free guided tours are available every second and third Saturday of the month from 3 pm to 4:30 pm, but you must register online in advance as limited slots are available.

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.

Though it's 30 years younger than the more widely known Raffles, this hotel is just as much a landmark. Built in 1900, it was previously used as a German club and, during World War II, as a Japanese army headquarters. In 1989, the Tower Wing, with its pointy terracotta-colored roof, was named a national monument. Today, the interior is modeled on European designs, and, in true British fashion, you can enjoy an elegant afternoon tea near the lobby at L'Espresso—the perfect break from all that shopping.

This small and unassuming site on the edge of Tiong Bahru marks the final resting place of one of Singapore’s most important Chinese pioneers, who founded The Chinese Pauper’s Hospital (later to be called Tan Tock Seng Hospital) and established the Thain Hock Keng temple, the oldest Chinese temple in Singapore. He died in 1850 and was moved to this resting place around 1882. The fenced site is surrounded by miniature lions and has a plaque explaining more about his life and achievements. His Tan’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law rest nearby. The site is on the busy Outram Road: cross over the bridge opposite the gas station for access.

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.

Formerly known as Tiger Balm Gardens, Haw Par Villa is a charmingly bizarre park dedicated to Chinese legends and myths. Once part of an estate owned by the two eccentric brothers who created Tiger Balm ointment, the gardens were opened to the public after World War II and later transformed into this theme park. A highlight of the intriguing treasure trove of Chinese mythology, religion, and social mores is the walk-through "Ten Courts of Hell" display, which depicts a tale of life after death designed to teach traditional Chinese morality. Discover more about the display at the intriguing Hell's Museum, featuring specially curated displays that explore death and dying in belief systems around the world.

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.

Sprawled across 220 acres and encompassing the sites of Lakeside, as well as its Chinese and Japanese gardens, Jurong Lake Gardens is one of Singapore’s largest green spaces. The popular escape for residents in the west offers a range of activities and wildlife-watching spots among its wetlands, eco ponds, freshwater swamps, and open fields. Other than appreciating the natural space, visitors can rent kayaks and pedal boats at PAssion WaVe on Jurong Lake, or swim in the only swimming pool in a national garden at ActiveSG Park. An iconic sculpture known as Lone Tree, surrounded by Chinese Fountain Grass,  is a popular photo spot.

The Bright Hill Temple, as it's commonly known due to its location on Bright Hill Road, is Singapore's largest Mahayana monastery. Built in the 1920s as one of the first traditional Chinese forest monasteries in Singapore, it's in a relatively modern complex made up of colorful buildings decorated with gilded carvings, as well as immaculate gardens and a large number of Buddha statues. Pick up a map of the temple at reception to help guide your wanderings, and don't miss the relaxing Zen Cafe to finish your visit. Ensure shoulders and knees are covered when visiting.

More than 4,400 white gravestones line the manicured hillside in neat rows at this World War II memorial site, honoring the men and women who died in the line of duty for Singapore. You'll also find a number of larger memorial stones, one of which bears the names of more than 24,000 Allied soldiers and airmen killed in Southeast Asia who have no known grave. Visiting is a poignant experience—a reminder of the greatness of the loss in this and all wars.

One of the Southern Islands and situated less than 4 miles southwest of Singapore, Kusu, whose name means "turtle" in Chinese, is known for its beaches and temples. One of these is Kramat Kusu, dedicated to a Malay saint named Haji Syed Abdul Rahman, who, with his mother and sister, is said to have disappeared supernaturally from the island in the 19th century. To reach the shrine, you climb more than 100 steps that go up through a forest. Plastic bags containing stones have been hung on the trees by devotees who have come to the shrine—particularly during the ninth lunar month—to pray for forgiveness of sins and the correction of wayward children. If their wishes are granted, believers return the following year to remove their bags and give thanks. Staying overnight or camping is not permitted, and it's best to pack food and drink.

The dusty, incense-filled interior of this popular temple has altars heaped with hundreds of small statues of gods from the Chinese pantheon. Of the hundreds of deities, Kwan Im, more often known as Kuan Yin, is perhaps most dear to the hearts of Buddhist Singaporeans. Legend has it that just as she was about to enter Nirvana, she heard a plaintive cry from Earth. Filled with compassion, she gave up her place in paradise to devote herself to alleviating the pain of those on Earth. Her name means "to see and hear all." People in search of advice come to the Kwan Im temple, shake cham si (bamboo fortune sticks), and wait for an answer. The gods are most receptive on days of a new or full moon.

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.

Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, and local footballer Fandi Ahmad are just some of the realistic wax figures to admire and strike a pose with at Madame Tussauds Singapore. Included with the standard ticket is "Images of Singapore," a 45-minute show about Singapore's history, and the Spirit of Singapore boat ride, in which iconic landmarks and Sir Stamford Raffles (the founder of modern Singapore) make an appearance. The entry fee also includes admission to the Ultimate Film Star Experience and one souvenir digital photo. There are additional combination packages for access to Marvel Universe 4D and VR Racing experience. 

This large cultural center is in what was once the home of Malay royalty. The Malay-style mansion, which was built in the 1840s on the site of an even simpler thatched building, may have been designed by George Coleman. Next door is another grand royal bungalow: the home of the sultan's first minister. Notice its gateposts surmounted by green eagles. The center serves as a heritage institution for the local Malay community and offers free guided tours in English and Mandarin.

Release your inner child at this fun, retro ode to everyone’s favorite chilled treat. Housed in an old military building in Dempsey Hill, the "museum" comprises 14 interactive installations, including a giant pool of sprinkles and an old-school playground. Guided tours take between 60 and 90 minutes, with unlimited sweet treats as you make your way around. If you are still feeling peckish, you can have takeaway delivered directly to your hotel afterward.