Singapore: Marina Bay to Chinatown

Photo: Bijay Chaurasia, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

This walk traces how a river trading post became a city-state. You start at the Merlion on Marina Bay, follow the Singapore River past colonial landmarks and the old warehouse quay, then cross into Chinatown, where a mosque, a Hindu temple and a Buddhist temple stand within a few minutes of each other - a living picture of the Malay, Chinese, Indian and Eurasian communities that built Singapore. You finish at Maxwell Food Centre for a hawker meal.

The route is about 3 kilometers on flat, paved ground. Allow about two and a half hours, more if you go inside the museums. Raffles Place MRT station is a short walk from the start; from the cruise terminals, take a taxi to Merlion Park.

It is hot and humid all year, and sudden downpours are common, especially in the afternoon. Walk in the morning, carry water and an umbrella, and duck into the covered five-foot ways under the shophouses when it rains. Dress modestly for the temples: shoulders and knees covered.

12 stops on this tour:

Merlion Park - Half Lion, Half Fish

The Fullerton Hotel - Singapore's Old Post Office

Cavenagh Bridge - Iron from Glasgow

Asian Civilisations Museum - The Old Government Offices

Raffles' Landing Site - Where Colonial Singapore Began

Boat Quay - The Belly of the Carp

Jamae Mosque - The Chulia Mosque

Sri Mariamman Temple - Singapore's Oldest Hindu Temple

Pagoda Street - From Coolie Trade to Street Market

Chinatown Heritage Centre - Life in a Shophouse

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple - A New Temple in Tang Style

Maxwell Food Centre - Lunch, Hawker Style

Plan your visit

Route: 12 stops · about 1.4 miles · walking, one way
Time: about 2.5 hours at an easy pace, with stops
Start: Merlion Park (directions)
Cost: free tour

Stops on this tour

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