Culture in Singapore
Places of worship here are working places, open to visitors on set terms, and they sit among shophouse streets and craft studios. Kampong Gelam, Little India and Chinatown each hold a different community, so give each its own half day, then add a workshop where you make something to take home. Previews stay on this site, with no charge.
Civic District
Civic District guide
FreeCHIJMES
A Gothic chapel and a courtyard of restaurants
45 min·Civic District·Free
FreeCapitol Theatre
A restored 1930s movie palace on Stamford Road
varies·Civic District·Free
FreeArmenian Church of St Gregory
Singapore's oldest church, from 1835
30 min·Civic District·Free
FreeCivilian War Memorial
Four pillars for four communities, by the Padang
20 min·Civic District·Free
Chinatown
Chinatown guide
FreeSri Mariamman Temple
Singapore's oldest Hindu temple, free to enter
30 min·Chinatown·Free
FreeThian Hock Keng Temple
Singapore's oldest Hokkien temple, on Telok Ayer
30 min·Chinatown·Free
FreeYueh Hai Ching Temple
Wak Hai Cheng Bio, a Telok Ayer temple from 1826
30 min·Chinatown·Free
FreeSingapore Chinese Cultural Centre
SINGAPO人 gallery and a rooftop over the CBD
1.5 hours·Chinatown·Free
Kampong Glam
Kampong Glam guide
FreeBugis Street Market
Covered street market for souvenirs and snacks
1.5 hours·Bugis·Free
FreeSultan Mosque
Kampong Gelam's gold dome, open to visitors most days
45 min·Kampong Glam·Free
FreeKwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple
Waterloo Street's busy temple to Guanyin
30 min·Bugis·Free
FreeHaji Lane
Murals, independent shops and evening bars
1 hour·Kampong Glam·Free
Marina Bay
Marina Bay guideFreeEsplanade Outdoor Theatre
Free gigs on the Marina Bay waterfront
1 hour·Marina Bay·Free
FreeEsplanade – Theatres on the Bay
The durian on the bay: concerts and free lobbies
1 hour·Marina Bay·Free
FreeDates not announcedRiver Hongbao
Chinese New Year lanterns around Marina Bay
2 hours·Marina Bay·Free
TicketsSingapore Symphony Orchestra
The SSO at Esplanade or Victoria Concert Hall
2 hours·Marina Bay·From S$35
Little India
Little India guideFreeSri Veeramakaliamman Temple
Kali's temple on Serangoon Road, since 1855
30 min·Little India·Free
FreeSri Srinivasa Perumal Temple
The Serangoon Road temple where Thaipusam begins
30 min·Little India·Free
FreeAbdul Gafoor Mosque
A 1907 Saracenic-style mosque in Little India
20 min·Little India·Free
FreeStarts 22 JanuaryThaipusam Procession
Kavadi bearers walk from Perumal to Tank Road
Half day·Little India·Free
Orchard
Orchard guideFreeEmerald Hill
Peranakan terrace houses off Orchard Road
45 min·Orchard·Free
FreeSri Thendayuthapani Temple
The Tank Road temple where Thaipusam ends
30 min·River Valley·Free
Christmas on A Great Street
Orchard Road's Christmas lights and village
Evening·Orchard·Free
FreeHong San See
A Hokkien temple on the hill at Mohamed Sultan
30 min·River Valley·Free
Katong & Joo Chiat
Katong & Joo Chiat guideFreeKoon Seng Road Shophouses
The pastel Peranakan terraces of Joo Chiat
30 min·East Coast·Free
TicketsPeranakan Batik Workshop
Paint a batik piece in an open studio
3 hours·Katong·From S$90
FreeSri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple
A Ganesha temple on Ceylon Road in Katong
30 min·East Coast·Free
FreeGoodman Arts Centre
Artists' studios in an old school at Mountbatten
1 hour·East Coast·Free
Geylang
Geylang guideFreeDates not announcedGeylang Serai Hari Raya Bazaar
Geylang Serai's Ramadan night market, once a year
2 hours·Geylang·Free
FreeCity Plaza
Budget fashion and a Sunday crowd at Paya Lebar
1 hour·Paya Lebar·Free
FreeFoo Hai Ch'an Monastery
A quiet Buddhist monastery in Geylang East
45 min·Geylang·Free
TicketsSoap-Making Workshop
A bar of soap you make and take home
2 hours·Ubi·From S$120
Serangoon, Kovan & Potong Pasir
Serangoon, Kovan & Potong Pasir guide
TicketsTerrarium Workshop
Build a glass-jar garden and take it home
2 hours·Tai Seng·From S$30
Serangoon Library
Singapore's first rooftop public library
1 hour·Serangoon·Free
Ramakrishna Mission Temple
A Vedanta temple open morning and evening
1 hour·Bartley·Free
Sri Siva Durga Temple
A Potong Pasir temple with posted worship times
1 hour·Potong Pasir·Free
Woodlands, Yishun & Sembawang
Woodlands, Yishun & Sembawang guideTicketsKokedama Workshop
Wrap a plant in a Japanese moss ball
2 hours·Yishun·From S$45
FreeWoodlands Library
One of the biggest public libraries, up north
1 hour·Woodlands·Free
Gurdwara Sahib Yishun
A small Yishun gurdwara that welcomes visitors
1 hour·Yishun·Free
Kampung Admiralty
A vertical kampung with a 900-seat hawker centre
1 hour·Admiralty·Free
Tiong Bahru
Tiong Bahru guide
TicketsPottery Wheel Class
Throw a bowl, get muddy, keep the pot
1.5 hours·Tiong Bahru·From S$58
FreeWat Ananda Metyarama
A Thai Buddhist temple in Bukit Merah
30 min·Tiong Bahru·Free
TicketsLeathercraft Workshop
Stitch a wallet or cardholder to take home
3 hours·Tiong Bahru·From S$95
TicketsWatercolour Workshop
Watercolour classes at New Bahru and Katong
2.5 hours·Tiong Bahru·From S$68
Toa Payoh, Bishan & Ang Mo Kio
Toa Payoh, Bishan & Ang Mo Kio guideFreeKong Meng San Phor Kark See
Singapore's largest Buddhist monastery, in Bishan
2 hours·Bishan·Free
FreeLian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery
A 1902 monastery among Toa Payoh's HDB blocks
1 hour·Toa Payoh·Free
TicketsCandle-Making Workshop
Melt, pour and make a candle to take home
2 hours·Jalan Pemimpin·From S$45
Kebun Baru Birdsinging Club
Singapore's biggest songbird corner, best at dawn
1 hour·Ang Mo Kio·Free
Bukit Batok, Bukit Panjang & Choa Chu Kang
Bukit Batok, Bukit Panjang & Choa Chu Kang guideChurch of St Mary of the Angels
A Franciscan parish church in Bukit Batok
45 min·Bukit Batok·Free
Choa Chu Kang Library
A library built around an indoor garden
1 hour·Choa Chu Kang·Free
Bukit Batok Library
A revamped library with a sound cave
1 hour·Bukit Batok·Free
Bukit Panjang Library
A transport-themed library in Bukit Panjang Plaza
1 hour·Bukit Panjang·Free
Clementi & the West Coast
Clementi & the West Coast guideFreeGrounds closed, Hell's Museum openHaw Par Villa
Tiger Balm sculpture park, grounds partly closed
2 hours·Pasir Panjang·Free
FreeNUS University Town
A campus town with a bridge and views of the west
1.5 hours·Kent Ridge·Free
Pasir Panjang Machine-Gun Pillbox
A 1930s coastal-defence pillbox on Pasir Panjang Road
30 min·Pasir Panjang·Free
Echoes of Clementi Mural
A sepia comic mural at Clementi MRT Exits A and B
15 min·Clementi·Free
Jalan Besar & Kallang
Jalan Besar & Kallang guideFreeCentral Sikh Temple
A gold-domed gurdwara on Towner Road
45 min·Kallang·Free
FreeClosed for nowGolden Mile Complex
The brutalist block long known as Little Thailand
1.5 hours·Kallang·Free
Thekchen Choling
A Vajrayana Buddhist temple near Bendemeer
1 hour·Kallang·Free
Petain Road Shophouses
A tiled shophouse row in Jalan Besar
20 min·Jalan Besar·Free
Sengkang & Hougang
Sengkang & Hougang guideFreeKampong Lorong Buangkok
Singapore's last mainland kampong, still lived in
45 min·Buangkok·Free
FreeJapanese Cemetery Park
Southeast Asia's largest Japanese cemetery, in Hougang
1 hour·Hougang·Free
Pottery Workshop at Studio Asobi
A 3-hour hand-building pottery session, Hougang
3 hours·Hougang·From S$95
Sengkang Library
A library in Compass One that nods to the river
1 hour·Sengkang·Free
Sentosa
Sentosa guide
FreeFort Siloso
Singapore's only preserved WWII coastal fort, free
2 hours·Sentosa·Free
TicketsScentopia Perfume Workshop
Blend an orchid perfume at Siloso and keep the bottle
2 hours·Sentosa·From S$95
Fort Serapong
Information boards at an 1880s battery on Sentosa
30 min·Sentosa·Free
Island Symphony at Sensoryscape
Free community orchestras at Glow Garden
Flexible·Sentosa·Free
Balestier
Balestier guideJurong & the West
Jurong & the West guideElsewhere in Singapore
FreeKranji War Memorial
Quiet Commonwealth war cemetery in Kranji
1 hour·Kranji·Free
FreeGillman Barracks
Contemporary art galleries in 1936 army barracks
2 hours·Harbourfront·Free
FreeDempsey Hill
Old barracks turned restaurants and antique shops
2 hours·Dempsey·Free
FreeHolland Village
Cafes, a wet market and late bars
2 hours·Holland Village·Free
TicketsDates not announcedChingay Parade
Singapore's big street parade at Chinese New Year
3 hours·Citywide·About S$28
TicketsStar Performing Arts Centre
The big hall for musicals and touring acts
3 hours·Buona Vista·About S$68
FreeBukit Brown Cemetery
The last great Chinese cemetery, open to walkers
2 hours·Bukit Timah·Free
FreeTampines Library
A big public library inside Our Tampines Hub
1 hour·Tampines·Free
FreeUsually August or SeptemberHungry Ghost Festival
Getai and offerings in the seventh lunar month
Evening·Citywide·Free
Maqam Habib Noh and Haji Salleh Mosque
A 1903 mosque under Mount Palmer's two shrines
1 hour·Tanjong Pagar·Free
Questions · Reviewed October 2026
Which Singapore neighbourhood is best for culture and heritage?
We'd start in Kampong Gelam, where Sultan Mosque, the Malay Heritage Centre, Arab Street's textile shops and Haji Lane's murals are a short walk apart. Little India is 15 minutes away and a different morning, with Tekka's market and the Serangoon Road temples. Chinatown has Singapore's oldest Hindu temple on South Bridge Road.
See alsoSultan MosqueSri Mariamman TempleMalay Heritage Centre
Where can I see Peranakan shophouses and terrace houses?
Koon Seng Road in Joo Chiat has the pastel Peranakan terraces most visitors picture, and early mornings are the quietest. These are people's homes, so photograph from the public road. Emerald Hill, a short walk from Somerset MRT, has conserved terrace houses closer to town, and the Peranakan Museum on Armenian Street explains the beadwork and weddings behind them.
See alsoPeranakan MuseumKatong Peranakan Walk & Laksa LabKatong & Joo Chiat
Where can I try a craft workshop in Singapore?
Workshops cover batik, pottery, calligraphy, perfume, leather, candles and more, and most send you home with what you made. We'd start with the Peranakan Batik Workshop in Katong, a Peranakan neighbourhood, since batik suits that part of town. For something older, TK Pottery Jungle in Jurong West has one of Singapore's two surviving dragon kilns and runs workshops.
See alsoPottery Wheel ClassChinese Calligraphy ClassScentopia Perfume Workshop
Where can I shop for souvenirs and textiles in Singapore?
Arab Street is the pick for textiles, a working shopping street of batik, basket and carpet shops that predate the murals on Haji Lane. For souvenirs and snacks, Bugis Street Market has covered lanes, and the Pagoda Street night market in Chinatown is loud and aimed at visitors, but handy for a gift. Yue Hwa stocks Chinese medicine, silk and tea.
See alsoHaji LaneChinatown Night MarketYue Hwa Chinese Products