Geylang is known for its nights, but the morning belongs to hawkers, temples and a Malay market. This route starts at Old Airport Road Food Centre and works east through Geylang East and Eunos to Geylang Serai, the Malay heart of the east.
Go on a weekend or in the school holidays. The heritage gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday, but on school-term weekdays it closes to walk-ins from 9am to 4.30pm. The temple and prayer hall are working places of worship, so dress modestly and keep your voice low.
Where to start
Dakota MRT (CC8), Exit A
When to go
Morning, start by 8am
Stop by stop
We'd do these in order, and each linked stop has its price and directions.
8:00 AM
Breakfast at Old Airport Road
Old Airport Road Food Centre is in Block 51, about two minutes from Dakota MRT Exit A. The centre typically opens from 6am, though each stall sets its own hours, and the famous stalls often pack up well before closing. Go early, eat well and give it an hour.
9:30 AM
Sri Sivan Temple
Sri Sivan Temple is at 24 Geylang East Avenue 2 and opens daily, 6.30am to noon and 5.30pm to 9pm. It moved here in 1993 after ten years in a temporary home on Serangoon Road, having started out on Orchard Road. Dress modestly. Give it 30 minutes.
10:15 AM
Jain Sthanak at Jalan Yasin
Jain Sthanak at Jalan Yasin is the Singapore Jain Religious Society's prayer hall at 18 Jalan Yasin, and Eunos MRT is the nearest station. Morning darshan runs from 8am, with last entry at 10.45am on weekdays and 12.15pm at weekends. Read the society's visitor FAQ first, since puja follows set rules.
11:30 AM
Lunch at Geylang Serai Market
Geylang Serai Market is at 1 Geylang Serai, about eight minutes' walk from Paya Lebar MRT. It's a double-storey market with a wet market for produce and stalls for nasi padang and kuih, small sweet cakes. Stalls keep their own hours, and lunch is lively.
12:45 PM
Geylang Serai Heritage Gallery
Geylang Serai Heritage Gallery is inside Wisma Geylang Serai at 1 Engku Aman Turn. It's free, and it traces the area from a 19th-century settler community to today's neighbourhood, with objects and stories from residents. Give it 45 minutes.
Save for another day
- Geylang Road and the lorongs after 9pm, which are an evening of their own
- Foo Hai Ch'an Monastery in Geylang East, which asks you to call before you visit
- Mondays, when the heritage gallery is closed
Before you go
Book ahead where you need to, and turn up for the rest.
Old Airport Road Food CentreGeylang · FreeGoSri Sivan TempleGeylang · FreeGoJain Sthanak at Jalan YasinEunos · FreeGo
Geylang Serai MarketGeylang · FreeGoGeylang Serai Heritage GalleryGeylang Serai · FreeGo
Foo Hai Ch'an MonasteryGeylang · FreeGo
Geylang Night EatingGeylang · FreeGoGeylang by daylight questions
What time is Sri Sivan Temple open?
Sri Sivan Temple is open every day, from 6.30am to noon and again from 5.30pm to 9pm. It sits at 24 Geylang East Avenue 2, where it has been since 1993, and the Hindu Endowments Board runs it. Visit in the morning session if you want to pair it with Eunos or Geylang Serai.
Is the Geylang Serai Heritage Gallery open on weekdays?
Yes, it opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm. In the school term it closes to the public on weekdays from 9am to 4.30pm, and visits without an appointment are restricted then. The gallery asks you to email ahead for a weekday visit, so go at a weekend if you can.
When can I visit the Jain Sthanak at Jalan Yasin?
Morning puja and darshan run 8am to 11am on weekdays, and 8am to 12.30pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, with last entry 15 minutes before closing. Evening darshan, with no puja, runs 6pm to 8pm Monday to Saturday. Eunos MRT is the nearest station.
Stories from along the way
Longer reads on the places you'll pass through.
