Jurong and the West hold a lake garden of pagodas and bridges and, a short train ride away, the last two dragon kilns in Singapore. This morning joins them. You walk Jurong Lake Gardens while the air is still cool, then ride one stop to Boon Lay and take bus 199 out to the pottery compound on Lorong Tawas.
Go between Monday and Saturday so Jalan Bahar Clay Studios is open, and bring water and a hat for the gardens. The pottery stops are small and run by people rather than turnstiles, so a message or a call ahead is what makes the kiln tour and the studio visit happen. Our guide to kilns, studios and workshops has the workshops, if you want to make something.
Where to start
Chinese Garden MRT (EW25)
When to go
Morning, start by 7:30am
Stop by stop
We'd do these in order, and each linked stop has its price and directions.
7:30 AM
The Chinese Garden bridge
NParks puts the Chinese Garden Bridge entrance a five-minute walk from Chinese Garden MRT. The Chinese Garden is free and open from 5.30am to midnight, so cross the bridge and walk the lakeside loop past the Twin Pagoda before the sun climbs. Give it an hour and a half.
9:00 AM
Lakeside Garden by shuttle
The free garden shuttle trial loops through the three gardens every 30 minutes from 9am to noon, so catch it round to Lakeside Garden, which never closes. NParks suspends the shuttle on some dates, and if it's off, the walk is longer. Follow the water's edge for an hour, then leave by Lakeside MRT.
10:15 AM
Bus 199 to the dragon kiln
Ride the East-West Line one stop from Lakeside to Boon Lay, then take bus 199 from Boon Lay Interchange and get off at the stop before Lor Danau. TK Pottery Jungle is five minutes on foot and opens daily from 9am to 5pm. Message ahead for the kiln tour, which lets you walk inside a kiln built in 1940.
12:30 PM
The Potter's Garden and the second kiln
JTC says The Potter's Garden, a five-hectare park, sits beside Singapore's last two dragon kilns. Jalan Bahar Clay Studios keeps the second one and opens Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm. Call before you go, since it's a working studio and it's closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Save for another day
- Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre, a hawker lunch that makes a separate trip
- Jurong Lake Gardens Pool, an ActiveSG pool that is shut on Thursdays
- The Japanese Garden, the third garden on the shuttle loop, which keeps the same hours as the Chinese Garden
Before you go
Book ahead where you need to, and turn up for the rest.
Chinese GardenJurong East · FreeGoJurong Lake GardensJurong East · FreeGoTK Pottery JungleJurong West · From S$80Tickets The Potter's GardenJurong West · FreeGoJalan Bahar Clay StudiosJurong West · FreeGoJurong Lake Gardens PoolJurong East · From S$1.30Tickets Jurong Lake to Kilns questions
Can I do Jurong Lake to the kilns by MRT and bus?
Yes. Chinese Garden (EW25), Lakeside (EW26) and Boon Lay (EW27) are consecutive stations on the East-West Line. TK Pottery Jungle says to take bus 199 from Boon Lay Interchange, get off at the stop before Lor Danau and walk about five minutes. NParks gives a walk of three minutes from Lakeside MRT and five from Chinese Garden MRT to the gardens.
Does the Jurong Lake to the kilns day work on a Sunday?
Only in part. Lakeside Garden is open 24 hours, the Chinese Garden from 5.30am to midnight, and TK Pottery Jungle daily from 9am to 5pm. Jalan Bahar Clay Studios is closed on Sundays and public holidays, so the second kiln needs a day between Monday and Saturday.
Can I see the second dragon kiln at Jalan Bahar Clay Studios?
Yes, if you arrange it first. The studio is at 97L Lorong Tawas, in the premises of the Guan Huat Dragon Kiln, and it's open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm. Its gallery opens Thursday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm. JTC counts it with Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle as Singapore's last two dragon kilns.
Is the garden shuttle worth using at Jurong Lake Gardens?
On a hot morning, yes. The free shuttle trial loops through the Chinese, Japanese and Lakeside gardens every 30 minutes, from 9am to noon and from 4pm to 7pm. NParks suspends it on some dates and posts the notice on its operating-hours page, so check that page before you rely on it.
Stories from along the way
Longer reads on the places you'll pass through.
