Walking tours in Singapore

6 walking tours around Singapore (mostly free)

1. For the shop-a-holic

I recommend starting at one end of Orchard Road. Then you can walk along the street exploring the many shops, from high-end fashion boutiques to H&M. You can shop to your heart’s content, or just window-shop. It’s overwhelming, so prepare yourself for people everywhere. If you want to concentrate on only place, then I would suggest Takashiyama, a Japanese department store. They have a Japanese food-court in their basement with all kinds of treats, udon, ramen and ice cream.

MRT North South Line, stations: Dhoby Ghaut

• Shopping on Orchard Road
• Takashiyama

2. For nature-lovers

The Botanical Gardens offer some much-needed nature inside the big city. With plenty of walking paths, and exotic trees. It’s like a little jungle, especially when you discover the bathrooms. The walls aren’t entirely enclosed (although, the toilets are private.)
For a second option, if you want to get out of the city, then head toward the Chinese Gardens – a huge park that reminded me a little of Chinese-Garden-Disneyland. The buildings inside are in an ancient styles, but you can explore them and get a real sense of space. There is also a bonsai garden, and zodiac garden within the park.

MRT Downtown Line, station: Botanic Gardens
MRT East-West line, station: Chinese Garden

• Botanical Gardens
• Chinese Gardens

3. For the spectacle

The Marina Bay Sands is a modern architectural behemoth as bizarre-looking up close as it is from afar. You don’t have to pay to see inside the hotel. From the Bayfront metro you can walk through the hotel toward the Gardens by the Bay. Behind the strange skyscrapers is a sci-fi spectacle. You can explore around the base of the supertrees, you have to pay for the upper walkway.  There is also a shopping center in the area, called the Shoppes, and its worth riding the escalators down toward the harbor. An excellent end to your tour is to join the crowds on the promenade for an evening light show.

MRT Circle, or Downtown line, station: Bayfront

• Marina Bay Sands
• Supertrees in Gardens by the Bay
• The Shoppes
• Harbor

4. For Foodies

I’m cheating again, because I can’t recommend just one place. Food Hawker centers are everywhere in Chinatown, so explore all of them. The neighborhood of Little India is equally fascinating, not to mention full of yummy curry and naan.

MRT North-East, or Downtown line, stations: Little India, Chinatown

• Chinatown, Food Hawkers – all of them
• Little India Takka Center

5. A Walking Tour For Tourists

I started this tour at the Raffles Hotel. The tricky part was getting to the hotel from the MRT station. Esplande station is inside a shopping center. Find the exit to the street . After a drink at the hotel I recommend heading toward the harbor, crossing the Jubilee Bridge and catching a glimpse of the Merlion station. From the harbor, you can walk along the Singapore River, and if you head toward the Clarke Quay, you can end your tour with a meal or a drink.

MRT Circle line, station: Esplande

• Raffles Hotel
• Jubilee Bridge, the Harbor, and the Merlion Statue
• Riverside Walk to Clarke Quay

For the view (a perfect date night!)

The cable car is available near HarborFront station although be warned the ticket booth is a little tricky to find from the MRT station. There are two lines: you can take a cable car to the island of Sentosa, which I hear is rather like a theme park, or you can go up the mountain for a view of the harbor. If you time it just right, you can eat an excellent dinner at the restaurant on Mount Faber, called Spuds and Aprons, and watch the sunset. Then take the cable car back down as you watch the city lights sparkle.

MRT line Circle, station: HarbourFront

• Mount Faber and Cable Car

 

I’m not a travel blogger, but I love to travel. If you want to see a more descriptive, and fantastic version of these places, check out my book:  Fairy Doctor Falls in Love.