Places to visit in

Singapore

Singapore Zoo (Mandai Wildlife Reserve) opened on 27 June 1973 and pioneered the modern "open-concept" zoo in Southeast Asia. Located within the broader Mandai Wildlife Reserve, the zoo is a global leader in wildlife education, conservation breeding, research and community outreach. It plays a key role in regional species recovery programmes and public awareness about tropical biodiversity.

Night Safari (Mandai Wildlife Reserve) is the world's first nocturnal wildlife park, opened in 1994 as part of Singapore's Mandai cluster. It pioneered immersive, after-dark wildlife viewing that emphasizes conservation, education, and research. The reserve showcases nocturnal and crepuscular species from Asian, African and South American habitats, and contributes to regional breeding and species conservation programs.

River Wonders (part of Mandai Wildlife Reserve) is Asia's first and only river-themed wildlife park, dedicated to showcasing and conserving freshwater ecosystems from rivers around the world. It combines conservation, research, education and public engagement to protect threatened riverine species and their habitats.

Bird Paradise at Mandai Wildlife Reserve is Singapore’s flagship avian attraction that continues the legacy of Jurong Bird Park by offering immersive, conservation-focused habitats for birds from around the world. It plays an important role in regional avian conservation, captive breeding programs, research and education, and showcases biodiversity in a tropical rainforest setting within a larger wildlife precinct.

Gillman Barracks is a repurposed colonial-era military compound that has been transformed into Singapore's premier contemporary arts cluster. The site combines historical architecture with contemporary cultural uses, representing Singapore’s adaptive reuse of heritage spaces and its growing international presence in the contemporary art world. The complex showcases works by regional and international artists and serves as a platform for cultural exchange, public programs, and experimental exhibitions.

Lau Pa Sat (also known as Telok Ayer Market) is one of Singapore's most iconic heritage sites — a Victorian-era cast-iron market structure located in the heart of the Central Business District. It reflects Singapore's 19th‑century market culture and its evolution from a trading and fish market to a celebrated hawker destination, symbolizing the island's multicultural food heritage and urban development.

Maxwell Food Centre is an iconic hawker centre in Singapore's Chinatown/Tanjong Pagar area that showcases the heart of Singapore's hawker culture — a daily, community-focused food scene central to local life. The hawker tradition in Singapore is recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, and Maxwell is often recommended to visitors seeking an authentic, affordable taste of local cuisine.

Chinatown Complex Food Centre is the largest hawker centre in Singapore and a focal point of Chinatown's culinary culture. Located at the heart of historic Chinatown, it brings together generations of hawkers offering traditional Chinese, Malay, Peranakan and wider Singaporean street food, preserving culinary techniques and recipes that form part of the city's intangible cultural heritage.

Newton Food Centre is an iconic hawker centre in Singapore that showcases the city-state's rich hawker culture — a vital part of local culinary heritage recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Located near the Orchard Road shopping belt, it serves as a popular meeting point for locals and tourists seeking authentic, affordable Singaporean food in a lively, open-air setting.

Old Hill Street Police Station is a landmark civic building in Singapore dating from the colonial era. Originally built to serve as a large police station and barracks, it is valued for its architectural character, its role in the island’s law-and-order history, and for being repurposed into modern civic and governmental use. The building’s colourful facade and arched colonnades make it a distinctive feature of the Civic District and a frequent subject in heritage and architectural tours.

National Design Centre (NDC) is Singapore's national hub for design practice, education and industry development. Located at 111 Middle Road in the arts and cultural district close to Bugis and Dhoby Ghaut, the NDC plays a central role in promoting design-led innovation across creative, commercial and public sectors. It acts as a showcase for contemporary Singaporean and international design, supports emerging designers, and houses exhibitions, studios and event spaces that connect professionals, students and the public.

The Indian Heritage Centre is a dedicated cultural institution in Little India, Singapore, that documents, preserves and showcases the history, culture and contributions of the Indian community and South Asian diaspora in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Opened in 2015, the centre highlights migration, trade, religion, performing and visual arts, and community life, offering a focal point for understanding how Indian traditions have adapted within Singapore's multicultural landscape.

The Arts House at The Old Parliament is housed in Singapore's oldest surviving government building, originally constructed in 1827. It served as the country’s Parliament House for much of Singapore's modern political history until Parliament moved to a new building in 1999. The repurposed heritage building reopened as a multidisciplinary arts venue in the early 2000s and plays a key role in Singapore’s cultural landscape by supporting literary arts, music, theatre, film and visual arts.

Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple is one of Singapore’s most revered Chinese Buddhist temples. Founded in the late 19th century by early Chinese immigrants, it has long served as a focal point for devotion to the Bodhisattva Guan Yin (Kwan Yin) and as a community anchor in the Waterloo Street / Bras Basah area. The temple is important both as a living place of worship and as an example of Chinese religious architecture and communal heritage in Singapore.

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is one of Singapore's most prominent Hindu temples, located in the heart of Little India on Serangoon Road. Founded in the mid-19th century by early Tamil Hindu immigrants, it has long served as an important religious, cultural and social centre for the Indian community in Singapore. The temple is dedicated to the fierce form of the goddess Kali (Veeramakaliamman) and reflects the history of migrant communities, religious continuity, and multicultural Singapore.

Joo Chiat and Katong are a culturally rich neighbourhood in eastern Singapore, known for their strong Peranakan (Straits Chinese) heritage, distinctive conserved shophouses, and legacy as a seaside residential district. The area showcases a mix of Malay kampong roots, Peranakan traditions, and colonial-era architecture, reflecting Singapore's multi-ethnic history and urban development. Joo Chiat, named after Chew Joo Chiat — a prominent 19th-century landowner — and Katong, historically a beachfront area, together form one of Singapore's best-preserved heritage enclaves.

Koon Seng Road Peranakan Shophouses are a distinctive row of conserved Straits Eclectic-style terrace shophouses located in the Katong/Joo Chiat area of eastern Singapore. They reflect the rich Peranakan (Straits Chinese) heritage of the neighborhood — a community that blended Chinese, Malay and European influences during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The shophouses are valued for their architectural craftsmanship, decorative ceramic tiles, timber shutters and ornate plasterwork, and they contribute to the area's reputation as a cultural enclave of Peranakan traditions.