Being in Singapore is a photographer’s dream as this city is absolutely full of Instagrammable places!
From Gardens by the Bay to the Art Science Museum to the Peranakan Houses and Haji Lane, Singapore has so many Instagram worthy places despite it’s compact size!
In order to visit all the best photo-worthy spots in Singapore listed and to really enjoy this city-state you should aim to spend at least 2 days in Singapore, although 3 or 4 days here would be more ideal so you can explore at a more relaxed pace.
Now are you ready to discover the most Instagrammable places in Singapore, including some hidden spots too?!
Related reading:
How to explore Singapore on a budget
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Gardens By The Bay
The first stop for anyone in Singapore should be Gardens By The Bay. Gardens By The Bay is located in the heart of Singapore next to Marina Bay Sands and it is FREE to walk round!
The gardens are stunning and unlike anywhere else you have ever been before! Since opening in 2012 they quickly became one of the most well-loved tourist attractions in Singapore.
Gardens By The Bay encompasses a large area and within the gardens you will find some of Singapore’s most well known tourist attractions: The Supertree Grove and 3 indoor conservatories: Cloud Forest, Flower Dome and Floral Fantasy.
As the gardens are next to Marina Bay Sands you also get a stunning view of of Marina Bay Sands as week as the Singapore Flyover from Gardens By The Bay.
You could easily spend all day exploring Gardens By The Bay – there’s a lot to see and do here! Let’s take a look below at the different areas inside that you can visit.
Nearest MRT: Bayfront
Supertree Grove
Cost: FREE
Open: 5am – 2am
When to visit: early in the morning (less crowds) and in the evening (lit up)
The most impressive and well-known part of Gardens By The Bay is the tall Supertrees (some reaching as high as 50 metres tall!). Standing underneath the giant supertrees feels so surreal – you feel so tiny and like you’re in Avatar!
There is so much greenery surrounding the supertrees: it is really idyllic and you can get some fantastic pictures here.
It is free to walk around these soaring trees or if you like you can pay to go up to the OCBC Skyway and walk across from the top of one of the supertrees to another! See the pictures below for the view!
When sunset hits, the super trees start to light up, and every night at 7.45 and 8.45pm there is a free Gardens By The Bay Light & Sound Show called Garden Rhapsody.
The trees will light up in harmony to lots of different songs and the performance is different every time. It can be busy, but lie underneath one of the trees, watch the show and you’ll feel like you’re a million miles away: it’s so relaxing!
Once the last show is over, the gardens empty pretty quickly so if you hang around a little you can get some nice night shots without the crowds in.
You can walk amongst the Supertrees from 5am until 2am so even though it gets quite busy here during the day there are plenty opportunities to get pictures. The super trees are equally impressive during the day and at night so I highly recommend you to see them in the day and lit up at night.
For those of you looking to treat yourself, have dinner ontop of the tallest Supertree!! The restaurant is called Satay by the Bay, features Indochine food and promises unforgettable views!
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Cloud Forest
Open: 9am-9pm (last admission 8pm)
Cost: The combined ticket for Cloud Forest & Flower Dome is S$28 (S$15 for children).
The Cloud Forest is a mist filled multi-level conservatory with a giant waterfall at the entrance. The waterfall is 30 metres high, making it one of the tallest indoor waterfalls in the world. Try to arrive early before the crowds arrive so you can get a picture infront of the waterfall before it gets busy.
Inside the mysterious Cloud Forest you’ll find lots of rare plants and even some impressive stalactites. The vegetation changes as you ascend/descend the walkways of the Cloud Mountain, meant to replicate how vegetation changes at different altitudes.
Cloud Forest is climate-controlled, with temperatures kept low to resemble a tropical mountain.
The temperature gets cooler towards the top thanks to the cool vapour and air-conditioning – great for when the heat and humidity of Singapore gets too much!
There are several levels you can climb to get to the top of the ‘Cloud Mountain’ where you can get great views of Singapore and down the waterfall.
Even if you are not a plant enthusiast, the architecture of the glass dome and the displays at Cloud Forest will surely blow you away. This is a firm favourite for many visitors to Singapore and one of it’s most popular attractions.
Flower Dome
Open: 9am-9pm (last admission 8pm)
Cost: The combined ticket for Flower Dome & Cloud Forest is S$28 (S$15 for children).
Right opposite Cloud Forest is the Flower Dome. The Flower Dome is another impressive glass dome: infact it is the world’s largest glass greenhouse. You’ll find flowers and plants from 5 continents here.
There are some really nice floral displays and archways you can get pictures at. Again, it gets quite busy in the day here so try to get here as early as possible.
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Floral Fantasy
Open: 9am-9pm
Cost: S$20
A short walk from Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome is Floral Fantasy. Opened in early 2019, Floral Fantasy is the newest Gardens by the Bay attraction.
Another floral indoor conservatory – this place is, as its name suggests, a complete fantasy land!
You’ll see inspiration from fairy tales here in the 4 diverse garden landscapes, and with over 3000 plants and flowers arranged in beautiful displays and canopies there are plenty of opportunities for photographs here.
Floral Fantasy is located near the Dragonfly Bridge connecting Marina Bay Sands to Gardens by the Bay.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel
Soaring over the bay is Marina Bay Sands: one of the most famous and iconic hotels in the world! The unique architecture can be seen for miles. The best place to take pictures is by the bridge and the lake in Gardens By The Bay or Merlion Park.
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Infinity Pool at Marina Bay Sands
The infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands is the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool and offers one of the best pool views out there! You can only access the infinity pool if you are staying overnight at the hotel – there are no exceptions to this!
If you can’t quite afford a stay here then you can always head up to the rooftop bar on level 57 of Marina Bay Sands: CE LA VI where you can look out onto the pool. Not quite the same, but you get to enjoy an incredible view with a cocktail in your hand at a fraction of the room price so not a bad compromise!
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Art Science Museum
Open: 10am-7pm
Cost: Depending which exhibition you want to see, tickets start at S$19. Click here to see more.
The ArtScience Museum is located at the base of Marina Bay Sands next to the Helix Bridge and overlooking Marina Bay. It is the large white lotus flower shaped building and is another place in Singapore where you can get some really nice Instagram photos.
Normally I am not a fan of museums especially when it is sunny outside! However the exhibitions inside the Art Science Museum are incredible. They are really interactive and suitable for all, young and old.
I went to the Futureworld: Where Are Meets Science exhibition, located in basement 2. This is a permanent exhibition and I recommend this one if you only go to visit one exhibition. It is created with TeamLab so it is great if you can’t make it to the TeamLab exhibition in Tokyo!
You buy your ticket at the entrance and your ticket states your entry time. You can’t go in before your allocated time, to ensure the exhibit doesn’t get too crowded. Therefore it’s best to get there as early as possible so you aren’t waiting around for your slot to go in, plus there will be less people!
My favourite parts of the exhibition were City In A Garden (above) and Space (below). Space is actually at the end of the exhibition but as this is probably the shot you want for your Instagram, I recommend to go here first, take your pictures and then go back though the rest of the museum.
The corridor for Space goes in an L shape so if someone is having photos in one part of the corridor you can still go to the other part and you won’t get this other person in your pictures.
Also you can spend as much time taking photos here as you want (I think in the Tokyo TeamLab exhibition there is a 2 minute limit).
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Merlion Park
Merlion Park is located just a short walk from the ArtScience Museum and Marina Bay Sands on the other side of the bay. It is a really nice place to watch sunrise or sunset and offers a stunning view of the skyline including Marina Bay Sands Hotel.
The Merlion statue (a half lion, half fish statue with a waterfall coming out of the mouth) makes for some great photographs too.
If you are looking for some cheap food, head to nearby Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre. Hawker Centres are food court that offer value for money, casual late night dining. There are many cuisines of Singapore in this stunning building.
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place
Peranakan Houses
In the east of Singapore is the charming Joo Chiat neighbourhood where perfect rows of unique vibrantly coloured houses dot the streets here. The beautifully ornate, intricately detailed and well-preserved terraced houses date from pre-war and are called Peranakan houses.
Peranakan is a Malay/Indonesian word which means ‘local born’. It refers to the locally born people of Chinese heritage who are descendants of Chinese immigrants going back several hundred years. Many of them settled in this area.
The brightly coloured 2 storey shophouses are what Joo Chiat has become famous for. One place in particular where you will see perfectly quaint houses is on Koon Seng Road.
This is one of the most perfect photogenic streets I have ever seen and is one of Singapore’s most popular Instagram spots! Lots of people like to take pictures outside the pink and blue house.
Make sure to explore the streets around here – there are lots of unique cafes and eateries and boutique heritage shops.
Nearest MRT: Paya Lebar or Eunos Station, both a 15 minute walk from Koon Seng Road. Alternatively, to get here quicker take a 10 minute Uber ride from the centre.
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Open: 5am – midnight daily
Cost: FREE
Located 6 km from downtown Singapore are the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The Singapore Gardens are free to visit and are a really nice way to spend a couple of hours. They are 160 years old and the first UNESCO Heritage Site of Singapore and are in fact one of the most beautiful Botanical Gardens in Asia. The grounds are very large and there are two main entrances:
Closest MRT: Napier Road or Botanic Gardens. Note these 2 stations are located on completely opposite sides of the gardens and are over 2km apart so check which one is most convenient for you.
Orchid Garden
Open: 9-5
Cost: S$5
The Orchid Garden is located inside the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Whilst The Botanic Gardens are free to visit, if you would like to visit the Orchard Garden it costs $5. The gardens aren’t too busy and there is a really photogenic archway here as you go in to the right.
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Haji Lane
In Singapore’s Kampong Glam neighbourhood lies the vibrant hipster Haji Lane. Colourful street art adorns almost every wall in Haji Lane and the surrounding streets and the area has a very indie/retro vibe. You’ll find lots of cute cafes, restaurants, bars and independent boutique shops here. There is a great atmosphere down here, especially on Sunday afternoons when the streets and outdoor seating areas of the cafes are busy.
In the 1950’s and 60’s the area around Haji Lane was the Muslim Quarter and you’ll still find several Middle Eastern Cafes here. You’ll also find the Masjid Sultan Mosque a couple of streets away.
Nearest MRT: Bugis Lane (500 metres)
Masjid Sultan
Masjid Sultan (Sultan Mosque) is a 2 minute walk from Haji Lane. The beautiful gold domed mosque was built in 1824 for the first Sultan of Singapore. It was rebuilt in 1932, and in 1975 was considered a National Monument. It is considered the National Mosque of Singapore.
Look beneath the gold onion-shaped domes and you will see the base is made of glass bottle ends. These were donated by Muslims with a lower income, so the rebuilding of the mosque could include donations from all Muslims and not just rich ones.
You can get a really nice Instagram shot underneath the archway on the corner of Kandahar Street and Muscat Street.
Opening times:
10.00-12.00, 14.00-16.00 Saturday – Thursday.
14.30-16.00 Friday
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Old Hill Street Police Station
This is one of the most colourful and definitely most Instagrammable buildings in Singapore! Nowadays known as MICA or Ministry of Information and Communications Building, but still more affectionately referred to as the Old Hill Street police station. This is a very photogenic building with all the window shutters painted bright colours of the rainbow.
Do be very careful when crossing the road here as it is located on a busy road. There is a small pavement in between the lanes of traffic. Most people choose to stand here, whilst the person taking the photo stands at the other side of the street. There are a few seconds when traffic stops on both sides and you’ll be able to get a clear shot without any cars in.
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Old Fire station
Just along the road from the Old Hill Street Police Station is the Old Fire Station, now housing the Civil Defence Heritage Museum. Despite them being so close in distance, due to the nearby traffic lights it is a lot trickier to get a photo here without cars compared to the Old Hill Street Police Station. My advice would be to get here early.
Fort Canning Park Tree Tunnel
Right behind the Old Police Station is Fort Cannning Park. If you walk all the way across the park in the direction of Orchard Road and Dhoby Ghaut MRT station there is a pedestrian underpass leading into the park.
To get a picture like this you will need to climb onto the barrier/hand rail at the side of the stairs. We got there at around midday and had to queue for about 20 minutes to take the photo!
Ideally you want a wide lens on your camera. If you are using a phone you can use a clip-on wide lens (you can buy these outside the Petronas Towers if you are in Kuala Lumpur – so many people sell them there!). If you won’t be in KL you can purchase them at an electronic gadgets shop. The picture below was taken with the phone clip on, not with a professional camera!
For the Google maps location of the Fort Canning park Tree Tunnel click here. (type “Fort Canning Park Tree Tunnel” into Google maps).
Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut. But easy to walk from the Old Police Station/Old Fire Station if you are here.
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Orchard Road Library
Orchard Road Library, or Library@orchard as it is more popularly known, is a library located inside the Orchard Gateway mall.
There is a beautiful section of the library with swirling bookcases, and a bookshelf with a ladder you can get some pictures.
The library entrance is on the 3rd level of the Orchard Gateway mall and the address is 277 Orchard Road. If you are coming from the Fort Canning Park Tree Tunnel it is 1km to walk to the library.
You don’t need to be a member to access the library. However, please remember this is a busy library used by a lot of people so please be quiet and respectful when you are here.
Nearest MRT: directly opposite Somerset MRT
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Chinatown
The stunning Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is located in Chinatown. The Buddhist temple is lit is beautifully at night.
Stick around Chinatown for some great food and cheap souvenirs. Chinatown Food Street has lots of places to get food day or night at a reasonable price. The architecture of the buildings is nice, in the colourful Peranakan style. There are also lots of colourful Chinese lanterns and decorations in the streets.
Nearest MRT: Chinatown
Clarke Quay
Just around the corner from the Old Hill Street Police Station is Clarke Quay. Clarke Quay is a great place to go in the evenings as there are many restaurants and bars. It is also nice to stroll round in the morning when you can get nice pictures of some of the buildings here.
Opposite Clarke Quay you can pick up a Singapore River Cruise and do river tour on Singapore river.
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay, Fort Canning
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Little India
Little India is one of Singapore’s most vibrant, bustling and colourful neighbourhoods and definitely deserves a place on your Instagram feed! Here you can experience the diverse culture of Singapore’s Indian community and see Singapore’s most colourful building: Tan Teng Niah. Tan Teng Niah was built in 1900 is now the last remaining Chinese villa of it’s kind here.
Prior to visiting Little India, after only seeing pictures of this house on Instagram, I had presumed it was a whole street of houses like this but it’s not. The Chinese villa stands amongst a market, shops and Indian restaurants in otherwise unassuming buildings.
We were here in the middle of the day and it was very easy to get pictures without other people in. Afterwards we had lunch at the restaurant outside and had some really great Indian food!
The purple wall mural is located on the side of 4a Belilios Lane about 100 metres from Tan Teng Niah.
Nearest MRT: Little India
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Sentosa
Sentosa is an island off the south of Singapore and is known as the State of Fun. It was created as a popular tourist destination after previously being used as a British military base and then a Japanese Prisoner Of War camp. The island is full of beautiful golden sand beaches, resorts, rainforests and themed attractions scubas Universal Studios.
On the south coast of Sentosa is Palawan beach. There are lots of bars here and places to grab food, or head to the hanging suspension bridge that leads to a small island for the perfect Sentosa Instagram shot. From the lookout tower here you can even see as far as Indonesia on a clear day.
Sentosa can be quite busy so head to Tanjong beach if peaceful and tranquility is what you are after.
Sentosa Island can be reached by pedestrian walkway, car, MRT or cable car. If you would like to go by cable car it is cheaper to book online.
Nearest MRT: Harbour Front
Haw Par Villa
Cost: FREE
Open: 9am – 10pm daily
Carrying west past Sentosa is Haw Par Villa, Singapore’s largest outdoor art gallery. It was built in 1937 and was formerly known as the Tiger Balm Garden as it was created by the inventors of Tiger Balm. Haw Par Villa is the last remaining Asian culture park in the world of it’s kind, featuring giant statues and retelling Chinese mythology and legends.
It is very unusual and quirky, and supposed to be light hearted, but to some people parts of it may appear a little creepy, especially the Ten Courts of Hell. I was here on my own and the place was deserted so yes at times I was a little creeped out! It is definitely worth a visit though, and unlike anywhere I have ever been before! Click here to visit the official website for more information.
Nearest MRT: Haw Par Villa. Located along Pasit Panjang Road.
INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Rain Vortex at The Jewel
Cost: FREE
Open: 24/7 however water is only turned on from 9am-11.30pm.
The newest addition to the most Instagrammable places in Singapore is the Rain Vortex at The Jewel, Changi Airport. At 40 metres high this is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall and it is so impressive! The rain vortex is surrounded by the Shiseido Forest Valley and reminded me of Cloud Forest!
The rain vortex is lit up at night and there are 5 Light & Sound shows here every evening: one every hour from 7.30pm until 11.30pm.
It is quite busy at all times of the day as flights are coming and going 24 hours at Changi Airport. However, the rain vortex only has water from 9am until 11.30pm so make sure you arrive during these times! If you arrive after this time, there will be no water flowing so it just won’t be the same.
Check what times your flights are and make sure you get to the airport early to get some photographs here! The Jewel is the name for the whole complex, not just the waterfall.
The jewel is actually 10 floors high and has hundreds of restaurants and shops inside, so it is a great place to come and relax before taking your flight back home. It is located a bit of a walk from the passenger terminals so just bear this in mind so you don’t miss your flight!
These photos are particularly special to me as the were actually taken right before my last ever flight as Cabin Crew! Click here to head to my Flight Attendant archives for tips, advice and gossip on FA life!
Nearest MRT: Changi Airport
Day trips from Singapore:
You can get the ferry to Indonesia (Bintan) or take the bus to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (5 hours) from Singapore. The buses are quite comfortable.
Top money-saving tips for Singapore:
- Tap water is safe and free to drink, so save money and plastic! Winner!
- Alcohol is very expensive here so don’t go too wild if you’re having a night out.
- Hawker centres are a great place to have a casual affordable dinner.
- Several of the sights in Singapore are within walking distance, so always check the map to best plan your itinerary!
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