© Basile Morin / CC BY-SA 4.0

Singapore's colonial heart gathers its grandest museums and monuments around the Padang and the Singapore River — the National Gallery, the Raffles Hotel, CHIJMES and the Peranakan and Asian Civilisations museums. Stroll the riverside to Clarke Quay, where the old godowns now glow with restaurants and bars after dark.

Where to go

Art01

National Gallery Singapore

Southeast Asian art inside the former Supreme Court & City Hall.

Civic District · 2–3 hours

Culture02

National Museum of Singapore

The nation's story, told in its oldest museum.

Civic District · 1.5–2 hours

Landmark03

Clarke Quay

A neon riverside quay for dining and nightlife.

Riverside · Evening

Landmark04

Raffles Hotel

Singapore's grand colonial hotel and the Singapore Sling.

Civic District · About 1 hour

Culture05

Asian Civilisations Museum

Asia's art and trade heritage by the river.

Civic District · 1.5–2 hours

Culture06

Peranakan Museum

The world of Straits Chinese culture, beautifully told.

Civic District · 1–1.5 hours

Culture07

CHIJMES

A Gothic former convent turned dining & bar courtyard.

Civic District · 1–2 hours

Family08

Children's Museum Singapore

Singapore's first museum made just for young children.

Civic District · 1.5–2 hours

Where to eat

Chinese · $$$

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh

Peppery pork-rib soup, a Singaporean comfort bowl.

Clarke Quay · Restaurant · S$15–25

Seafood · $$$

Jumbo Seafood

The classic sit-down spot for Singapore chilli crab.

Riverside (Clarke Quay) · Restaurant · S$80/kg

Peranakan · $$$

True Blue Cuisine

Heritage Nyonya home cooking beside the Peranakan Museum.

Bras Basah · Restaurant · S$30–45

Dessert · $

Rochor Original Beancurd

Old-school warm beancurd and soya milk since the 1960s.

Bras Basah · Dessert · S$2