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Perfume oils, gold domes, nasi padang and a bar hidden in a beer bar.
About 4.5 hours, 2.5 km. Start around 14:00 at Bugis MRT: lanes and shops first, the mosque before its 16:00 visitor cut-off, the Malay Heritage Centre before last entry, then Beach Road at dusk. Ends with a cocktail and a buffet. Dress modestly for the mosques.
Kampong Glam · MRT Bugis (EW12/DT14)
Hours unknown, check before you go
Kampong Glam's most photographed lane: painted walls, small fashion shops and cafés in low shophouses. Busy, loud and fun.
From Bugis MRT cross Victoria Street and walk the lane end to end toward Beach Road. Quiet in the morning; it wakes up after lunch.
Kampong Glam · $$$ · MRT Bugis (EW12/DT14)
Daily 10:00–17:00 walk-in; 17:00–20:00 by appointment
Johari Kazura trained in Grasse and carries on a family trade begun in Kampong Gelam in 1933. Small-batch perfume oils, candles and incense.
Left on Beach Road, left again into Arab Street. Walk-ins until 17:00; book ahead for a custom-scent session with the perfumer.
Kampong Glam · Free · MRT Bugis (EW12/DT14)
Hours unknown, check before you go
Murals from 2021 to 2023 picture the old neighbourhood: a kampung scene, a basket shop, a money changer and a panorama of Kampong Gelam.
Walk up Arab Street toward Victoria Street and check the back lanes behind numbers 58 and 78. The big panorama is at 92.
Kampong Gelam · $$ · MRT Bugis (EW12/DT14)
Hours unknown, check before you go
The textile end of the district: shophouses stacked with batik, songket, lace and carpets, many run by the same families for decades.
Prices are often per metre, so ask before they unroll a bolt. Cash helps for small buys. Shops thin out toward Victoria Street.
Kampong Glam · Free · MRT Bugis (EW12/DT14)
Sat–Thu 10:00–12:00 & 14:00–16:00; closed to visitors Fri
Rebuilt in 1928 on the site of an 1820s mosque. Its domes close the view down Bussorah Street, and the prayer hall is calm and vast.
Visitors Sat–Thu 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00, never Fridays, so time this stop. Enter from the Bussorah Street side and dress modestly.
Order: Beef rendang with nasi padang
Kampong Glam · $$ · MRT Bugis (EW12/DT14)
Daily 07:30–18:30
Point at the trays and they plate it over rice: beef rendang, jackfruit curry, sambal and fried chicken, cooked the West Sumatran way.
Two minutes from the mosque on Kandahar Street. Go before 17:00 for the full spread; it closes at 18:30.
Kampong Glam · $$ · MRT Bugis (EW12/DT14)
Galleries Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30); grounds Tue–Sun 08:00–21:00; closed Mon
Istana Kampong Gelam was built for the sultan's household in the 1840s. Its galleries trace Malay life, trade and pop culture in Singapore.
Last entry 17:30; closed Mondays. Free for residents, S$10 for most visitors. The palace lawn stays open into the evening.
Kampong Gelam · Free · MRT Bugis (EW12/DT14)
Hours unknown, check before you go
A pedestrian street of shophouses, cafés and perfume shops that frames the mosque perfectly. Best when the lights come on.
Walk it away from the mosque toward Beach Road, then turn round for the classic shot. The light is softest from about 18:30.
Beach Road · Free · MRT Lavender (EW11)
Hours unknown, check before you go
Commissioned in 1845 by Hajjah Fatimah, a merchant. Gold onion dome, Gothic windows and a European-style minaret that visibly tilts.
About 5 minutes up Beach Road from Bussorah Street. See the tilt from across the road; it is an active mosque, so avoid prayer times.
Beach Road · $ · MRT Nicoll Highway (CC5)
Hours unknown, check before you go
Malay, Thai and Chinese stalls upstairs and shops of army surplus gear below. Few visitors, plenty of regulars.
Stop for a snack and a cold drink before the bar. If you skip the buffet later, this is the cheap dinner instead.
Order: Two-ingredient cocktails like Pandan x Coconut
Kampong Glam · $$$ · MRT Nicoll Highway (CC5)
Hours unknown, check before you go
Walk into WitBier and through to a small cocktail room where each drink is built on a pairing of two core ingredients.
On Aliwal Street, two minutes back from Beach Road. It opens in the evening; go early for a seat before dinner.
Order: The Malay and Indonesian buffet
Kampong Glam · $$$ · MRT Bugis (EW12/DT14)
Daily 12:00–14:30; dinner Sun–Fri 18:00–21:30, Sat seatings 17:00–19:00 and 19:30–21:30
Gedung Kuning, the yellow house beside the old palace, is now a restaurant. The buffet runs through Malay, Indonesian and Singapore dishes.
Book dinner. Weekday lunch is about S$44++ a head. It is next to the Malay Heritage Centre, a short stroll back from Aliwal Street.
Unofficial · not affiliated with TOKEN2049. Hours and prices change; check before you go.