Singapore’s Chinatown is one of those places where there’s a lot going on in a fairly small area.
The neighbourhood is easily one of the most popular Singapore attractions for first-time visitors. You’ve got bustling pedestrian streets strung with red lanterns, historic temples that are still actively used by locals, hidden murals down laneways, and some of the city’s most famous hawker centres — all within a few minutes’ walk of each other.
I spent a morning wandering Chinatown on foot as part of my 5-day Singapore itinerary, starting early before the crowds really kicked in. Wandering through the various places of worship and cultural sites, I found it fascinating to learn about the importance of areas like Chinatown in Singapore’s history.
If you’re wondering what to do in Chinatown, Singapore, this neighbourhood packs culture, food, history and colour into a very walkable area. Below are my suggestions for the best things to see and do, plus a few practical tips to help you plan your time.
Quick Summary:
Chinatown is one of Singapore’s most character-filled neighbourhoods, blending temples, street markets, hawker centres and murals in one compact area. This guide walks you through the highlights, plus tips on timing, food and getting around.
Recommended tours:
🏮 Chinatown Historic Walking Tour with Lunch – Explore temples, heritage streets and Chinatown history with a guided walk and included lunch
🍜 Chinatown Hawker Food Tasting Tour – Sample up to eight iconic street foods with a local guide through Chinatown’s hawker centres
🎟️ Chinatown Heritage Centre Admission Ticket – Step inside recreated shophouses and learn about early immigrant life in Chinatown
Chinatown Singapore map guide:
C – Chinatown MRT Station (metro)
M – Maxwell MRT Station (metro)
H – Chinatown Heritage Centre
P – Pagoda Street
S – Sri Mariamman Temple
B – Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
H1 – Chinatown Complex Food Centre
H2 – Maxwell Food Centre
G – Singapore City Gallery
T – Thian Hock Keng Temple
To make planning easier, I’ve created a self-guided Chinatown Singapore walking tour map featuring all the main attractions mentioned in this guide — including temples, Pagoda Street, hawker centres, museums, and the nearest MRT stations. It does not show the murals and food & drink stops.
Chinatown is easy to explore on foot, so this route helps you connect everything in a logical order without doubling back more than necessary. You can follow it step-by-step or just use it as a reference while wandering at your own pace.
Temples in Chinatown Singapore
Chinatown is home to some of the city’s most important religious sites. One of the things I loved most about exploring Chinatown was how easy it was to visit several very different Singapore temples in a single morning. Best of all, entrance to all of these temples is free.
Sri Mariamman Temple
I started my day at Sri Mariamman Temple. This is Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple, originally built in 1827 to serve early Indian immigrants, and it’s still a very active place of worship today. Shoes must be removed at the entrance, and your shoulders and knees should be covered while you’re inside (you can borrow a modesty wrap if needed).
I arrived just before 8am, and it was a gorgeous time to visit. While the temple was quiet in terms of tourists, worshippers were already there performing their morning rituals. I was completely taken by the colourful statues, especially the ornate tower above the front gate glowing in the morning light. The atmosphere was incredibly peaceful, so I’d highly recommend an early visit if you can manage it!
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
I walked to Buddha Tooth Relic Temple next, arriving around 8:30am — and wow, this Buddhist temple is impressive! Opened in 2007, it’s much newer than the other temples in Chinatown and designed in a Tang Dynasty architectural style.
At first, I thought only the main hall on the ground floor was open to tourists, but the building actually has multiple levels to explore, including meditation rooms, museums and galleries displaying Buddhist relics, and even a vegetarian food hall in the basement. I spent at least an hour wandering around. If you time your visit well, you may be lucky enough to catch a ceremony or presentation taking place.
Thian Hock Keng Temple
I visited Thian Hock Keng Temple later in the morning. This is one of Singapore’s oldest and most important Taoist temples, completed in 1840. Historically, Chinese sailors and migrants would come here to give thanks for safe passage.
By the time I arrived around 11am, this temple was busy with tour groups, so the atmosphere didn’t feel quite as reflective as the temples I’d visited earlier — but it was still well worth visiting. The red and gold hanging lanterns, the decorative floor tiling, and the Taoist paintings and sculptures were all striking.
🏮 A guided walking tour can add a lot of context to Chinatown’s history and religious sites. The Chinatown Historic Walking Tour with Lunch focuses on temples, heritage streets and early migrant history. It’s a good option if you want deeper insight (and a local lunch!) without having to plan the route yourself.
Pagoda Street & Chinatown Street Market
If you’re looking for the heart of Chinatown, Pagoda Street is it. This colourful and photogenic street is one of the most popular Chinatown Singapore attractions and is lined with restored shophouses, souvenir stalls and traditional snack shops. It’s the first thing you’ll see as you step out of Chinatown MRT Station to explore the neighbourhood.
Pagoda Street forms part of the wider Chinatown Street Market, which also extends into nearby streets like Trengganu Street and Temple Street. When I was there (early February), many of the stalls were selling goods for the upcoming Lunar New Year, but you can find a variety of wares and snacks around here. It’s definitely touristy, but it’s also a fun place to soak up the Chinatown atmosphere.
Museums in Chinatown
If you’re looking to add a bit more depth to your visit, there are a couple of worthwhile museums in Chinatown that help bring the neighbourhood’s history to life.
Chinatown Heritage Centre
Chinatown Heritage Centre is one of the most well-known cultural attractions in the area. Even from the outside, it’s striking — the preserved shophouse façade gives you a glimpse into what Chinatown might have looked like throughout past decades.
Inside, the museum recreates the cramped living quarters of early Chinese immigrants and tells the story of how the neighbourhood developed over time. If you’re interested in Singapore’s migrant history, this would be a great addition to your Singapore Chinatown itinerary.
🎟️ You can pre-book a Chinatown Heritage Centre Admission Ticket in advance, which makes it easy to slot into your walk without waiting in line.
Singapore City Gallery
I also stopped by the Singapore City Gallery, which is free to enter. This museum focuses on how Singapore has developed over time, with a strong emphasis on urban planning and town design (my husband would have absolutely loved it — he’s a bit of a nerd about that stuff).
The standout feature here is an enormous scale model of the city, where you can walk around spotting major landmarks, rivers and even future developments marked out. In the same room, there’s also an incredible detailed illustration of Singapore drawn entirely from memory by an autistic artist after just a 30-minute helicopter flight over the city — the level of detail is honestly amazing!
Hawker Centres in Chinatown
Hawker centres are a huge part of daily life in Singapore, and Chinatown is one of the best places to experience Singapore street food and traditional hawker culture as a visitor.
Chinatown Complex Food Centre
I wandered through Chinatown Complex Food Centre first, which is Singapore’s largest hawker centre, with well over 200 food stalls packed into one gigantic space. The whole place feels very local and no-frills — this is clearly where residents come to eat, not just tourists.
To be honest, I found it a bit overwhelming. It was extremely busy at lunchtime, with very little room to move, and the sheer scale of it all felt intense. I don’t love crowds at the best of times, so I decided pretty quickly that this scene wasn’t for me and moved on to check out Maxwell instead.
That said, Chinatown Complex is home to several well-known and Michelin-recognised stalls, and if you’re after a more authentic, hyper-local hawker experience, this is probably the place to go.
Maxwell Food Centre
Just down the road, Maxwell Food Centre felt far more manageable. It’s smaller and more tourist-friendly, set inside what feels like a large warehouse-style shed lined with rows of food stalls. There were lots of interesting-looking options if you’re keen to try classic Singaporean specialties, although as a vegetarian I didn’t find a huge amount that I could eat here.
Maxwell is also one of the most well-known hawker centres in Singapore thanks to famous stalls like Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, which has gained international attention and praise from celebrity chefs over the years. Several stalls here have been recognised in the Michelin Guide, which gives you some reassurance that you’re eating somewhere genuinely special — not just tourist hype.
If you’re feeling playful, Maxwell even has its own bit of pop culture trivia — look out for the so-called “Lady Gaga Chair” at Table 174, where the singer reportedly sat when she was in Singapore last year.
🍜 If you’re not restricted by dietary requirements, a Chinatown Hawker Food Tasting Tour would be a fantastic way to experience these hawker centres on a walking tour with local insight and tastings included.
Best brunch & sweet stops in Chinatown
Chinatown is also a great place to slow down and enjoy something sweet. For something traditional, Mei Heong Yuen Dessert is a classic, known for snow ice and chendol.
Near Telok Ayer, All Hands Café is a lovely spot for a modern take on a Singapore classic kaya toast. I tried their Signature Shokupan, topped with creamy kaya custard and shaved butter, served with two sous-vide eggs (so good!).
I’d originally planned to visit Gelato Garden on Smith Street to try their durian gelato, but after waiting around 10 minutes past opening time with no one in sight, I gave up hope and instead headed towards Madam Ooze. I ordered gelato (Tahitian taro and sweet black sesame) served on a warm butter croissant. Not cheap — but absolutely worth it!
Matcha lattes & café drinks near Chinatown
If you’re craving an iced drink, try Spring Coffee for their iced strawberry matcha latte, which I found to be a refreshing way to start my morning. Cafe Monochrome also serves a strawberry matcha, while Cafe Gyoen Matcha Bar is popular for their classic matcha lattes with very cute latte art.
Murals & street art in Chinatown
One of my favourite Chinatown activities was wandering the streets in search of murals. Many of the most famous works are by local artist Yip Yew Chong, whose paintings bring scenes of old Singapore to life. Chinatown’s murals are mostly clustered around Pagoda Street, Temple Street and nearby side lanes, making them easy to spot while walking between attractions.
I stopped by Clog Maker & Kitchenware Shop, which captures the bustle of traditional trades, as well as Chinatown Home, a nostalgic glimpse into everyday life inside the area’s shophouses. I also spotted the Detective Conan mural, which adds a playful contrast to Chinatown’s heritage streets.
How to get to Chinatown + how much time do you need
The easiest way to get to Chinatown is via Chinatown MRT Station, which is served by both the Downtown Line and North East Line. From Exit A, you’re immediately dropped onto Pagoda Street.
You can also use Maxwell MRT Station (Thomson–East Coast Line), which is particularly convenient if you’re heading straight to Maxwell Food Centre or Singapore City Gallery. Both stations will place you within easy walking distance of the top Chinatown attractions.
If you’re wondering how long to spend in Chinatown, Singapore, most visitors find that half a day is ideal. That gives you enough time to explore the temples, wander Pagoda Street and the street market, stop in at a museum, and stop for lunch (or dessert).
If you’re short on time, joining a guided tour can help you see the top spots more efficiently. The Chinatown Historic Walking Tour with Lunch is a great option if you’re interested in temples and early migrant history, while the Chinatown Hawker Food Tasting Tour works best if your main focus is sampling Singapore’s famous street food.
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