Fort Canning Park, Singapore: Address, Phone Number, Fort Canning Park Reviews: 4/5
Fort Canning Park
Fort Canning Park
4
About
Fort Canning Park is one of Singapore's most historic landmarks. It has witnessed Singapore's golden age, when Malay Kings ruled from its peak, and watched as the island transformed from a sleepy fishing village into a vibrant trading hub in the 19th century. During World War II, the hill was instrumental in Singapore's war efforts with numerous military buildings located there. One of these buildings was the Fort Canning Bunker or Battle Box, where the decision to surrender Singapore to the Japanese was made by the British. Many war relics from Singapore's colourful history have survived on the hill and are still visible today.Although the hill has since lost its imposing stature, its distinctive charm still remains. The lush lawns draw picnics, concerts, theatre productions and festivals, while weddings, parties and gatherings are a regular sight in the park's elegant indoor function rooms. Visit the park today and experience the tranquillity once enjoyed by the Malay royals of yore.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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7,692 within 3 miles

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782 within 6 miles

Keramat Sultan Iskandar Shah
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0.3 miMilitary Museums • Historic Sites

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Sang Nila Utama Garden
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0.2 miGardens
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
1,086 reviews
Excellent
422
Very good
522
Average
123
Poor
14
Terrible
5
dyhx
Singapore3,303 contributions
Friends
Started from the Jubilee Park just a short walk from Fort Canning Station (downtown line - blue mrt line), which was pretty much a kids playground with swings, slides, sandplay, see-saws.
Went up the stairs just next to the slides to Pancur Larangan, the old Bathing Court. Following the trail, up the escalator brought us to the Fort Gate, skipping the Fort Canning Hotel on the left.
Thru the gate, past a large patch of green, down the stairs to the back of the Fort Canning Centre (toilet stop location). Gave the Battlebox a miss this time (it's ticketed by the way) and turned right towards the Cannon and then the Keramat Iskandar Shah, believed to be his burial place but is pretty much a resting shelter now.
Moving on from there brought us to the Spice Garden, where we found mint, Pandan leaves, rosemary and some others but these are just the few I recognised. The garden led us to the Fort Canning Green on the left, which was in front of the Fort Canning Centre. Tracing out footsteps back towards the Artisan's Garden, with a small display on the archaeological work done in the area.
Continuing from the path led us past the Registry of Marriages, then to Sang Nila Utama Garden filled with many stone carving statues and finally, the Raffles Garden, where an old Lighthouse stands.
Great weather this morning, a little hot but could be worse really and actually there are quite a number of shady spots throughout. It was an easy walk, took us just over an hour and not quite as interesting as Botanical Gardens. We then exited along Hill Street. There are lots of food options nearby, at Funan Mall just opposite or turn right to Clarke Quay. One can also take a bus from opposite to Chinatown.
Went up the stairs just next to the slides to Pancur Larangan, the old Bathing Court. Following the trail, up the escalator brought us to the Fort Gate, skipping the Fort Canning Hotel on the left.
Thru the gate, past a large patch of green, down the stairs to the back of the Fort Canning Centre (toilet stop location). Gave the Battlebox a miss this time (it's ticketed by the way) and turned right towards the Cannon and then the Keramat Iskandar Shah, believed to be his burial place but is pretty much a resting shelter now.
Moving on from there brought us to the Spice Garden, where we found mint, Pandan leaves, rosemary and some others but these are just the few I recognised. The garden led us to the Fort Canning Green on the left, which was in front of the Fort Canning Centre. Tracing out footsteps back towards the Artisan's Garden, with a small display on the archaeological work done in the area.
Continuing from the path led us past the Registry of Marriages, then to Sang Nila Utama Garden filled with many stone carving statues and finally, the Raffles Garden, where an old Lighthouse stands.
Great weather this morning, a little hot but could be worse really and actually there are quite a number of shady spots throughout. It was an easy walk, took us just over an hour and not quite as interesting as Botanical Gardens. We then exited along Hill Street. There are lots of food options nearby, at Funan Mall just opposite or turn right to Clarke Quay. One can also take a bus from opposite to Chinatown.
Written July 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
macedonboy
Glasgow, UK157,761 contributions
This park is set on a hill that used to be part of the Fort Canning Fortifications. Some military structures are still near the top of the hill and these are clearly marked with dire warnings for trespassing. The park is a beautiful area with several gardens inspired by the history of Singapore including the Raffles Garden, Spice Garden, and my personal favourite, the Sang Nila Utama Garden inspired by the first king of Singapore. There’s also a sculpture hiking trail published by the National Parks of Singapore that’ll take you through the park to see the many sculptures inside. The park is a great way to spend at least half a day hiking in a beautiful setting.
Written March 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Andy C
221 contributions
Solo
Good hill workout and plenty of steps if you’re looking for stair climbing. 186 steps to the top near the flag pole. Stairs are fairly lit after dark, not great, but enough to see them during a run. The park gets crowded on Sundays with all of the domestic helpers on their days off so avoid on Sundays if you’re jogging or looking for a quiet, desolate experience. There are plenty of walking trails too. Checkout the spiral staircase near the metro stop. Somewhat hidden but not too difficult to find. It was the most Instagrammed spot in Singapore for a while. Also, if you go through the gate with the big wooden doors, checkout the narrow and steep staircase behind the door, going up to the roof…pretty cool.
Written June 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Cameron Smith
Celina, TX26 contributions
My wife and I so happened to accidentally walk into the park on our first explore day in Singapore. We had originally wanted to go later in our trip but because the park is so well maintained and beautiful, we decided to stay and walk around. Even though you're smack-dab in the middle of Singapore, you almost forget you're surrounded by a major city. This is definitely a must do thing to do while visiting.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Food and Travel
16 contributions
Family
Fort Canning Park certainly exceeded expectations. It is such a well maintained and beautiful park with so much history etched into every site. So many historical attractions to see around the park, including old cannons, buildings and bells. I highly recommend the battle box tour, it was very interesting exploring the underground war rooms from WW2. The park is huge, so leave plenty of time if you want to explore it all. There is plenty of walking involved and it’s very hot, so plan to go early in the day and bring plenty of food and water, because when we were there you couldn’t buy much inside the park. Also lots of stairs to must be relatively fit. Great experience and also views of Marina Bay Sands!
Written January 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
mjail5
Perth, Australia1,430 contributions
Fort Canning Park is huge. We had to come over 2 days and still failed to visit the natural spring site, children's playground area and join in the Battlebox Tour.
There are so many trails to take that when we ended up at the Tree Tunnel close to the Dhoby Ghaut MRT we thought we had seen it all and decided to go for lunch. Later we realised that we missed a few areas.
I am so glad the evening before we left Singapore, we returned to walk to the cemetery side as there was an archaelogical site with a video and some of the excavation finds displayed. I found this really interesting and a walk further up the hill brought us to the burial place of Sultan Iskandar Shah. We then walked down to where the old Christian Cemetery was. There were once over 600 gravestones but they had become dilapidated and 400 were removed in the 1970s with the remainder embedded onto the brick wall surrounding the old cemetery.
Again we made our way to the Tree Tunnel as it was packed with people the first time. Lucky for us, we were next in the queue and managed to finally get our Instaworthy shots!
Fort Canning Park is a definite must when you are in Singapore.
There are so many trails to take that when we ended up at the Tree Tunnel close to the Dhoby Ghaut MRT we thought we had seen it all and decided to go for lunch. Later we realised that we missed a few areas.
I am so glad the evening before we left Singapore, we returned to walk to the cemetery side as there was an archaelogical site with a video and some of the excavation finds displayed. I found this really interesting and a walk further up the hill brought us to the burial place of Sultan Iskandar Shah. We then walked down to where the old Christian Cemetery was. There were once over 600 gravestones but they had become dilapidated and 400 were removed in the 1970s with the remainder embedded onto the brick wall surrounding the old cemetery.
Again we made our way to the Tree Tunnel as it was packed with people the first time. Lucky for us, we were next in the queue and managed to finally get our Instaworthy shots!
Fort Canning Park is a definite must when you are in Singapore.
Written August 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Grover R
Pensacola, FL16,275 contributions
Alright Singapore has several amazing parks and gardens. However, if you had to pick the best one in the center of the city with the most historic value, this is it. In the middle of the city is a hilltop with a level terrace top just up from the Singapore River. This is where Singapore began as the hilltop for the kings of Singapura in the 14th and 15th centuries. The palaces and burial sites were on this verdant hill.
Then in the 19th Century Raffles built his house and fort here. It continued to serve the British empire until 1942 and WWII as the site of British HQ during the battle of Singapore in the Battlebox.
Today it is simply a beautiful park that has history and architecture as well as serving as a reservoir for the city. There are great trails for walking around the park and seeing its historic structures as well as amazing views of the city. The trees and the rest of the flora are simply amazing. This is a great place that you must visit during your stay for the history, views and vegetation.
Then in the 19th Century Raffles built his house and fort here. It continued to serve the British empire until 1942 and WWII as the site of British HQ during the battle of Singapore in the Battlebox.
Today it is simply a beautiful park that has history and architecture as well as serving as a reservoir for the city. There are great trails for walking around the park and seeing its historic structures as well as amazing views of the city. The trees and the rest of the flora are simply amazing. This is a great place that you must visit during your stay for the history, views and vegetation.
Written March 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Anthony
1 contribution
Couples
This is a great place for a walk in the park with your loved one. Lots of big trees, old stone Fort walls and cannons, with nice landscaped hilled parkland. We stayed at the hotel here and after a few whiskeys had a great drunken stroll around this beautiful spot at night.
Written August 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Coffee Chill
Sunshine Coast, Australia1,143 contributions
Fort Canning Park is an awesome green space and one of Singapore's most iconic historic sites. It was the scene of the Allie's war room prior to the disastrous fall of Singapore to the Japanese army in World War Two (WW11). On walkabout, we enjoyed the colourful flowers, intricate sculptures and beautiful trees in the botanical gardens here. We also chose to do battle box tour (highly recommended for history buffs) to check out the bunker and learn more about the intense happenings here during war time. But, whether or not, you are into the historic and or the botanical, it just simply a fantastic place to go for a walk (or take the escalators in some sections ...) and or just take in some amazing city (see my YouTube) views.
Written May 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
ChloeQSP
Singapore, Singapore35 contributions
Formerly known as the ‘Forbidden Hill’, the Fort Canning Park is amongst the most historic places in Singapore. Fort Canning Park is a place where you will fell close to nature. Take your camera along and go for a walk in the park – you will have plenty of pictures to click.
Opening Closing Time
🌎 Daily 24 hours
Entrance Fee
💎 Free
Opening Closing Time
🌎 Daily 24 hours
Entrance Fee
💎 Free
Written March 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Nigel G
Singapore, Singapore8,584 contributions
If your mobility is limited climbing stairs, is it still possible to visit / enjoy a visit here. Can a taxi drop you off t the top?
ANAND P
Singapore, Singapore91 contributions
Hi Nigel Accessibility will be very limited . Best bet would be to drive the nice winding path to the hotel lobby and have a coffee. I would recommend going to the Botanical garden instead . I have just now posted a review for you with photographs for you to see what I mean as well as enjoy the surroundings
Thea J
Tilburg, The Netherlands82 contributions
hallo, Klopt het dat je entree moet betalen voor dit park, en zo ja hoeveel is dat dan?
ClairandChris
sunderland, England371 contributions
Can you take a picnic with bottle of wine into the park to enjoy?
Peter L
Wigan, UK856 contributions
Better to be armed with the facts rather than a guess. Drinking alcohol in public places, which includes parks, is only banned after 10:30pm so unless you are having a very late picnic, there is no issue.
If you do a search "What you can or cannot do under the new alcohol law Singapore" and read the Straits Times article at the top of the search list, you will be able to read the facts.
Tripadvisor does not allow me to post the actual link.
johnmi2014
Mapleton, Queensland11 contributions
Can my wife and I walk in and see the park on our own? What is the admission just to enjoy the green space?
Barry Webster
Waipukurau, New Zealand331 contributions
Hi, yes you can walk the park on your own at no cost A really lovely park
sallycallalabay
callala bay14 contributions
Will the battle box bunker and museum/shop be open again by March 2015.
Joshua Y
Quezon City22 contributions
No, likely it will open in Sept 2015. You can access it by doing a 55SGD walking tour of "Through Fog and Fire" conducted by SG History Consultants. Call Changi War Museum for more details on schedule. We took a Wed 2:30-6pm tour.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fort Canning Park
- We recommend booking Fort Canning Park tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 9 Fort Canning Park tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Fort Canning Park:
- Singapore Battlebox and Fort Canning Hill Tour (From $29.39)
- Singapore Full Day Tour with a Local: 100% Personalized & Private (From $157.45)
- Singapore Layover Tour with a Local: 100% Personalized & Private (From $206.65)
- Private Singapore Tour with a Local, Highlights & Hidden Gems 100% Personalised (From $73.80)
- Singapore's Stories and Histories: A Self-Guided Audio Tour (From $5.20)
- Hotels near Fort Canning Park:
- (0.22 mi) Park Avenue Clemenceau
- (0.30 mi) Village Residence Robertson Quay by Far East Hospitality
- (0.25 mi) Paradox Singapore Merchant Court at Clarke Quay
- (0.31 mi) Fraser Place Robertson Walk, Singapore
- (0.30 mi) Grand Park City Hall
- Restaurants near Fort Canning Park:
- (0.01 mi) Tiong Bharu Bakery
- (0.08 mi) The RANCH Steakhouse By ASTONS
- (0.05 mi) Bayang
- (0.07 mi) Marutama Ramen (Liang Court)
- (0.08 mi) Tampopo
- Attractions near Fort Canning Park:
- (0.01 mi) Keramat Sultan Iskandar Shah
- (0.10 mi) Singapore River Cruise
- (0.12 mi) Clarke Quay
- (0.06 mi) Shanghai Dolly
- (0.10 mi) Liang Court