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As exciting and dynamic as a small Southeast Asian country like Singapore, there is no lack of photo-taking worthy moments from its rich heritage, cultural spots, art places, and modern developments. To plan your next trip to Singapore, here are some ideas for the best Instagram Spots to put in your itinerary.
We will begin with some signature locations and then popular attractions that will help you create sensational Instagram moments; Check out the guide map at the end of this post to plot your route, and you are welcome to leave a comment to share your favorites and other incredible suggestions!
Jewel Changi Airport
Since the opening of Jewel Changi, a nature-themed entertainment and retail complex linked to Changi Airport, its Rain Vortex in the center of the mall has been an Instagram sensation. Why wouldn’t it be? It is the world’s largest and tallest indoor waterfall, standing at over 40 meters high. With the multi-tier step garden, known as the Canopy Park, surrounding the Rain Vortex, the spectacle is a modern “indoor Hanging Gardens of Babylon.” The Changi Skytrain runs through Jewel Changi and passengers can have a view of the waterfall from a different perspective.
Jewel Changi was designed by Moshe Safdie, a renowned local firm, which also designed Marina Bay Sands. The architecture also recycles water from the basement level pool and pumps it to the roof for free falling. Over 37,000 liters of water were pumped per minute. One of the best viewpoints of the Rain Vortex is at the second-floor balcony once you walk in the main entrance.
The complex also features an exciting number of eateries, restaurants, retail stores, cinemas, and so much more for a fabulous pass-time transiting or before/after boarding your flight.
Fort Canning Park Tree Tunnel
Fort Canning Hill is the former Government Hill, commonly known as Fort Canning, the 48-meter-high hill is in the city center of Singapore, with a long history of important landmarks including the governor’s residence and a fortification of military use.
Some of these heritages remain in the park with some buildings charmingly converted as hotels, museums, art, and event spaces. New items are also added to this city’s oasis – take a walk in the park’s walking trail and enjoy the cool breeze. The number one Instagram Spot in Singapore now, however, is the underground passage and the circular staircase connecting Fort Canning Road and the Canning Walk.
Fort Canning Tree Tunnel is now a hotspot for photographers, while the circular stone walls and the tree framed the pictures beautifully with sunlight. The walkways on the side that lead to the tunnel are also wonderful for creating wonderful and photogenic moments. “Is there a long queue to take a photo there?” you ask – The answer is “Well, your question is kind of silly.”
Now, the hot spot can get very crowded and you are looking at a one to sometimes, three hours wait in line for “that photo”, even if you are there as early as 8 or even 7 am. Luckily, the passage is open 24/7 so I will leave it up to you to pick the best time or the day to visit.
Library @ Orchard
This public library was reopened in Orchard Gateway on the fourth floor of a shopping mall in 2014. The site is under the National Library Board (NLB) of Singapore. The site is conveniently located on top of the Somerset MRT station, the general public can enter the library and read the books, but the main draw of this library since its opening is when you descend from the library’s upper floor to the lower floor, and turn your head to the right and see the modern, curvy, pristinely white bookshelves with the wooden-tiled floor and novels lining neatly on each shelf. The best angle to take a picture is, obviously, from the top of the stairs, which is marked with a sign for the visitors!
A little “pro-tip”, you can also take some good photos from the seats in the reading areas. However, this is still a library so remember to keep it quiet while taking photos. Better yet, spend some time reading a book while you are there; You may find something interesting there as the library has a collection of over 100,000 books on different topics and genres.
Old Hill Street Police Station
The historic building is the former police station on Hill Street, built in the 1930s. The architecture was listed as a national heritage in 1998 and was renamed “MITA Building” and “MICA Building” in 1999 and 2004 respectively. This historic building on Hill Street was eventually given its old name back as “Old Hill Street Police Station.”
The Police Station, however, is now occupied by the police force anymore – the 927 windows of the building were painted in various vibrant colors of the rainbow. If you look closely, the colors of the first four stories are lighter, with the colors intensifying as a gradient to the top, cantilevered balconies.
So, who are the occupants of Old Hill Street Station today? It is currently the office of the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Arts. It is impossible to stop and take a picture of the building when you walk by, and Clark Quay is only a stone’s throw away if you are looking for a drink or dinner.
Museum of Ice Cream Singapore
The Museum of Ice Cream is not something brand new. The entire experience combines art, fun, taste, and fun trivia about ice cream. The museum features a series of art installations and experiences in several cities across the United States. Later the museum expanded its operation internationally across the Pacific to Singapore in August 2021.
The exterior of the museum may look ordinary except it’s completely pink. MOIC features 14 unique installations designed for incredible, immersive, or interactive photo-taking moments, together with fun facts, trivia, and history about ice cream. On top of the visual stimulation, your taste buds also have a wonderful journey of tasting about five to six different kinds of ice cream and popsicles.
Scan the QR codes in each room (a.k.a. scenes) and visitors will have the information in different languages. First, get creative and invent your “Ice Cream Name” in the first room, then enjoy either the double chocolate or pink guava ice cream presented by Denzy Gelato, in California, a nostalgic summer beach moment. What you may not know is, that Americans eat twice as much ice cream as the average person around the world!
In Singapore, the museum introduces some local flavors like the mini potong ice cream, presented by Kind Kones in Potong Palace.
For families with children, enjoy an active moment at the pink Bouncy castle, Playspace, Unicorn Playground, Craft room, and more! For me, I enjoyed Scream’s Diner a lot – especially the adorable jukebox with witty album names on display, while licking the delicious pink peppermint vegan ice cream cone.
The finale of MOIC is the Sprinkle Pool – it’s signature and probably the most popular photo-taking moment that Instagrammers will have their best time in pink!
Peranakan Houses
Joo Chiat is a great place for visitors to discover Peranakan culture, and have a stroll along this unique and historic part of Singapore, featuring heritage shophouses, quaint stores, and eateries.
The beautiful Peranakan Houses were first built in the 1840s, and apart from their colorful repainting, the architecture features a vibrant combination of art elements that reflects the values of Peranakan culture. While taking pictures of the house and exploring the neighborhood, dive into the interesting design and learn a little about Peranakan’s lifestyle and culture as well.
Tan Teng Niah
The “former” house of Tan Teng Niah is located in Little India, yet it is called “the last surviving Chinese villa” The colorful villa has eight rooms with old inscriptions at the front entrance with phrases by Siew Song. The villa dates back to 1900 and it was originally the residence of Tan Teng Niah’s wife.
The official then restored the villa in the 1980s; the villa got on the neighborhood’s heritage trail. Note that Little India gets very busy all day and the villa is next to a market. It may be challenging to take photos of the house without a roaring crowd.
Selegie Arts Center, and other Art Spaces
The Selegie Arts Center is an “art home” for the Photographic Society of Singapore. It was originally an Indian coffee shop with residential units on the upper floors. The National Arts Council acquired the building; the second floor was transformed into an art gallery, and the windows were painted with pastel rainbow colors, making it a new Instagram spot.
ArtScience Museum features stimulating light installations created by teamLab. Discover how visual art and state-of-the-art technologies are infused so perfectly while creating your best Instagram photos.
Check out what’s new at the National Gallery Singapore, the gallery has the largest public collection of Singaporean and regional art of the Eastern world, and the museum also hosts temporary contemporary art exhibitions, supporting the development of many rising and up-and-coming young artists across Southeast Asia. The museum is an impressive mix of old and new, and you may create your own Instagram moment with the featured artworks.
Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands
If you visited Marina Bay a decade ago and come again now, you won’t even recognize this place. Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay completely transformed the city’s skyline with the new skyscrapers in the city’s business center.
If you are staying at the hotel, take in the breathtaking views at the infinity pool or the Skydeck. Have a walk around Marina Bay and check out the numerous landmarks and attractions, including the Merlion, ArtScience Museum, Fullerton, Esplanade, National Gallery, Red Dot Design Museum, and more.
There is a lot to see at the Gardens by the Bay during the time at the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, the Garden Rhapsody and Floral Fantasy offers a different feel with the choreographed bayside spectacle of colored lights with classical music, pop songs, and show tunes.
Red Hill MRT Station, and modern architecture
Subway tour is something that I love to do, for example, I have written about how to design your subway tour in Stockholm, and Moscow, these two cities are famous to the world for their historic and artistic metro system. Here in Singapore, the Red Hill MRT Station has lately emerged as an “offbeat” Instagram spot with its red monochrome painted on both walls and painting. Whether taking a picture at the end of the escalator or staircase, there are interesting lines and geometric shapes in your photos.
If you are a fan, there are so many stunning and out-of-the-box architecture around Singapore for you to explore. They are also listed in the guide map below. For example, the Hive (Learning Hub South – LHS) is an eye-catching architecture Nanyang Technological University; Parkroyal On Pickering is a prestigious hotel with modern design elements and a stunning view of the city’s skyline. WOHA Architects is a living green tower in downtown Singapore.
The geometric lines and shapes of the housing estates are also a draw to photographers, like Block 669B and the TV Test Screen HDB Block.
Singapore Botanic Gardens and natural places
To nature lovers, the beautiful gardens in Singapore are not to be missed. The Botanic Gardens is often overlooked and an underrated natural Instagram spot. The garden has a history of 165 years and the tropical garden has so much more than you expect.
Located at the fringe of the Orchard Road shopping district, it is a combination of three gardens – the National Orchid Garden, the Botany Center, Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, and more. The orchid garden is the main attraction, showcasing more than 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of orchids. To capture some wonderful flowery photos, head to the Japanese Cemetery Park, or Sang Nila Utama Garden.
Singapore Zoo is another cluster of zoos featuring an exciting number of species. Whether you visit the Night Safari, River Wonders, or Singapore Zoo, there is always something interesting to see, ranging from Rhinoceros, Sloths, Malay Tapir, orangutans, Toco toucan to many more.
Sentosa and outdoor adventures!
Universal Studio Singapore is for sure an attraction that combines fun, adventure, and photo-taking moments. The theme park is on Sentosa Island, surrounded by an abundance of active activities watersports, recreational facilities, and resorts.
Active travelers will never get bored because there is always something to do on the island. Even if you just want to take your time and chill, enjoy the sun at one of the pristine beaches alone on the south coast, or sit in a bar and capture your Instagram moment if you feel fancy. Some of the best beaches in Sentosa are Siloso Beach and Palawan Beach.
Although Singapore does not have steep mountains, the island features a few scenic walking trails that hikers can explore. The Tree Top Walk, Southern Ridges, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Kranji Marshes, Serangoon Island, and Hougang are some of the natural areas and also offer incredible photo-taking opportunities.
Absolutely loved this article! Singapore has been on my travel bucket list for a while now, and seeing these Instagram-worthy spots just reinforces why. The vibrant colors of Selegie Arts Museum and the futuristic Jewel Changi are exactly the kind of visuals I love to capture and share. The tips on when to visit and how to get the best shots are super helpful too. Can’t wait to plan my trip and check out these spots in person. Thanks for sharing such an inspiring piece!
Thank you for sharing this list! We’ll be in Singapore next week and will make sure to visit all the spots that you mentioned. Thhe Fort Canning Tree Tunnel isn’t part of our original itinerary but will definitely add that.
Wow, that’s really nice and I would love to see your experience and photos of Fort Canning!