SG · Central Region · 1.28°N 103.84°E

chinatown

Maxwell and Chinatown Complex hawker food, plus the Buddha Tooth temple.

Best time
Any time of year. The streets get a big light-up and festive bazaar in the weeks before Chinese New Year, which is also when it's most crowded. Rain is heavier from about November to January.
How long
Half a day
Getting there
About 4–5 hours' drive from KL to Singapore, plus border queues. Buses from KL take about 5–6 hours, and flights about an hour. Chinatown and Maxwell MRT stations put you right in the middle of it.
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SG · Central Regionchinatown1.28°N 103.84°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Maxwell and Chinatown Complex hawker food, plus the Buddha Tooth temple.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingChinatownSG, Central Region
KLchinatown
≈ 316 km from KL, as the crow flies
Aerial perspective of Singapore's Chinatown

Photo: Bob Tan · CC BY-SA 4.0

1 / 3

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Singapore's old Chinese quarter, south-west of the Singapore River, with rows of restored shophouses, temples of several faiths and two of the city's best-known hawker centres. Come hungry. It's an easy half day on foot.

Makan

  1. Hainanese chicken riceTian Tian at Maxwell Food Centre is the famous stall, with a queue to match.Map ↗
  2. Chinatown Complex Food CentreOne of Singapore's biggest hawker centres, with hundreds of stalls upstairs.Map ↗
  3. Bak kwaSweet, smoky grilled pork jerky from long-running shops in the area. Queues get huge before Chinese New Year.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Buddha Tooth Relic TempleA large Tang-style temple housing a relic said to be the Buddha's tooth, with a rooftop garden.Map ↗
  2. Sri Mariamman TempleSingapore's oldest Hindu temple, with a tall, colourful gopuram on South Bridge Road.Map ↗
  3. Thian Hock Keng TempleA beautifully restored Hokkien temple on Telok Ayer Street, which once stood by the sea.Map ↗
  4. Pagoda Street and Trengganu StreetLanes of souvenir stalls and shophouses, busy day and night.Map ↗
  5. Ann Siang Hill and Club StreetRestored shophouses with cafés and bars, quiet by day and lively at night.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Cover your shoulders and knees at the temples, and take your shoes off at Sri Mariamman.
  • Many hawker stalls close one day a week, and the popular ones can sell out early.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.