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Top Green Spaces in Singapore’s Concrete Jungle
Though small, Singapore offers exploration more than one might anticipate. Nearly 50% of the country’s land area is covered by green spaces (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), making it an enticing destination for nature lovers all over the world.
Green spaces are designated areas in a country reserved for natural parks, gardens, and bodies of water where diverse flora and fauna thrive. Visitors flock to these green spaces for a change of scenery amidst the growing urban developments in the city.
The tiny island nation has several green spaces worth visiting, and we narrowed down the top green spaces in Singapore so you can add them to your travel itinerary!
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Address: 1 Cluny Rd, Singapore 259569
Contact Details: +6564717138
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday, 5:00 am to 12:00 am
The Singapore Botanic Gardens is the island’s first and only UNESCO World Heritage Site, earning the esteemed status in 2015. This 82-hectare expanse of lush greenery, flower gardens, and tranquil landscapes is one of the best green spaces in Singapore.
Some of the most popular attractions in the garden complex are the educational Evolution Garden, the ornamental Swan Lake, and the National Orchid Garden, which houses thousands of orchid species.
It’s also worth noting that Singapore’s national flower is the orchid, so visiting the Singapore Botanic Gardens for its verdant display of one of its iconic symbols is a must in any tourist’s travel itinerary!
| Pro Tip: The Singapore Botanic Gardens often hosts live performances and exhibitions in its various event spaces and botanical gardens. To check if any event is happening during your planned visit date, head on over to this page for reference. |
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
Address: Hindhede Dr, Singapore 589318
Contact Details: +6518004717300
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, one of the most extensive patches of primary forest remaining in Singapore, houses over 40% of the island’s diverse flora and fauna species.
This unique Singaporean sanctuary boasts excellent hiking trails and family-friendly options for rock climbing and mountain biking. Beware of diverse wildlife, including the Golden Orb Web spider and the Long-tailed Macaque, as you navigate the trails.
Many locals enjoy climbing Singapore’s highest peak, Bukit Timah Hill, standing at 163 metres. Begin your trail at the visitor centre and trek through the rainforest surrounding the reserve to reach the summit.
| Pro Tip: The Bukit Timah Reserve’s various walking trails to the peak are safe for children, but if you’re unsure about which route to take, you can ask the staff members at the visitor centre for suggestions and even an orientation. There are shelters, toilets, and benches spread across the trails too. |
Fort Canning Park
Address: Fort Canning, Singapore
Contact Details: +6518004717300
Operating Hours: Open 24/7
Although not as expansive as most parks in this list, the Fort Canning Park is still a worthy inclusion as one of the best, but quaint, green spaces in Singapore. If you love climbing hilltops, then you’re in for a treat here!
Aside from the park’s historical significance as the former British Army headquarters of colonial Singapore, Fort Canning’s pockets of gardens and walking trails give visitors a lush respite amidst the bustling city streets.
You can lounge on the sprawling green lawns, learn about the park’s history, and or stroll through the tree-clad pathways. There’s a lot you can do for such a small hilltop oasis!
| Pro Tip: Fort Canning Park’s escalators are closed at the time of writing, but the attractions at the hilltop are still accessible via stairs at Jubilee Park. If you need wheelchair assistance, the staff at the visitor centre can help you through various entrances from Cox Terrace. |
Windsor Nature Park
Address: 30 Venus Dr, Singapore 573858
Contact Details: +6518004717300
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
The 75-hectare Windsor Nature Park isn’t as well known as its neighbour, MacRitchie Reservoir Park, but it’s still a green space that warrants attention from nature lovers and tourists with a sense of adventure.
If you love walking trails, the Hanguana Trail and Drongo Trail are the ones to take. The Hanguana Trail features rare native plants while the Drongo Trail offers a sub-canopy walk for exploring beneath the canopies of the regenerating secondary forest.
Other Windsor Nature Park highlights you might encounter are freshwater streams, marshes, and scenic boardwalks that take you all around the green space.
| Pro Tip: Windsor Nature Park doesn’t allow pets into its walking trails, but there’s one place you can bring your furry friends: Venus Walk. It’s a short boardwalk trail sitting near the MacRitchie Treetop Walk Trailhead that you can access through an off-road path from Venus Drive! |
HortPark
Address: 33 Hyderabad Rd, Singapore 119578
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday, 6:00 am to 11:00 pm
People with a penchant for gardening might regard HortPark as their favourite green space in Singapore. If you’re a green thumb, we won’t blame you––HortPark is surely a gardener’s paradise thanks to its 13 themed horticultural attractions.
HortPark offers vast lawns for relaxation, picnics, and events. Explore the must-visit Valley of Edibles in the Community Gardening Zone for gardening and edible plant knowledge.
It showcases vegetables, edible flowers, herbs, spices, and more. Even better, the HortPark Visitor Centre can even show you how you can start your own edible garden in your own home!
| Pro Tip: HortPark hosts free monthly tours via the Gardeners’ Day Out event. You can check out the date of when these tours will be held here. |
Jurong Lake Gardens
Address: Yuan Ching Rd, Singapore
Operating Hours: Open 24/7
Jurong Lake Gardens stands as a breathtaking waterfront destination, offering various attractions like a water play area, nature-inspired playground, therapeutic garden, and more!
Beyond its recreational features, this exquisite garden hosts flourishing plant life, diverse fauna, and numerous picturesque green spaces, including the expansive Jurong Lake.
You can take your children to play and splash around Clusia Cove, get some peace and quiet by strolling around The Grasslands, or take your pets for a walk at the Dog Run. There’s an activity for every member of the family here!
| Pro Tip: Jurong Lake Gardens’ attractions have specific operating hours, which you can check out here. Some of them, including dining establishments in the area, are open on public holidays, though! |
Kent Ridge Park
Address: Vigilante Dr, Singapore 118176
Contact Details: +6518004717300
Operating Hours: Open 24/7
Fitness enthusiasts who want to sweat it out amidst nature will find just what they’re looking for at Kent Ridge Park. The 47-hectare green space next to HortPark is known for its 20 fitness stations, nature ponds, and a long boardwalk.
The fitness equipment is free to use for visitors, but the elderly regularly use them. In case they’re full, you can get some cardio done around the jogging paths or by walking through the boardwalk.
The biodiversity in this park alone is noteworthy, as there are sunbirds, squirrels, doves, and even fish that inhabit the trees and ponds. You can hear them chirp or hum as you stroll around the park, too!
| Pro Tip: There used to be three entrances to the park, but with the Springwood Height entrance closed. You can enter via Vigilante Drive or Pepys Road. |
Ang Mo Kio Town Gardens
Address: Opposite Ang Mo Kio Town Library, Ang Mo Kio Ave 6, Singapore 567740 and Junction of Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 and 8, behind Ang Mo Kio MRT Station, 6A Ang Mo Kio Street 53, Singapore 569208
Contact Details: +6518004717300
Operating Hours: Open 24/7
Residents of Ang Mo Kio are lucky to have the West and East Gardens as their green oases in the middle of the city. These two parks offer different sceneries but they share the same charm that warrants attention from nature lovers.
In the West Garden, you’ll find a 120-step garden staircase filled with tall trees and footsteps featuring different types of flowers. Once you get to the top, you get a great view of the whole garden.
The East Garden was built on what was once a rubber plantation, so you’ll find a lot of rubber trees here. There are also nutmeg and cinnamon trees spread across the park, and on the lawn, a few large sculptures of nutmeg and rubber seeds!
| Pro Tip: There’s wheelchair access to the East Garden via a lift from the Ang Mo Kio MRT Station. In the West Garden, portions of the footpaths are closed for construction work nearby, but there is a temporary path that still gives access to the park from Ang Mo Kio Avenue. |
Rifle Range Nature Park
Address: Rifle Range Road, Singapore 589322
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
Rifle Range Nature Park is one of the newer additions to Singapore’s green space networks and was built as a green buffer to protect the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve from urban developments nearby.
What sets this park apart from the other green spaces on this list is that its lighting and other operational systems are powered by solar energy. It’s the first of its kind and Singapore, actually!
The park features a network of boardwalks for walking trails. The Colugo Trail provides a panoramic view, while the Banyan Trail offers a rustic hike through Banyan tree groves.
| Pro Tip: There’s a car park near the Rifle Range Nature Park that also allows cyclers to park their bikes. There are only 10 bike slots by the Senapang Entrance though, so drop by during weekday mornings or afternoons to avoid crowds or losing a bike slot! |
Pasir Ris Park
Address: Pasir Ris Green, Singapore
Contact Details: +6518004761600
Operating Hours: Open 24/7
Picture this: a charming green space, clad with trees, grass, and mangrove forests, built next to the sea. That’s what you can expect when visiting Pasir Ris Park, a 70-hectare forest expanse packed with family-friendly park activities.
One of its main highlights is a 6-hectare protected mangrove forest built with a boardwalk for visitors to stroll through. After exploring the area, you can lounge on Pasir Ris Beach, which sits next to the park.
Other activities you can do here are inline skating, cycling, fishing, and even bird-watching in the park’s Bird Watching Tower.
| Pro Tip: Pasir Ris Park allows visitors to rent barbeque pits near the beach. You can book pits here on the day of your preferred date. Note: you can only use the barbecue pits from 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm! |
