Fort Canning Park

Fort Canning Park is the hill that holds more of Singapore's history than anywhere else, and it is free, open around the clock and a few minutes' walk from the river. Long before modern Singapore, this was Bukit Larangan, the Forbidden Hill, the seat of fourteenth-century Malay rulers; archaeologists have found artefacts from that era here, and some of them are now shown in the park's Heritage Gallery. When Stamford Raffles arrived in 1819 he built his residence on the hilltop, and the colonial government later fortified it as Fort Canning, which gave the park its name. Only the Fort Gate survives from the old fort, along with a former Christian cemetery whose gravestones are set into the walls, and the British army barracks that now house the Fort Canning Centre. Under the hill is the Battlebox, the underground bunker from which the British command made the decision to surrender Singapore to Japan in February 1942, which runs separate tours. What makes the park a pleasure rather than a history lesson is its gardens. The park was renewed in 2019 with nine historical gardens, including the Spice Garden, a descendant of Singapore's first experimental botanic garden, which now grows more than 180 varieties of herbs and spices; Pancur Larangan, a contemplative garden near the old spring; and Raffles Garden. Fifteen heritage trees shade the paths, and the hill is a cool, green island between Orchard Road, the Civic District and Clarke Quay. Plan an hour or two in the morning, then walk down to the river.

The park covers 22 hectares, bounded by Hill Street, Canning Rise, Clemenceau Avenue and River Valley Road, and has several entrances. The easiest approach for first-timers is from Fort Canning MRT, which brings you up near the Spice Garden, or from Dhoby Ghaut, where the photogenic Tree Tunnel, a spiral staircase looking up through a ring of trees, is the most photographed corner of the park. From Clarke Quay, steps and paths climb straight up the river side of the hill. Wheelchair users should use the drop-off at the Cox Terrace roundabout, which gives step-free access to the main areas.

NParks runs free guided walks on many weekends, including heritage tours of the hill and tree walks; they are well worth catching if your dates line up. Self-guided, a good loop takes in the Fort Gate, the old cemetery walls, the Spice Garden, Raffles Garden and the Heritage Gallery in about an hour and a half. The lawns host concerts, festivals and outdoor theatre through the year, and the park is a favourite spot for local joggers and wedding photographers. Mornings are best for cool air and soft light.

Fort Canning works as the green link in a Civic District day. Start on the hill in the morning, walk down to the National Museum of Singapore on Stamford Road or the Peranakan Museum on Armenian Street, both at the foot of the hill, then continue to the National Gallery and the Asian Civilisations Museum by the river, and finish with lunch or a drink at Clarke Quay. There is no food on the hilltop itself, so bring water.