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Heritage walks and tours at Fort Canning Park

Free of charge for a self-guided walk. $10 per person for a guided tour.

Ways to enjoy history at Fort Canning Park

Few sites in Singapore hold as much historical value as Fort Canning Park, making it the perfect place to go for enriching heritage walks. In the 14th century, it was believed to be the site of a royal palace for Malay kings while Singapore was a prosperous port.

Then in the 19th century, the park was given a new lease of life when the British landed in Singapore and set up a communication centre atop the hill.

Take an easy walk here and connect with history in any of these ways:

  • Do a self-guided walk at your own pace.
  • Join a guided group tour.

Self-guided walk

Go on self-guided walk to explore both Fort Canning's pre-colonial and colonial histories.

Follow the Ancient History Trail which will bring you to sites and exhibitions about relics of medieval Singapore in Fort Canning Park from eras past.

View the Ancient History Trail guide (includes map) (PDF, 632MB)

Quick facts

Difficulty level: Moderate

Distance: 2km

Estimated walking time: 45 minutes

Highlights:

  • Visit and read about the archaeological dig site, trade artefacts and the purported tomb of Singapore’s last king Sultan Iskandar Shah from 600-700 years ago.
    • While the shrine was popularly regarded as an auspicious place for people to ask for specific favours, others avoided the hill as they believed it was haunted. Thus Fort Canning Park was previously known as the "Forbidden Hills" until Singapore was colonised.
  • Visit the Picnic Terrace, a modern-day event space but possibly the site of a royal palace many centuries ago.
  • Read about the Singapore Stone and the tale of the legendary Badang, a man so strong that he could hurl a heavy stone from Fort Canning Hill to the mouth of the Singapore River, 500m away.
  • View the heritage trees such as the Rain Tree, Terap tree and Madras Thorn tree that have spread their roots and taken decades to mature gracefully and beautify Fort Canning Park.

Explore another phase of Singapore's rich history, this time as a British colony from the 1800s. Follow this trail to visit the colonial structures standing in the park today, and learn about the hill's transformation from a communication centre to a regular fort and then to an artillery fort.

View the Colonial History Trail guide (includes map) (PDF, 2.1MB)

Quick facts

Difficulty level: Moderate

Distance: 2km

Estimated walking time: 45 minutes

Highlights:

  • Fort Canning Centre, originally built as army barracks.
  • The 9-pound cannon near the Fort Canning Centre.
  • Singapore's first experimental botanic garden where the British wanted to cultivate profitable spices for trade.
  • Raffles House, where Sir Stamford Raffles (the founder of modern Singapore) resided in.
  • Replica of a time ball which the British used to signal the correct time to the public.
  • Replica of a lighthouse which helped ships to identify Singapore before entering our harbour.
  • The Fort Gate built to protect Singapore against attackers approaching from the sea.
  • The old gunpowder magazine, a special building for the storage of explosive gunpowder.
  • View heritage trees such as the Earpod tree, the Kapok tree and Terap trees.
  • Look out for the ornamental Torch Ginger and Asam Gelugor at the Spice Garden.

Guided group tour: Heritage on the Hill Tour

Spend 2 hours with our guide who will narrate historical stories and highlight the changing faces of Fort Canning through the centuries, starting from the 1300s to the 1800s, 1900s and beyond.

Group size: Minimum 15 participants per group

Duration: 2 hours

Cost: $10 per person

How to register

You will have to send an email at least 1 month in advance.

Note:

  • Even if your group size is smaller than the minimum number required, you will still be charged based on the minimum number of participants.
  • National Parks Board reserves the right to revise the rates without prior notice.
NEAR mobile app

Download the NEAR mobile app to find a route via our park connectors or trails.

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National Parks Board

© 2024 Government of Singapore.
Last updated on 25 March 2024.