Singapore Things to Do Temples & Mosques

The 12 Best Temples, Mosques & Churches in Singapore (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 12 picks

The best places of worship to visit in Singapore in 2026 are the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Sri Mariamman Temple in Chinatown, Thian Hock Keng on Telok Ayer Street, the Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam, Sri Veeramakaliamman in Little India and St Andrew's Cathedral at City Hall. All are free to enter.

Singapore's oldest temples, mosques and churches sit within a few streets of each other, a legacy of the colonial town plan that gave each community its quarter. All of those below are working places of worship that welcome respectful visitors for free. Cover shoulders and knees (most lend wraps at the door), take shoes off before entering Hindu temples and mosques, and avoid prayer times, especially Friday midday at mosques. For more of the neighbourhoods around them, see our Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam restaurant guides.

1. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple — Chinatown

A grand Tang-style temple with a relic stupa and a rooftop garden.

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is a large, richly decorated Buddhist temple in Chinatown, built in the style of the Tang dynasty and opened in 2007. It houses a relic venerated as the Buddha's tooth in a gold stupa on an upper floor, a Buddhist museum, and a rooftop garden with a large prayer wheel.

Visit in the early evening, when chanting often fills the main hall, then eat at Maxwell Food Centre across the road.

Good to know: Shorts and sleeveless tops are not allowed inside; free shawls are available at the entrance.

288 South Bridge Rd, Singapore 058840

Google Maps Website

2. Sri Mariamman Temple — Chinatown

Singapore's oldest Hindu temple, with a towering gopuram of painted deities.

Sri Mariamman Temple was founded in 1827 and is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, dedicated to the goddess Mariamman. Its entrance tower, the gopuram, is covered in brightly painted sculptures of gods and figures, and the temple hosts the fire-walking festival, Thimithi, each year.

It sits in the middle of Chinatown on South Bridge Road, an easy stop between the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Masjid Jamae.

Good to know: Leave shoes on the racks outside and walk clockwise around the shrines.

244 South Bridge Rd, Singapore 058793

Google Maps Website

3. Thian Hock Keng Temple — Telok Ayer, Chinatown

The most important Hokkien temple, built where immigrants once landed.

Thian Hock Keng was built in the early 1840s on what was then the waterfront of Telok Ayer, where Hokkien sailors gave thanks to Mazu, the sea goddess, for safe passage. Its carved beams, roof ridges and stone pillars make it one of Singapore's finest traditional Chinese buildings.

It is calmer than the Chinatown temples, and close to the restaurants and bars of Telok Ayer and Amoy Street.

Good to know: Look up at the roof ridges and beams; the craftsmanship is the highlight.

158 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068613

Google Maps Website

4. Sultan Mosque (Masjid Sultan) — Kampong Glam

Singapore's best-known mosque, with golden domes over Bussorah Street.

Masjid Sultan's golden domes rise at the end of palm-lined Bussorah Street in Kampong Glam. The current building dates from the 1920s and is a national monument, with a prayer hall that holds thousands of worshippers.

Visitors may enter the foyer and look into the prayer hall outside prayer times. Combine it with lunch on Bussorah Street or Arab Street.

Good to know: Avoid Friday midday, when the mosque is closed to tourists for congregational prayers.

3 Muscat St, Singapore 198833

Google Maps Website

5. Masjid Jamae (Chulia) — Chinatown

A Tamil Muslim mosque from the 1820s, with twin minarets in the heart of Chinatown.

Masjid Jamae was built by Chulia Muslims from South India and is one of Singapore's oldest mosques, a national monument with an unusual gateway of twin minarets facing South Bridge Road.

It shows how close the city's faiths sit: it is a minute's walk from Sri Mariamman Temple.

Good to know: Visitors are welcome outside prayer times; dress modestly and remove shoes.

218 South Bridge Rd, Singapore 058767

Google Maps Website

6. Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple — Little India

Little India's busiest temple, dedicated to the goddess Kali.

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple on Serangoon Road is dedicated to Kali and has been at the centre of Little India's community life for generations. It is busy with worshippers through the day, and the evening prayers, with bells and drums, are the best time to visit.

It is the natural starting point for a walk around Little India.

Good to know: Come for the evening puja around dusk for the most atmosphere.

141 Serangoon Rd, Singapore 218042

Google Maps Website

7. Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple — Little India

A Vishnu temple with a tall gopuram, where the Thaipusam procession begins.

Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, further up Serangoon Road, is dedicated to Vishnu and is one of Singapore's most important Hindu temples. Its five-tier gopuram is a landmark, and it is the starting point of the Thaipusam procession each year.

Pair it with Sri Veeramakaliamman and the Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple nearby for a temple walk.

Good to know: If you are in Singapore for Thaipusam, arrive early in the morning to see devotees begin the procession.

397 Serangoon Rd, Singapore 218123

Google Maps Website

8. Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery — Bishan

Singapore's largest Buddhist monastery complex.

Kong Meng San Phor Kark See is a large Buddhist monastery in Bishan, with halls, pagodas, a columbarium and a giant Buddha statue spread over a hillside. It is far quieter than the city-centre temples and an active centre for practice.

It is worth the trip for anyone interested in Buddhism or Chinese temple architecture.

Good to know: The vegetarian canteen serves lunch at modest prices; check its hours before you go.

88 Bright Hill Rd, Singapore 574117

Google Maps Website

9. St Andrew's Cathedral — City Hall

Singapore's largest cathedral, a white Gothic church on a green lawn.

St Andrew's Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral of Singapore, a white neo-Gothic church standing on lawns beside City Hall MRT. It is a national monument and still a busy, working church.

Step inside to see the stained glass and the cool, bright nave, then cross to the National Gallery.

Good to know: Visit outside service times on Sundays; the doors are generally open to visitors on weekdays.

11 St Andrew's Rd, Singapore 178959

Google Maps Website

10. Armenian Church — Hill Street

Singapore's oldest surviving church, small and serene.

The Armenian Church of St Gregory the Illuminator on Hill Street was built in the 1830s by the city's small Armenian community and is the oldest surviving church in Singapore. Its garden holds old gravestones, including that of Agnes Joaquim, after whom the national flower is named.

It takes 15 minutes and is a quiet contrast to the busy streets around Fort Canning.

Good to know: Look for the grave of Agnes Joaquim in the garden; the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid is named after her.

60 Hill St, Singapore 179366

Google Maps

11. Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple — Bugis

A busy temple to the goddess of mercy, full of incense and fortune sticks.

Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple on Waterloo Street is one of the busiest Chinese temples in Singapore, dedicated to Guan Yin, the goddess of mercy. Worshippers shake fortune sticks and pray before exams, interviews and big decisions.

Its pedestrian street, lined with flower and amulet sellers, is lively all day and packed on the eve of Chinese New Year.

Good to know: Visit on a weekday morning to see it busy but not crushed.

178 Waterloo St, Singapore 187964

Google Maps

12. Cathedral of the Good Shepherd — City Hall

Singapore's oldest Catholic church, restored to its 19th-century look.

The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd on Queen Street is Singapore's oldest Roman Catholic church and the seat of the Archbishop. It was completed in the 1840s and has been carefully restored, with a quiet courtyard around it.

It is a short walk from Bras Basah and the museums.

Good to know: Mass times are posted online; visit between services to look around.

A Queen St, Singapore 188533

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What should I wear to visit temples in Singapore?

Cover your shoulders and knees. Hindu temples and mosques ask you to remove your shoes at the entrance, and the Sultan Mosque and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple lend robes or shawls to visitors who need them.

Are temples in Singapore free to visit?

Yes. The temples, mosques and churches in this guide are free to enter, though donation boxes are common and some charge a small fee for photography or special exhibitions.

When can tourists visit the Sultan Mosque?

Outside prayer times, generally during the day from Saturday to Thursday. On Friday the mosque closes to tourists over the midday congregational prayer. Check the mosque's website for current visiting hours.

What is the oldest temple in Singapore?

Sri Mariamman Temple on South Bridge Road, founded in 1827, is the oldest Hindu temple, and Thian Hock Keng on Telok Ayer Street is the oldest and most important Hokkien temple. The Armenian Church on Hill Street is the oldest surviving church.

Can I take photos inside temples in Singapore?

Usually yes, without flash, but not of people praying, and some inner shrines are off-limits. Look for signs and ask the volunteers if unsure.

1. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple — Chinatown

2. Sri Mariamman Temple — Chinatown

3. Thian Hock Keng Temple — Telok Ayer, Chinatown

4. Sultan Mosque (Masjid Sultan) — Kampong Glam

5. Masjid Jamae (Chulia) — Chinatown

6. Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple — Little India

7. Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple — Little India

8. Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery — Bishan

9. St Andrew's Cathedral — City Hall

10. Armenian Church — Hill Street

11. Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple — Bugis

12. Cathedral of the Good Shepherd — City Hall

Frequently asked questions

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