Singapore Heritage Fest 2024: Top 8 Activities!

Singapore Heritage Fest is back!

This year, the festival will be held from 1-26 May. There will be tours, trails, talks, workshops, exhibitions, and more. With a whopping 120 activities, choosing which one to do may be hard. 

This year's theme will focus on Singapore monuments and conservation buildings. Did you know that Singapore has 75 monuments and more than 7,000 conservation buildings? 

If this is your first introduction to Singapore Heritage Fest, we think that these 8 activities will be the starter kit you need to experience the festival.

HomeGrown: We Build this city
Dates: 1 May - 30 June 2024
Time: 10am - 7pm (last admission at 6.30pm)
Venue: National Museum of Singapore Lawn
Free Admission

Step into Singapore's architectural heritage with recreations of iconic buildings and sculptures that are familiar to the locals with Homeground: We Built This City.

From Kelongs to HDB to Playgrounds and even a UNESCO site, this is a visual fest and a place to take your instagramable photos.

HOHO ( Hop On, Hop Off) Bus Experience

4 & 5 May: Cultural Precincts (Chinatown, Kampong Gelam, Little India)
25 & 26 May: Bras Basah.Bugis and Civic District
Time: 9am - 6pm

Two different routes are planned for the HOHO experience. You will visit the cultural Precincts during the first week of May and the Civic District during the last week of May. 

Explore historical monuments, places of worship and historical neighbourhoods during the tour that you can do at your own time and own target.

Week 1 Venues

1. Al-Abrar Mosque

2. Hajjah Fatimah Mosque

3. Kampong Kapor Methodist Church

4. Masjid Abdul Gaafor

5. Masjid Jamae Chulia

6. Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre

7. Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple

8. Thian Hock Keng Temple

 

Week 4 Venues

1. Asian Civilisations Museum

2. CHIJMES

3. Children's Museum Singapore

4. National Archives of Singapore

5. National Museum of Singapore

6. Raffles Hotel

7. South Beach

8. The Arts House

9. The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore

10. The Fullerton Hotel

11. The Peranakan Museum

Dark Changi, The Walking Tour 
4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 May 2024 (Saturdays and Sundays)
Heritage and Hantu: A Twilight Tour of Changi (5pm - 7pm)
Walk with Hantu: Changi (8pm - 10.30pm)
Charges Apply

Source: Singapore Heritage Fest

Want to be spooked? Walk on the dark side with a Ghost Tour.

Dark Changi, The Walking Tour is for those who want to explore the abandoned buildings rich in history for the brave ones. 

These tours are not for the faint-hearted. There will be two sessions: a Twilight Tour, which is more heritage and less spooky, and the Walk with Hantu, for brave souls.

Raffles Lighthouse
Saturday, 11 May | 12pm-5pm
Saturday, 25 May | 12pm - 5pm
Venue: Singapore Maritime Gallery and Pulau Satumu
Charges Apply

Singapore Heritage Fest

This is a rare chance to visit Raffles Lighthouse, which is not always open to the public. The 5-hour tour includes a 1-hour guided tour of the Singapore Maritime Museum. 

Malay Kampung Heritage Tour
Saturday, 11 & 18 May | 10am - 1pm
Sunday, 12 & 19 May | 10am - 1pm
Meeting Point: Changi Point Ferry Terminal, 51 Lorong Bekukong

Source: Singapore Heritage Fest

Explore Pulau Ubin with a descendant of the island's  Orang Pulau Wan. He will bring you to explore Singapore's last surviving kampung.

37 Emerial Hill
Saturday, 18 May | 10am - 11am, 2pm - 3pm
Sunday, 19 May | 10am - 11am, 2pm - 3pm
Saturday, 25 May | 10am - 11am, 2pm - 3pm
Sunday, 26 May | 10am - 11am, 2pm - 3pm
Charges Apply

37 Emerald Hill used to be the Singapore Chinese Girl's School until 1994. 3 of the buildings, The Main Block, The Principal's House and the Song Ong Siang Block, are on conversation status. This is your chance to see them post-conservation. Tours will be led by ex-staff and students of SCGS.

Our Storied Past Heritage Tour and Afternoon Tea
Timing: 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25 May | 3pm - 6.30pm
The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore, Lobby Lounge
Charges Apply

Source: Singapore Heritage Fest

Explore the storied heritage and architecture of The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore and unravel the rich history behind CHIJMES's National Monuments. 

Before that, indulge in a bespoke afternoon tea experience at the hotel with Singapore's most well-loved local delicacies.

ArClab: Decorative Tiles Hands-On Cleaning Workshop
Saturday, 4,11,18,25  May | 10:30am - 11:30am
Venue: ArClab, 141 Neil Road, Singapore 088870

A rare chance to try your hand at decorative cleaning in the historic townhouse of Architectural Conservation Laboratory (ArClad)

Undisclosed
Saturday 11,18,25 May | 2:30pm - 4pm, 4:30 - 6pm

A mystery tour. We do not know what you will be doing or where you are going, but this could be the hidden gem of the festival. Are you ready for an adventure?

Want more?

Head to the Singapore Heritage Fest website to check out all the festival activities. Each activity has limited slots, so hurry to book your favourite!

Singapore Heritage Fest is perfect for locals who want to delve into Singapore's history and for tourists who want something more than the usual touristy fare. Don't miss it!