Raffles to Marina Bay Sands Self-Guided Walking Guide

It's a few days before Christmas 2023, and today's plan is to redo a walk I have done many, many times in the past, but this time, cover it on this blog page, together with many photos

While that is all good, during this visit to Singapore, there was rain, and lots of it, usually starting in the early afternoon; if there is any doubt, just look at the sky in the photos🌧 ️

To minimise the chance of being drowned during this walk, I decided to start early, fully understanding that just about everything would be closed, given the usual business hours of opening late and closing late.

So, setting out to walk from the world-famous Raffles Hotel to the iconic Marina Bay Sands, the first decision to make is the route?

There are many ways to make this walk, which Google Maps thinks is around 2.5km. But me being more than a little crazy, a direct route is not going to cut it.

In this case, I decided to walk around Marina Bay and avoid the construction mess on the part of the foreshore; more on that later.

This may be the long way around, but still, it's the one I will take.

Anyhow, starting from Raffles, check out the Christmas decorations, which are subtle but bring the holidays across, and in my opinion, they are way better than the Orchard Road ones

The start of the walk is right outside the hotel's main entrance on Beach Road, so heading along Beach Road toward the CBD to the junction of Bras Basah Road.

Just check out the above shot; you will see the CBD and the Civilian War Memorial in the distance. More on these as they get closer.

Now, while waiting for the crossing, have a look around. To your right is Raffles City, which is basically the hub for everything when I visit Singapore and offers links to multiple MRT stations without needing to go out into the heat.

Plus, there is a Marks and Spencer in the basement, which does a killer breakfast croissant at a really good price. And no, it's not possible to just have one of these, especially if timed to arrive when they take them out of the oven.

But that's not all; look diagonally across the street from the crossing, and you will see the NCO club, which refers to itself as an entertainment lifestyle destination containing multiple bars and other attractions

Interestingly enough, the name NCO reminds me of a non-commissioned officer, and yes, digging into this some more, it seems this place was used as a military club, first for the British and then for the Singaporean military.

Rather than waffle on about that here, look at this page, which covers its history in way more detail than I could; it's an interesting read.

So moving on, and after waiting quite a while for the crossing, I carry on down Beach Road past the Civilian War Memorial.

Yes, I did say civilian, as this memorial commemorates the civilian victims of the Japanese occupation during World War II.

As a history buff, I am well aware of the suffering of the people of Singapore during the occupation; look at this page to learn more. And not that it needs saying, show respect.

On a less sombre note, stop and take a look around.

Right ahead, you see the Suntec convention centre, and in the far distance is the Singapore Flyer wheel, which I still have not had a chance to ride, yes it's on the list, but given the less-than-optimal weather at the moment, it's not likely for this trip.

Continuing down the street toward the convention centre, then turning right onto the Nicoll Highway, and heading toward the CBD in the distance.

It's well worth noting that the Nicoll Highway is a major road, so I would not recommend even thinking about trying to cross it; it could be a Health-endangering endeavour.

A way safer way to get across is to use the underpass located at the next junction.

Yes, there is escalator access to this underpass, so there is no need to worry about the stairs, and yes, this is a deep underpass

Getting to the bottom, it's a large underground chamber with multiple exits, and yes, it's air-conditioned, which, given the 35c heat outside, is most welcome.

Unlike previous visits, this time, a few local kids were playing with radio-controlled cars down there, running around a track taped to the floor.

On previous visits, I have seen more kids skateboarding, or break dancing, etc., basically just having fun.

Remember this is Singapore, so there is basically zero safety risk in using this underpass, regardless of the time of day. I have walked through here in the very early hours, feeling quite safe.

This time, the same as I have done in the past, I did hang around for a while to watch the happenings. Although I did decide not to photograph things, not that I would have expected them to mind, I felt it to be rude to interrupt their fun.

Ok, moving on, looking around, there are several exits, and yes, I did take the wrong one, ending up on the wrong side of another busy road. So back into the underpass, and this time actually reading the signs, I head for exit D

Emerging from the underpass, I found himself in the impressive forecourt gardens by the Theatres on the Bay

This garden is, put simply, a nice place to sit and take in the area; with my many previous visits, I have never seen it crowded, just some office workers having lunch and the odd tourist resting.

Anyhow, take a right and head through the gardens toward the CBD.

One thing to note is as you move through the gardens, there is one of the access roads from the theatre parking area, and from personal near miss experience, the drivers do not always look first, so be careful.

Just over the access road, there is a water feature which, to me, adds to the nice place vibe the gardens have, with moving water being very relaxing for me, and no doubt many others

The bad news was that today it was dry 😒

Still heading toward the CBD, there is a sculpture which caused me to stop and have a better look. It was not as good as some down by the river, but the subject matter made up for it.

Maybe it's just me, but seeing a whole family smiling caused me to do the same 😀

Moving on past the theatres and with the CBD visible through the trees, there is a fork in the walkway

The right fork takes you back to the Nicoll Highway, so take the left one, which takes you down to the Marina Bay shoreline and the first sight of the destination.

Arriving at the foreshore, normally, I would turn left and head toward the helix bridge and onto the Sands that way, but not today, and as mentioned earlier, major construction is happening in that area, meaning a large part of it is closed with diversions in place for all traffic. More on that later.

With that out of the way, the way forward is a no-brainer. Turn right and get onto the Jubilee Bridge, and head towards Merlion Park

Even at this hour, it's fairly crowded the closer I get to the Merlion. I'm not saying it's a problem; just be careful not to walk in people's photos, it's just manners 😀

Heading onto the bridge, on the left is Marina Bay and the Merlion, and on the right the Fullerton Hotel and some of the CBD high rise.

While on the subject of Marina Bay, while walking around, I spotted a sign that said it is actually a reservoir which provides around 10% of the whole countries water.

Which leads me on to another aim of this visit, which is to go see the Marina Barrage which is the dam across the Marina Channel to the ocean.

However, again with the interesting weather, this may have to wait for the next visit ☹ ️

Heading across the bridge and carefully navigating the crowds around the Merlion to avoid photobombing anyone's photos

Yes, it's crowded, but not even as bad as it usually is when the sun is shining or on the weekend. Do not let the crowds put you off; it's still well worth the visit; just carefully plan to avoid the most crowded times

For me, early morning, about 10am during the week, and ideally not on any public holiday, is optimal.

Anyhow moving on there is a wide walkway heading along the foreshore, with the The Fullerton Pavilion on the left, and in the distance the Clifford Pier restaurant with the red roof, which is part of the Fullerton Bay Hotel. More on that later.

On the right are several restaurants offering a variety of foods, not that I had a chance to try any of them out, it's way too early in the day; they were either closed or just setting up for the lunch rush.

Arriving at the end of the walkway to the sound of multiple ornamental fountains, now, which path to take?, turn right and head towards Collyer Quay, or take the footbridge and head towards the Clifford Pier restaurant.

Well, that's a no-brainer; the footbridge it is

Hang on, earlier, I mentioned choosing this route because of construction.

Just check out the above shot; see the construction cranes on the right.

This is the redevelopment of the float, and while there is a way to walk past it, it's boring, just construction awnings

And yes, the footbridge does feel a little rickety, but it's quite safe; the wood is just a cladding.

Anyhow, moving onto the footbridge, past the fountains and The Fullerton Pavilion

Getting to the other side, there is one of the entrances to the Fullerton Bay Hotel, and yes, even as a non-guest you can still walk through the hotel to hide from the heat.

Note the sign; maybe it's some sort of public access requirement; regardless, it's good to have options

As for me, yes, I could walk through the hotel and hide from the heat, and yes, if it were raining, I most likely would have, but me, being me, the heat was good.

But nope, it's just overcast, and I am doing this walk to check out the area, so the way forward is to go around the outside of the hotel on the waterfront boardwalk.

Following the boardwalk around the outside of the hotel and turning the corner, there is some interesting architecture.

On previous visits, I had seen the circular space ship style building, and just never quite got around to find out more.

Well, it's time to change that, so after wandering around and some digging, it turns out that this is a revolving restaurant, but given the time of day, it's closed. Some googling and heres more details.

Anyhow, it's time to move on and follow the path around the outside of the hotel.

Not too far along, I came across another entrance to the hotel and yet another of those "Public Access" signs. So, time to pass through the hotel to carry on the walk.

Walking into the hotel, the first impression is "wow"; just check out the following photo.

And yes, I did ask for permission to take this photo; they gave the ok, and the staff member I spoke to even moved out of the shot. Most appreciated and excellent service, and that's to someone who is not a guest.

The air conditioning is like an icy wall, a most welcome relief from the outside heat. As for the hotel, it is very impressive looking, and yes, after checking, it's expensive, being over twice the cost of my usual hotel; maybe one day I will be able to stay there. Should that happen, expect a full review.

Emerging from the hotel, returning to the outside heat, and looking around, to the right, there is the hotel's main entrance; yes, that's the bunker-looking structure in the previous shot.

But no, it may look like a bunker, but a closer look shows it's actually very plush and typical for a higher-end hotel.

So, getting back on the right path to the Sands, taking a left, and heading onto the wide paved walkway, which cuts between the hotel and QUE Bayfront tower.

Continuing down the path past the QUE Bayfront and the customs house brings me to the waterfront and the path to the Sands

At this point, I was in need of hydration, and so I started to look around for the ever-present seven-eleven, but no, in this case, not one to be seen; hmmm, not a good sign. But all is not lost, as under the overhang of one of the office towers are several vending machines. Problem solved.

Now fuelled up from the machine, before moving on, there is something to note about these machines back home I am used to them being horribly expensive- yes, even more expensive than the seven-eleven and other convenience stores- but no, here the prices are interesting, and with each one I used, they were way cheaper than just about every shop I went into.

Before continuing on, stop and look around; after all, it's not yet raining, and there are things to see.

Looking back the way I came, there is the customs house and marina bay sailing.

Customs House is part of the Fullerton Bay Hotel and home to multiple restaurants, and no, I have not tried any of these; all are closed as it's way too early in the day.

As for Marina Bay Sailing, again, not much is happening at this time; too early? But this is something to investigate further as I really enjoy sailing. Something for the next trip, maybe?

Enough waffle, time to continue on; just look at the sky; it's threatening rain and me getting even wetter is not something to look forward to.

Moving further down the waterfront path, there is the final destination in the distance through the trees

Note the "slow down" sign aimed at cyclists- yes, cyclists- and believe it or not, there are lots of them in Singapore, even in the heat and humidity. Personally, I do not see the attraction given the climate, but each to their own, but then again, I walk everywhere in the same climate and regularly do 20km per day.

I do not recall seeing any on this walk to the Sands, but I have seen lots of them when I did the river walk, where tour groups would ride around and stop for attractions, not really for me, but again, each to their own.

Anyhow, following the waterfront path, I get a better look at the destination, which, even with the current overcast skies, looks impressive.

Continuing along the path, I spotted a sign that was very much unexpected: just check this one.

Otters, that's a new one for me; I've never seen any in all my wanderings, not in Singapore anyway, but I saw a few in the UK back in the day.

This one really surprised me, so I had to do some serious googling to see what it's all about, and from the results, it seems they are taking over. Just check out these articles, the first at national geographic, then comes this one in the Washinton Post.

Being an animal lover, this is of special interest to me, and something again for the next trip, and to prepare for this, I found this article which lists a few places to maybe see them.

It is time to move on, as rain is threatening, so following the path around the foreshore. Be aware that this is not the peak hour and the weather is less than brilliant, so there are very few people around; however, when the sun is out, this area can be seriously crowded. It's not a real problem, but it's still worth noting.

One nice touch in this part of the walk is the huge outdoor fans, which are a good place to take a break and get some relief from the heat. And yes, those flat-top metal structures under the trees are the fans

Moving on to the home straight, as the skies are darkening even more and threatening rain, anyhow, here's the first sign of the current holiday period, a row of Xmas trees leading right up to the entrance to the Sands shopping centre.

On the subject of Christmas, this being Singapore, it's not really as big a deal as it is back home in Sydney, and decorations are only put up in the main tourist areas

As for Xmas Day, it's a public holiday, but unlike back home in Sydney, just about everything is open and packed with shoppers

With the end in sight, it's time to see what's around here rather than rush on to the Sands, so heading up the steps, there is the Red Dot Design Museum, which is another of those places I have wanted to visit, but today, not the day, as it's closed. It's too early in the day; maybe later, or for the next trip.

Moving on past the closed museum, there is a tree-lined walk towards the Sands. Looking around to the right, there is what looks like a seasonal attraction under construction, and after some googling, it's the Ice Magic Winter Wonderland. And yet again, I cannot visit, as rather than just being closed, it's not ready for visitors

And right next to that, er, well, it looks like it is all part of the same attraction, and in this case, it's a go-kart track. Normally, I would be headed in, but again, it's way too early in the day. It's time to Google it when I get back to my accommodation.

It was a little disappointing, but then again, I did not know this even existed; maybe later today, or in the next few days before Christmas happens, would be the time for a visit.

Oh well, but we are on the closing stretch, with the Sands in sight and, thankfully, no rain despite the skies looking threatening

Now, back to the tree-lined path that leads to the Sands shopping centre entrance.

Here's some trivia: looking at the above shot, look at the plaque by the base of each tree; each of these trees is dedicated to the Olympic committee of each country that took part in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

One last thing to see before arriving at the Sands is what I understand is called the "Mist Walk", which is a series of metal tubes that, when active, produce a mist effect, which is intended to refresh those who walk through it.

No surprise given the hour, but it's not active; anyhow, from previous visits, I found the mist it creates less than refreshing, more something to start me coughing. Maybe it's just me, but still, when it's running, the effect of the mist is interesting and makes a good photo opportunity.

Heading through the "Mist Walk", it seemed my luck was running out as I felt a few drops of rain. Oh well, looks like the decision to do this walk early in the day was justified.

Not really a problem as the entrance to the Sands shopping centre was right in front of me.

Note I said the entrance to the Sands Shopping Centre, and not the hotel; no, this is not me giving up on the walk as the rain started, but more a case of the shopping centre being part of the hotel.

So, into the shopping centre and just like the encounter with the Fullerton Bay Hotel, the air conditioning hit me like walking into an icy wall. But given how hot and humid it was throughout the whole walk, it was most welcome.

As for the shopping centre, well, to me, this is a concentration of high-end stores, the type of place where if you need to ask the price for anything, you cannot afford it.

Not really my sort of store, as I have no real interest in branding on just about anything, but as always, each to their own.

One thing I did note when wandering around the shopping centre is that there are now some normal stores in there, just a few in number when compared to the high-end ones, but still to me a real improvement, as on previous visits it was basically all high-end retail stores

And yes, there is Apple's flagship store for Singapore, which is one of the most interesting ones I have visited; the main entrance is actually underwater, with the store built in the bay in a large glass ball.

Yes, this is the end of the walk, and my thoughts on the experience were that it was well worth doing. However, I would prefer to do it when the sun is shining and maybe later in the day to visit some of the closed attractions

Should you decide to do this walk, please do; it's a good morning walk, and it lets you see the sights, with plenty of places to rest up, take photos, and even stay hydrated.

Just remember that this is Singapore, so it's going to be hot and humid all the time, and especially when the sun is shining, you really need sunscreen to avoid the painful sunburn which got me after I spent a day wandering around Sentosa on a sunny day, and missed a few areas with the sunscreen. ☀ ️

As for me, I am planning a return visit to Singapore later this year, and I will, if time allows, update this page and hopefully replace the photos with some showing the sun shining rather than grey, overcast, and rain threatening.