Bugis Street is Singapore’s best-known street market, a covered maze of more than 600 stalls selling cheap fashion, accessories, souvenirs, snacks and fresh fruit juice, right outside Bugis MRT. It is busy, noisy and fun, and one of the cheapest places in the city to shop.
The surrounding Bugis district adds temples, hawker food, malls and the cafés of nearby Kampong Glam, so it is easy to spend half a day here.
Plan your visit to Bugis Street
- Entry: free
- Hours: market daily about 11am–10pm
- Time needed: 1–2 hours, half a day with Kampong Glam
History of Bugis Street
The area takes its name from the Bugis, seafaring traders from South Sulawesi who settled here in the early 19th century. From the 1950s to the 1980s the original Bugis Street became world famous for its lively night scene, open-air food stalls and transgender performers, drawing tourists and sailors.
The old street was cleared in the mid-1980s during construction of the Bugis MRT station. Its name lives on in two places: a cobbled lane inside the Bugis Junction mall, and today’s Bugis Street market, created on the former Albert Street and marketed as Singapore’s largest street-shopping location.
Attractions at Bugis Street
- Bugis Street market: Over 600 stalls across several levels, with fashion, phone accessories, cosmetics, souvenirs and snacks.
- Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple: One of Singapore’s busiest Buddhist temples, dedicated to Guan Yin, on Waterloo Street.
- Sri Krishnan Temple: A Hindu temple just next door, where many worshippers visit both temples.
- Bugis Junction and Bugis+: Air-conditioned malls opposite the market, including the glass-roofed shophouse street of the old Bugis area.
- National Library: A striking 16-storey library building on Victoria Street, free to enter.
Things to Do at Bugis Street
- Shop for bargains: Prices are mostly fixed and marked, but some stalls give a discount if you buy several items.
- Try the snacks: Fresh fruit juices, local desserts and street snacks are sold throughout the market.
- Eat at Albert Centre: A busy hawker centre on Queen Street for cheap local meals.
- Visit the Waterloo Street temples: Watch the incense and fortune-telling outside Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple.
- Walk to Kampong Glam: Sultan Mosque, Arab Street and Haji Lane are about 10 minutes away on foot.
Bugis Street – Entry Eligibility and Open Timings
Entry is free. Bugis Street market is generally open daily from about 11am to 10pm, although individual stall hours vary.
- Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple: open from early morning to early evening
- Sultan Mosque: limited visitor hours outside prayer times; dress modestly
- National Library: usually 10am to 9pm daily
Bring some cash, as not every stall accepts cards.
How Long to Spend at Bugis Street
Allow 1 to 2 hours for the market and a hawker meal. Add 2 to 3 hours if you also visit the temples and walk on to Kampong Glam and Haji Lane.
How to Get There
- By MRT: Bugis station (East-West and Downtown lines) is right next to the market; use the exits towards Bugis Junction and Victoria Street.
- On foot: About 10 minutes from Kampong Glam, and 15 minutes from Bras Basah and the Civic District.
- By bus or taxi: Many buses stop along Victoria Street and North Bridge Road; ask a taxi for Bugis Street, Victoria Street.
Arriving at Changi Airport? Book a fixed-price airport transfer straight to your hotel.
Eateries Nearby Bugis Street
- Albert Centre Market and Food Centre: A classic hawker centre a few minutes’ walk away on Queen Street.
- Bugis Junction and Bugis+: Food courts and chain restaurants in air-conditioned comfort.
- Kampong Glam: Malay, Middle Eastern and Turkish restaurants and trendy cafés around Arab Street and Haji Lane.
- CHIJMES: A restaurant and bar complex in a former convent, about 15 minutes’ walk away.
Other Attractions Nearby Bugis Street
- Arab Street and Kampong Glam: Sultan Mosque, textile shops and Haji Lane’s street art.
- Little India: Temples, spice shops and curry houses, one MRT stop away or a 20-minute walk.
- National Museum of Singapore: The country’s oldest museum, a short walk towards Bras Basah.
- Fort Canning Park: A historic hill park behind the museum.
Before your trip
- Find hotels in Singapore: Bugis hotels put you on the East-West and Downtown MRT lines, close to Kampong Glam.
- Get a Singapore eSIM before you land, for maps and ride-hailing apps.
Bugis Street is Singapore’s biggest street market, with over 600 stalls of cheap fashion, souvenirs and snacks next to Bugis MRT. Pair it with a hawker meal at Albert Centre and a visit to the Waterloo Street temples.
From here it is a short walk to Arab Street and Kampong Glam, or one MRT stop to Little India.