Street · Singapore city
Orchard Road
Come for air-conditioned mall shopping and food courts, ideally weekday late afternoon; walk the stretch from ION Orchard to Plaza Singapura and duck underground when it rains. If you do not like malls, one hour is enough.
Map to the start
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Length
1.8 km1.1 mi
approximate
Walk end to end
26 min
without stops
Traffic
Open to traffic
Best time
16:00–21:00 on a weekday; the lights from mid-November to early January4:00 PM–9:00 PM on a weekday; the lights from mid-November to early January
At a glance
- Area
- Orchard Road
- Length
- 1.8 km1.1 mi
- Start
- ION Orchard, by Orchard MRT
- End
- Plaza Singapura, by Dhoby Ghaut MRT
- Traffic
- Open to traffic
- Currency
- SGD
Decide
What the street is for, and when to be there
At a glance
Singapore's main shopping boulevard, a tree-lined road about 2 km long with large malls such as ION Orchard, Ngee Ann City and Paragon, linked by underpasses to three MRT stations.
Getting there
MRT: Orchard (North-South and Thomson-East Coast lines) at the west end, Somerset (North-South) in the middle, Dhoby Ghaut (North-South, North-East and Circle) at the east end. Many buses run along the road.
Traffic and walking hours
Open to traffic. A multi-lane one-way road with wide covered sidewalks. The government has held occasional car-free events on sections of Orchard Road and has discussed making parts of it pedestrian (check).
Hours change for events and holidays: check locally.
Morning, afternoon, night
Best time: 16:00–21:00 on a weekday; the lights from mid-November to early January
05:00–11:005:00 AM–11:00 AM local time
Malls open about 10:00–11:00 (check). The covered walkways are quiet and cooler than later.
Best time: 16:00–21:00 on a weekday; the lights from mid-November to early January
See & do
The stops in walking order, then where to shop and what to eat
Walk this street
↓ about 5 min · 400 m0.2 mi
↓ about 7 min · 530 m0.3 mi
↓ about 3 min · 250 m0.2 mi
↓ about 11 min · 800 m0.5 mi
Minutes are walking time at an easy 5 km/h3 mph with a margin for crowds; add time for shops. The GPX opens in Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google My Maps.
Where to shop and what it costs
- ION OrchardLarge mall above Orchard MRT: luxury flagships, mid-range brands and a big basement food hallS$10–10,000 (≈ US$8–8,000) / itemPrice check →
- Ngee Ann City and TakashimayaJapanese department store plus a large bookstore and many brandsS$10–5,000 (≈ US$8–4,000) / itemPrice check →
- TangsLong-established Singapore department store at the Scotts Road junctionS$10–1,000 (≈ US$8–800) / itemPrice check →
- Lucky PlazaOlder mall with phone shops, money changers and remittance countersCompare prices and get written receiptsS$5–2,000 (≈ US$4–1,600) / itemPrice check →
Typical buys
- Ice cream sandwich from a street cartS$1.5–3 (≈ US$2–3) / piecePrice check →
- Meal at a mall food courtS$6–12 (≈ US$5–10) / dishPrice check →
- Kopi (local coffee)S$1.5–3 (≈ US$2–3) / cupPrice check →
- Coffee at a café chainS$5–8 (≈ US$4–7) / cupPrice check →
- Designer item in a luxury boutiqueS$500–10,000 (≈ US$400–8,000) / itemPrice check →
Ranges, not quotes: prices move with season and exchange rates; the equivalent in your currency is approximate. Checked Sep 2026.
Eat on or near it
- Mall basement food hallsION Orchard, Takashimaya and others have food courts and bakeries below ground; cheaper than the restaurants upstairs.
- Ice cream sandwich cartsStreet vendors sell slices of ice cream wrapped in bread or wafer along the sidewalk.
Sights on the street
- Christmas light-upOrchard Road's festive lights usually run from mid-November to early January.
- Emerald HillA short side street of restored Peranakan terrace houses near Somerset.
- The IstanaThe President's official residence near Dhoby Ghaut; the grounds open to the public on a few holidays a year (check).
Practical
Getting a ride there, what goes wrong, and access
Show the driver
Show the driver
Please drop me at ION Orchard, near Orchard MRT station.
Please drop me at ION Orchard, near Orchard MRT station.
Orchard Road is one-way; drivers use the mall's taxi stand or a side street.
Safety, traffic and scams
Heat and sudden heavy rain medium
Shop pressure and overcharging at some electronics stalls medium
Scams and traps
- Some phone and camera shops in older malls quote a low price, then add fees, 'required' warranties or accessories at the counter. Walk away if the total changes.
- Tourist refund (GST) promises that are not honored: only claim through the official eTRS system and keep receipts.
Accessibility
- Wide, flat, covered sidewalks and air-conditioned malls with elevators; one of the easier shopping streets for wheelchairs and strollers.
- Underpasses connect many malls to MRT stations, with elevators at most entrances (check each).
Photo tips
- The ION Orchard facade and plaza at dusk, when the screens light up.
- Emerald Hill's pastel shophouses for a quieter shot a few minutes off the main road.
A line of history
The road is named after the nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchards that lined it in the 19th century. From the 1970s hotels and malls replaced them, making it Singapore's main shopping street.
Combine with
- Singapore Botanic GardensAbout 15 minutes' walk west of the Orchard MRT end along Orchard Boulevard or Napier Road.
- Dhoby Ghaut to Fort Canning ParkFrom the east end, walk south into Fort Canning Park.
More streets in Singapore city: Haji Lane
Questions people ask
Is Orchard Road worth it if I'm not shopping?
Only briefly: the food courts, the festive lights and Emerald Hill are the main non-shopping reasons. The Botanic Gardens are a short walk away.
Is there a tax refund for tourists?
Yes, Singapore runs a GST refund scheme for tourists on qualifying purchases; ask the store and check the minimum spend.
Deep dive
Sources; hours, rules and prices change, so check before you go
Sources
- officialVisit Singapore
- secondaryWikivoyage: Singapore/Orchard