18 things to see and do at Jewel (food, fun, and more!)
Jewel is home to the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. But did you also know that it’s a great place to experience a microcosm of Singapore? I often recommend my clients and visitors check out Jewel at some point during their Singapore experience (even if they’re only transiting through Singapore airport) as it gives you the little taste of some of the experiences you can have in Singapore itself.
I prepared this guide to help any visitor to Singapore - even if you’re only staying for a few hours - make the most of their time at Jewel and in this wonderful country.
Clearing immigration from Changi Airport is required to do all the activities listed here. Jewel is not within the transit area of Changi Airport and therefore requires going through passport control to visit.
1. See the world’s tallest indoor waterfall
By far the most popular thing to do at Jewel is to visit the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. The water cascades down 7 storeys and the whole thing is surrounded by a wall of green nature.
It is FREE to visit the waterfall at Jewel, there is no need to buy a ticket. Professional photo taking is available for a fee, but you are more than welcome to take your own photos of the waterfall.
A light and music show also plays every night:
| Day | Light & Music show timings |
|---|---|
| Monday - Thursday | 8pm and 9pm |
| Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and eve of public holidays | 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm |
My hint to get a less crowded view of the waterfall is to head up to the canopy level. There is a wide open space here that gives you a fantastic view of the waterfall with far fewer people.
The waterfall at Jewel operates from 11am to 10pm daily (it opens slightly earlier at 10am on weekends and public holidays).
2. Eat local Singaporean food
I often describe to visitors that Jewel is like a microcosm of Singapore, and that’s certainly true for the food.
Famous restaurants, food court stalls, and even street food brands all have representation at Jewel.
Some of the highlights I recommend to visitors include:
| Eatery | Cost (per person) | Time it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Jumbo Seafood | $50 - $100 | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Toast Box | S$7 - S$15 | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Food Republic | S$5 - S$10 | 1 to 1.5 hours |
The more expensive places tend to have a queue during peak lunch and dinner hours, so please allow an extra 15-30 minutes in addition to the above times if you are racing to catch a flight.
Food Republic, a personal favourite of mine, is a food court home to many of Singapore’s famous hawker dishes. Here you can find:
- Chicken rice
- Bak kut teh
- Laksa
- Beef noodles
- Kopi
Confused by the food options in Singapore? I wrote a whole guide on food you should try when you come to Singapore. Check it out here: reachingsingapore.com/top-singapore-food
3. Try internationally renowned coffee
Jewel is packed with a variety of ways to get a caffeine hit all throughout the day.
Some of my favourite places to recommend to visitors include:
| Coffee shop | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Starbucks | 24 hours |
| Arabica | 10am to 9pm (10pm on Fridays and Saturdays) |
| Toast Box | 8am to 10pm |
Like most of Singapore, coffee shops tend to open later in the morning than I would expect coming from a western country, however they do stay open later in the day instead.
Arabica is my recommendation if you’re after a cappuccino or a latte. If you’re looking for a western-style coffee, I reckon they serve the best at Jewel. Expect to pay $xx to $xx for a coffee.
Toast Box serves local-style coffee (called ‘kopi’) and tea. I highly recommend every visitor to Singapore try a local-style coffee or tea and Toast Box serves an authentic and accessible cup of it. Order it as part of a toast set to enjoy a Singapore style breakfast of runny eggs, kaya toast, and kopi or tea.
Starbucks at Jewel is one of their flagship Reserve outlets which means it serves the best that Starbucks has to offer. There are cold-brews on tap, the latest pastries and pies, souvenirs of Starbucks in Singapore, and ample space to sit and relax. Power outlets are available for phone charging at Starbucks on the first and second floor. While it is technically open 24 hours, recent reviews suggest phone charging is only reliably available from 8am to 10pm (outside these hours they have a tendency to close off a lot of the seating).
4. Have an indoor adventure
There are 7 ticketed adventure attractions that families can explore while visiting Jewel. These include:
| Attraction | Description |
|---|---|
| Canopy Park | A playground of water features and curated plant life |
| Bouncing net | An arrangement of nets that can be bounced on |
| Hedge maze | Indoor hedge maze to explore |
| Canopy bridge | The best views of the waterfall and surrounding greenery |
| Walking net | Like the bouncing net but more walking and less jumping |
| Mirror maze | A maze of mirrors you can easily get lost in |
| Foggy bowls | A place to sit amongst the mysterious fog flowing from the ground |
| Changi experience studio | Experience a virtual recreation of Changi Airport, including simulators |
Tickets should always be bought in a bundle depending on which activities you want to try. Some example bundle prices for visitors are in the table below:
| Bundle | Price |
|---|---|
| Canopy bridge + canopy park | S$13.90 for adults and S$11.90 for children |
| Bundle 1: Canopy park, canopy bridge, hedge maze, mirror maze, walking net | S$39 for adults and S$29 for children |
| Bundle 2: Everything in Bundle 1 + Walking net + Bouncing net | S$54 for adults and S$39 for children |
| Bundle 3: Everything in Bundle 1 + Walking net + Changi experience studio | S$56 for adults and S$40 for children |
| Bundle 4: Everything in Bundle 1 + Walking net + Bouncing net + Changi experience studio | S$71 for adults and S$50 for children |
Canopy park includes access to slides, the foggy bowls, a petal garden, and the topiary walk.
Preferred payment is by credit card at the ticketing counters, ticketing machines, or online here.
I usually recommend these paid attractions to families transiting in Singapore as a way for kids to stretch their legs between long flights. If you have a 6-hour or greater transit in Singapore, this can be a fun way for the family to wait out the transit. Allow 1-2 hours for the activities at Jewel.
5. Relax in an airport-style lounge
The Changi Lounge at Jewel is similar to an airline lounge but is available for anyone to visit with an entrance fee. Features of the Changi Lounge include:
- Light snacks
- Power sockets for phone and laptop charging
- WiFi
- Shower
- Nap pods
Amenities available depends on which package you purchase, these are outlined in the table below:
| Inclusions | Price |
|---|---|
|
S$33.57 for adults and S$23.98 for children |
|
S$46.76 for adults and S$32.37 for children |
|
S$59.95 for adults and S$ 46.76 for children |
|
S$23.98 |
Prices above were last updated in summer 2024 and include all service charges and taxes.
The following lounge access programmes can also be used for the Changi Lounge without paying the entry fee:
- Priority Pass
- LoungeKey and LoungeKey Pass
- Dragon Pass
- DreamFolks
You must have a valid boarding pass for that day to use one of these lounge access programmes. Though a boarding pass is not required if you are paying the casual entry rate.
The Changi Lounge is open from 6am to 10pm daily. The kitchen and bar close at 9pm, and the last shower slot is 9:25pm.
6. Sleep in a hotel
The Jewel mall even has its own hotel. There is an airport hotel located within the mall, a short distance from the waterfall. This gives an alternative to the transit hotels located within the airport terminals themselves.
Yotelair is the name of the hotel and it is operated by Yotel.
All rooms include shower access and a bed. Rooms can be booked by the hour or overnight.
Some example room prices are included in the table below:
| Room | Price |
|---|---|
| Queen | S$242.80 |
| Family | S$333.32 |
All prices are based on booking at least 6 weeks in advance, during a non-peak period. Family rooms book out fast, I recommend booking at least 8 weeks in advance if you would like a family room.
I’ve found the rooms to be very small. They’re intended for the purposes of sleep and shower, and not much else. I wouldn’t recommend staying there for any time longer than you require to sleep or shower.
For this amount of money, a hotel in the city will offer much better value in terms of space and amenities. Yotelair is firmly targeted at travellers in transit through Singapore.
A small lounge is available for guests to use, and this includes a coffee machine.
Bookings are made on the Yotelair website here. Day rate / hourly bookings must be made by email (details on the website linked).
7. Watch a movie in a cinema
A full cinema including Imax is located within Jewel. The cinema is operated by Shaw Theatres and runs all the latest theatrical releases. Popcorn, drinks, and other movie refreshments are available for purchase.
Tickets are sold at prices comparable to other Shaw cinemas located throughout Singapore.
If you’re keen to catch a movie while you’re in transit, timings can be checked on the Shaw website here. Tickets can also be purchased on the website.
The cinema is located on B2, near the Food Republic food court.
If you want to catch a free movie, take the short walk over to Changi Airport. There are two free movie screening areas showing blockbuster hits: Terminal 3 Airside North (after passport control), and Terminal 3 Basement 2 (public area).
8. Get a massage
There are two massage shops at Jewel where you can get a foot, leg, back, and full body massage, as well as other services.
My usual recommendation for visitors to Singapore looking for a massage at Jewel is to go to Natureland. It’s an outlet of a popular massage chain in Singapore and they provide a great service and atmosphere.
The quickest massage is a 15 minute back massage for S$41, though more typically massages take 30-90 minutes and cost between S$74 and S$229 depending on how long and which services you purchase.
9. Check out designer shops
Retail therapy is a great way to pass the time at Jewel. Jewel is one of Singapore’s largest malls and is home to all the shops you would expect to find at an international-focussed mall.
Some examples include:
- Apple
- Calvin Klein
- Charles & Keith
- Chow Tai Fook
- Coach
- Fred Perry
- Polo Ralph Lauren
- Tag Heuer
- Zara
Prices are what you would expect from international and up-market fashion brands located in Singapore.
10. Buy local souvenirs
Jewel offers a last-minute chance to buy some authentic Singaporean souvenirs that you can bring back with you overseas.
Some of the shops and souvenirs I like to buy to bring to friends and family in another country are outlined in the table below:
| Shop | What to buy |
|---|---|
| Bee Cheng Hiang | Bak kwa - dried savoury sweet pork sliced into thin squares |
| Lim Chee Guan | Bak kwa - a worthy competitor for Bee Cheng Hiang |
| Bengawan Solo | Pandan cake or Kueh Lapis (sweet layer cake) |
| Aroma Truffle | Truffle chips made by Singaporeans |
| Irvins | Salted egg yolk fish skin (tastier than it sounds) |
| Thye Moh Chan | Teochew pastries, such as tau sar piah and gula melaka pineapple |
Check with the store about whether there might be restrictions on what you can bring into another country. I’ve found most staff in these stores helpful when figuring out if I can or can’t bring something into my home country Australia (and sometimes an extra step, such as vacuum seal, is required).
I’ve only included Singaporean shops that sell Singaporean produce in the above list. There are of course a lot more places to buy snacks, toys, and other trinkets as souvenirs.
11. Charge your phone
I’ve found two reliable places that have power sockets available for charging a phone:
- McDonald’s - located at the B1 floor near the waterfall
- Starbucks - located at the 1st floor
The Changi Lounge also has phone charging available, however the price starts from S$33 for 3 hours.
McDonald’s has a table in the middle of the large seating area that includes half a dozen power outlets where you can plug in a phone charger.
Starbucks has a lot of power outlets where you can plug in a phone charger. The cafe is spread over two levels with the entrance being on the 1st floor. Outlets are available on both levels.
Outlets are for customers only, meaning you’ll need to buy something to charge your phone at these locations.
Other restaurants may have charging points under benches or against walls, however I’ve found accessibility of these to be less reliable as other customers may be sitting at the respective tables.
Unfortunately I’ve never been able to find a reliable free place to charge your phone within Jewel. There are free phone charging points within each of the airport terminals though, supporting international plugs and USB charging.
12. Check in early
I often recommend to visitors that the best time to visit Jewel is when you’re leaving Singapore (transiting through Changi is the other best time to visit). This is because many airlines allow you to check your bag in early from within Jewel, and then you can explore the other exciting things to do on this list before catching your flight from one of the connected terminals.
The early check-in facility is open daily from 8am to 11:59pm (that is, right before midnight) and is located on L1 near the arrivals area.
Each airline has different requirements for how far in advance you can check in for your flight.
Airlines that have early check in at Jewel include:
- Singapore Airlines (except flights to US)
- Scoot (except flights to Jeddah)
- Air France
- Air India
- AirAsia
- Cathay Pacific
- Emirates
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Japan Airlines
- Jetstar
- Juneyao Air
- KLM
- Malaysia Airlines
- Philippine Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Thai Airways
- Turkish Airlines
In general you must check in at least 3 hours before your flight, but each airline has its own rules and timing. Check the website here or with the airline for further details.
If your airline is not listed above unfortunately you cannot check in early at Jewel.
13. Store luggage
If you need somewhere to leave luggage while waiting for a flight (or waiting to check in), there is luggage storage available at Jewel.
The luggage storage is located on L1, near the early check in facilities.
Prices depend on the size of the luggage and are outlined in the table below:
| Luggage | Cost |
|---|---|
| Loose items | S$6 |
| Small items (below 10kg) | S$11 |
| Big or odd items (above 10kg) | S$16 |
| Extra large items | S$19 |
These prices cover up to 24 hours of storage (it is charged per 24 hours with 24 hours being the minimum - you can of course remove your luggage at any time).
14. Change money
There are vending machines that allow you to change a wide variety of currencies for Singapore Dollars, or change your Singapore Dollars for that wide variety of foreign currencies.
The machines are dotted around the mall, and can be found using the interactive map or by asking at the information counter.
I do not recommend using the vending machines to change currency unless you require the convenience.
Each time I visit I find the rates to be worse than if you simply pay at the shop using your credit card (at least for the Hong Kong and Australian cards that I carry). You can also find a better rate by going to money changer in the city.
15. Buy gold
In addition to the jewellery stores mentioned above, it is possible to buy gold from vending machines located in Jewel.
I don’t know much about comparing gold prices, but from my understanding, these machines sell high-quality gold at souvenir prices - that is, you’re buying a souvenir rather than an investment (unlike say in Dubai).
There are a couple of gold vending machines around Jewel, usually located next to the foreign currency exchange machines.
16. Take a picture with Disney characters
In one of the basement levels there are a series of photo booths that are Disney themed. You can take your picture with Disney in the background, do your own editing and then print out your photos as a souvenir.
Apparently the location of the booths keep moving, so it’s best to ask at the information counter if you’re interested.
17. Ride on a toy dinosaur
Jewel has ride on toys that are great for kids. Kids can drive themselves around on toys following you all around the 4th floor of the Jewel mall.
Prices start at S$18.
Zoomoov is located on floor 4 and is open from 10:30am to 8:15pm (9:45pm on Saturdays and Sundays).
18. Get a tax refund
Tax refund services are available at Jewel. There are automated machines and a manned counter to help you process your tax refund.
I find the tax refund process a bit complicated in Singapore. I recommend checking out the government website here for further details: https://www.visitsingapore.com…gst-tax-refund-singapore/.
What next
Coming from the city and not sure how to get to Jewel? Check out my complete guide to transport to Jewel here: reachingsingapore.com/jewel-transport-guide
