How long to spend at Jewel
I wrote this guide as part of my series on Jewel as I’m often asked how much time a visitor to Jewel should budget for their trip. Most of the time I’m asked is by visitors who are transiting through Singapore (or on very short trips) and want to know how to make the most of their time in Jewel.
Visitors to Jewel should budget at least an hour to do the essentials of visiting the waterfall and having something to eat at the food court. If you want to eat in a restaurant, spend more time at the waterfall, or enjoy the fun activities at the canopy park, I would recommend allowing 2-3 hours.
| Activity | Time to spend |
|---|---|
| Waterfall | 15-30 minutes |
| Eating | 1-2 hours |
| Canopy park activities | 30-90 minutes |
| Waiting in the lounge | Up to 3 hours |
Shopping is of course a highlight at Jewel (it is after all a massive shopping mall), however it is hard to figure out a time budget for this. I usually recommend at least half an hour if you are looking for some authentic Singapore souvenirs, and I’ve included more detail on how to find these below.
If you are visiting Jewel while in transit, please allow half an hour each way to get from your gate to Jewel and back again. Please also note that you usually have to be at your gate 45-60 minutes before the scheduled departure time on the plane. You will also need to complete an online SGAC form (official website here) to enter Singapore.
Waterfall: 15-30 minutes
The iconic 40m high indoor waterfall is the highlight at Jewel.
Visiting the waterfall at Jewel can be as quick as 15 minutes - enough time to take a selfie, take some more photos, and soak in the surrounding greenery.
Spending more time at Jewel is easy as there are plenty of places to sit within the green space surrounding the waterfall and relax. I often sit here and catch up on work when I’m waiting for visitors arriving at terminal 1. You can also eat takeaway food in this area.
Every night at 8pm and 9pm there is a light & music show at the waterfall. This goes for 10 minutes and I recommend getting there 15 minutes early to find space to enjoy it.
Tickets are not required to visit the waterfall or the light & music show.
Eating: 1-2 hours
I like to describe Jewel as a microcosm of Singapore as a whole, I feel it captures a lot of what this city is about. And that means eating is an important part of an experience at Jewel.
Singapore local food is the highlight I direct most visitors to amongst the plethora of dining options.
Street food snacks, hawker food, and sit-down restaurants serve classic Singaporean cuisine and here are some of the ones I like to recommend to visitors:
| Eatery | Cost (per person) | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Old Chang Kee - street snacks | S$5 | 10 minutes |
| Toast Box - breakfast, tea, and coffee | S$5 - S$10 | 30 - 45 minutes |
| Food Republic - variety of hawker stalls | S$10 - S$15 | 30 - 45 minutes |
| Putien - Singaporean food with Fujian heritage | S$30 - S$50 | 1.5 - 2 hours |
| Jumbo Seafood - best place for crab in Jewel | S$50 - S$80 | 1 - 2 hours |
Additional time is required for restaurants during peak meal times as these will become crowded. I’ve factored in a short wait time to my estimates above based on my personal experience, but I’ve heard stories of 30+ minute waits when some restaurants are busy. You can always ask staff how long the queue is to help you figure out whether you have time to stay.
The quickest way to get a taste of Singapore is to head to Food Republic and try a meal from one of the hawker stalls. It’s possible to get in, find a table, eat, and leave again in under half an hour. Food available includes chicken rice, beef noodles, laksa, and bak kut teh.
Need ideas on what to eat in Singapore? I put together a list of all the culturally significant food that visitors should try to get a feel for life in Singapore. Check it out here: reachingsingapore.com/top-singapore-food
Activities: 30-90 minutes
At the Canopy Park level of Jewel - surrounding the top of the waterfall - are family fun activities that are great for taking the kids to before or between flights (to tire them out). Even without kids, I highly recommend at least checking out the Canopy Bridge for the best views of the waterfall.
The activities include a hedge maze, bouncing mat, slides, and the canopy bridge (best views of the waterfall). There is also the canopy park to explore.
The activities at Jewel 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 |
Most activities can be explored in under an hour. Allow more time for the bouncing net if you are visiting with children, I find it’s hard to drag them away.
The quickest and cheapest activity I recommend to most people is the Canopy Bridge. It has fantastic views of the Jewel waterfall and the entry ticket includes access to the Canopy Park. Canopy Bridge + Canopy Park ticket is S$13.90 for adults and S$11.90 for children.
Chilling in the lounge: Up to 3 hours
Jewel is home to its own airport-style lounge. The Changi Lounge is available for anyone visiting Jewel for up to 3 hours at a time.
Access to the Changi Lounge includes:
- Light snacks
- Power sockets for phone and laptop charging
- WiFi
- Shower
- Nap pods
Prices start from S$33.57 for basic access and go up to S$59.95 for access including a hot meal, a beer, and a shower. Shower-only access is available for S$23.98. Access is also available with Priority Pass and similar programs (same day boarding pass required).
I recommend spending at least an hour if you’re visiting this lounge. As it’s not part of any airline programme, every visitor is going to be paying in one way or another. As such, I recommend spending at least an hour to make it worthwhile.
Shopping: ??
Jewel is one of the largest shopping malls in Singapore and has a full range of shops for locals and visitors alike. This means that for most of the shops you can expect the same prices as you would in the city.
With hundreds of shops available to browse, it is easy to spend hours exploring everything in the mall.
I usually recommend checking out the uniquely Singaporean shops for some souvenirs of local Singaporean treats. These include:
| Souvenir | Price |
|---|---|
| Bak kwa (Bee Cheng Hiang) | S$20 |
| Pandan Cake (Bengawan Solo) | from S$7.60 (slices) |
| Tau sar piah (Thye Moh Chan) | from S$2.50 per piece |
| Salted egg yolk fish skin (Irvins) | from S$10 per packet |
Check with the staff at the shop if you’re unsure which of their products can be brought into your country.
Some other highlights of the shops available at Jewel 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 fashion brands located in Singapore. But at least window shopping is free.
What next
I put this guide together as part of my series on Jewel. To learn more about Jewel check out my other guides in this series:
