Get to Far East Square in Singapore super fast using this step-by-step guide.
Welcome to the best guide on how to get to Far East Square by MRT in Singapore.
By the end of this comprehensive article, you will know exactly how to access Far East Square in downtown Singapore using the city’s extensive MRT network.
Fortunately, Singapore has one of the best public transportation systems in the world, with multiple lines servicing almost everywhere.
You can easily take the MRT to multiple stations within walking distance of Far East Square. We will discuss which station is the closest and other alternatives if you’re travelling on different metro lines downtown.
Shopping at Far East Square in Singapore
While you’re in Singapore, consider visiting Far East Square.
It is a mixed-used commercial development that first opened in 1999 and, until this day, is a popular spot for tourists and social and business meetings. Far East Square features a solid selection of retail shops, food and beverage outlets, offices, hotels and even the Fuk Tak Chi Museum.
Far East Square is located in Singapore’s Central Business District, not far from iconic attractions and the city’s world-famous skyline.
You can expect Far East Square to be bustling at night when tourists and businesspeople enjoy the food and drinks along the main ground level. Visitors enjoy the mix of modern and historical architecture and direct access to accommodation here.
Far East Square is attached to two hotels worth checking out:
Amoy Hotel – featuring 37 rooms
The Clan Hotel – featuring approximately 300 rooms
Staying here will ensure convenient access to multiple MRT stations near Chinatown and Marina Bay, right in the heart of downtown Singapore.
Getting to the Far East Square using MRT
Step 1: Plan your route to Far East Square.
You can actually choose from several MRT stations to access Far East Square, but the most convenient one is
Telok Ayer Station (DT18)
It is located along the Downtown Line, which is also called the Blue Line throughout the city.
Step 2: Walk to the most convenient MRT station.
The closer you stay to an MRT station in Singapore, the better!
You can access Far East Square and other points of interest faster and cheaper. Taxi fees and parking fees can be completely avoided by staying 500 meters or less from a station.
You can even get to and from Changi Airport using MRT if you want to save some cash.
Based on our extensive experience in Singapore, here are two properties that we are familiar with that are close to stations (with very positive reviews):
The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore (9.3/10 Review Score) (City Hall Station)
Fairmont Singapore (8.9/10 Review Score) (Esplanade Station)
Some of the cheapest areas in Singapore to stay are Chinatown, Little India, Geylang and Kampong Glam. Always check reviews and the specific proximity to the MRT before booking a room in Singapore.
Read More: Best Hotels in Singapore For Families? The Complete Guide
Step 3: Buy a transport card to reach Far East Square.
There are two popular public transportation cards for your MRT trip to Far East Square:
Stored Value Cards
We used a stored value card while figuring out how to get to the Far East Square by MRT.
Stored value cards are extremely popular among Singaporeans and visitors to the city.
You can use them on the MRT, LRT and buses. But you must ensure that your card is topped up with sufficient value before travelling to Far East Square.
Tourist Passes are an awesome way for foreign guests to get around Singapore.
Once you buy one, you can get unlimited bus and train rides to any destination, including Far East Square. Typically, they are valid for 1-3 days, so maximize your sightseeing during these days.
Step 4: Ride the MRT to Telok Ayer Station (DT18).
When you’re ready to visit Far East Square, take the MRT to Telok Ayer Station (DT18) on the Downtown Line.
Here are the two neighbouring stations that you should be familiar with:
Chinatown Station (DT19/NE4)
Downtown Station (DT17)
Once you stop at either of these stations above, move closer to an exit on the train and prepare to get off at the next station.
Step 5: Alight at Telok Ayer Station (DT18).
When you arrive at Telok Ayer Station, collect all your belongings and get off the train.
It’s now time to efficiently exit Telok Ayer Station to access Far East Square.
Exiting Telok Ayer Station
The faster you can find the best exit, the quicker you will access Far East Square.
Here are the directions for leaving Telok Ayer Station:
Telok Ayer MRT Station (DT18) is built underground at the junction of Cross Street and Telok Ayer Street.
It consists of three primary levels:
L1 – Street Level
B1 – Concourse
B2 – Downtown Line Train Platform A and B
You will alight from the train at either Platform A or Platform B.
From there, travel up to Level 1 using the elevator, escalator or stairs.
Telok Ayer Station (DT18) has three street-level exits to choose from, A, B and C.
Take Exit A at Telok Ayer Station to walk to Far East Square.
Step 6: Walk directly from Telok Ayer Station (DT18) to Far East Square.
Exit A at Telok Ayer Station will bring you out onto Cross Street.
Walk over to the other side of Cross Street.
Briefly walk northwest on Cross Street and enter Far East Square using the southeastern entrance.
How long is the walk from Telok Ayer Station (DT18) to Far East Square?
The walk from Telok Ayer Station to Far East Square is super fast and convenient.
It will only take you about 2 minutes, and the total distance is just around 130 m – now that’s easy!!
Alternative MRT Stations to get to Far East Square
Telok Ayer Station (DT18) is the closest one to Far East Square.
But with Singapore’s exceptionally well-connected metro network, you can get close to Far East Square from several other stations. Therefore, you should consider which line you are travelling on and whether it’s more practical to access the mall from a slightly farther station than transferring to the Downtown Line to reach Telok Ayer Station.
To help you make this decision, refer to the table below that summarizes the closest stations and their relative travel times and distances from Far East Square.
Station Name |
Walking Distance toFar East Square |
Walking Time toFar East Square |
| Telok Ayer (DT18)
*BEST CHOICE |
130 m | 2 minutes |
| Chinatown (NE4/DT19) | 300 m | 4 minutes |
| Raffles Place (NS26/EW14) | 650 m | 6 minutes |
| Downtown (DT17) | 600 m | 8 minutes |
| Shenton Way (TE19) | 880m | 10 minutes |
Popular Points of Interest near the Mall
Far East Square is ideally located in downtown Singapore within walking distance of Chinatown’s main attractions. There are lots of great places to stay near the mall and several cultural places to explore.
Three of the most popular temples within walking distance of Far East Square include:
Thian Hock Keng Temple (Directions)
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (Directions)
Sri Mariamman Temple (Directions)
There are tons of small eateries scattered around Chinatown in Singapore.
One of our favourite places to visit is Lau Pa Sat (Directions).
It features a wide selection of delicious hawker food served at reasonable prices.
Once you have explored Chinatown, you can head north to scenic Boat Quay or southeast to the world-famous Marina Bay.
Best Places to Stay Near the Mall
Far East Square is right downtown, so you can walk from here to several hostels and hotels at different price ranges. Most properties in Chinatown are reasonably priced compared to the Marina Bay area. Expect to find boutique rooms, traditional dorm rooms and more modern capsule hostels.
The Clan Hotel and Amoy Hotel are the two closest and most convenient places to stay because they are physically connected to the mall.
If you walk northwest along Cross Road, you will enter Chinatown’s hub of budget hotels and hostels.
Beary Best! Hostel Chinatown and Wink @ Upper Cross Street are two popular and well-managed affordable properties here.
You can walk from either one of these to Telok Ayer Station (DT18) in only a few minutes.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this step-by-step guide on how to get to Far East Square by MRT will make your trip efficient and affordable!
It’s actually super easy to access Far East Square via MRT.
Telok Ayer Station (DT18) is the closest station to the mall.
It’s located along the Downtown Line, and it is less than 2 minutes’ walking distance away.
If you’re travelling on another metro line, you could get off at Raffles Place, Downtown, Shenton Way, or Chinatown Station. Expect the walk to be a bit farther, but you will hardly break a sweat from these stations as well.
In some cases, getting off at one of these might make more sense than transferring to the Downtown Line.
You could also try to take the bus from these stations, but based on our experience it’s probably a waste of time because the walk is so short.
One of the clear benefits of taking the MRT to Far East Square is that you won’t have to worry about parking a vehicle downtown. Once you’re out of the station, simply walk straight to the mall without additional worries!