Get to Tiong Bahru Market and sample the delicious food fast and easily with this detailed guide.
If you are wondering how to get to Tiong Bahru Market by MRT, then you are reading the right article!
In this guide, we will provide you will all the specific information you need to reach Tiong Bahru Market in Singapore. And, in case you are a first-timer, Tiong Bahru Market is one of the best hawker venues to sample delicious and affordable foods in the entire city.
Like most places in Singapore, Tiong Bahru Market is within walking distance of the nearest MRT station. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about getting there in a private vehicle or taxi if you book a room near a station.
By the end of this article, we will also help you to:
- Select the correct MRT line and station to walk directly to Tiong Bahru Market.
- Develop an itinerary with the best attractions to visit in the Tiong Bahru area.
- Buy the right kind of ticket for your trip to and from the market.
You can also get to Tiong Bahru Market using other modes of transportation (bus, car, etc.), but we believe the MRT is the most practical for many locals and visitors to the city. It is also a cheap and environmentally friendly option for getting to places around Singapore.
Tiong Bahru Market in Singapore – Important Info
Tiong Bahru Market is considered to be one of the best hawker food markets in all of Singapore. As its name suggests, it is located in Tiong Bahru – an area is known for cafe culture, delicious food and rich, historical culture.
Tiong Bahru Market first opened way back in 1951, and at that time, it was known as Seng Poh Road Market. After a few substantial renovations and fast-forward to present and the Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre is now a two-storey building. It features a large wet market on the first level and a large central garden. The second level is the popular food court.
Technically, when you visit Tiong Bahru Market, you choose to buy fresh food on the first level, where 255 shops are located or eat on the second level. Like most fresh markets, visiting the first level is best during the morning hours.
Alternatively, you can visit the second level of Tiong Bahru Market to sample delicious local hawker foods. The food court consists of 85 food stalls and an overall seating capacity of around 1000. There are pockets of tables where you can sit after ordering your food.
There are also many traditional restaurants, cafes and shops right in the direct vicinity of Tiong Bahru Market, which makes visiting this area of Singapore an enjoyable (and tasty) experience!
Getting to Tiong Bahru Market by MRT – Let’s get started!
Step 1: Walk to the nearest MRT Station.
Singaporeans and permanent residents likely know which station is close to their condo or house. So, feel free to skip down to step #2.
But, visitors to the city should take some additional time and select an area to stay with conveniently located hotels near MRT stations.
Getting to Tiong Bahru Market via MRT is really easy, but it gets more complicated if you stay far away from a station. Try to book a room within 500 m or less of a station to eliminate the need for additional taxi rides and long walks in Singapore’s intense heat.
We have researched some of the best and most convenient hotels close to stations to help get you started:
Swissotel The Stamford (5-star, 9.0/10 review score, directly across from City Hall Station)
The Fullerton Hotel (5-star, 9.0/10 review score, 2 minutes from Raffles Place Station)
Marina Bay Sands (5-star, 9.0/10 review score, very close to Bayfront Station)
Now, let’s move on to Step 2 – getting to Tiong Bahru Market.
Step 2: Purchase an MRT ticket to reach Tiong Bahru Market.
You have two main types of tickets for getting to Tiong Bahru Market using MRT:
- Stored Value Cards
- Singapore Tourist Passes
Additional Details: How to buy MRT tickets in Singapore – The Complete Guide.
There are pros and cons to each type of ticket. We suggest that you first think about how many MRT trips you plan to make the best choice!
Stored value cards are a very popular option for getting to the Market.
We used a stored value card while learning how to get to Tiong Bahru Market by MRT. Simply buy a card, top it up, and you’ll be good to go! Always keep extra cash on your card to avoid unexpected slowdowns along the way to the Market.
An Additional Option for Foreign Tourists
You might want to consider getting a Singapore Tourist Pass if you are visiting from abroad. These cards allow you to get unlimited bus and MRT trips for a set number of days. Usually, these are ideal for 1-3 day trips. Buy one of these if you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing!
You can use your pass to get to Tiong Bahru Market using MRT and also connect with buses along the way! If you are not doing a lot of sightseeing, then you might want to stick with a single trip or multi-trip tickets, however.
COST-SAVING TIP: If you are going to visit Singapore’s top attractions, then get a Multiple Attraction Pass. You can save up to 52% on entrance fees by purchasing several tickets at the same time online. Already over 200,000 of these have been sold.
Read More: Buying Singapore Tourist Passes – A Detailed Overview.
Step 3: Plan on travelling along the East-West Line to Tiong Bahru Station.
The most convenient station for accessing Tiong Bahru Market is Tiong Bahru Station!
Tiong Bahru Station (EW17) is located along East-West MRT Line which is shown in green colour on the metro map.
The two adjacent stations to Tiong Bahru Station (EW17) that you should be familiar with include:
Rehill Station (EW18) – northwest of Tiong Bahru Market
Outram Park Station (EW16) – southeast of the Market
Technically, you could get off at one of these stations and either walk a long distance or take a bus, but Tiong Bahru Station is more practical (and much closer).
Step 4: Travel on the MRT to Tiong Bahru Station.
Ride the MRT in Singapore to Tiong Bahru Station. The length of time for your trip will really depend on which area of Singapore you started your trip.
Step 5: Alight from the train at Tiong Bahru Station.
Once the doors open on the metro, alight, and bring along your personal belongings.
Step 6: Exit the station and walk east to Tiong Bahru Market.
Walking directions from Tiong Bahru Station to Tiong Bahru Market
You can expect to see two different exits at Tiong Bahru Station: Exit A and Exit B.
Take Exit A at Tiong Bahru Station to walk to Tiong Bahru Market. This exit will bring you out onto Jalan Membina.
Walk east along Tiong Bahru Road until you reach Kim Pong Rd. Turn right and walk south until you reach Lim Liak Street.
Travel further east along Lim Liak Street until you reach Tiong Bahru Market.
How long should it take you to walk from Tiong Bahru Station to Tiong Bahru Market?
Tiong Bahru Market is about a 7-minute, 650-metre walk from Tiong Bahru Station.
The distance is close enough that taking a bus or taxi will take you almost the same amount of time to get there (when you take into account waiting times, etc.).
Should you stay in the Tiong Bahru area near Tiong Bahru Market?
Tiong Bahru isn’t the most popular area to stay in Singapore. But it does conveniently have a few clusters of well-priced 3 and 4-star hotels that are only a few hundred metres east of Tiong Bahru Market. And remember, there are several restaurants and shops around the market, so this is a fairly convenient and affordable place to stay.
You can expect the hotels in Tiong Bahru to be much cheaper than other areas such as Marina Bay, Orchard and Chinatown.
There is also another pocket of hotels about 500-600 metres north of Tiong Bahru Market, just south of the Singapore River. Although farther from Tiong Bahu Station, these properties provide convenient access to the waterfront walkway that eventually extends all the way to Marina Bay.
Northern Tiong Bahru Hotels (South of Singapore River/Robertson Quay)
Copthorne King’s Hotel – 4-star, 7.8/10 based on 1400+ reviews
Furama RiverFront – 4-star, 7.8/10 based on 1300+ reviews
The benefit of staying at one of these properties is that you can walk directly to excellent restaurants in Robertson Quay and Clarke Quay.
Southern Tiong Bahru Hotels (East of Tiong Bahru Market)
D’Hotel Singapore – 4-star, 8.1/10 based on 220+ guest reviews
Nostalgia Hotel – 4-star, 8.2/10 based on 330+ guest reviews
ST Residences Tiong Bahru – 8.0/10 based on 29+ guest reviews
Hotel 81 Osaka – 2-star, 7.5/10 based on 241+ guest reviews
These properties are generally well-priced and only 1-2 minutes away from Tiong Bahru Market and the surrounding hawker stalls.
Conclusion – Getting to Tiong Bahru Market
We truly hope that this guide on how to get to Tiong Bahru Market by MRT has been effective. Remember, our goal was to provide you with all the information so that you can save time and money.
We consider Tiong Bahru to be an underrated area of Singapore. Actually, most tourists don’t even know it exists. It has some delicious food centres which offer traditional dishes that are sure to impress your taste buds.
Tiong Bahru Plaza is the largest and most popular shopping mall in Tiong Bahru. It is about 600 metres west of Tiong Bahru Market, and reachable by foot.
You can also compare the food at Tiong Bahru Market to other food centres in the area. A few popular choices include:
Havelock Road Cooked Food Centre
Beo Crescent Market
Tiong Bahru Park is a great place to exercise and it’s also within walking distance of Tiong Bahru Station. It has a sandpit, playgrounds, and exercise equipment to help you and your children burn some energy. It has a jogging track. You can walk there in under 5 minutes from Tiong Bahru Station.
You will find a nice selection of small cafes throughout Tiong Bahru. Over the years it has become a hip hangout for younger Singaporeans. Consider cafe-hopping here to sample the selection of cafes.
The shops around Tiong Bahru Market are lined with delicious traditional restaurants and they are worthy of a meal or two! Just walk about 100-200 metres southwest from the Market and you should have no problem finding them!
Please don’t hesitate to email us or comment below if you have any other questions about visiting Tiong Bahru Market. We are more than happy to assist you!