Get to Whampoa Hawker Centre super fast and affordably with these detailed steps!
Welcome to the complete guide on how to get to Whampoa Hawker Centre in Singapore. In this article, we will thoroughly explain how you can get to this popular food centre using multiple forms of public transportation such as:
MRT
Public Bus
Taxi/Private Vehicle
Whampoa Hawker Centre is also widely known as Whampoa Food Centre, so you can expect both of these names to be used interchangeably in Singapore. The term ‘hawker’ has been used so widely that it often describes all traditional food centres throughout the city.
While creating this article, we wanted to touch base on many of the most important questions for getting to Whampoa Food Centre:
What is the best MRT station for walking directly to the food centre?
What MRT line(s) should you use to get there?
Are there buses that service Whampoa Food Centre?
What kind of public transportation tickets can you use to get there?
Are there other places to visit around the hawker centre?
What are familiar roads used to get there?
Where can you stay near the food centre?
We will first share some important information about Whampoa Hawker Centre and then outline all of the ways to get there!
Eating at Whampoa Hawker Centre
Whampoa Hawker Centre, also known as Whampoa Food Centre, Whampoa Drive Food Centre, or Whampoa Makan Place) is regarded as one of Singapore’s most dependable places for delicious, affordable food. Several hawker stalls still attract long lines after being opened for many years.
When you visit here, you will technically choose two food markets, one a night market and the other a day market. Block 91 is the section of the hawker centre that is more focused on morning dishes and breakfast patrons.
However, Block 90 of Whampoa Food Centre consists of stalls that open around lunch and stay open late at night (after dinner). The benefit of dining here is that you can enjoy delicious meals for a fraction of the price of formal, full-service restaurants throughout Singapore.
Different people enjoy different flavours, but based on our research, the list below includes many of the most popular dishes at Whampoa Hawker Centre:
Lu Mian
Carrot Cake
Kway Chap
Pancake
Fishball Noodles
Fishhead Steamboat
Home-Made Noodles with Prawns
Fish Head Bee Hoon
Lu Mian
Ginger fried chicken rice
Prawn Noodles
Nasi Lemak
Chee Cheong Fun
Century Egg Porridge
Peanut Porridge Pork Ribs
Mee Siam
Deep-Fried Carrot Cake
Rojak
Fried Oyster
Nasi Lemak
Lor Mee
Bean Curd
You will also be glad to hear that Whampoa Hawker Centre is located in a convenient location near Balestier Road and north of Novena Health City. This area of Singapore is known for streetside restaurants and a wide selection of shopping centres.
Getting to Whampoa Hawker Centre by MRT
Step 1: Walk from your hotel or residence to the most convenient station.
You can access Whampoa Hawker Centre from multiple MRT stations, but the trip there gets much more difficult the farther you are from a station!
Singaporeans and permanent residents likely already have an MRT station that they are accustomed to taking.
If you are visiting the city, staying at a hotel right near a station is really important. Try to book a room in Singapore within walking distance of an MRT station.
You will get to Whampoa Hawker Centre much faster and save money along the way.
Parking fees and spending time in traffic are additional variables that you must consider.
To help get you started, we have researched various online booking sites and have summarized three properties that are within 3 minutes or less of their station:
Luxury
Marina Bay Sands (5-star, 9.0/10 review score, close to Bayfront Station)
Mid Range
Hotel Bencoolen @ Hong Kong Street (4-star, 8.3/10 review score, very close to Clarke Quay Station)
Budget
Chic Capsule Otel (2-star, 8.5/10 review score, very close to Chinatown Station)
Once you are set with your hotel, then it’s time to begin your trip to Whampoa Hawker Centre.
Step 2: Plan out your lines, transfers and stations to access Whampoa Hawker Centre.
Getting to Whampoa Hawker Centre is relatively easy via MRT, but there are multiple stations that you can use that are on different MRT lines. Therefore, it depends on where you are starting your trip and which station is convenient to get off at.
To help plan your trip, please read the section below where we outline stations, lines and transfer information.
Stations, Lines and Transfers
Closest Stations to Whampoa Hawker Centre
We recommend three main stations for getting to Whampoa Hawker Centre:
Toa Payoh Station (NS-19)
Novena Station (NS-20)
Boon Keng (NE-19)
Line Information Whampoa Hawker Centre
Novena MRT Station (NS-20) and Toa Payoh Station (NS-19) are located on Singapore’s North-South Line, shown in red on the metro map.
On the other hand, Boon Keng (NE-19) Station is located on the North-East Line, which is shown in purple on the map.
Whampoa Hawker Centre is located approximately in the middle of these three stations. So it makes sense to select the station based on which one is the easiest to get to from your starting point.
Transfers
To get to Toa Payoh (NS-19), Novena (NS-20) or Boon Keng (NE-19) station, you will have to access either the North-South or North-East line, which means you should plan your transfers.
Some popular transfer stations include:
Orchard
Newton
Bishan
Little India
Plan out your route to Whampoa Hawker Centre in advance, and be sure to note if you need to transfer MRT lines along the way
Step 3: Buy either a ticket or a card for your trip.
There are several tickets/cards available to get to Whampoa Hawker Centre, and we classify them into three main categories:
1) Stored Value Cards
2) Singapore Tourist Passes
3) Single/Multi-Trip Tickets
We used a stored value card while learning how to get to Whampoa Hawker Centre in Singapore by MRT. You can use these cards on buses and trains, which is convenient for many long-term residents of the city.
If you plan on using one, be sure to top it up before your trip to avoid unexpected delays!
Tourist Passes can be one of the best cards for getting around. But they are designed for foreign tourists. If you are spending 1-3 days in Singapore with a busy itinerary, consider getting one of these. However, they are not ideal for people only going to 1-2 spots per day.
You can also buy a single journey or multiple journey tickets to get to Whampoa Hawker Centre. Ticketing machines can get busy during rush hour, so avoid peak times to avoid long queues.
Step 4: Ride the MRT to Toa Payoh Station (NS-19), Novena Station (NS-20), or Boon Keng (NE-19) Station, completing any transfers along the way.
Complete any necessary transfers to the North-South Line to access Novena Station or Toa Payoh Station.
Alternatively, head to Boon Keng Station along the North-East Line.
Step 5: Alight at your preferred station.
Alight at your preferred station along with all of your items.
Step 6: Exit Toa Payoh, Novena or Boon Keng Station.
Exiting Novena Station
Once you arrive at Novena Station, you can select from two main exits:
Exit A
Exit B
Exiting Toa Payoh Station
Toa Payoh MRT station has four ground-level exits to choose from: A, B, C and D.
You can use Exit A or Exit B to access the Toa Payoh Bus Interchange.
Exiting Boon Keng Station
Boon Keng MRT station has three exits leading to ground level: A, B and C.
Step 7: Walk, or take a short bus ride from Toa Payoh, Novena or Boon Keng Station to Whampoa Hawker Centre.
Once you have exited your station of choice, it’s time to either walk or ride a bus to Whampoa Food Centre.
In the section below we will outline how to get from each station to Whampoa Hawker Centre from each station on foot. Therefore, refer to the relevant directions for your trip:
Directions from Toa Payoh Station to Whampoa Hawker Centre
Walking from Toa Payoh Station to Whampoa Hawker Centre takes a bit of time, so be aware that it will take you about 20 minutes.
Walk east from the station along Lor 6 Toa Payoh.
Turn south (right), all the way past Kallang River. Walk southeast along the Whampoa River. Turn southwest onto Kim Keat Road. Take Kim Keat Lane directly to Whampoa.
Directions from Novena Station to Whampoa Hawker Centre
Expect the walk from Novena Station to Whampoa Food Centre to take about 18-20 minutes (it is about 1.5 km from the station).
It’s best to take Irrawaddy Road north from the station. Walk until you reach Tan Tock Seng Link. Turn right and walk northeast until it converts to Martaban Road.
Continue walking until you reach Balestier Road.
Turn right onto Balestier Road and walk southeast along it until you reach Whampoa Drive. Take Whampoa Drive north until you reach Whampoa Hawker Centre.
Directions from Boon Keng Station to Whampoa Hawker Centre
The walk from Boon Keng Station to Whampoa Hawker Centre is about 1.2km and 13-15 minutes.
Walk south from the station until you reach Towner Road.
Take Towner Road northwest until you reach the CTE Toll Road. Take the stairs and cross over to the other side. Continue walking until you reach Whampoa Drive. Turn left (northwest) onto Whampoa Drive.
Turn right onto Lor Limau and you’ll see Whampoa Hawker Centre.
Getting to Whampoa Hawker Centre by Bus
Several buses service Whampoa Hawker Centre. As you can see from the information above, it’s not always easy walking to the food centre. Taking a bus is a good alternative if you want to avoid Singapore’s intense sun or afternoon rain showers.
In the section below, we outline some of the closest bus stops and bus services to Whampoa Hawker Centre. Check at your MRT station or point of origin if any of these buses are available:
Bus Stops and Bus Services to Whampoa Hawker Centre
1) Blk 82 Stop – ID: 50991
Bus Services: 21, 124, 125, 131, 139, 186.
2) Opp Balestier Pt Stop – ID: 50211
Bus Services: 21, 124, 125, 130, 131, 139, 145, 186
3) Bef Kim Keat Lane – Stop ID: 50159
Bus Services: 21, 124, 125, 131, 131A, 139, 186
As you can see, many of the bus services to Whampoa Hawker Centre overlap at different bus stops. So, the important thing is that you get on one of these buses and get off at one of the stops listed above. The walking time from these three stops to Whampoa Hawker Centre should be less than 4 minutes.
If you are not up to date on different bus services in Singapore, then check out this bus stop database.
Driving a Vehicle to Whampoa Hawker Centre
Driving a vehicle to Whampoa Hawker Centre is super easy once you are in this area of Singapore.
The official address for the food centre is:
91 Whampoa Dr, Singapore 320091
Some of the most important roads for accessing the hawker centre area are:
Whampoa Drive
Moulmein Road
Newton Road
Thomson Road
Balestier Road
There are parking spaces between the two buildings (90 and 91), as well as southwest of building 91. Remember to check your Map app before heading to Whampoa Hawker Centre to avoid road congestion along the way!
Should you stay at a hotel near Whampoa Hawker Centre?
Whampoa Hawker Centre is just a minute off of Balestier Road which is known for being a convenient location for shopping centres and roadside restaurants.
Conveniently, there are several 2, 3 and 4-star hotels south of the food centre that are very affordable in comparison to other areas such as Orchard, Marina Bay and Sentosa. But not all of them receive high review scores from guests.
The hotels here are south of Whampoa Hawker Centre and line both sides of Balestier Road.
You can easily access convenient stores here and streetside restaurants which are affordable and ideal for takeaway.
The three highest rates hotels within walking distance of Whampoa Hawker Centre are:
Citadines Balestier (4-star, 8.9/10 review score, 800+ reviews)
Fragrance Hotel Balestier (2-star, 7.1/10, review score, 390+ reviews)
Fragrance Hotel Classic (2-star, 7.5/10 review score, 235+ reviews)
If you don’t want to stay along Balestier Road, you can get additional hotel and location information with our comprehensive accommodation guide. Overall, hotels are good value for money in this area of Singapore, but some of them are not the best options in town!
Conclusion
We genuinely hope that this article on how to get to Whampoa Hawker Centre in Singapore will make your trip fast, affordable and stress-free!
Getting there via MRT will require you to either walk over 12 minutes or take a bus to a bus stop only minutes away. If you are driving there are parking bays available.
Also remember, there are various points of interest close to the food centre worth checking out. Most places here are along Balestier Road, or south, scattered around Novena Station.
Taking the MRT to Novena Station is a practical decision because it is surrounded by shopping malls that you can walk directly to.
In the section below, we have summarized some of the most popular places to visit in this area of Singapore.
Some of the most popular malls around Novena Station include:
Novena Square – 1 minute (100 m)
Velocity – 1 minute (100 m)
Royal Square Novena – 1 minute (100 m)
United Square Shopping Mall – 8 minutes (800 m)
Novena 2 – 2 minutes (200 m)
Note all distances and walking times are in relation to Novena Station.
Near Balestier Road
North of Novena Station along Balestier Road you will find a few shopping malls as well:
Balestier Point
Balestier Plaza
Zhongshan Shopping Mall
If you are driving, walking or taking the bus around Whampoa Hawker Centre you should check out Thomson Road, Balestier Road and Moulmein Road. You will pass by most of the hotels, restaurants, malls and health facilities in this area.
Expect delicious meals at a fraction of the price you would see at formal restaurants.
Goldhill Shopping Mall and Goldhill Plaza Mall are two smaller shopping centres that are close to United Square. You can visit these during the same walk from Novena Station.
We hope that you enjoy your delicious meals at Whampoa Hawker Centre!