A hill with a history that goes back 700 years. This green oasis was once known as “Forbidden Hill” as it was the seat of royalty for rulers of Temasek (“Sea Town”) in the 1300s and also where ancient kings were buried. A water feature known as the “Forbidden Spring” is believed to be where members of the royal household once bathed. When Singapore was colonised by Britain, the colonial leaders made their residences there, hence its other name of “Government Hill”. During WW2, it also became a military base – in fact, the Hotel Fort Canning is in a building formerly occupied by the British Army’s Far East Command Centre. The numerous onsite ancient artefacts are testaments to the rich ethnic and colonial past of the place and in particular Singapore. History aside, Fort Canning has much to offer in terms of flora and fauna. There is the Fort Canning Spice Trail that sits on the site of Singapore’s first experimental botanical gardens, an initiative of Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore, who built his house at Fort Canning during his last visit to Singapore. (Marking its location is the “Raffles House” – an extant events site whose vantage position offers a scenic view of the area and beyond.) This replica of a garden now has a collection of more than 50 species of plants. Beyond the garden, there are many more species including the magnificent Fig Tree, the Rain Tree and the Bird’s Nest Fern, to name but a few. Bird-watching is a popular activity at the park whose other better-known inhabitants are squirrels, bats and lizards.

This tour starts at Stamford Road and ends at Fort Canning Link.

Tour Timing:
4pm – 6pm

Tour Meeting Point:
Bus-stop along Stamford Road

Requirement:
Minimum 2 persons

Price:
S$50 per person – Group tour
S$220 per group – Private tour (maximum 5 persons per group)