Orchard Road
A SHOPPING PARADISE
Take a self-guided tour along Singapore's shopping paradise and indulge in retail therapy
4 Different Things to Do for a Fun Day at Orchard
Orchard is easily one of the best places to go on our island when you need a little pick-me-up, usually through some retail therapy.
But even if the area’s most known for its shops, there are actually a lot more things to see and do here than you might think.
You can enjoy a laid-back stroll through a World Heritage Site, indulge your creative side through an art jam, and more.
Today, we’ll show you some of these options so you know what to try the next time you’re around Orchard and want to do something other than shop!
1. Visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens
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The Singapore Botanic Gardens is one of the three gardens deemed World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. What’s more, it’s actually the only tropical garden of the three!
Found right at the edge of Orchard Road, it’s a stunning tribute to the variety of equatorial flora. It dates all the way back to 1859, when it was founded as a nature pleasure park for the Singapore Agri-horticultural Society.
There’s a lot of interest here, but we highly recommend seeing the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden if you have kids and of course, the National Orchid Park. The latter has some of the most spectacular blooms you’ll ever see in our part of the world.
2. Try art-jamming at Cafe de Paris
Feeling creative? This one’s for you, then!
Cafe de Paris is a great cafe at 313@Somserset that offers art jamming sessions for groups of people. Paying to schedule an art jam means you get a complimentary drink of your choice, art jamming materials, and a cool venue for your creative endeavours.
During the art jam, you’ll be given reference pictures, a blank canvas, an e-guide, paints and brushes, and more. They even provide a hair-dryer to help you dry your painting if needed so you can take it home after your 3-hour jamming session is done.
And if you do get a bit peckish during or after your session, you can have a meal right at the cafe! They have a tonne of great offerings, like baked penne, fish and chips, cakes, and Korean bon bons!
3. Try to escape from Trapped Escape Room Singapore
This can be a really fun way to spend a day if you’re the cerebral or puzzle-solving type. Trapped Room Singapore offers an escape room experience that you won’t soon forget!
If you haven’t tried an escape room before, you basically get locked into a room that carries all the clues you need to break out. Participants are usually in groups, so you can do it with a friend - because two brains are better than one!
What’s more, a member of the Trapped Escape Room Singapore team is usually in the room sharing the experience with you. That means if you ever get desperate enough to ask them for a little hint or help, you’ll have it on hand.
4. Bring a skateboard to Somerset Skate Park
Somerset Skate Park is a nice, clean skateboarding park across from the Somerset Road entrance. It’s not technically along Orchard Road, but hey, it’s close enough for you to mosey over to it if you’re coming from any of the other places we mentioned!
Anyway, it’s a pretty good skateboarding park and is well-maintained. The only potential downside is that there can be a lot of kids using it at certain days and hours.
If you’d prefer to have more of the park to yourself, our suggestion is to go there when kids are at school. You’ll likely run into very few people at the park then.
It’s probably not for the serious daredevils among skaters, as it doesn’t have too much by way of crazy ramps or structures for them to use in showing off their skills. Despite that, we think most skaters will still enjoy it!
Want more ideas for your trip to Orchard?
The suggestions we gave you are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the things you can do around Orchard Road. That’s the beauty of this area: there’s so much life to take part in around here!
If you want to learn more about what else you can do around Orchard, check out our walking guide to the place. There we give you more ideas for what to do and where to go!
Download our Orchard Road Guide now!
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