A Quick Guide To Singapore's Boat Quay

Boat Quay is one of the major nightlife spots in Singapore, but this was not always the case. Located between tourist-magnet Clarke Quay and the largely residential Robertson Quay, Boat Quay is the social waterfront directly in front of the Central Banking District’s banking and financial towers. Currently, Boat Quay is undergoing a massive revamp that is scheduled to be completed at the end of the year and will result in a significant amount of waterside seating available to the public, as opposed to being forced to patronize the bars and restaurants that previously occupied the riverbank.

In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in Singapore and discovered that the area surrounding the Singapore River was swampy and crowded with floating settlements and wooden huts. Soon after, he embarked on Singapore’s first land reclamation project by taking a small hill from present day Raffles Place, making the area south of the river a Chinese settlement and reserving the area north of the river for government buildings and homes for government officials.

Boat Quay became an exceptionally successful port and was integral in Singapore’s economic activities, in part because of its free port status. A second harbor was built at Tanjong Pagar to handle the increasing traffic. However, Boat Quay still received more than half of all shipping in the Port of Singapore because of the opening of the Suez Canal which led to steamships using the port. From the late 1800s until World War 2, there would be over 100,000 people living and working along the Singapore River.

In the 1960s, Boat Quay saw a significant drop in usage as mechanization took over the role of bumboats (small wooden boats). The opening of a high-tech cargo center in Pasir Panjang was the death knell for trade along Boat Quay. By this point, the rivers were heavily polluted and the Singapore government embarked on a decade-long Clean Rivers project. In the mid-1980s, they decided to conserve the buildings and transform the Quayside into an entertainment hub.

These days, the only boats that you will see on the Singapore River are the bumboats that run tours and serve as river taxis. The old shophouses and warehouses are now home to popular restaurants, bars and other entertainment venues that are frequented by the professionals that work in the CBD area, and tourists. Their colourful facades serve as a reminder to the importance of Boat Quay in Singapore’s history.

Boat Quay, Singapore, 049868

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.