Free tour

Walking Tour of the Singapore Botanic Gardens with National Orchid Garden

4.65

Acceptable (23 ratings)

Singapore

Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Languages: English

Guru: Grace

Registered on 22 March 2024

I am a Singapore Tourism Board licensed guide who is passionate about flora, fauna, maritime, history and heritage of Singapore. Having started as a wildlife guide at the iconic Jurong Bird Park, I moved on to be a VIP Guide/Trainer at Universal Studios Singapore and SEA Aquarium. In 2019 obtained my tour guiding license and I conduct tours for tourists and locals around Singapore. My tours are meant to create a memorable and enriching experience for all who want to know more about my island nation.

Free booking and cancellation

Pay-what-you-wish tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free

Tour description

This is a walking tour of the Singapore Botanic Gardens which is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2015 and it includes the National Orchid Garden which is home to the VIP orchids. The tour will take the walkers through the history, heritage, flora and fauna of the gardens.

Please note the following information before booking the tour:

The tour will start and end at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Tanglin Gate Visitor Services - the nearest MRT is Napier Station. Kindly arrive by 9.55am as the tour 10am and will not wait for latecomers. Please do not take the subway to Botanic Gardens MRT Station as it will be a very long walk to Tanglin Gate.

The minimum number of walkers required for this walk is 5 pax. If you are unable to attend the walk, or a decrease in your number of walkers, kindly let your guru know in advance - the day before the tour date. If you do not cancel and do not turn up for the tour, another person will be deprived of the slot as the system currently only allows 5 pax to book and your guide will be waiting for you.

Kindly also note that if the guru is unable to contact you through the Guruwalk platform/ telephone number given, the tour will not proceed.

This is a walking tour that will take participants through the history, heritage and information on the flora and fauna in the gardens and may not be suitable for children below the age of 12 years.

Please bring along umbrellas/ponchos, drinking water and hand held portable fans.

Admission to the Singapore Botanic Gardens is free however, admission ticket is needed to enter the National Orchid Garden. Please note that the admission ticket price to enter the National Orchid Gardens is paid by the walker separately and is not part of the tip to the guru.

Although promoted as free walking tours by the platform, please note that these tours work on a tipping system and are not completely free. The guru/guide is paid for their work only through the tips. The suggested cash tip is $30 is recommended as this is a very specialised tour and it is also a source of income to your professionally trained guru who has made the effort to create an unique and enriching tour experience.

The tour is 2.5 to 3 hours and walkers are advised to follow and stay together as a group in order to complete the whole tour. Those who wish to explore the gardens or take more pictures can do so after the tour has ended with the guru.

Highlights

What will we see on this tour?

Meeting point:

1 Cluny Rd, Singapore 259569

The meeting point is Tanglin Gate, Visitor Services Counter at the Singapore Botanic Gardens

Outside visit

1 Cluny Road

Meet your guide at the Tanglin Gate Visitor Services Counter area where the journey will begin to discover a tropical gem in the heart of the city. Some of the oldest trees dot this path with a beautiful lake dedicated to the mute swans.

Outside visit

Ginger Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens

See the exotic gingers, heliconias, bananas and related plants in the Zingiberaceae genus en route to the National Orchid Gardens and learn about the Garden's effort to conserve the gingers and their allies.

Ticket not included

National Orchid Garden

The National Orchid Garden is situated inside the Singapore Botanic Gardens and houses many exotic orchid species, VIP orchids named after royalties, foreign dignitaries and celebrities. Some of the highly endangered orchids and other plant species can be found here.

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours don't have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end the amount they consider appropriate (amounts usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).