The National Museum of Singapore is the country's oldest museum, founded in 1849. Its neo-Palladian building with a dome and stained glass sits on Stamford Road. Galleries tell the story of Singapore from its early history to modern independence, using immersive displays and artefacts. The glass rotunda and rotating exhibitions make it worth repeated visits.

National Gallery Singapore occupies two national monuments: the former Supreme Court and City Hall. Opened in 2015, it holds one of the largest collections of Southeast Asian and Singaporean modern art in the world. The restored courtrooms and council chamber can also be visited. The rooftop terrace offers views of the Padang and Marina Bay.

The Asian Civilisations Museum sits on the Singapore River in the elegant colonial Empress Place Building. Its galleries explore the cultures connected to Singapore's history through trade, with treasures from China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Islamic world. A highlight is the Tang Shipwreck collection of 9th-century ceramics and gold. Allow two to three hours.

Fort Canning Park is a historic hill in central Singapore that was once the seat of ancient Malay kings and later of British colonial governors. Today it has gardens, old fortress gates, the Battlebox bunker museum and a spice garden. A famous tunnel staircase is a popular photo spot. Shady paths make it a pleasant walk between the city's museums.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens were founded in 1859 and became Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. Highlights include the National Orchid Garden, with hundreds of species and hybrids, a rainforest patch, lakes and the bandstand. The gardens played a key role in developing rubber cultivation in the region. Entry to most of the gardens is free.

Henderson Waves is Singapore's highest pedestrian bridge, about 36 metres above Henderson Road. Its wavy deck of timber slats on steel ribs creates curved alcoves with benches. The bridge is part of the Southern Ridges, a trail linking Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill and Kent Ridge. It is lit with LEDs in the evening, making it a lovely spot for sunset walks.

Haw Par Villa is a unique theme park built in 1937 by the brothers behind Tiger Balm. More than a thousand colourful statues and dioramas illustrate Chinese legends, folklore and moral tales. Its best-known section, the Ten Courts of Hell, vividly shows punishments in the afterlife and is not suitable for young children. Entry to the park is free.

Thian Hock Keng is one of the oldest and most important Hokkien temples in Singapore, completed in 1842. It was built where early Chinese immigrants gave thanks for a safe sea voyage and is dedicated to Mazu, the goddess of the sea. Its roofs, carvings and stone pillars were made by craftsmen from China without using nails. It is a peaceful stop on Telok Ayer Street.

St Andrew's Cathedral is Singapore's largest cathedral, built in the 1850s and 1860s in the English Gothic Revival style. Its walls were coated with a plaster called Madras chunam, made with egg white, shell lime and sugar, giving a smooth white finish. The cathedral stands in green grounds near City Hall. Visitors are welcome outside service times.

CHIJMES is a complex of restored 19th-century buildings that once housed the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus. Its Gothic chapel with stained glass and a cloistered courtyard are now used for weddings and events. The surrounding buildings host restaurants and bars. The convent's history includes a gate where unwanted babies were left in the care of the nuns.

Sultan Mosque, or Masjid Sultan, is the centrepiece of Kampong Glam, Singapore's historic Malay and Arab quarter. The present building with its golden domes was completed in 1928, replacing an earlier mosque. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside prayer times, and robes are provided. The surrounding streets, including Arab Street and Haji Lane, are full of shops and cafés.

Kranji War Cemetery honours Allied soldiers who died defending Singapore and Malaya during the Second World War. Rows of white headstones line a gentle hillside overlooking the Straits of Johor. The memorial walls carry the names of more than 24,000 servicemen with no known grave. The cemetery is peaceful and beautifully kept, and is visited by many on Remembrance Day.