We happened to be in Singapore on Labour Day public holiday, so what do you do?...you join a fair portion of the locals and head to the presidential palace and grounds. Lots of people in the queue but it moved quickly enough. The wait was well worth it with the 100 or so acres of manicured lawns and gardens, just... More 

I was disappointed that it was not possible for walk-up tourists to visit the Istana, so I had to make do with the newly-opened Istana Heritage Gallery located next to the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. It is only small, but it was interesting to about read the history of the building and the role of the President. There is a... More 

This is a beautiful old colonial building and it is very rare to be able to go inside the grounds let alone the ground floor of the building, so if you get a chance go there on a day when it is open, get there early because the queues go right round to the Singapore Plaza as the day goes... More 

I went there during chines new years. We went at the opening time (8:30am), almost no queue. But I would not advise to go if there is a queue. Not much to see, the park is random and plenty of better parks in Singapore. Plus the Presidential building is not a good quality, we just saw gifts from other countries.

We visited the Istana during their open house and loved it. The grounds were beautiful and the house itself was almost regal. There is a strong sense of history in the place, but also a very real grounding to the present day.

Headed to the Istana Open House during the 2016 Hari Raya. Though I was perspiring profusely when climbing up the mini hill towards the Istana, the journey was priceless. It’s my first visit to the Istana and I was extremely mesmerized by the beautiful nature surrounding it. Unfortunately, video and photo taking is prohibited in the Istana. But trust me,... More 

Istana will be opened to public on 5 gazetted public holidays namely (1) Chinese New Year (likely 2nd day of Lunar New Year); (2) Labour Day 1 May; (3) Hari Raya Puasa; (4) National Day (not actual day) & (5) Deepavali. Opened 8.30am - 5.30pm. Free admission to Singaporeans and permanent resident. Foreigners need to pay $2 which will be... More 

Came here today for the CNY opening. It's only open a few times a year and I've never managed to see it before. Long queues to get in and even longer queues to visit the main building interior. I only saw the grounds as the queues to go inside were just ridiculous. All very pretty and well worth a visit... More 

The Istana is only opened on public holidays to the public. There are paid guided tours to the Istana and Nature walk. A great place to picnic. Bring your picnic basket. Nothing much to see in the Istana itself. Limited access. Go early to avoid the long queue.