“Huh, you parking in town? So expensive sia.” is a popular response when one expresses that he/she is driving and parking in Orchard Road. Now, it’s not that we’re all cash-tight – let’s be real, if you can own a car in Singapore, chances are you can probably afford the parking fees that come with it.
But we’re never gonna say no to affordable parking, especially in town. With parking rates going as high as $7/hour – ahem, Hilton Hotel, ahem – we’ve rounded up a list of car parks with the lowest costs, so you have extra cash to spend on yourself or bae.
You can also view the parking spots in this Google My Maps, which includes the location pins of the places we mention below.
If entering a private or public car park, such as an HDB car park, there will be a gantry that’ll read your entry time via your in-vehicle unit (IU) or on-board unit (OBU). Just make sure you have a NETS CashCard on hand while you exit to pay for your parking fee.
Other public parking spaces, such as lots along the road, require the use of the Parking.sg app on your mobile device. Select the car park from the list of nearby locations or search for it via the car park code found on the car park signboard.
Key in your car plate number and parking duration, then pay using a debit or credit card. If you plan on staying longer, you can also extend your parking session. No worries if you leave earlier than stated too. You’ll receive a refund for any unused parking minutes.
| Best Weekday (before 5/6pm) Car Park Rates | ||
| Car Park Location | Time Period | Parking Rate |
| Angullia Park Off-Street |
|
|
| Far East Plaza | 8am – 5pm | $1.80 for the 1st hour, $1.50 for subsequent 30 minutes |
| Liat Towers | 6:30am – 5:59pm | $1.50 per 30 minutes |
| Orchard Building | 6:30am – 6pm | $1.40 per 30 minutes |
| Penang Road Off-Street | 7am – 5pm | $1.20 per 30 minutes (Per Minute Charging) |
The cheapest parking you’ll get in Orchard is at the Anguilla Park Public Car Park, which is just behind Wheelock Place and ION Orchard. Just up the road is Liat Towers, which also has cheap rates until 5.59pm on weekdays.
Image credit: Declan M. Martin via Wikicommons
As you move along the shopping belt, choose to park at Far East Plaza for easier access to Scotts Road for shopping malls like Scotts Square, Shaw Centre, and Tangs Orchard.
For the Somerset region, Orchard Building has the cheapest rates and is just a 2-minute walk to 313@Someset, Orchardgateway, and Orchard Central where you’ll find the only 24-hour Don Don Donki in Singapore.
Towards the end of Orchard Road, there’s the Penang Road Car Park. While a little out of the way, you’re not more than a 5-minute walk from Plaza Singapura and Dhoby Ghaut.
| Best Weekday (after 5/6pm) Car Park Rates | ||
| Car Park Location | Time Period | Parking Rate |
| Angullia Park Off-Street | 5pm – 10:30pm 10:30pm – 7am (next day) | $0.80 per 30 minutes (Per Minute Charging) Capped at $5.60 |
| Cathay Cineleisure Orchard | 5pm – 6:59am | $0.04 per minute |
| Far East Square | 6pm – 12am | $3.27 per entry |
| Forum the Shopping Mall | 5pm – 6am | $3.50 per entry |
| The Cathay | 6pm – 7:59am | $3 per entry |
| Singapore Shopping Centre | 8:01pm – 8am | $3 per entry |
| Plaza Singapura | 6pm – 11:59pm | $3.25 per entry |
| ION Orchard | Mon-Thu 5pm – 11:59pm | $3.05 per entry |
Most malls in Orchard go by a per entry basis after 5/6pm, so this is actually a good timing if you want to bring the fam out and gai gai.
My personal favourite – parking at ION Orchard, that will only set you back at $3.05 from 5pm. It’s also centrally located so you can walk over to Takashimaya, Somerset or Cineleisure. And if walking to Dhoby Ghaut is a lil’ too far, Plaza Singapura’s car park charges about the same rate at $3.25 per entry after 6pm.
| Best Weekend Car Park Rates | ||
| Car Park Location | Time Period | Parking Rate |
| Angullia Park Off-Street |
|
|
| Cathay Cineleisure Orchard |
|
|
| Concorde Hotel |
|
|
| Far East Plaza |
|
|
| Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre |
|
Capped at $4.90/day |
Unsurprisingly, parking rates during the weekends are slightly costlier than on weekdays. Parking on a Saturday tends to be more expensive than parking on a Sunday, so if you’re planning to do some weekend shopping, it’s best to hold off till Sunday so you can save a couple of bucks.
It could also be more cost effective to look for car parks that offer per entry rates, especially if you’re going to be at Orchard Road for an extended period of time. Concorde Hotel charges just $3.75 per entry on Sundays and is nicely stationed in the middle of the shopping belt for wide access to all of Orchard.
Alternatively, Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre has a $4 hourly rate until 2.59pm, and a $1.80 hourly rate thereafter. But, parking rates are capped at $4.90/day, so you won’t be charged any extra if you stay parked for at least 3 hours. This rate is applicable for both Saturday and Sunday.
It’s undeniably more convenient if you park in Orchard, so you don’t have to lug your shopping bags around or squeeze with others on the bus or train. Avoid paying expensive parking fees and consider parking at these places instead.
It’s also worth checking the respective malls for their ongoing promotions, as some offer parking rebates which you can redeem upon hitting a minimum spend. I mean, if you’re already planning to spend some moolah there, you might as well make the most out of it, right?
More Orchard Road articles:
Cover image adapted from: Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre
Last updated by Raewyn Koh on 12th September 2024.
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