Underground passages in the CBD

Singaporeans are no strangers to scorching weather. While most of us cool off indoors in air-conditioning, business peeps unfortunately don’t have a summer break to hide from the sun. With temperatures spiking to nearly 40°C, even a short unsheltered walk can begin to melt you.

To combat this, we’ve made a list of the best underground passages in the CBD, so you can head to work without risking a heatstroke.

Where are the underground passages in Singapore’s CBD?

1. Raffles City to Promenade

One of the most common underground passages is the Raffles City to Promenade route via CityLink Mall. Some of you might whine at the seemingly never-ending escalators of this path, but when the heat rays are blasting, this is the best route to cover ground and get to your destination.

CityLink Mall is the longest link mall in Singapore and connects 3 different MRT stations: City Hall, Esplanade, and Promenade. As a bonus, most of the areas are air-conditioned and have cool shops and eateries to sustain you along the way.

Directions: Start your journey by entering Raffles City Shopping Centre, or getting off the MRT at City Hall MRT Exit A and heading to CityLink Mall’s entrance. After you reach Esplanade Station, take Exit A to Suntec City. From there, follow signs that’ll lead you towards Promenade MRT Exit C.

Distance: 650m

2. Raffles City to Funan

Going in the opposite direction from CityLink is the Raffles City to Funan Mall journey. Aside from passing by plenty of restaurants on the way and a funky mall that waits on the other side, this relatively short route allows you to dodge up to 3 road crossings.

Directions: From Raffles City or City Hall MRT, head to Exit D which will start you on your journey to Capitol Singapore’s basement level. After that, you just have to follow a few signs that will lead you to a large brown wall with a lit-up FUNAN signage on it, and just like that you’re at the B2 level of Funan Mall.

Distance: 550m

3. Bugis to Guoco Midtown

DUO Galleria.
Image adapted from: DUO Singapore

A slightly undercover route that you could come across would be from Bugis to Guoco Midtown, via DUO Galleria. Despite it being all within the MRT station, the walk can take at least 6 minutes to get through, which rewards you with a decent cooling-down period.

Directions: Heading toward the Downtown Line side of Bugis MRT, take Exit F. You should reach DUO Galleria as your first checkpoint. From there, follow the signs that lead you towards a marbled walkway and an escalator that takes you to the ground floor of Guoco Midtown.

Distance: 350m

4. Raffles Place to Marina Bay Financial Towers

Image credit: Iwansw via Wikimedia Commons

Get ready for the longest underground route in Singapore, which can take up to 30 minutes to complete: Raffles Place to Marina Bay Financial Centre. Before you roll your eyes at the distance, the entire journey is air-conditioned so you can get your steps in without breaking a sweat.

There are also ample places for you to stop, take a breather, and maybe buy a snack-to-go. Once you get the hang of all the escalators and sign boards, you could probably crush it in under 20 minutes.

Directions: Bear with us as this lengthy journey does have its fair share of twists and turns. Raffles Place MRT Exit I is where you’ll want to start, trudging through tunnels till you reach One Raffles Quay. After that, you can turn to either One Marina Boulevard or Marina Bay Link Mall. From the latter, follow the signs until they lead you to the basement of Marina Bay Financial Towers.

Distance: 700m

5. Tanjong Pagar to Telok Ayer

Image adapted from: Street Directory

One of the shorter underground walkways but still handy is Tanjong Pagar to Telok Ayer Street – it can help you dodge all the brutish office buildings and straight to some quaint bars in the CBD for Happy Hour.

Directions: Walking towards Tanjong Pagar MRT Exit G, you’ll pass through Tanjong Pagar Xchange and walk through a beige tunnel. At the end, you’ll be greeted by an escalator that takes you straight up to Telok Ayer Park.

Distance: 270m

6. Clarke Quay underpasses

Even evenings these days aren’t spared from the weather, so Friday drinks with your colleagues can still feel like a sweaty stroll away. Not to worry though, as the popular hub for post-work boozing, Clarke Quay, has 3 different bridge underpasses that go over the Singapore River.

Each of these underpasses has brightly coloured murals inspired by Singaporean and Western cultures, and you may even find some buskers performing along the way. Though short, these tunnels can aid you in your journey from Clarke Quay to Boat Quay (Coleman Bridge Underpass), from Clarke Quay to Robertson Quay (Clemenceau Underpass), and from North Bridge to South Bridge Road (Elgin Bridge Underpass).

While these underpasses aren’t air-conditioned or indoor-to-indoor, you still won’t break a sweat as they have been engineered to be cooler.

7. Orchard underpasses

There are countless connectors and pedestrian crossings along Orchard Road. However, some of these are spaced far apart and still require you to stroll on the sweltering pavement. Luckily for us, Orchard has plenty of underground links and passages to help us make our way around the shopping district.

Image adapted from: Sheen T. via Foursquare

If you’ve finished a shopping trip to Takashimaya and want to go thrifting to balance out your big purchases, take the Ngee Ann City Underpass to Lucky Plaza (170m). On the other hand, if you’re ready to splurge, you can go all the way to Wheelock Place from Takashimaya through Wisma Atria’s basements and the ION Orchard Link (500m).

The underground paths stretch out all the way to Somerset as you can make the journey from Orchard Gateway to The Centrepoint, without you having to cross the road (<100m).

8. Outram Park underpasses

Image credit: LN9267 via Wikimedia Commons

When the Thomson-East Coast Line extended to Outram Park MRT, there was a boom in exits that allowed commuters to make it all over Outram under just 1 station.

Whether you’re trying to get to Outram Road for some sushi at the Dorsett (Exit 8 to Exit 4, 250m) or for a health check-up at SGH (Exit 8 to Exit 6, 300m), the extensive underground system has got you covered, literally.

Beat the heat by going underground

Going under may lead to a slight delay in the standard walking time, but at least you won’t reach work fatigued by the weather. Some trippy walkways can also be a great place to take some impromptu photoshoots at, so you’re making the most of these detours.

If you’re looking for other ways to deal with the heat, you can check out our list of indoor activities in Singapore to still have a great time despite it, or seek refuge in some of the coldest places in Singapore. For some personal ways to cool down, check out our list of the best portable fans to buy and our tips to cool your home.