Jewel Changi Airport is a glass-domed complex in front of Terminal 1 at Singapore's Changi Airport, and it is open to the public, not just to passengers. Most people come to see the HSBC Rain Vortex, an indoor waterfall that drops through an opening in the roof into a pool on the floors below, surrounded by a terraced indoor forest. Around it are shops, restaurants, a hotel and early check-in facilities. You do not need a flight to visit Jewel Changi Airport, and entry to the main building is free.
What Jewel Changi Airport is
Jewel opened in 2019 and was designed by the architect Moshe Safdie, who also designed Marina Bay Sands. The building is a toroidal glass and steel dome, and the waterfall at its centre is often described as the tallest indoor waterfall in the world. The Shiseido Forest Valley, a stepped garden of trees, ferns and shrubs, wraps around the waterfall over several levels, with walking trails that are free to explore.
It is worth a visit in its own right, and it is also one of the easiest things to do in Singapore with a few hours to spare before a flight.
Getting to Jewel Changi Airport by MRT
The nearest station is Changi Airport MRT, at the end of the East West Line's airport branch. On most journeys from the city you will need to change at Tanah Merah onto the airport shuttle service, so check the platform signs. The station sits underground between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.
From the station, head up into either Terminal 2 or Terminal 3 and follow the signs for Jewel. Covered link bridges in the public areas lead from both terminals into the building, and it takes around 5 to 10 minutes on foot. Terminal 1 connects to Jewel directly on the arrivals side. The free Skytrain also links the terminals, but walking is usually just as quick from the MRT.
If you are connecting between flights, remember that Jewel is on the public side of the airport, outside immigration. Transit passengers need to clear immigration to visit, so check your eligibility and allow plenty of time to get back through security.
Tickets and opening hours
Entry to Jewel, the Rain Vortex viewing areas and the Forest Valley trails is free. The paid zone is Canopy Park on the top level, which includes gardens, a hedge maze, a mirror maze, suspended walking and bouncing nets, playful slides and the Canopy Bridge, which gives a view straight down onto the waterfall. Canopy Park attractions are sold individually or as bundles, and some have height or age requirements.
The public areas of Jewel are open very long hours, but individual shops, restaurants and Canopy Park have their own times, and the waterfall itself does not run around the clock. Check the official site, jewelchangiairport.com, for current hours, the light and sound show schedule and Canopy Park prices.
Best time to visit Jewel Changi Airport
The Rain Vortex looks very different by day and by night. During the day, natural light pours through the dome onto the forest. After dark, the waterfall becomes a screen for a light and sound show that runs a few times each evening and draws large crowds to the lower levels. If you can, visit in the late afternoon, walk the Forest Valley in daylight, eat, and then stay for one of the evening shows.
Weekends and school holidays are busy with local families as well as travellers. Weekday mornings are calmer. Plan on about two hours to see the waterfall from several levels and walk the trails, and three hours or more if you add Canopy Park and a meal.
What to see at Jewel
- HSBC Rain Vortex: watch it from the bottom level for the noise and mist, from the middle levels of the forest, and from the Canopy Bridge for the overhead view.
- Shiseido Forest Valley: free trails through thousands of trees and plants that climb the terraces around the waterfall.
- Canopy Park: the paid attractions on the top level, good for families and anyone who enjoys mazes and nets.
- Food and shopping: a long list of restaurants, including several well-known Singaporean and international names, plus plenty of shops for last-minute souvenirs.
- Seasonal displays: Jewel often stages themed installations and events in the Forest Valley and on the lower levels, so check what is on during your visit.
If you are flying out the same day, check with your airline about where and when you can drop your bags, so you are not dragging luggage around the trails. Leave yourself a clear margin to walk back to your terminal and clear security.
Nearby on the same MRT stop
Changi Airport station is a terminus, so most of what is nearby is inside the airport itself:
- Terminal gardens and viewing areas: several terminals have gardens and spots to watch planes, some of them airside only.
- Changi Airport Terminal 3 and Terminal 2 public areas: food courts that are popular with airport staff and locals, often cheaper than inside Jewel.
- Changi Village and Changi Beach Park: further east and reached by bus or taxi, good for a quieter seaside afternoon.
For more around this stop, see Jewel Changi Airport on Around the Metro, or explore other stations on the Singapore MRT map.