Changi Airport is my favorite airport to transit through. It’s clean, easy to navigate and if you have a longer layover, there’s plenty to see and do at the Jewel to keep you busy for a few hours. So what is actually at the Jewel?

I originally thought the Jewel was just the famous indoor waterfall, but it’s actually an entire shopping centre complex at the airport. The waterfall (the world’s tallest indoor waterfall) is called the Rain Vortex and it’s located within the Jewel. The Jewel also has plenty of places to eat (restaurants and food courts), multiple levels of seating and viewing platforms surrounding the Rain Vortex, along with tropical gardens and shops. The top level has a variety of paid attractions ideal for keeping kids entertained.

The view from the Canopy Bridge looks good in photos I’ve seen but unfortunately you have to pay to walk on it. There are still good views of the Rain Vortex from the upper viewing platforms

How much time do you need to see the Jewel?

If you have to switch terminals you might get a peak from the Changi Airport Skytrain. If you had a 2-3 hour layover you could just take the train to a different terminal than the one you’re leaving from to see it out the train window. Then take the train back to the terminal you’re supposed to leave from. The train connects Terminals 1, 2, and 3, operating from 5am – 2:30 am daily, runs approx. every 5 minutes and is free.

Changi Airport is a little different to some other airports. You clear security at your gate. So you’re only clearing security with other people that are on your flight, not with everyone else who is also trying to board a flight.

If you want to see it in person, you’ll need a longer layover (I’d say minimum 5 hours), as you’ll need to clear immigration. You’ll need a valid visa or the Visa-Free Transit Facility (VFTF) which allows eligible travelers to enter Singapore for a short transit period (up to 96 hours) without a visa.

So that’s why for years when I’d transited through Changi I had only ever seen it out the train window. It seemed like too much hassle as flights to / from Australia are aligned with the Europe flights to have an optimal 2-3 hour stopover. I would always just continue onto Europe or home to Australia. So when I spent a few days in Singapore I went to the airport 3 hours earlier than I needed to. 3 hours was a good amount of time to see the Jewel. You could also visit the Jewel upon arrival.

If you’re arriving into Singapore the Jewel is after passport control. If you’re departing Singapore the Jewel is before passport control.

If you’re visiting on a long layer and your checked bag is checked all the way through to your final destination, then you don’t need to collect your checked luggage. You would fill in the arrival card, go through passport control and customers, then exit the arrival hall and go to the Jewel. It sounds like a lengthy process but when I arrived in Singapore they were extremely efficient with multiple self service machines operating, it only took me 30 minutes to get through.

More info on the Changi Airport website.

How to get to the Jewel

The Jewel is located at terminal 1 of Changi Airport.

Image credit

You can get to the airport via tax, bus or underground train (MRT). I took the bus which took a little longer but I didn’t want to have to lift suitcases up and down stairs to a train station (in the unlikely event escalators or a lift isn’t working, it’s happened too many times before in my travels). Plus on the bus I can looking at things out the bus window on the way. If you’re not travelling solo like I was, then it could make sense to split the cost of a taxi.

If you take the underground train, the Changi Airport MRT Station is linked directly to Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 of Changi Airport, but not terminal 1.

More info on the Changi Airport website.

Things to see and do at the Jewel Changi Airport:

• Canopy Park (on the top floor, level 5) – has a bouncing net, hedge maze, canopy bridge, walking net, mirror maze, foggy bowls
• Various viewing platforms on each level for a look at the Rain Vortex
• Hands – if you want to do some last minute stationery shopping
• Variety of international food chains if you want to get your last fix
• Shaw Theatres if you want to watch a movie

The airport has free wifi and powerbank loan if you’re phone is running low on battery and you forgot to keep your power adapter in your carry on bag.

Related post: The best stationery shops in Singapore (pens, highlighters, washi tape, stencils etc.)

What are the opening hours of the Jewel?

The Jewel is open 24 hours but most shops are open from 10am to 10pm.

What time should you visit the Jewel?

I would get an evening flight out of Singapore leaving around 10pm. That way you could arrive around 5pm, see the Jewel during the day, peruse the shops, try some food then see the nighttime light show before hopefully being tired enough to sleep on your flight.

The light show runs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm, 8pm and 9pm. From Friday to Sunday it runs at 7.30pm, 8pm, 9pm and 10pm.

If you have odd flight times, there is a hotel at the Jewel (Yotelair). It also has shower and gym facilities.

Are there luggage facilities?

I used the early check in counters on level 1 to drop off my checked bag. Most airlines offer early check in, although the definition of ‘early’ differs depending on the airline. You can check your airlines timings on this page of the Changi airport website.

I dropped off my bag around 4pm for my 8:30pm flight. No one was there to check the weight of my carry on luggage 🙂 Then I took my carry on suitcase with me as I went around the Jewel. Heaps of people were pushing carry on size bags around, it wasn’t an issue at the restaurants either.

If you want to visit some of the paid attractions you’ll need to use the luggage storage which is open 24 hours and it located on level 1 (near the Early Check-In Lounge). You’ll need to pay to use the luggage storage, unfortunately it’s not free.

Where to eat at the Jewel

So many options!

I wished I gotten a variety of smaller snack foods rather than going to a restaurant for a full size meal. The customer service was poor (even at 5pm) and the portion sizes were small anyway. There were plenty of options in the food court but not a lot of seating.

Planning a trip to Singapore?

• The best stationery shops in Singapore (pens, highlighters, washi tape, stencils etc.)
• Guide to visiting Gardens by the Bay in Singapore (including the best photo spots for the Supertree Grove)
• First Timer’s Guide to Singapore Hawker Centres: Tips You Need to Know
• Is the SkyPark Observation Deck at Marina Bay Sands worth visiting?

Plan the best holiday with my travel itinerary template!

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