Our Visit To Singapore Buddhist Temple | The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple with Kids
- Fletch
- May 5, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: Jan 1
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Singapore is a multi-cultural city, meaning you'll find Buddhist temples near Hindu temples, Mosques and Churches all living in harmony with each other in this stunning city metropolis. That in itself makes Singapore an amazing place to take kids and open up discussions on peace and harmony and living together as one. As our world schooling subject at the time was on Buddhism, we were on the lookout for the best Singapore Buddhist temple and we took the opportunity to visit the beautiful Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, in Singapore.
Read on to find out more about Visiting the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore With Kids: What You Need to Know. In our family-focused travel blog post about visiting the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple — we hope it's informative for you when planning your Singapore trip, with practical tips and things to consider when planning to visit with kids:
And if you're interested in Our Story of how we went from living a Depressed and Disconnected life in the UK to living the life of our dreams travelling the world, worldschooling our kids and building our dream home in Bali then I've linked some blog posts above.
And if not, Let's jump in to todays Singapore Travel blog: The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.
Visiting the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore With Kids: What You Need to Know
Tucked into the heart of Singapore’s bustling Chinatown is a place of calm, culture, and awe: the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. During our family’s first visit to Singapore, this sacred site left a lasting impression on all of us—adults and kids alike. So much so that myself & Si decided to return the day after to watch the Awakening of The Tooth Ceremony to meditate within the hall (without kids as the first time round we were on full on learning & exploring mode). If you follow us you'll know that as part of our worldschooling subjects we are studying Buddhism, Temples and cultures, and we've been exploring the Best Temples of Chiang Mai and wherever we can embrace the culture of each place.
But this adult visit is something we absolutely treasure as a couple and if you get the chance too Mum's & Dad's to take a few hours away from the kids we full recommend. We're not Buddhist btw, but we enjoy the spiritual aspect of the religion and we love learning about all religions and getting involved wherever we can - check out our Hindu Melukat Water Purification if you enjoy doing this kind of thing too)
If you're planning to visit with your little ones, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this memorable experience. Watch our Singapore visit to The Sacred Tooth Relic Temple here (P.S. Skip to 2 Mins 22 Seconds in For the Temple Bit)
🛕 What Is the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple?
This majestic four-story temple is a relatively new addition to Singapore’s cultural scene, completed in 2007. With Tang-styled architecture and the building’s design was inspired by the Buddhist Mandala, a Buddhist symbol which represents the universe.
Despite the museums modern age, it’s steeped in ancient significance — it’s named after what is believed to be an actual relic of The Buddha, the canine tooth relic of Buddha, from his funeral pyre in Kushinagar, India, collected amongst many other parts and shared around the world in various relic pilgrim sites. The Buddha Tooth Relic itself is housed in a beautiful golden stupa on the top floor.
Inside the temple, you’ll find stunning architecture, intricate carvings, rows of golden Buddhas, and rooms full of spiritual artefacts that capture centuries of Buddhist history and devotion. With so much to learn about The Buddha and his disciples.
A real learning activity for kids. If you check out the Temple website here you can find a timetable of things going on at the temple to plan your next visit. It's a working temple so you may visit at specific times to see beautiful ceremonies going on should you wish.
The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple entrance fee
It's absolutely free to enter and enjoy the full temple. Sometimes there are actual ceremonies and chantings happening which is really something beautiful to experience and see. There are many opportunities to donate or leave an offering through the temple and if you feel inclined to do so. The Visit Singapore site has a great section all about the temple here
How Long Do You Need There?
How long to spend at The Buddha Tooth relic depends on the time you have in Singapore. The whole thing could be done in around 1-2 hours if you were pressed for time and just wanted to get round to see everything. However, this would be quite rushed and leave no time to take in the atmosphere and vast things to see and read throughout the whole museum.
There are 5 floors in all and waiting for the elevator can take time too so do factor that into your visit. There are stairs which we took to avoid long elevator queues.
We spent around 2.5 hours and could have spent longer, however the kids were getting tired, it was hot and we were keen to get a cold drink. But 2.5 hours is enough time. That being said we would have happily stayed the whole day if it was just the 2 of us with no kids as there is a lot to learn, take in and many floors, with artefact's, artworks to admire, sculptures, statues and buddha collections to learn about.
Plus the interior decor is beautiful - we would have liked time to admire that a little more. But kids have a limited attention span so we did what we could with what we had.
Our Top Tips - If you are making a day of it there - Make sure you stop off at the Orchid Garden on the top floor as it's meticulously kept and very beautiful. And don't skip the vegan restaurant in the basement.
📍 Where Is It and How to Get There
Location: 288 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058840 (Right in the heart of Chinatown)
MRT Station: Chinatown Station (Exit A) – Just a 3-minute walk
Opening Hours: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM daily
Admission: Free! Donations are welcomed, but not required
We were staying close by to China Town and were able to walk to this temple, but if you are not in that area, this Singapore city bus tour stops very close by to allow you to hop on / off whilst combining a visit to the Tooth Relic Temple along with an open roof bus tour of Singapore city - which we LOVED.
👨👩👧👦 Is It Kid-Friendly?
Absolutely. While it’s a spiritual and sacred place, it’s also incredibly family-friendly—quietly fascinating for kids and educational without being overwhelming.
Our kids (aged 8 and 16) were both engaged, in different ways. There’s so much visual stimulation—from the statues to the colourful paintings—and the stories around Buddhism are a great way to bring some world schooling into your day.
Here’s what helped us:
Prepping the kids: A quick chat about temple etiquette before arriving helped them know what to expect—quiet voices, respectful behaviour, and no running.
Making it a learning moment: We talked about Buddhism, meditation, and relics beforehand. It helped them feel more connected when we actually saw monks meditating beside the relic. We lit incense and held an intention and gave thanks and gratitude upon lighting the incense alongside practicing Buddhists to help them put context around the importance for others and having respect and appreciation for others beliefs.
Taking breaks: There are benches and shaded areas nearby, and Chinatown’s food markets are a short walk away for a break or snack. There is also a vegetarian restaurant downstairs in the temple and the food looked AMAZING! But we'd already eaten.
What is the Dress Code at The Tooth Relic Temple?
There is a dress code for the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, like all temples. This this is a working Buddhist temple there is a dress code and we quickly changed into something more respectful after taking this photo. Elephant pants to cover legs and a shawl or shirt to cover arms and shoulders is suitable. We recommend light weight coverings as it was extremely hot and humid inside many parts of the museum/temple.
🙏 What to See Inside The Tooth Relic Temple
The Main Hall: Towering golden statues and rows of miniature Buddhas. Truly breathtaking.
The Sacred Relic Chamber: Located on the fourth floor, this is where the actual Buddha tooth relic is enshrined in a golden stupa. It’s a silent space—shoes off, and no photography allowed.
Museum Floors: There’s an entire level dedicated to Buddhist artifacts and history—great for older kids and teens interested in world religions or history.
Rooftop Garden and Prayer Wheel: A very peaceful, tranquil open-air space with an enormous prayer wheel that you can spin together—our kids loved this part most!
🧘♀️ Tips for a Smooth Visit With Kids
Dress respectfully: Shoulders and knees should be covered. If you forget, sarongs and shawls are provided at the entrance.
Arrive early: Mornings are less crowded, cooler, and calmer—ideal for families. The temple opens at 7am and this is also the time of the Awakening of The Tooth where you can see the opening and meditate there with practically nobody there. Total peace as the city wakes!
Bring water: It gets warm inside, especially for little ones. There’s no air-conditioning in most areas.
Plan a follow-up treat: The nearby Chinatown Complex has affordable and delicious food options—perfect for a post-temple meal with kids.
📝 Final Thoughts
Visiting the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple turned out to be one of our most meaningful experiences in Singapore. It gave our kids a quiet moment of reflection (yes, really!), and us as parents, a reminder of why we travel in the first place—to connect with the world and all the beautiful traditions within it. It was very busy yet still managed to be a day of peace, calm and inner reflection.
Our Tip: Get up and out early for the Waking of the Tooth Ceremony that happens each morning before the temple opens. This wasn't a fancy affair or anything to marvel at. It is literally where the curtain to the tooth is opened and scared prayers are whispered, but myself and Si took a trip out without the kids and really enjoyed this alone time and we also took time to meditate in the hall whilst there after having a very bust few days of intense sightseeing and travel. This was a very special meditation for us and being in close proximity to something that's revered to hold scared energy, felt very special indeed. As meditation teachers, we take any opportunity to meditate in high vibrational energies such as these to enhance our own learning journey and share our experiences with others in our teachings and on our blog. Highly recommended without kids. There were maybe 3 other people that attended this opening on the day we visited so it felt very scared, peaceful and a chance to reconnect with our inner wisdom.
Whether you’re spiritual or not, this temple is a peaceful pause in the midst of the city’s energy, and we’d highly recommend adding it to your Singapore itinerary.
Want help planning your Singapore adventure? Let me know in the comments & I can help you create the perfect itinerary for you.
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