Standing at 106m above sea level, Mount Faber Park offers plenty of scenic viewpoints overlooking Sentosa, Southern waterfront and Telok Blangah area. The park is also home to Mount Faber Station, one of Singapore Cable Car stations.
If you have thought that Mount Faber is just a cable car station, well, I’m sorry to disappoint you. It is much more than that. Mount Faber Park has a size of 56 hectares, which is equivalent to 560,000 square meters.
Mount Faber is a favorite destination of Singapore residents and international travelers because there are many things to do and see for people from all walks of life, such as hikers, history buffs, dating couples, families, nature lovers, shutterbugs as well as foodies.
Mount Faber Park is part of the Southern Ridges, which also comprises Telok Blangah Hill Park, HortPark, Kent Ridge Park and Labrador Nature Reserve.
In this article, you will find:
- Brief history of Mount Faber
- How to get to Mount Faber
- Map of Mount Faber Park
- Things to do at Mount Faber Park
- Facilities
- Suggested Itinerary
Brief History of Mount Faber Park
Mount Faber was initially known as Telok Blangah Hill. In 1845, its name was changed to Mount Faber. It was named after Charles Edward Faber, who had been responsible for clearing and building the road leading to the summit of the hill. 1
Mount Faber Park was opened on 17 January 1965, making it one of the oldest parks in Singapore. From Mount Faber, one could see panoramic views of southwestern coast of Singapore, and the southern islands.
On 15 February 1974, Singapore Cable Car (which connects Mount Faber Park, Harbourfront and Sentosa Island) was opened by then Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee and Mount Faber became a popular destination among locals as well as international visitors.
Read my guide on what to do in Sentosa.
How to get to Mount Faber
Getting to Mount Faber via public transport isn’t the most fun thing to do for most people because there isn’t any bus stop or MRT station at Mount Faber, hence you need to alight at the nearest possible bus stop/MRT and hike for about 15 or more depending on your fitness level.
The easiest pain-free way to get to Mount Faber are via car, taxi and cable car.
Here are the details on how to get to Mount Faber:
- By car or taxi: Head to 109 Mount Faber Road, Mount Faber Peak, Singapore 099203 (location on Google Map).
- By cable car: Take Singapore Cable Car, Mount Faber Line, from Harbourfront or Sentosa and alight at Mount Faber Station.
- By MRT + hike : Take MRT to Harbourfront Station, take exit D, walk about 700m up the hill via Marang Trail for about 15 minutes and you’ll reach Mount Faber Station (caution: it’s a challenging hike with plenty of steps)
- By bus + hike: Take bus 10, 30, 57, 61, 65, 80, 97, 100, 123M, 131, 143, 145, 166, 188R, 855, 963R and alight at Opp VivoCity. Walk about 700m up the hill via Marang Trail for about 15 minutes and you’ll reach Mount Faber Station (caution: it’s a challenging hike with plenty of steps)
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Map of Mount Faber Park
Things to do at Mount Faber Park
1. Take a Scenic Cable Car Ride
No trip to Mount Faber would be complete without a cable car ride (well, unless you’ve just taken the ride recently). You can start your cable car ride from any of the 3 stations, namely Sentosa Station, Harbourfront Station or Mount Faber Station.
The cable car ride on Mount Faber Line offers scenic views of the secondary rain forest covering Mount Faber, the luxurious condominiums and yacht jetty at Keppel Bay area, as well as the resorts and water theme park at Sentosa island.
Read: Guide to Riding Singapore Cable Car
Singapore Cable Car
2. Take a Ride in Cable Car Past Models
The current cable car cabin is the 4th generation. If you’re curious how the previous generation cabins look like, walk around the station and you will find several stationary cabins on display. You can also sit in it and take photos.
3. Dine at Mount Faber Peak
There are 2 restaurants at Mount Faber Peak (i.e. Mount Faber cable car station) that offers dining with a view, namely: Arbora Hilltop Garden & Bistro and Dusk Restaurant & Bar.
Arbora Hilltop Garden & Bistro offers unique hilltop garden dining experience and serves western classics and Asian delights (such as burgers, steaks, pasta, laksa, and rojak), as well as craft beers and botanical inspired drinks. You can opt for indoor seats or outdoor seats. They serve breakfast on weekends and public holidays. The opening hours are:
- Monday to Friday: 11am to 10.30pm
- Sat, Sun and Public Holidays: 8.30am to 10.30pm
Dusk Restaurant & Bar offers spectacular sunset view from the hill. They are open before sunset, from 4pm to 11pm daily. Dusk serves Modern European cuisines (such as charcuterie platter, prawn capellini, poulet, duck confit and crème brûlée), specially curated wines and nitro-frosted cocktails.
4. Step into the Scenic Washroom
Who would’ve guessed that you can enjoy a scenic view from a washroom?! The washroom is quite a hidden gem. There isn’t a sign mentioning scenic washroom so it’s really easy to miss this out.
Well, since I only want my readers to have the best experience, I’m not gonna keep this to myself. I will share with you how to find this toilet.
If you’re coming to Mount Faber from the cable car, you need to go to the Gift Shop, then take the stairs or lift down to Level 1. Look for the toilet next to the Ballroom. There it is!
If you’re coming by car, taxi, or via Marang Trail, make your way to Mount Faber Peak building’s entrance at Level 1. Once inside, look for the toilet next to the Ballroom. There it is!
5. Ring Poland’s Bells of Happiness
Do not miss out the iconic Poland’s Bells of Happiness, which is located at the rooftop of Mount Faber Peak (aka Level 2), next to Arbora Hilltop Garden & Bistro.
There are two bells placed side by side. And yes, you can ring both of them.
The first bell, inscribed with “Dar Pomorza”, was named after a majestic Polish training ship. It was gifted by Poland to Sentosa Island in 1992 and became one of the attractions of Faber Peak that is believed to bring good fortune to newlyweds.
The second bell was gifted by Poland to Singapore in 2019 to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relationship between the 2 countries. It is inscribed with “Dar Młodzieży” named after Poland’s tall ship that visited Singapore in October 2018, which, at that time, was halfway through its Independence Cruise around the globe to celebrate 100 years of regaining Poland’s Independence. 2
6. Wish Upon a Bell
There are no love locks at Mount Faber but there are wishing bells! Near the Poland’s Bell of Happiness, there is a railing covered with hundreds of wishing bells.
If you’d like to make a wish, simply purchase a wishing bell from the cable car gift shop (it costs SGD 4.9 at the time of writing), write down your wish (bring your own marker or buy from the gift shop), and hang it at the railing.
7. Step into Happiness at Happy Steps
This colorful stairs (some people call it rainbow staircase) can be easily missed if you’re not intentionally looking for it because it’s quite hidden. Located right behind the Poland’s Bells of Happiness, the Happy Steps is definitely an Instagram-worthy spot you must take a selfie at.
PS: During the pandademic, the Happy Steps are gated and not accessible. You can, however, take a selfie in front of the gate. To get to Happy Steps during pandademic, you need to get out of Mount Faber Peak building and walk along Mount Faber Road towards the north, the Steps are located right behind the abandoned bus stop.
8. Enjoy Scenic Views of Sentosa and Telok Blangah
Along Mount Faber Road, there are many places where you can have unobstructed views of Mt Faber’s surrounding.
One of my favorite place is the Mount Faber Lookout Point (location on Google Map). Here, you can enjoy the scenic view of Harbourfront, the cable car, and Sentosa. There are even two telescopes that you can use for free!
There are also many spots where you can enjoy the view of Telok Blangah residential area and its surrounding, sometimes you can even as far as Tanjong Pagar.
9. Meet Mini Merlion at Faber Point
Did you know there is a miniature Merlion at Mount Faber? This 3-metre tall Merlion is located at Faber Point, which is a 7-min walk from Mount Faber Peak. Faber Point is the highest peak at Mount Faber Park, so be prepared to walk up some hill and climb some stairs.
Next to the mini Merlion is a circular viewing deck / lookout point where you can enjoy scenic views to all directions. On the floor, you can see directional arrows pointing to famous landmarks and cities. There are also several telescopes if you wish to zoom in to certain area or building.
10. Mural Wall at Faber Point
Also at Faber Point, right below the circular lookout point, is a set of mural walls depicting Singapore’s history and development over the years.
11. Walk to Henderson Wave
At 36-meter above ground, Henderson Wave is a pedestrian bridge located over the Henderson Road. Henderson Wave connects Mount Faber Park and Telok Blangah Hill Park, and it is also part of the Southern Ridges.
Built in 2008, Henderson Wave is famous for its unique undulating shape of a wave, curving and twisting along its entire 274-meter length.
To get to Henderson Wave, from the mural wall at Faber Point, walk the stairs down the hill and follow the directions. It is about 8-min walk from Faber Point. If you’re going to Henderson Wave from Faber Point, do keep in mind that if you want to come back to Faber Point later, you will need to climb up the stairs 🙂
12. Visit Danish Seamen’s Church
Formerly known as Golden Bell Mansion, this building was built in 1909-1910 and owned by Tan Boo Liat (great-grandson of Tan Tock Seng).1 After the death of Tan Boo Liat in 1934, the house was sold. Today, the house is occupied by the Danish Seaman’s Church.
Danish Seamen’s Church is located at 10 Pender Road. it is about 1km (12-min walk) from Mount Faber Peak cable car station. To get there, you need to walk along Mt Faber Loop towards the west. The road from Mt Faber Peak to the church is sloping down.
At the time of writing (2022), the church is currently closed due to redevelopment works. if you’re reading this article in the future and you want to visit the church, do check their website or FB to find latest information (you need to use translation function because they’re in Danish).
13. Pay Respect at Radin Mas Shrine
Radin Mas Shrine (also known as Keramat Radin Mas) is the shrine of Radin Mas Ayu, a beautiful and filial Javanese princess who was killed when she tried to shield her father from being stabbed by her stepmother’s nephew. 3
Radin Mas was buried at the foot of Mount Faber. Her tomb was cleared in the early 2000s by Pak Daeng with the contributions from the community totaling $15,000. Today, the shrine is enclosed by a new hut and the surrounding compound was laid with ceramic tiles. A flight of steps was constructed to improve accessibility to the shrine.
To get to Radin Mas Shrine, you need to walk about 1km from Mt Faber Peak cable car station, or 700m from Marang Trail. The road is a downhill one, and you will pass Carpark B and A along the way. It is located right opposite the entrance of Mount Faber Lodge.
Facilities
Carpark
There are 4 public carparks at Mount Faber Park:
- Carpark A located next to Mount Faber Lodge (location on Google Map)
- Carpark B located before Mount Faber Peak cable car station (location on Google Map)
- Carpark C located after Mount Faber Peak cable car station (location on Google Map)
- Carpark D located near Danish Seamen’s Church (location on Google Map)
Toilet
There is one public toilet located between Mount Faber cable car station and Faber Point (location on Google Map).
There are also toilets at Mount Faber Peak for visitors/diners.
Suggested Itinerary
Half-day Itinerary
If you only have half day (about 4 hours) in Mount Faber because you come via cable car and you intend to spend the other half day at Sentosa or Harbourfront, I recommend that you only visit places that are located near the Faber Peak and skip places that are too out-of-the-way.
Here’s my suggested half day itinerary:
- Start your journey at Mount Faber Peak for photo-taking with cable car past models, Scenic Washroom, Poland’s Bells of Happiness, Wishing Bells, and Happy Steps
- Walk to Mount Faber Lookout Point to enjoy scenic views
- Head to Faber Point to visit the Mini Merlion and Mural Walls
- Back to Mount Faber Peak and end your visit with a meal at one of the restaurants
Full-day Itinerary
If you have more than 6 hours in Mount Faber because you are not planning to take the cable car to Sentosa, you just want a relax day out with your family or friends, and you don’t mind a lot of walking, here is my suggested full day itinerary:
- Start your journey at Marang Trail from Harbourfront
- Upon reaching Mount Faber, make your way to Radin Mas Shrine
- Then, come back up and head to Mount Faber Lookout Point to enjoy scenic views
- Next, head to Mount Faber Peak for photo-taking with cable car past models, Scenic Washroom, Poland’s Bells of Happiness, Wishing Bells, and Happy Steps
- Thereafter, walk Faber Point to visit the Mini Merlion and Mural Walls
- Make your way to Danish Seamen’s Church (take note that it’s closed for redevelopment in 2022)
- Then, make your way to Henderson Wave. Walk across the Henderson Wave bridge and soak in the view.
- End your walk at Telok Blangah Hill (which is the other end of Henderson Wave), or go back to Mount Faber Peak or Marang Trail.
References
1. Singapore Infopedia: Mount Faber
2. Gov PL
3. Singapore Infopedia: Keramat Radin Mas
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