The whole of Changi
Most people know Changi only for the airport — repeatedly voted the world\'s best. But "Changi" is also a stretch of eastern Singapore coastline that gave the airport its name: a sleepy village, one of the country\'s oldest beach parks, a 2.2 km coastal boardwalk, a WWII chapel and museum, and a ferry to a kampong island. The Changi Guide covers both halves.
4
Airport terminals
2.2 km
Changi Boardwalk
1,036 ha
Pulau Ubin
~70M
Airport passengers/yr
28 ha
Changi Beach Park
S$4
Bumboat to Ubin
Why "Changi"?
The name Changi predates the airport by centuries. It comes from the changi tree (a type of Hopea) that once grew along this eastern coast, and the area was already a seaside retreat for colonial officers in the early 1900s — long before Singapore\'s government opened the airport on reclaimed land here in 1981. The wartime prison camp, the village hawker centre, the sailing club and the kampong ferry all came first.
So this guide is deliberately broad. The airport is the biggest draw, but a visitor with a long layover who clears immigration can be on a coastal boardwalk or a kampong island within half an hour of leaving the terminal — and a local can spend a whole weekend in Changi Village without ever stepping into the airport. We cover both.
For everything east of the runways, keep reading.
The airport & Jewel
The half most travellers come for — four terminals, Jewel, gardens and gardens of gardens, and every practical service in between.
Singapore Changi Airport
Four terminals (T1–T4) handling ~70 million passengers a year, repeatedly voted World's Best Airport. Transit hotels, lounges, gardens, and free WiFi across all terminals.
Jewel Changi Airport
The S$1.7 billion nature-themed attraction between T1, T2 and T3 — 40m Rain Vortex, Forest Valley with 900+ trees, and 280+ shops and restaurants.
Free airport attractions
Butterfly, Sunflower, Orchid, Cactus, Enchanted and Water Lily Gardens, plus the Kinetic Rain sculpture — all free for transit passengers.
Live flight board
Real-time arrivals and departures across all four terminals, with delays and analytics.
The eastern coastline
The half that gives Changi its name — the village, the beach, the boardwalk, the island and the wartime chapel. Most of it is free and open 24 hours.
Changi Village
A relaxed east-coast neighbourhood with the famous Changi Village Food Centre (nasi lemak, hawker classics), the ferry terminal, and laid-back chalets.
Changi Beach & Boardwalk
28 ha coastal park — one of Singapore's oldest — with BBQ pits, fishing and a WWII memorial plaque. The 2.2 km Changi Boardwalk has 6 named sections and is free and open 24h.
Pulau Ubin
A 1,036 ha boomerang-shaped island, the last "kampong" in Singapore. 10-minute bumboat from Changi Point ($4 each way), granite quarries, Chek Jawa wetlands, cycling and camping.
Changi Chapel & Museum
WWII museum dedicated to the prisoners of war and civilians interned at Changi. Tue–Sun, 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM, last admission 5 PM.
Changi Jurassic Mile
A free outdoor park-connector stretch with life-sized dinosaur displays, walkable from Terminal 2 or Terminal 4.
A brief airport history
Singapore Changi Airport opened on 1 July 1981 on reclaimed land at the eastern tip of the island, replacing the congested Paya Lebar Airport. Terminal 1 came first, then T2 (1990), T3 (2007) and the boutique T4 (2017), with the S$1.7 billion Jewel nature-themed complex opening in 2019 between T1, T2 and T3.
Today the airport handles around 70 million passengers a year across 100+ airlines and 400+ cities, and has been named Skytrax World\'s Best Airport more than any other airport in history. Terminal 5, designed for 50 million passengers annually, is under construction with a mid-2030s opening target.
For the practical airport stuff — WiFi, parking, lounges, transit hotels, transport — see the Services & Info section.
Frequently asked questions
Is this an airport guide or a neighbourhood guide?
How far is Changi Village from the airport?
Can I visit Pulau Ubin from the airport on a layover?
Do I need to pay to enter Changi Beach Park, the Boardwalk or the Chapel & Museum?
Explore Changi
Start with the airport, the coastline, or the live flight board.