Raffles Marina Lighthouse Sunset Walk

Raffles Marina Lighthouse
Raffles Marina Lighthouse

By Vicky · Published Jan. 30th, 2022 · Updated Nov. 29th, 2022

A lovely place to walk for sunset to see the colour of the sky change across the water and the historic Raffles Marina Lighthouse (also known as Johor Straits Lighthouse).

Raffles Marina Lighthouse Walk Map

Get the route by downloading the .gpx or .kml file below. For navigation with Maps.me on your mobile phone, simply download the .kml file and open to add it to the Maps.me bookmarks.

Location

Raffles Marina Lighthouse is a long way from anywhere, but luckily very close to Tuas Link MRT Station, at the end of the green East-West line. Some trains stop before they reach Tuas Link, so make sure to get one with the final destination as Tuas Link.

Tips for Raffles Marina Lighthouse Sunset Walk

  • The lighthouse is free to visit and is open every from 8am to 10pm.
  • Sunset is a great time to visit Raffles Marina since you can see the sun setting over the water.
  • Picnics on the pier are not allowed.
  • You can have a drink or dinner at Raffles Marina which you have to walk by to reach the lighthouse. There are no other food options nearby.
  • While in the area, go on a Tiger Brewery Tour*
  • Check out other hikes on our Singapore Hiking Page

From Tuas Link MRT, head left (north) along the road, passing under a pedestrian bridge. Very soon the entrance to Raffles Marina is on your left. Walk through these gates and check in with the security guard, telling them that you’re going to see the lighthouse.

Entrance to Raffles Marina
Entrance to Raffles Marina
Inside Raffles Marina Club
Inside Raffles Marina Club

There’s a car park in front of the main building. We popped our heads inside the door to see what it looked like inside before walking around the right-hand side of the building. Just around the corner are the seafront and the marina.

You can see the lighthouse already, but you have to walk a bit further to the entrance to the pier. There are some quite fancy yachts in the marina and other interesting boats. Along the pier itself, you’ll see people fishing and others just enjoying the views.

Raffles Marina Lighthouse

Raffles Marina Lighthouse, Johor Straits Lighthouse, Singapore
Raffles Marina Lighthouse
Raffles Marina Lighthouse at sunset

The lighthouse is at the very end of the pier. There’s a gate just in front of it so you can’t get that close to it, but can take some nice photos from nearby. Raffles Marina lighthouse was built in 1994 to help boats navigate Johor Straits. It still works today, with the light flashing every 10 seconds.

This is Raffles Marina Lighthouse, not Raffles Lighthouse!

There are two lighthouses in Singapore with confusingly similar names. The one described in this walk is Raffles Marina Lighthouse. However, Raffles Lighthouse is on the southernmost of the Southern Islands of Singapore and is quite tricky to visit. You have to book a tour* to get there and see the lighthouse, but you also get to see other lesser-known islands such as Pulau Hantu on the way.

Forest City

Across the water you can see a multitude of skyscrapers in Malaysia. These are part of Forest City, a semi-failed project designed to attract foreigners to invest in these seafront apartments. Only a few hundred people live there now, though the city is designed for roughly 700,000 people. Building the city also damaged some internationally-recognised water habitats nearby.

Sunset at the Lighthouse

Sunset over the Straits of Johor
Sunset over the Straits of Johor

The best time to visit Raffles Marina Lighthouse is just before sunset. This happens around 6:45-7:15pm every day, with hardly any change during the year since Singapore is so near the equator. It’s worth taking the best camera you have to catch the light nicely and capture the stillness of the water after the sun has disappeared.

Camera for Beautiful Sunsets

I’m a big fan of mirrorless cameras with replaceable lenses. I have a Sony NEX 6, which was one of the first mirrorless cameras from Sony back in 2013. Apart from the kit lens that came with the camera and a telezoom lens that I bought for safari, I bought some cheap second-hand but high-quality old lenses from the analogue era from brands like Nikon. With an adapter* you can use these on mirrorless cameras, giving you top quality for cheap. My camera is getting old and I will replace it at some point buy a current model from Sony, like the Sony Alpha A6500:

Sony Alpha A6500 Mirrorless Camera on Amazon*.

Of course, cameras with replaceable lenses and advanced features are not for everyone. We have recently been using a Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II, which still has some good features and excellent low-light performance, but no replaceable lenses:

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II on Amazon*.

Check out the complete list of hiking gear needed for Singapore:

Heading Back

After sunset, head back the way you came to Tuas Link MRT. If you’re hungry or thirsty, the only food or drink in the area is in the Raffles Marina building itself. They have some nice seating overlooking the water. You can eat and drink there without being a member, but won’t get the member’s prices. Then return to the metro for the long journey home.


For a more natural part of the west coast, explore Kranji Marshes and Sungei Buloh Wetlands. For another marina, check out the Marina Bay Walking Trail. For other interesting hiking ideas, check out our Singapore Hiking page.

Yachts in Raffles Marina
Yachts in Raffles Marina

FAQs for Raffles Marina Lighthouse Sunset Walk

When was Raffles Marina Lighthouse built?

Raffles Marina Lighthouse was built in 1994.

Can I visit Raffles Marina Lighthouse?

You can visit the lighthouse every day, anytime from 8am to 10pm. The best time to visit is around sunset, from 6:45 to 7:15.

How do you get to Raffles Marina Lighthouse?

To get to the Lighthouse, take the MRT to Tuas Link MRT Station, at the end of the green East-West line. Some trains stop before they reach Tuas Link, so make sure to get one with the final destination as Tuas Link.

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