Istana Open House for Deepavali 2022: Food Trucks, Indian Dance Performance and Arts & Crafts

Exciting news peeps! The Deepavali Istana Open House 2022 will be held on Monday 24th October and is open to all visitors. Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents enter for free. All other visitors are required to pay an entrance fee of $2 per adult. Read more about what to expect at the Istana Open House here.

Istana Main Building Guided Tour:  9am to 2.30pm and 4.30pm to 5.00pm
Nature Guided Tour:  10am to 4pm. The programme and fees are listed in the tables below.

There will also be food trucks and merchandise booths with limited-edition Istana souvenirs and President’s Challenge souvenirs. All fees collected and proceeds from the merchandise booths will go towards charities supported by President’s Challenge.

Activities for Istana Open House for Deepavali 2022

Admission to Istana Open House 2022

• Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents enter the Istana grounds for free as will children below 12 years old. Other visitors will pay a fee of $2 for admission.
• There are also fees applicable for entry to the Istana Main Building, the Guided Tour and Nature Guided Tour.

General Istana Open House Info

The Istana is typically open to the public on five days during the year. Visitors can look forward to special performances, tour selected rooms in the Main Building or go on guided nature walks on the grounds. The Istana is the official residence and office of the President of Singapore Halima Yacob. Istana means “palace” in Malay, it is where the President receives and entertains state guests. The Istana is one impressive residence – it occupies over 40 hectares in Orchard Road. The Istana building was built by the British Colonial government in 1869 to house its governors.

Every year the Istana opens to the public during Chinese New Year, Labour Day, Hari Raya Puasa, National Day and Deepavali and if you get a chance to visit – it is worth a look around! The Istana stands on what used to be Charles Robert Prinsep’s nutmeg plantation, so it is a wonderfully landscaped green garden with a variety of flora and fauna. The Istana residence as well as the green garden and grounds is partially open to the public on Istana Open Days and we recommend keeping note of when you can visit to get a chance to peek into this beautiful slice of Singapore heritage.