Sri Mariamman Temple

The part everyone stops for is the gopuram over the entrance — a five-tiered tower dating from 1925 and covered in brightly painted figures of Hindu deities — which is worth taking in from the pavement before you step inside. Entry is free; the temple runs in two blocks each day, roughly 6am to noon and again 6pm to 9pm, and it closes to sightseers during prayer times, so a weekday mid-morning is the safest window. Shoes come off at the door, and shoulders and knees should be covered.

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple sits a two-minute walk further down the same road, which makes the two an easy single stop rather than separate trips. From Chinatown MRT (NE4/DT19) take Exit A and follow Pagoda Street down to South Bridge Road; the newer Thomson-East Coast Line stop at Maxwell is an alternative that drops you at the southern end of the same road near the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.

Getting in is free, but photographing the interior is not — a separate camera fee is collected at the desk by the entrance, so carry a little cash rather than assuming you can shoot freely once inside. Time your visit to avoid prayer periods too, when the inner hall closes to sightseers even though the gates stay open.