Botanic Gardens MRT Station

Botanic Gardens MRT station is an underground interchange in Tanglin, serving both the Circle Line as CC19 and the Downtown Line as DT9. It sits at the junction of Bukit Timah Road and Cluny Park Road, on the northwest side of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which gives the station its name.

Botanic Gardens on the Downtown Line map

Botanic Gardens MRT station at a glance

Opening date, operator and ridership figures are LTA data as recorded on Wikipedia.

Many passengers use the station to visit the Gardens, while others are students and staff heading to the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy or Singapore Bible College. Its two entrances also serve the French Embassy, nearby shopping centres and Adam Road Food Centre. Because two lines meet here, a good share of travellers simply change trains without leaving the station.

History of Botanic Gardens MRT station

The Circle Line platforms opened on 8 October 2011, and the Downtown Line platforms followed on 27 December 2015. During planning the stop was called Adam, and when the public was asked to suggest a new name in 2005, “Cluny” received the most votes, yet “Botanic Gardens” was picked because so many respondents had proposed it. The station hosted the opening ceremonies for both lines’ new sections, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong presiding over the Downtown Line event.

Inside Botanic Gardens MRT station

The station is wheelchair accessible, with wider fare gates and tactile floor tiles that guide visually impaired passengers from the entrances to the platforms. The Circle Line section is one of eleven stations on that line designated as a Civil Defence shelter.

At one end of the Circle Line platform, a water feature lit in red, green and blue welcomes visitors heading for the Gardens, and the ceiling skylight carries a floral pattern. Two Art-in-Transit works are on display: Aquatic Fauna No. 1 by Lam Hoi Lit and Chua Chye Teck, a paper-cut mural of plants and animals on the Circle Line platform, and What is a Tree? by Shirley Soh at the Downtown Line station.

For most visitors, Botanic Gardens MRT station is the obvious stop for a day at the Gardens, especially for families heading to Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, which lies within a short walk. Residents and office workers in the area use it to reach Cluny Court and Serene Centre for shopping and errands, or Adam Road Food Centre for an inexpensive meal. Crown Centre is a little further along but still comfortably reachable on foot. Together with the university buildings and embassy nearby, this makes the station a practical base for both leisure trips and everyday travel in this part of Tanglin.

Around Botanic Gardens MRT station

Botanic Gardens station sits in a leafy, predominantly residential part of Bukit Timah, close to the edge of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The immediate surroundings mix low-rise neighbourhood shopping at Cluny Court and Serene Centre with quiet streets of landed homes and apartment blocks. The area has a relaxed, green character, with several garden attractions and a local food centre within a short walk.

Places and straight-line distances from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Actual walking routes may be longer.

How to get to Botanic Gardens by MRT

Worked out from the network map. Stop counts are station to station and do not include walking or waiting time.

Fares from Botanic Gardens MRT station

A trip from Botanic Gardens to Changi Airport (about 27 km) costs S$2.43 on an adult SimplyGo or EZ-Link card. Fares are charged by distance, so the table below shows the estimated adult card fare from Botanic Gardens to the main hubs, the early bird fare for journeys that start before 7.45am on weekdays, and the fare that applies from 26 December 2026.

Estimated from the route distance between stations and the Public Transport Council fare table in force from 27 December 2025. The exact fare can differ by one band. Cash fares are higher. Use the fare calculator for any other journey, or check your fare on the SimplyGo app.

Tips for using Botanic Gardens MRT station

• Botanic Gardens is an interchange station between the Downtown Line and Circle Line, so plan your route using whichever line suits your journey best.
• Cluny Court and the Botanic Gardens attractions are among the closest destinations and are easily reached on foot in a few minutes.
• Crown Centre is roughly a nine-minute walk away, so allow extra time if you plan to visit, particularly in hot or wet weather.
• At peak commuting hours the station can be busier than usual, so leave a little extra time when interchanging between the two lines.

All stations on the Downtown Line

In order along the line, with Botanic Gardens marked. Stations with their own guide are linked.

Read the full Downtown Line guide.

All stations on the Circle Line

In order along the line, with Botanic Gardens marked. Stations with their own guide are linked.

Read the full Circle Line guide.

Botanic Gardens MRT station: common questions

Which line is Botanic Gardens MRT station on?

Botanic Gardens is on the Downtown Line and the Circle Line. Its station codes are DT9 and CC19.

Is Botanic Gardens an interchange station?

Yes. You can change between the Downtown Line and the Circle Line inside the station without leaving the paid area.

What time is the first and last train at Botanic Gardens?

Times below are for the first and last train leaving the line terminus; trains reach Botanic Gardens a few minutes later depending on its position on the line. Downtown Line first train 5:30 AM, last train 11:40 PM. Circle Line first train 5:37 AM, last train 11:56 PM. Check the operator for holiday changes.

What is near Botanic Gardens MRT station?

The station is close to several attractions and amenities, including Cluny Court shopping mall at roughly 210 metres, the Herbs and Spices garden and Jacob Ballas Children's Garden at around 260 to 280 metres, Adam Food Centre at about 290 metres, and Serene Centre and Crown Centre for neighbourhood shopping.

Which shopping mall is closest to Botanic Gardens station?

Cluny Court is the closest shopping mall, at approximately 210 metres from the station, which is roughly a three-minute walk.

How far is Adam Food Centre from Botanic Gardens station?

Adam Food Centre is approximately 290 metres from the station, which works out to roughly a five-minute walk.

How do I get to Botanic Gardens from Changi Airport by MRT?

Take the East West Line from Changi Airport to Bugis (10 stops), then change to the Downtown Line from Bugis to Botanic Gardens (5 stops). About 15 stops with 1 change.

Sources: station codes, line colours and interchanges from the LTA rail system map; operating hours from SMRT and SBS Transit. Last reviewed October 2026.

News and guides mentioning Botanic Gardens

• Deepavali Eve Train Extensions: Which Lines Run Later on 8 November 6 Nov 2026
• Top 10 MRT attractions you can reach without changing lines 29 Oct 2026
• Commuter Fatigue and the North-South Corridor Delay 6 Oct 2026
• シンガポール地下鉄（MRT）路線図 2026（日本語ガイド） 4 Oct 2026

Plan the rest of the trip

Every station on the Downtown Line and the Circle Line is listed on its line guide, with the full route and interchanges. For times, see the first and last train guide, and for the whole network in one view use the interactive Singapore MRT map or the PDF map.