The Rain Vortex pouring through Jewel's glass dome, with Skytrain cars passing in front and forest terraces below

Landmark · Changi, East Region

Jewel Changi Airport and Rain Vortex

Glass-domed complex at Changi Airport built around a 40-metre indoor waterfall and terraced forest

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Photo: Chris Johnson (@cj580) / Unsplash

Discover Jewel Changi Airport and Rain Vortex

Jewel Changi Airport turns a stopover into a destination. Beneath a vast toroidal dome of glass and steel, the HSBC Rain Vortex pours 40 metres from an opening in the roof into a basin seven floors below, surrounded by terraces of trees and ferns known as the Shiseido Forest Valley. The Changi Airport Skytrain glides past the falling water, giving even transit passengers a glimpse.

Jewel sits in front of Terminal 1 and links to Terminals 2 and 3 by bridges, and the public areas are open 24 hours. Around the waterfall are several levels of shops and restaurants, a cinema and a hotel, while the top level holds Canopy Park with its gardens, mazes and suspended bridges. In the evening the waterfall becomes the screen for a light and sound show, a favourite with residents and travellers alike.

Don’t miss

01The HSBC Rain Vortex, a 40-metre waterfall falling through an oculus in the roof
02Shiseido Forest Valley, terraced indoor gardens with walking trails around the waterfall
03The evening light and sound show projected onto the falling water
04Canopy Park on the top level, with gardens, mazes and a suspended bridge
05Changi Airport Skytrain passing through the dome beside the Rain Vortex

History & culture

The story of Jewel Changi Airport and Rain Vortex

Jewel was built on the site of the open-air car park in front of Terminal 1, as a joint venture between Changi Airport Group and CapitaLand. The architect Moshe Safdie led the design, with RSP Architects Planners and Engineers as executive architects and engineers. Safdie Architects conceived the Rain Vortex, which was engineered and built by the water feature specialists WET, and its design was inspired by Singapore's tropical rain.

Jewel opened to the public on 17 April 2019 and was officially opened in October that year. At its opening the Rain Vortex was presented as the world's tallest indoor waterfall. The complex also expanded Terminal 1's arrival hall and baggage areas, weaving everyday airport functions into a space designed for leisure.

Local life & traditions

Although it is part of an airport, Jewel is very much a local hangout. Singaporeans come for weekend meals, shopping and family outings, students meet friends by the waterfall, and the light shows draw crowds of residents as well as travellers. It reflects the city's long-running vision of being a city in a garden, bringing greenery into even its busiest buildings.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Visit twice if you can: once by day, when sunlight through the glass dome shows off the forest terraces, and again after dark for the light and sound show on the Rain Vortex. Walk the Forest Valley trails for different angles on the waterfall, and head to the lowest level to feel the spray from the edge of the basin.

If you have time before a flight, Canopy Park on the top floor adds gardens, mazes and a suspended bridge.

When to go

Jewel is indoors and air-conditioned, so it works in any weather and any month, and it makes an ideal rainy-day plan. Weekday mornings are the quietest; evenings and weekends are busiest, especially around the light shows. Allow at least one to two hours, and give yourself plenty of margin before a flight.

Plan your visit

Verified information

Opening hours: Jewel public areas open 24 hours; most shops 10am to 10pm Source: jewelchangiairport.com ↗
Address: 78 Airport Boulevard, Singapore 819666 Source: jewelchangiairport.com ↗
Nearest MRT: Changi Airport station (CG2) on the East-West Line airport branch; change at Tanah Merah (EW4), or at Expo (DT35) from the Downtown Line Source: jewelchangiairport.com ↗
From the terminals: Directly connected to Terminal 1 Arrival Hall; 5 to 10 minutes' walk via link bridges from Terminals 2 and 3 (Level 2 departure halls); free shuttle bus from Terminal 4 Source: jewelchangiairport.com ↗
Rain Vortex: 40m tall; opened with Jewel on 17 April 2019; conceived by Safdie Architects and created by WET Source: changiairport.com ↗

Checked against the sources on 27 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

Check the current light and sound show timings on Jewel's official channels before you go, as schedules can change.
For the classic view of the waterfall with the Skytrain, look from the Level 1 or Level 2 viewpoints of the Forest Valley.
If you are in transit, check immigration and baggage rules first; Jewel is on the landside of the airport.
If you need halal food, look for the MUIS halal certificate displayed at individual outlets.
Weekday mornings are the calmest time for photographs.

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Jewel Changi Airport and Rain Vortex: food, markets & places to stay

Jewel itself holds a wide range of restaurants and food courts, and the airport terminals connected to it add many more. The Yotel hotel is inside Jewel and other hotels stand at the terminals. Changi Village and the bumboat jetty for Pulau Ubin are a short taxi ride away, as is East Coast Park with its seafront hawker centre.