Bandar Seri Begawan Sightseeing Suggested 3 Day Itinerary

Many foreign tourists visiting the vast island of Borneo concentrate on Sabah and Sarawak and tend to skip Brunei altogether (to say nothing of Kalimantan). This is understandable given Brunei's small size but they are missing out on a different experience. If you can spare the time, I would recommend incorporating a 2 or 3 day stopover in Brunei's capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan, in your travel plans. It is better to avoid Fridays and Public Holidays as some of the below attractions are closed on these days.

I have visited Brunei a few times and based on my experience I have come up with this suggested 3-day Bandar Seri Begawan Sightseeing Itinerary which will enable you to cover all the main sights in the Brunei capital.

Day 1

Today's attractions are all within walking distance of each other and convenient if you are staying somewhere central like the Radisson Hotel.

Royal Regalia Museum

Open 9am to 5 pm (closed Fridays) - Entrance Fee BND5 for non-Bruneian.

This large museum is well worth a couple of hours of your time. It covers topics such as the family tree of the Brunei Royal family, a biography of the current Sultan and displays an enormous number of gifts from foreign dignitaries presented to the Sultan in the course of his official duties. Most impressive of all are the royal chariots and regalia used in the coronation and jubilee processions and ceremonies.

The 73 foot long Royal Chariot used during the coronation ceremony held on 1 August 1968 which was carried by 40 guards attired in black.

A miniature replica of the lavishly decorated Throne Room in Istana Nurul Iman where celebrations of the Sultan's Silver Jubilee celebrations were held.

mannequins in black accompanying a royal chariot

A representation of the Silver Jubilee procession held on 5 October 1992.

Exterior of the Royal Regalia Museum. No shoes are allowed inside and you have to leave them outside the front door. Don't worry, petty theft in Brunei Darussalam is rare. The air-conditioning inside the museum is quite fierce so I would recommend wearing socks.

Brunei History Centre Gallery & Constitution Gallery

Open 8am - 4:15pm (closed Fridays and half day on Sundays) - Admission is Free.

I almost walked past this history museum. There is more to see than is at first apparent. Photography is not allowed inside but from memory it tells the story of how territory nominally under the control of Brunei was gradually ceded to Sarawak and British North Borneo. Various manuscripts from that period are preserved. There are a lot of vintage photos on display. There are explanations of how Islam spread to Brunei, the country's role in regional trade and replicas of engraved tomb stones. Another section is aimed at school children and samples of various spices are available to sniff. The adjoining Constitution Gallery (marked as Old Lapau on Google Maps) is where the Constitution of Brunei was promulgated in 1959 and the original fixtures and fittings from that period have been retained together with an explanation of the Constitution.

Teng Yun Temple

Chinese make up about 10% of Brunei's population, some of whom follow the Taoist religion and many will pray at this temple in the heart of BSB.

Kianggeh Market

Opposite the temple is one of the cleanest public markets that I have seen in Asia. You have to arrive early if you want to see it busy. You are supposed to be able to buy street food here but most of the stalls were closed by the time I had finished in the museums. Never mind, you will see a bigger and better market on Day 2.

Brunei Energy Hub Dermaga Diraja

Open 9am - 5pm (closed Fridays)
(former Royal Customs and Excise Building) - Free Admission.

Continuing our walk we reach this interactive gallery for the oil and gas industry of Brunei Darussalam. This slick and modern museum tells us how oil came to be discovered in Brunei and how the industry has developed since. You can get a nice panorama of Kampong Ayer and the waterfront from its windows.

Brunei Waterfront

view of Brunei River with Kampong Ayer behind

The city of Bandar Seri Begawan was established on the banks of the Brunei River about 10 km inland from Brunei Bay, an inlet of the South China Sea. Brunei Waterfront is a nice pedestrian-friendly area and you can walk a good distance in either direction from the Energy Hub.

Boat Trip to Kampung Ayer, Crocodiles and Proboscis Monkeys

one of the boat taxis waiting at the jetty

Our taxi-boat

Along the waterfront you will find taxi-boat drivers offering you a ride. You can either take a short hop across the river to Kampung Ayer and explore the raised walkways of this water village or you can hire the boat for a longer trip upriver in the hope of seeing crocodiles and proboscis monkeys. We opted for the latter costing a very reasonable BND15 per person for a one and a half hour round trip. And we were very fortunate to spot 4 crocodiles (3 babies and 1 whopper) and a family of proboscis monkeys.

Unfortunately I only had my old iPhone to take photos of these playful monkeys. Take a proper camera with a good zoom if you want better photos.

This large crocodile didn't pay much attention to our boat - just as well!

Young men fishing at Kampung Ayer.

Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Shopping Complex

This complex was opened in 1996 and is a good place to shop and eat with food courts and a selection of fast food and other eateries. There is also an underground supermarket here.

Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

Visiting hours for non-Muslims 8:30am - 12 noon, 1:30 - 3pm, 4:30 - 5:30pm. Entrance is free. Green cloaks with hoods are provided for female visitors.

This iconic mosque is probably Brunei's most recognisable landmark with its unusual stone barge, called the Mahligai Ark, 'floating' above the tranquil man-made lagoon which partially surrounds the mosque. The mosque itself was completed in 1958 and features a 52 metre tall golden dome and Mughal style minarets, also capped in gold.

Inside the carpeted interior is a simple but luxurious elegance with walls in grey and white with gold embellishments and Quranic inscriptions, beautiful chandeliers and coloured stained glass windows. Non-Muslim visitors are confined to a small viewing area inside the entrance.

Taman Makhota Jubli Emas

This landscaped riverside park contains a number of baobab trees and attractive hard landscaping.

Mangrove Walk & Pengiran Bendahara Lama Boardwalk

If you did not get to walk around Kampung Ayer there is a similar water village which can be reached on foot without the need for a boat.

Although Brunei is a fabulously rich country it does not mean all its residents are wealthy. I noticed that some of the traditional homes have been demolished and replaced by more modern and comfortable houses but still built on stilts above the water.

BIBD Frame

This giant picture frame, named after its sponsor, is popular for posing with the SOAS mosque as a backdrop.

Day 2

Ulu Temburong National Park (Open Daily)

I had originally intended to devote one full day to a Ulu Temburong National Park trip which would have involved, a bus trip across the spectacular Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge (which at 30 km is the longest in Southeast Asia) followed by a hike and a 45 minute long tail boat journey to a rainforest canopy walk with amazing views above Brunei's pristine jungle. Unfortunately when I contacted the company which arranges these tours (which are not cheap) I was told that due to a prolonged dry spell in Brunei there was insufficient water in the river to allow the boats to pass and they were not accepting bookings.

As an alternative we did the following on our Day 2 itinerary:

Tasek Lama Recreational Park

This attractive park and nature reserve is located in the heart of the city and has been landscaped with various types of exotic palms, bridges, kiddies' playground, a modest waterfall (almost dried up during our visit), a rock climbing wall and a Japanese garden.

We took a turning uphill as far as a reservoir and a viewing platform from where we spotted a silver leaf monkey which came speeding through the trees in our direction to check us out before veering away.

From here we took a path, marked as Tasek Twin Stairs on Google Maps as far as a tree house structure called Tasek Wooden Tower. Depending on your available time and energy levels there are more distant paths and peaks that you can explore. Considering this park is so close to the city it can be quite a challenging walk so take plenty of drinking water and protection from the sun.

Gadong Night Market

As night falls, head along to Gadong Night Market if you want a taste of Bruneian street food like satay or nasi katok or just to shop for fruits and vegetables. There are tables here so you can eat your purchases on the spot or take them away.

The Mall Gadong

The Mall Gadong

A short walk away is The Mall, one of Brunei's larger shopping complexes, if you are in need of some retail therapy in air conditioned comfort.

Day 3

Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque

This day has an Islamic theme to it, starting with Brunei's grandest mosque.

Visiting hours for non-Muslims 8:30am - 12:00, 1:30 - 3pm, 4:30 - 5:30pm. Purple robes are provided to female visitors. Entrance is free.

Here we can walk around the splendid gardens with fountains and palm trees, and admire the sumptuous marble-floored central plaza area before entering into a section of the carpeted main prayer hall with its ornate mihrab decorated with gold plated tiles. The mosque has 29 golden domes and four minarets.

Balai Khazanah Islam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah

Open daily except Fridays 9am - 5pm. Tickets BND 10 for non-residents. Women may be provided with a cloak.

Next you will need to take a taxi or Dart to reach this Islamic treasure trove about 3km from the city centre. Balai Khazanah is a museum with 9 permanent galleries displaying the Sultan's personal collection of Islamic artefacts. Highlights of the collection include a number of rare Qurans and religious texts and manuscripts, replicas of the swords of the Prophet and his companions, a miniature of the Ka'aba Door, fossils, astrolabes, walking sticks and even a single 'noble hair of Prophet Muhammad'. The exhibits are beautifully displayed, mostly with explanations in English and Malay. You can easily spend two hours or more at this impressive museum.

Jeradong Park

If you have children with you they will probably want to go to Jeradong Park, an amusement park and water park with lots of fun rides, gardens and playgrounds. I went years ago when it was brand new, with almost no visitors and free entrance. Nowadays there is an entrance fee but I gather it is still not busy.

Getting Around

Dart is the Brunei equivalent of Uber or Grab. Unless you have a Brunei mobile phone number you will not be able to use it but we found that hotel or museum staff are always willing to book a ride for you on their phones.

Hotels

We stayed at the Radisson which is very central and a nice hotel with well trained, helpful staff.

If you want to splash out and maybe want to be near to Jeradong Park you could stay at the Empire Brunei which was a former royal palace.

Location of Places on the Bandar Seri Begawan Sightseeing Itinerary

Most of the places mentioned in this review can be found on this map.

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AUTHOR BIO

David (the one on the left) is the writer behind Malaysia Traveller, sharing first-hand travel advice from over five decades of living and travelling across Asia and the Middle East. Based in Malaysia since 2009 and now in Kuching, he has published over 790 pages on this website, personally visited every place he covers, and uses only his own photos. Readers can learn more on his About Me page. He also shares updates on Facebook and YouTube. He loves uncovering overlooked places that even some Malaysians have never visited.