Hi there and thanks for stopping by! The things to do in Singapore is a very common question we come across, which prompted us to put together this post for everyone’s easy reference. Typically, the length of the visit is 5 – 6 days and keeping that in mind, here are our suggestions:
Before you get into the rest of this post, you may also consider checking out our Singapore Travel Guide where we’ve shared a lot useful information that should help you plan better.
Marina Bay
We think early evening (around 5:00PM) is the best time to visit the waterfront area in downtown Singapore, called Marina Bay. Here, you get to view the well-known Merlion (half lion, half fish statue) at the Merlion Park, the iconic boat shaped Marina Bay Sands hotel and the Singapore skyline – all of which are nice photo taking spots. Plan about 1-1.5 hours for the above.
If you have more time at hand, visit the Marina Bay Shoppe mall (which is right opposite the Merlion Park) or take a ride on the Singapore Flyer (ferris wheel) both of which are within walking distance from the Merlion Park. Add another 1-1.5 hours if you plan to cover these in the same visit.
You can also go to the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel to enjoy 360 views of the city – at the SkyPark Observation deck, for a fee. As evening descends, come back out outside the shoppe and enjoy a beautiful sunset, weather permitting. Later catch the free sound and light show at Marina Bay right outside shoppe, called Spectra. You can perhaps cover these in a second visit to Marina Bay. Plan 2-3 hours for these.
The ArtScience museum (the lotus flower shaped building) next to the Marina Bay Sands hotel is also a good place to visit. If you’re with kids, we suggest visiting the Future World at this musuem. Or if you’re a tech/Apple fan, you can also drop by at the one of a kind Apple Store that seems to be floating on the water (the small bubble on the right that you see in the picture below).
Chinatown, Arab Street and Little India
As Singapore is multi-cultural you’ll notice several influences from across the world when it come to culture, language, food and architecture. However, there are three areas specifically which have pre-dominant influences from China, India and the Middle-East and you can visit all of these to enjoy the cultural vibes and food.
In Chinatown we suggest the Pagoda Street Market to shop for cheap and interesting souvenirs. And also the beautiful Buddha Tooth Relic temple which is free of cost. Then of course, you can grab lunch or dinner at one of the many hawkers in the area. The street market and the buddha temple are next to each other so you can easily cover in the same visit. Plan about 2-3 hours for these.
In Little India, catch the sounds and smells from the Indian subcontinent and glimpse or visit temples along the way. And stop by for a flavourful Indian meal at one of the many Indian restaurants in the area.
At Arab Street or the muslim/middle-eastern quarters, stroll around Haji Lane and check out boutique stores and click instagrammable photos with the vibrant wall art, then complete the circle by going up to Sultan mosque and sit down to enjoy a drink or two at one of the many cafes / bars nearby. All of this is within walking distance of reach other and can be covered in the same visit. Plan about 2-3 hours for these.
Museums, Parks and Gardens
Singapore is often dubbed as the ‘garden city’ due to the plethora of many green spaces. You can picnic / BBQ at one of the many in Singapore. Our top picks are – East Coast Park, Labrador Park and Singapore Botanic Gardens. In the evening, we recommend visiting Gardens By the Bay and catch the free Garden Rhapsody show at the Supertree Grove.
If you’re with kids then the Singapore Zoo, and River Safari are good options too.
For the history buffs, there are several museums to visit. Of which the National museum or ArtScience museum are the more popular ones. With kids we recommend visiting the Future World at ArtScience museum.
Night Life and Shopping
In the evening, you may visit the Casino at Marina Bay Sands which is free to enter for foreigners. Then enjoy the terrace bar at Marina Bay Sands called CE LA VI or the rooftop Italian bar and restaurant called LAVO. If you just want to enjoy the view, you can goto up to the hotel sky deck (the SkyPark Observation deck we mentioned earlier) for a fee.
Besides this, there are many night haunts in Singapore such as Clarke Quay, Club Street or Keong Saik Road where you’ll be spoilt for choice for drink and food options. And if you fancy one of the largest night clubs in Asia with an indoor ferris wheel, hop into Marquee.
Orchard Road is the one stop shopping mecca where you can find everything from a Zara to a Louis Vuitton. Our suggestion would be to visit here during the day and spend the time at one or more of the many malls and showrooms to beat heat, during the day.
Hawker Centres for Local Food
Hawkers Centre food is the equivalent of street food in Singapore and it’s a way of life here with many hawkers both big and small, dishing out delectable food at affordable prices everyday, all day. Some of the more popular hawker centres with a lot of choices are listed here.
Sentosa Island
Plan an entire day or two at Sentosa Island. There are three ways to get to Sentosa from the main island – the cheapest option is to take the Monorail from Vivo City Mall which costs S$ 04.00 return. Alternatively, take a Cable Car ride from Harbour Front but that’s a bit pricey at around S$ 25.00 or you could book a Taxi or Grab car as well.
There are several options at Sentosa – there’s Universal Studios if you are keen on amusement parks. Other suggestions would be the the S.E.A Aquarium and Images of Singapore museum. In terms of fun / adventure activities there’s indoor skydiving with iFly, Bungy Jumping with AJ Hackett, Luge rides or Zip Lining. If that’s not your thing, you can try your luck at the Casino or relax at one of the many cafes or restaurants.
So that was a summarised version of things to do in Singapore. We hope this post was useful and gives you an idea of how you can spend your time in Singapore. If you have more questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments and we’ll try our best to answer them.
Here’s a nifty map that can serve as an easy to use Index of all the Things to see and do above:
Looking for Food recommendations in Singapore? Download our Vegetarian Food in Singapore Guide here.
More vlogs from Singapore on our YouTube channel, here.
