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The city-state island of Singapore is one of the most popular destinations in South East Asia. Its developed, culturally rich and modern, making it an appealing destination for travellers all around the world. In many ways, it can be something of an introduction to Asia for those wanting to make their way gradually out of their comfort zone. Its also a major international airline hub, meaning many people stop-over in Singapore en route to their final destination. There is a ton of things to do in Singapore however – so much so that I’d recommend a first time traveller spend at least 3 full days when visiting. In this post I’ll be providing an overview of Singapore and the best way to spend your time when visiting.
Singapore started its existence as a small fishing village at the tip of the Malay peninsular. It wasn’t until Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles landed at the site in 1819 and subsequently signed a treaty with a claimant to the Sultanate of Johor to establish a port on behalf of the British East India Company. While the Company initially made annual payments to the Sultanate for their newly acquired base, the Company purchased Singapore for a fixed sum in 1824, and it eventually became part of the Straits Settlements along with Penang and Melaka.
Singapore thrived as a major trading post between India and China and its port would become a jewel for trade of the British Empire. In 1867 Singapore became its own Crown Colony, splitting off from British India, however control would remain with the Commonwealth until the Japanese occupied the city during World War 2. Singapore was ceded back to the British after the War, however it was granted independence in 1955. After a brief stint as part of the Federation of Malaysia, it was booted from the federation on 9 August 1965, making it the world’s only country to achieve its national status involuntarily in modern history.
Following establishment of the Singapore nation, the country went on to thrive under the 40 year leadership of Lee Kuan Yew. Singapore rapidly expanded and became one of the world’s wealthiest and advanced nations.
You won’t have any problems getting to Singapore. Changi International Airport (SIN) is a major connection hub for international airlines around the world. Its also consistently ranked one of the world’s best airports – seriously, what doesn’t this place have? What other airport can you say has its own butterfly garden, cactus garden and sunflower garden just to name a few?
Oh right, you actually want to get into the city though! A taxi will get you into the heart of Singapore in around 35 minutes, but they can be expensive at anywhere between $20-$40 SGD (plus an extra 50% if you arrive between midnight and 6AM). Grab is the Ride-share app similar to Uber that operates in Singapore and will be slightly less expensive. Overall though, I recommend taking the MRT train system. You’ll have to swap trains at the Tanah Merah station, but it will take around the same amount of time as a cab and will only cost about $1.75 SGD (around $1.80 AUD).
Most travellers from Western nations can enter Singapore visa free for up to 90 days. As always, check the requirements for your country of origin before travelling.
Singapore is very close to the equator and experiences a warm tropical climate all year round. The wet season falls between November to January, and during this time you’re likely to experience daily afternoon showers. They generally don’t stick around for long, so it won’t be the end of the world if you have to visit during this time of the year. The best time to visit Singapore however is from February to May, which coincides with the dry season.
Regardless of when you travel to Singapore, you’ll be dealing with temperatures that regularly get in the high 20s to early 30s Celsius. Humidity can be heavy as well, so you’re generally best off trying to get out of the heat of the day if you can.
There are an abundance of accommodation options in Singapore. With that said, it is an expensive city (especially by South Eastern Asian standards). You’ll pay a lot more for your stay here than in other nearby countries. Nonetheless, given how many hotels there are, you should be able to find a good deal for your budget. As far as a first time traveller goes, I’d recommend staying in the Clarke Quay area. Right along the Singapore River, this area is full of life. You’ll find countless restaurants, bars and clubs, all vibrantly lit up. You can even take a cruise up or down the river from here. Singapore is very easy to get around, so you won’t have any problems getting where you need to go.
In general, you can expect to pay the following prices per night for a double room in Singapore:
In my view, Singapore is one of the easiest cities to get around in the world. That’s mainly due to the highly efficient Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system which operates from 5.30am to midnight. Trains arrive at most stations every 2 to 7 minutes, so you’re never waiting long at all to get anywhere, and the system is quite extensive. Its also really affordable – depending on the distance of your journey, you’ll pay somewhere between $1.40 – $2.50 SGD. If you’re going to be making a number of trips on the MRT, consider purchasing a reloadable EZ-Link card.
One major tourist area that isn’t linked well to the MRT network are the animals parks around the Upper Seletar Reservoir. While you can rely on connection buses to get here, I’d just take a Grab to get up there.
You can also do a fair bit of walking around Singapore, particularly to attractions along the Singapore River and Marina area.
The official currency of Singapore is the Singapore Dollar.
English is one of four official languages of Singapore (along with Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Tamil). You’ll probably hear a fair bit of “Singlish” though – English spoken with words borrowed from Chinese and Malay. You won’t have any problems at all communicating with people in English during your stay in Singapore.
Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world. Street crime is incredibly low. You should still use common sense precautions as you would anywhere in the world. You’re unlikely to run into any problems at all when visiting however. Of course, be aware of local laws, such as the particularly harsh penalties for drug offences which can include the death penalty.
There’s so much to do in Singapore so you’ll want to make the absolute most of your time in the city. You won’t see everything in 3 days, but its a good period of time for a first time visitor. You’ll get to see some of the highlights during your stay and this itinerary will help you with that.
You’ll be spending most of your first day in Singapore down by its famous marina – you’ll actually do a loop around it so get your camera out. If you’re staying near the Clarke Quay area, grab breakfast nearby before taking a walk along the riverbank towards your first destination. It will take you around 15 minutes – just walk downstream towards the Marina Bay and enjoy the scenery until you arrive at one of Singapore’s most famous landmarks.
The Merlion Statue stands proudly in Merlion Park by the Espanade Bridge, right at the entrance of the Singapore River. Constructed in 2002, the statue of this mythical half fish, half lion being has become associated with Singapore and stems loosely from the Malay legend of a Sumatran prince naming the city Singapura (Lion City) after supposedly sighting the strange being here long ago. Spouting water into the harbour, whether you believe the legend or not, the statue makes for a very popular photo spot. Its one of those places that you can’t go to Singapore without taking a photo in front of. It does become crowded with tourists as the day goes on, so heading here early is a good decision.
Not far from the Merlion (about a 5 minute walk into the Colonial District), is one of Singapore’s best museums. The appropriately named Asian Civilisations Museum houses one of the most comprehensive collections of artefacts from all over Asia. Contained inside a yellow and white colonial style building the museum shines a light on Singapore’s status as a cultural mixing pot, while the collection also extends to highlight parts of China, India and beyond.
The highlight of the museum is the Tang Shipwreck exhibition. In this chamber, the history of marine trade through Asia is explored with a collection of over 60,000 Tang era ceramics from a shipwreck that is more than 1,000 years old. The halls that showcase the various ancient religions that spread through Asia from the Indian subcontinent are also quite interesting and frequently added to.
Count on spending at least an hour to see the highlights of the Asian Civilisation Museum – history buffs could spend much more time taking in the detailed exhibits. The museum is quietest around opening time, so if you aim to get here around then, you’ll have many of the chambers to yourself, making for an enjoyable visit.
You’re not done with museums yet! Singapore is full of world class collections, and the National Gallery is no exception. Its actually housed in the combined structure that consists of the old Supreme Court and City Hall buildings. The collection of art in the gallery’s permanent exhibition is excellent, spanning major works across South East Asia over the past many centuries. Its one of the most important galleries in Asia, with exhibits such as the DBS Singapore and UOB South East Asia Galleries displaying works from the major civilisations throughout the region as well as the colonial era.
Perhaps even more interesting than the artworks however are the buildings themselves. You can actually take a free audio tour that whisks you around the Gallery, focusing on the history of the Supreme Court and City Hall. While some of the Court rooms have been re-themed into specific art exhibits, others retain the set-up of their original use, providing a step back into the past. Make sure you take a time out from the tour to head up to the roof of the building for views across the Padang field outside.
After all that museum time, grab some lunch (there’s plenty of options at the nearby Raffles City Shopping Mall) before venturing around the marina towards your next destination. There’s no missing the unique design of the Marina Bay Sands, a luxury hotel designed by the Israeli Moshe Safdie. To describe it simply, you could say its a giant surfboard resting atop of three pillars. Take some photos of the building itself before heading inside. While a room at the Marina Bay Sands will cost you upwards of at least $550 SGD a night, anyone can purchase a ticket to take the elevator up to the Skypark Observation Deck (buy your ticket online to save waiting in line).
Offering some of the best views of Singapore from above (you’re on that giant surfboard when you’re up here), this open air viewing area is well worth the price of admission. Take your time and enjoy the view. There’s also a bar up here serving alcoholic beverages, so why not take this opportunity to try the famous Singapore Sling cocktail? Sure, its not as luxurious as the infinity pool up here that hotel guests can enjoy, but its still a pretty great place to spend an afternoon in Singapore.
The Gardens by the Bay are my favourite place in all of Singapore. Combining greenery with futuristic architecture and technology, this place really seems like something from another world. Built on reclaimed land by the Marina, the Gardens are an ecological masterpiece centred around the impressive Supertree Grove. Standing tall here, you’ll find 18 steel structures covered in vines, flowers and other plant life, housing renewable energy generators. You can head up onto the OCBC Skywalk for a closer look, which also offers views of the Gardens from 22 metres above. Put simply, the Supertrees are marvellous and have to be seen to be believed.
But they’re not even the best part of Gardens by the Bay – that comes in the form of the two huge biodomes that you can visit with a combined ticket (book in advance, you’ll save time). The Flower Dome is the world’s largest glass greenhouse in the world, showcasing plant species from all over the globe in distinctly themed zones (think the Mediterranean, South Africa and California just to name a few). Just next door, the Cloud Forest Dome is the icing on the cake. This greenhouse contains an actual Cloud Forest, waterfall and all, standing at over 35 metres high. Take the elevator up and venture through the levels of tropical vegetation, with educational exhibits along the way.
Stick around the Gardens after it gets dark. There’s a beautiful projection show that takes place multiple times an evening where the Supertrees light up in sync with music.
You’ll spend the better part of the evening at Gardens by the Bay. You can grab some dinner out here (Satay by the Bay is excellent), but otherwise head back up the river to Clarke Quay (its an easy MRT trip). The district comes alive at night and you’ll have no trouble finding a restaurant that suits your taste buds. Enjoy this vibrant area before retiring for the night. There’s much more to do in Singapore over the next few days.
On your second day in Singapore, you’ll be experiencing more of the city’s green surroundings by heading north of the main urban area. Today is all about getting amongst nature and wildlife – get ready to see lots of animals and vibrant environments. Grab an early breakfast and take a morning MRT train to your first stop.
The Singapore Botanic Gardens cover an immense 74 hectares and offer a peaceful retreat from city life for locals and tourists alike. The Gardens were established in 1859 and have now attracted UNESCO heritage status (one of the few gardens in the world to boast this honour). Throughout the gardens you’ll wander through a myriad of lakes, lawns and vegetation rich zones. The gardens are actually renowned as one of the most impressive in all of Asia.
While admission to the Botanic Gardens is free, the highlight of any visit is the National Orchid Garden, for which there is a small fee. It opens at 8.30am and is a decent hike into the Botanic Gardens from the main entrance by the MRT station. This is the world’s most complete orchid collection, with a massive assortment of colourful species on display. Spend some time in the early morning taking a relaxing stroll through the Botanic Garden and you’ll be ready for the day ahead.
Singapore Zoo is one of the best zoos in the world. Unlike many, it really feels more like an open-air rainforest, filled with waterfalls and vegetation on the banks of the Upper Seletar Reserve. You’ll see monkeys and orang-utans swinging in the tree tops above as you wander through the various exhibits that stretch out over a 26 hectare oasis. The Zoo is home to over 3,000 species, both from South-East Asia and all around the world, including many critically endangered animals such as the rare Bengal tigers.
A comprehensive tour of the zoo will take the majority of the day. Plan to take in at least one of the informative zookeeper presentations or feeding walks to learn more about the animals that call the Zoo their home. There’s so many diverse enclosures and attractions to see, though in my view the best is the Fragile Forest Biodome, a massive forest themed aviary containing lemurs and other species roaming about with you.
Getting to Singapore Zoo can be a bit tricky as its not connected to the MRT. A shuttle bus does operate from the Khatib MRT station, but you can otherwise just take a Grab ride to get here.
Have an early dinner at one of the places out front of the Zoo, because you’re heading just next door to the Night Safari for the evening. I hope you haven’t had your fill of animals (is that even possible?). The Night Safari is run by the same people that own the Zoo and River Safari, but is a truly unique experience that I haven’t come across elsewhere in the world. While its essentially a zoo for nocturnal species, you’ll board an electric tram near the entrance and be driven around for 45 minutes along a track past over 130 different animals, including lions, tigers, elephants and rhinos. I recommend taking the tram tour when you first arrive, as you’ll see more animals while there’s still some natural light.
Stick around after you’ve taken the tram – there’s more to be seen. A walking trail takes you through a number of exhibits, many of which the tram doesn’t access. While it takes a bit of time for your eyes to adjust when looking for animals in the dark, I really enjoyed the experience. Its a different way to visit a zoo for sure. You can also watch the informative Creatures of the Night show where you’ll learn numerous facts about some of the animals that roam during the darker hours.
Spend as much of the evening as you like at the Night Safari before wrapping up your second day in Singapore.
Sentosa Island is Singapore’s biggest playground. Originally known as Blakang Mati, this island has evolved over time into Singapore’s tourist hub – its filled with beaches, resorts and fun filled attractions. In fact, many guests head to Resorts World Sentosa and never explore the wider city (though what a shame that would be). If you’re a theme park lover like me, you have to visit Sentosa to go to Singapore’s version of Universal Studios.
There’s a number of ways to get to Sentosa, but the easiest is to get an MRT Train to Harbourfront Station. Once you’ve arrived there, purchase a ticket to board the Sentosa Express Monorail from VivoCity (it operates from 7am to midnight daily). Entrance to Sentosa via the monorail will cost you $4 SGD and you’ll have some beautiful views as you are whisked across. Alternatively you can walk across from VivoCity and you won’t have to pay the extra fee.
While Singapore’s version of Universal Studios is the smallest of the theme parks of its kind around the world, it still makes for a thrilling day out for guests of all ages. You should aim to arrive before opening time (pre-book your tickets online) to take advantage of the shorter attraction queues at the start of the day , but you shouldn’t have any issue fitting all the rides in on a single day here with more time to spare to re-ride your favourites again and again.
The theme park is divided up into a number of themed areas, including Hollywood, Far Far Away, Sci-Fi City, the Lost World and Ancient Egypt. The architecture in the New York section is especially immersive. There’s a mixture of Singapore park specific attractions, such as the Puss in Boots’ Giant Journey and the Battlestar Galactica duelling coasters, along with typical Universal classics like Revenge of the Mummy and Transformers: The Ride.
Count on spending the majority of the day here. If the lines do get too long, you can pay extra for an express pass, but you shouldn’t need it if you do a bit of park planning. Hit up the major attractions in Sci-Fi City and then embark on a counter clockwise tour of the lands from there and you’ll have a relatively solid touring plan. There’s a number of counter service restaurants in the park where you can have lunch – Marty’s Casa del Wild in Madagascar is a decent choice.
After spending the better part of the day at Universal Studios, head back to Singapore proper for the late afternoon/evening. On your last night in the city, you’ll be making the most of the city’s foodie status by taking your pick between its famous neighbourhoods. Wander the streets of Chinatown, Little India or Kampong Glam (the Arab Quarter) and dine at a local restaurant for some authentic cuisine. They’re all well connected by the MRT and worth a wander around. Alternatively the Maxwell Food Centre is a popular hawker style food court offering regional dishes. Wherever you spend your final night in Singapore, enjoy the mixing pot of culture and cuisine that this city is best associated with.
With three days in Singapore, you won’t have seen everything, but you’ll have a good overview of what the city offers. Let me know below if there’s anywhere I’ve missed that you’d recommend checking out.
While you may want to extend your stay, being the travel hub it is, you can also get pretty much anywhere from Singapore. Popular destinations just a short flight away include Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
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