There are so many reasons travelers might find themselves spending a few days in Singapore. Perhaps you have a long layover or can arrange a stopover. Maybe you are be visiting a nearby country and want to pop over to Singapore. With just a little planning, you can hit the highlights of Singapore along the way!
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6-8 Hour Layover
Long layovers aren’t uncommon when transiting through Singapore Changi Airport. If you find yourself with at least six hours between your flights, you definitely have time to do a little exploring.
Layover Option 1
Honestly, if this is the first time you are transiting through Singapore, just stay at the airport! Jewel Changi Airport is one of the best airports in the world to enjoy a long layover. There are so many things to do there! The most impressive is the Indoor Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall surrounded by a multiple level garden. At night, it has a light and sound display at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. every day, with additional 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. shows on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
Canopy Park has sky nets, a hedge maze, a mirror maze, and discovery slides. The Changi Experience Studio showcases the airports technology. There’s also Jewel-rassic Quest, an augmented reality experience with dinosaurs. And if you have kids in tow, there are play areas and interactive art installations designed for them. There’s also a movie theater playing free movies! And all of this is in additional to hundreds of dining and shopping options.
Layover Option 2
If you have explored the airport, you should definitely leave to see the city. Fortunately, Singapore is relatively compact, so you can see a lot in just a little bit of time. Start in the Marina Bay area. Spend an hour or two exploring Gardens by the Bay, Singapore’s futuristic national garden. Climb up to the Supertree Observatory for great views, or take the OCBC Skyway suspended bridge. You can also visit the two domes, one with flowers and one with a cloud forest.
Then go over to Marina Bay Sands, a three tower hotel topped with a rooftop park shaped like a ship. Visit the ship-shaped SkyPark Observation Deck. It has high-end shopping, dining, and a casino. You probably won’t have time for a meal or the casino, but should at least go up to see the view!
Now, walk over the Helix Bridge, a pedestrian bridge modeled after the structure of DNA. You are headed to Merlion Park, Here you will find Singapore’s most famous icon, the Merlion statue. A merlion is a mythical creature with a lion’s head and fish’s body. The park is located across the bay from the Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum. It provides a terrific view of these unique attractions.
If you have a longer layover (8+ hours), you have a couple of options. You can explore the ArtScience Museum, which will take 1.5-3 hours. Or take a taxi over to Chinatown Complex, Singapore’s largest hawker center, for a great meal from one of the many food stalls. Then you can spend some time wandering around Chinatown, admiring the temples, preserved Peranakan houses, and perhaps getting a fun souvenir at Chinatown Street Market .
Layover Option 3
Another option on a long layover is to take a city tour. What’s even better is that you can book a free guided tour from the airport! These 2.5 hour tours provide a quick snapshot of what the city offers. They are a great option if you want to spend time exploring the Jewel Changi Airport and see a bit of the city. They offer four different tours, – the one you choose will likely depend on when your layover is.
Layover Logistics
You can take the MRT (train) from Jewel Changi Airport to Marina Bay Sands area. It takes about an hour and costs about $2 each way. A taxi or Grab rideshare will cost as much as $30 each way, but reduces the travel time to about 20 minutes. Changi Airport has luggage storage available, so there’s no need to lug your heavy carry-on bags around!
Americans do not need a visa to enter Singapore (some citizens of other countries do need a visa; you can find that information here). However, all travelers must complete a SG Arrival Card within three days of arrival. You will need this to pass through immigration so that you can leave the airport.
Arrival Day/Day 1
If you have longer than one day to spend in Singapore, you can take a different approach. Try to get a flight that lands in the evening so that you can just go straight to your hotel and get some sleep. But if you arrive early in the morning, you will need to plan a day of activities to keep you awake! Just drop your luggage at your hotel and start your tour.
Today we’ll focus exclusively on the futuristic part of Singapore. Spend the morning at Gardens by the Bay, then go to Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck. If you are hungry, there are plenty of restaurants there to choose from.
Spend the afternoon at ArtScience Museum seeing all of the exhibits. Then walk across the Helix Bridge to Merlion Park for iconic views. End your day with dinner nearby and attending the Garden Rhapsody light and sound show at the Gardens by the Bay between 7:45-8:45 p.m.
Day 2
Morning
Today you will explore Chinatown. Spend the morning visiting Buddha Tooth Relic Temple to see its richly decorated main prayer hall and the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha. You can also visit the Buddhas of the World Museum to learn more about Buddhist history and traditions. And don’t miss the rooftop garden You can also visit Singapore’s oldest Hindi temple, Sri Mariammam Temple. Admire the colorful tower and go inside to see Hindi rituals. You can also visit Masjid Jamae mosque where a tour guide will explain Muslim worship rituals.
Afternoon
Grab lunch at Chinatown Complex, Singapore’s largest hawker center,. Then learn more about early Chinese immigrants in Singapore at Chinatown Heritage Centre. Afterwards. Spend some time admiring the preserved Peranakan houses that now serve as shops along Pagoda Street and Trengganu Street.
Evening
End your day at Chinatown Street Market to buy unique souvenirs. It’s open daily until 10 p.m. Dinner can be back at Chinatown Complex, or at any of the restaurants in the area. Or consider trying one of the 39 restaurants in Singapore with at least one Michelin star.
Day 3
When you wake up on Day 3, you will wish you had even more days to spend in Singapore. Today we explore more of the cultural heritage that defines Singapore.
Morning
We start the day in Little India. Visit Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple and Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple. Both temples feature colorful towers filled with statues of gods, goddesses, and mythical figures. You can go inside both to admire their richly decorated shrines and observe Hindi worship rituals. Then spend some time learning more about the Indian influence on Singapore at the Indian Heritage Centre.
Take a walk along Serangoon Road where you will find shops selling textiles, spices, jewelry, and other great souvenirs. Make sure to check out the side streets for great street art and murals.
Afternoon & Evening
Get lunch at the Tekka Centre, a market with fresh produce, spices, and authentic Indian street food. Then make your way over to Kampong Gelam. Here you will see Sultan Mosque and visit the Malay Heritage Centre.
The rest of the afternoon and evening can be spent exploring the shops on Arab Street. And wander down Haji Lane to see the street art. Get dinner from street food vendors selling Malay cuisine.
Only Have 2 Days?
Then we need to condense the itinerary above. Day 1 will stay as is. But we’ll combine days 2 and 3. Spend the morning in Chinatown and the afternoon and evening in Little India and Kampong. You will need to choose the sites that most appeal to you in each. And you will have to eat at least three times to experience all of the cuisine!
Have More Time?
If you have more days to spend in Singapore, you have a lot of options to fill your time. You can visit Singapore Zoo, one of the world’s best zoos. And Singapore Botanical Gardens is the only botanical garden in the world recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can spend a full day in each, or visit them on the same day as both have longer hours.
Another option is visiting Sentosa Island. Take a cable car from the HarborFront or the Sentosa Express Monorail from VivoCity Shopping Mall. Once on the island, you can spend several days at various attractions. There’s Universal Studios Singapore with movie-themed rides and roller coasters. The S.E.A. Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the world. Skyline Luge Sentosa offers gravity-powered rides down scenic tracks. And Adventure Cove Waterpark has water slides and opportunities to snorkel with tropical fish. If you are interested in military history, check out Fort Siloso. This World World II fort is well-preserved and now houses a military museum.
If you prefer nature to man-made attractions, Sentosa Island is still worth a visit. Take the cable car to Mount Faboer. Here you can enjoy panoramic views of the island and Singapore skyline and enjoy short strolls through Faber Peak Trails. Sentosa is also where you can visit beaches. There’s the lively Siloso Beach, family-friendly Palawan Beach, and the quiet and scenic Tanjong Beach.
How would you spend 1, 2, or 3+ days in Singapore?
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