Top Singapore Activities

Why go to Singapore?

Singapore is a modern tropical city with high-rise skyscrapers, covered sidewalks, and clean public transportation with elevators and escalators. It’s like New York City of Asia, but safer, cleaner, and faster to visit. Travelers love that every rail station in Los Angeles includes elevators and escalators to all platforms, unlike NYC! Can you tell I have PTSD from lugging my bag up endless NYC subway stairs?

The former British colony is a cultural melting pot with 75% Chinese, followed by Malays and Indians. The constitution identifies four basic languages—English, Malay, Tamil, and Mandarin—but everyone speaks English and many residents speak others. This ethnic fusion produces excellent meals. Hello dim sum!

Singapore has 47% parks and gardens, which is surprising. Exploration is easy with quick and economical public transportation. Singapore is spotless and secure. Only one nation in Southeast Asia has tap water!

Singapore is pricey, but there are several ways to visit without breaking the bank. It boasts the world’s prettiest airport, making it a fantastic destination to stop between lengthy flights!

I’ve visited Singapore over a dozen times in the past decade and at least once a year. (I visited a couple weeks ago!) Check out my Singapore travel guide for the top cheap activities.

Top Free Activities in Singapore

A fountain and 8.6-meter-tall white Merlion monument, the country’s unofficial emblem, sits in Merlion Park. One legend claims an Indonesian prince spotted a lion when he landed. Singapore signifies “Lion City” in Sanskrit. It’s wonderful for skyline and Marina Bay Sands shots.

Free Garden Rhapsody music and light performances are held everyday at 7:45 and 8:45 p.m.
Marina Bay Sands is a three-towered hotel with a cruise-ship-shaped top that appears like it belongs on the Vegas Strip. You may go past the hotel anytime and will likely have to to reach the Gardens by the Bay. Indulge in a rooftop bar drink for the view. The mall is linked.
Singapore’s gorgeous Hindu Sri Mariamman Temple and Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery are free to visit.

Walk through Chinatown to see the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum and the beautiful Sri Mariamman Temple, the country’s oldest Hindu temple erected in 1872. Beautiful Buddhist temple complex Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery is remote from downtown and tourist regions.

Buddhist hell park Haw Par Villa. Yes, you read correctly. Over 1,000 sculptures make it a distinctive, intriguing, and terrifying outdoor theme park.
Mustaffa, a six-story Little India mall, has everything. Walking around the facility is eye-opening.
The Jewel at Changi Airport has the world’s biggest indoor waterfall, the HSBC Rain Vortex. The Jewel, a retail mall before airport security, is linked to the terminals via trains or walkways.

Peranakan terrace buildings on Joo Chiat Road are bright antique shophouses. Often, “Peranakan” refers to someone having Chinese and Malay roots. Private dwellings are not open to the public. Visit in the morning for finest photographs. Set Google Maps to 19 Koon Seng Road or 287 Joo Chiat Road, both on the same block.
UNESCO World Heritage site Singapore Botanic Gardens include the National Orchid Garden. (My 2013 crush, a South African lad who liked orchids, took me here and was amazed at how nice it was!)
One of the country’s tiniest and most colorful lanes, Haji Lane has businesses and eateries. Beautiful place to take photos.

Singapore’s Top Parks, Walks, and Nature Reserves

Singapore has several parks and natural paths that I like strolling. Over 47% of the island is green! Start early to avoid the heat. All these paths are accessible by public transit.

The biggest reservoir in Singapore, MacRitchie Reservoir, and the TreeTop walk with a 25-meter suspension bridge and nearly 20 kilometers of trails are in Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
The Southern Ridges is a 10-kilometer path including Henderson Waves, the nation’s tallest bridge, and forest and canopy walk bridges. Start the path from HarbourFront MRT to make the last part downward. The map is here.
Its hilltop position made Fort Canning Park home to the nation’s first rulers. It housed the British government, a fort, and the first botanic garden. Self-guided tours of nine historical gardens, statues, and the colonial fort’s lone gate are available. The Fort Canning Tree Tunnel is popular with Instagrammers, so queue up.
I can’t name all 350 parks and greenspaces. Also noteworthy are Labrador and Bukit Timah Nature Reserves. Both are free and readily accessible by public transit. For park information, visit https://www.nparks.gov.sg.

The Best Singapore Beaches

Fun fact: Most Singapore beaches are constructed. Universal Studios and the aquarium make Sentosa a popular beach getaway. Those who want to escape Sentosa could visit Changi Beach, a tiny stretch of white sand in Eastern Singapore that’s also a park with jogging and cycling lanes.

The top Singapore museums
Singapore has great museums, but foreigners may only visit during festivals and huge events. I loved the Peranakan Museum, which explores Southeast Asian Peranakan culture. I believe it’s essential for cultural understanding. The National Museum of Singapore, established in 1849, is also remarkable. I don’t enjoy zoos or theme parks, therefore I don’t write about them. Singapore has both.)

Accommodation in Singapore*

Accommodation in Singapore is costly. Little India, Chinatown, and Joo Chiat are cheapest. Hotel prices start at $200 SGD ($148 USD) and hostels $30-40 SGD ($22-29/USD). I usually stay with friends and haven’t had a bad hostel experience. I enjoy 30 Bencoolen, a contemporary, secure, and clean Singapore hotel minutes from the MRT. Pool, gym, and washing machines are also available. I adore 30 Bencoolen’s 20–30-minute stroll to Chinatown or downtown. The most famous hotels for luxury stays are Raffles Singapore, Fullerton Bay Hotel, and Marina Bay Sands.

The Best Singapore Restaurants

Hawker centers, a blend of community center and food court, are Singapore’s cheapest restaurants. Hainanese chicken rice, kaya toast, carrot cake, and Laksa are some of the classic Singaporean dishes served at most hawker centers.

Here are my favorite Singapore restaurants:

My favourite dim sum restaurant is Swee Choon. Although enormous, there is usually a fast queue. Cash only.
Breakfast and lunch at Tiong Bahru Bakery include handmade croissants. The granola is great too. There are other spots, but I enjoy Fort Canning Park’s terrace.
Tim Ho Wan is a Hong Kong chain, but their BBQ pork bao is great. Eat inside or order to-go to avoid the big queue.
The Chinatown Complex Food Center and Maxwell Food Center are popular Chinatown hawker facilities.

Top Craft Beer Bars in Singapore

Singapore has a thriving craft beer sector. Singapore alcohol is expensive, so go Happy Hours for a deal. Before happy hour, beer costs $16+ SGD ($12 USD). Consider purchasing craft beer or any other alcohol at the airport duty-free. Some of my fave pint spots:

The Beer People Co., a new bar, boasts 150+ craft beer bottles and cans, including local and Asian brews. They offer Thai cuisine and have happy hour. My current favorite location!
Smith Street Taps has 20 taps in Chinatown Complex Food Center. On the second story of the open-air hawker area, it seems like sipping beer in a parking garage with a dive bar feeling I enjoy. Two craft beer pioneers opened it, making it a must-see.
Tap serves the cheapest craft beer in town at $7-8 USD on 20 taps. Food is served at three sites.
Druggists is a stylish pub and restaurant with a nice craft beer selection but pricier than the others.
Singapore FAQ

Singapore’s colorful Haji Lane is a retail and eating hub. All of it is near the open Sultan Mosque.

Does Singapore have public transit?

Singapore offers great MRT and bus service. Except for the airport and west of the island, the city is accessible in 30 minutes. One MRT journey costs $1-3 USD. I paid $2 USD to go from the airport to Bencoolen MRT. Tap and go using a contactless bank card to bypass lines. You may purchase passes.

Does Singapore have Uber?

Taxis and Grab, Southeast Asia’s largest ridesharing provider, function like Uber.

Where can Singaporeans purchase SIM cards cheaply?

Try to avoid the $30-50 SGD ($22-37 USD!) SIM cards at the Singapore airport. An Airalo e-sim works instantaneously upon arrival. If your phone doesn’t have eSIM, get one at a local 7-Eleven for $14 SGD/$10 USD. Singapore accepts e-SIM cards, however you may need to purchase a regional package from Airalo. See my eSIM card post!

You need how many days in Singapore?

Give yourself two days to explore the waterfront, Chinatown, and greenspaces. A week may be filled easily if your money allows. Singapore’s Changi Airport, the world’s prettiest, is an excellent stopover for lengthy flights!

Is gum prohibited in Singapore?

Chewing gum is forbidden in Singapore. Why? When public trains were originally introduced, youngsters smeared gum on the door sensors, making them useless, thus the government outlawed gum and other sanitation issues. This may sound severe, but it means the sidewalks are gum-free. The cleanest city in the world, I suppose. See this BBC report for information.

Does Singapore have stringent laws?

The pilot announces that drug trafficking might result in death when you arrive in Singapore. Just don’t breach their laws—which are global since you shouldn’t do unlawful stuff anyway—and you’ll be OK. Avoid littering, jaywalking, spitting, and peeing in public to avoid penalties.

Can Singaporeans consume alcohol in public?

Public drinking is allowed at certain times. After a 2013 Little India riot, Singapore bans public drinking between 10:30 p.m. and 7 a.m. Weekend restrictions apply in some neighborhoods. See this news report for details.