Singapore is an incredible country in southeast Asia. It may be small, but there is so much to see and do, and luckily a lot of activities are free. Here is my guide of the best way to fill two or three days in Singapore.
Contents
Supertrees at Gardens By The Bay
Logistics: Making Bookings and Moving Around
Accommodation in Singapore gets booked up in advance, so make sure you have somewhere organised to stay at least two weeks before you go. This will ensure you aren’t left with the most expensive hostels or the worst ones! For most activities, though, you don’t need to book in advance. This is with the exception of going up Marina Bay Sands hotel and any fancier dinner and bar reservations.
Flower Dome at Gardens By The Bay
Getting around Singapore is so easy. It has the best public transport system I have ever used - the MRT (subway) is second to none and takes you everywhere, and the bus system is also great. Most places are also walkable and it is very safe to do so. You can buy a transport card for anywhere from 24 hours to 72 hours, and it gives you unlimited use of public transport within that window. The 72 hour card cost me SG$34 (approx. £20), and I bought it in the airport metro station before I got on the train into the city. You can also buy them in other train stations. If you’re there for less than 24 hours or don’t plan on using public transport too much, you can also tap your contactless card to use the MRT and buses. Google Maps is perfect for showing you which MRT line to get on for your destination, and the best ways around the city.
Things to Do
There are endless things to do in Singapore, but to make the most of your time, here are my highlights.
Arab Street
Gardens By The Bay
No trip to Singapore would be complete without a visit to the Gardens By The Bay to see the famous supertrees and greenhouses. You can enter the Gardens for free to see the trees from the ground, but if you want to go into the cloud forest or flower dome or up on the OCBC Skywalk, you need to pay. It costs SG$59 (approx. £34) for the cloud forest and flower dome combination, and a further $12 (approx. £7) for the OCBC Skywalk. You can buy tickets at various places in the Garden if you decide to, or online.
Cloud Forest
I thought the cloud forest was very cool, and they often have special themed exhibits to make it more interactive. I didn’t love the flower dome as much but it comes as a deal if you do both. The OCBC Skywalk was great and I highly recommend doing it. The view of the supertrees and the Singapore skyline was great and it’s a lot of fun to see it all from above.
From the OCBC Skywalk
Make sure you go back for the light shows in the evening. They happen twice every night, at 7:45pm and 8:45pm, last 15 minutes, and are completely free. Beware that it gets very busy, so if you want to have a seat on one of the steps rather than the floor, you’ll need to get there at least 20-30 minutes before it starts. The shows change periodically and are very well done.
Supertrees during the Light Show
Haji Lane
Haji Lane and the streets around it were probably my favourite part of Singapore. It is a very cool neighbourhood with nice shops, cafés, bars, and restaurants. The walls are all painted with colourful murals, and it’s a really great atmosphere around there. I spent a lot of time walking around and enjoying it all.
Haji Lane
Go Up the Capita Spring Building
Capita Spring is a really cool building in the centre of Singapore that you can go up for free to get views of Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore harbour. You have to book a slot online, but you can do it once you arrive in the building. If you want to go for sunset, that will be a busier time so consider booking that in advance.
View from Capita Spring
Lau Pa Sat
Lau Pa Sat is probably the most famous hawker market in Singapore. It basically consists of a giant food court with loads of different stalls offering everything that you could want. Plenty of veggie and vegan options too! There are a lot of Indian and other south and southeast Asian options, and you will probably be overwhelmed with choice. It is chaotic and very busy but really worth going!
Inside Lau Pa Sat
Marina Bay Sands
While you have to book and pay to go up to the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel, you can head inside the shopping mall at Marina Bay Sands for free. If you walk up to the terrace you can have a great view of the marina, and it is very quiet too.
View from the Marina Bay Sands Mall at sunset
National Museum of Singapore
The National Museum of Singapore is an incredibly well put together museum with heaps of information about the history of the country. I learned so much during my visit there and I highly recommend going to understand a bit more about the place you are visiting. It was also very quiet which was nice. Tickets only cost SG$10 (approx. £5.85) and you can buy them on the door.
Halfway up Capita Spring
Old Hill Street Police Station and Clark Quay
My favourite building in all of Singapore was the Old Hill Street Police station. It has all these colourful shutters and is so cool just to walk past if you have time! It is next to Clark Quay which is a great area with plenty of restaurants and bars along the river. The atmosphere there at night is great.
Old Hill Street Police Station
Fullerton Boardwalk
The Fullerton Boardwalk, right next to the famous Fullerton Hotel, has great views of the marina and the Singapore skyline. It’s a great place to take a walk and sit by the water. While it was under construction when I went, you can also see the iconic Merlion statue here.
View from the Fullerton Boardwalk
Chinatown and Little India
Chinatown and Little India are great places to walk around and experience a little bit of another culture. They also have some of the cheapest food in Singapore in their Hawker markets, and it’s delicious!
Mural in Chinatown
Singapore Botanic Gardens and the National Orchid Garden
If you have the time and are looking for more green space, head to the botanic gardens to have a walk around. There is a huge area to explore for free, with some special gardens, including the National Orchid Garden, that you can pay to enter. It cost SG$15 (approx. £8.80) for one ticket. The Gardens By The Bay are more iconic, but these are much quieter and better for a relaxing morning or afternoon.
National Orchid Garden
The Singapore Grand Prix Track
If there are no races, you can head over to the race track where they hold the Singapore Grand Prix. It’s a pretty cool experience to walk or cycle right on the track.
Singapore Grand Prix Track
The Jewel at Changi Airport
The iconic Singapore Changi Airport is worth a visit when you land or before you leave. Head into the Jewel (the shopping mall opposite Terminal 1) to see the famous rain vortex and just enjoy walking around!
Rain Vortex in the Jewel
Budget
Singapore is notoriously expensive, but it actually surprised me how cheaply you can visit it for. My daily average was £45, including food, activities, and public transport, but not including accommodation or flights. Food can cost between £5 and £15 per meal if you are eating at Hawker markets. While some activities are paid for, a lot of Singapore is free to look at and visit, and can be seen just by walking and taking the metro.
Murals around Haji Lane
You can definitely pack all of these things into two days, but three days would be a much more relaxed pace to visit Singapore. It really is such a cool city and you will never get bored! I was really impressed with how clean it is and the attention paid to sustainability. Please contribute to this when you visit. Leave only your footprints behind :)
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