Wander Chinatown, Little India, and Kampong Glam in one day
Three distinct cultural districts within a short MRT ride of each other, each with its own temples, food, and street life.
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Southeast Asia
Things to do in Singapore
A city-state where rainforest, futuristic architecture, and some of Asia's best food sit within a single MRT ride of each other, run with a level of order that surprises first-time visitors.
Explore Singapore on the map →Budget$$$
Best for3-5 days
CapitalSingapore
VisaVisa-free entry for up to 90 days for US, UK, EU, Canadian, and Australian passport holders.
CurrencySingapore dollar (SGD)
LanguagesEnglish, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil (all official; English is the common language)
InternetExcellent, among the fastest in the world
Typical lodging$60–$155/night
Driving sideLeft
Power & voltage230V / 50Hz (Type G plug)
Time zoneUTC+7 to UTC+8
Emergency number999 (police) / 995 (ambulance, fire)
Dialing code+65
★★★★★ Food★★★★★ Photography★★★★★ Luxury
Visa rules and emergency numbers can change without notice. Confirm the specifics for your nationality and dates before you travel.
Travel smart
Bottled or purified water only. Not customary. Rounding up is common.
Singapore fits four official languages, a genuinely multi-ethnic food culture, and one of the world's busiest ports into an island smaller than New York City. Its hawker centre food culture, affordable, high-quality street food in regulated communal halls, is recognized on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
When to go
Dry-ish seasonFebruary–April
Relatively lower rainfall by Singapore standards, though it's tropical year-round and rain is always possible.
Southwest monsoonJune–September
Generally drier with occasional haze from regional agricultural burning, especially in September–October some years.
Transition periodOctober–November
Increasing rainfall and thunderstorm activity as the monsoon shifts.
Northeast monsoonDecember–January
The wettest months, with frequent afternoon downpours: still warm, and rain rarely lasts all day.
20 things to do
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Culture & history
4Wander Haji Lane's murals and boutiques in Kampong Glam
A narrow alley of independent shops and street art next to the golden-domed Sultan Mosque, one of the city's more bohemian corners.
Visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown
A richly decorated Tang-dynasty-style temple and museum, home to a relic believed to be one of Buddha's teeth.
Tour the Asian Civilisations Museum
A well-curated collection tracing trade and cultural connections across Asia, housed in a colonial-era building on the Singapore River.
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Adventure & outdoors
1Walk the Southern Ridges elevated forest trail
A 10-kilometre chain of parks connected by walkways, including the striking Henderson Waves bridge, through forest in the heart of the city.
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Nature & scenery
5Walk the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay
Vertical gardens up to 16 storeys tall, lit in a nightly sound-and-light show, with a canopy walkway between the tallest trees.
Explore the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay
Two climate-controlled conservatories housing a mountain waterfall and Mediterranean flora respectively, a striking contrast to the tropical heat outside.
Explore the Singapore Botanic Gardens' National Orchid Garden
A UNESCO World Heritage site with over 1,000 orchid species, including hybrids named after visiting dignitaries.
Explore Pulau Ubin, Singapore's last rural island
A short bumboat ride from the mainland to an island frozen in 1960s kampong life, best explored by rented bicycle.
Explore the Night Safari at Singapore Zoo
The world's first nocturnal zoo, letting visitors see naturally nocturnal animals active after dark via tram or walking trails.
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Food & drink
4Eat at a hawker centre like Maxwell Food Centre
UNESCO-recognized street food culture under one roof: Hainanese chicken rice, laksa, and satay from stalls that are often decades-old institutions.
Eat chili crab at a seafood restaurant
Singapore's unofficial national dish: whole crab in a sweet, spicy, tomato-based sauce, best mopped up with fried mantou buns.
Snack your way through Tiong Bahru's cafés and bakeries
A former public housing estate turned trendy neighborhood, mixing art deco architecture with some of the city's best independent coffee shops.
Eat at a Michelin-starred hawker stall
Hawker stalls including Hawker Chan have held Michelin stars, proving world-class food doesn't require white tablecloths here.
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Luxury
1Swim at the Marina Bay Sands infinity pool
A rooftop infinity pool 57 storeys up overlooking the entire skyline, open to hotel guests only, worth booking a stay specifically for it.
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Beaches
1Visit Sentosa Island's beaches and attractions
A resort island connected by cable car and monorail, with beaches, Universal Studios, and an aquarium packed into a compact space.
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Photography
2Ride the Singapore Flyer at sunset
One of the world's largest observation wheels, with capsule views over the Marina Bay skyline and, on clear days, into Malaysia and Indonesia.
Explore the Merlion Park and Marina Bay waterfront
Singapore's iconic half-lion, half-fish statue, with the full Marina Bay Sands and skyline as a backdrop across the water.
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Nightlife
2Watch the Marina Bay Sands light and water show
A free nightly spectacle projected onto water jets in the bay, best viewed from the Merlion Park promenade.
Drink a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel's Long Bar
The colonial-era hotel where the cocktail was invented in 1915, still serving it in a bar where peanut shells on the floor are tradition.
Common questions
▾Do I need a visa for Singapore?
Most Western passport holders, including US, UK, EU, Canadian, and Australian citizens, can enter visa-free for up to 90 days. An electronic arrival card (SG Arrival Card) must be submitted online within three days before arrival.
▾How many days does Singapore need?
3-4 days covers the main sights, food scene, and at least one major attraction like Gardens by the Bay or Sentosa comfortably, since the compact size and efficient MRT make it easy to cover a lot in a short trip.
▾Is Singapore as strict as its reputation suggests?
Yes, in specific and well-publicized ways: chewing gum sales are restricted, littering and jaywalking carry real fines, and drug penalties are severe. Ordinary tourist behavior is unaffected, but it's worth knowing the rules exist and are enforced.
▾Is Singapore expensive?
Yes, among the priciest destinations in Southeast Asia for hotels and alcohol, though hawker centre food remains genuinely affordable, a full meal can cost just a few dollars.
▾Is Singapore a good base for exploring the wider region?
Very much so, Changi Airport is one of the world's best-connected hubs, making Singapore a natural stopover or gateway to Malaysia, Indonesia, and the rest of Southeast Asia.
▾How much does it cost to visit Gardens by the Bay?
The outdoor Supertree Grove and gardens themselves are free to walk through; the paid conservatories (Flower Dome and Cloud Forest) run around SGD 32 combined, and the Supertree observation walkway is a separate ticket, typically SGD 14 or so. Evening light shows in the outdoor gardens are free.
