Singapore: What To Do
Singapore is a dreamy place to visit, with so many interesting neighborhoods, attractions, and things to see and do. Below are some highlights of some of the major attractions. This is by no means all inclusive. Depending on what you like to spend your time doing, do some research and find what appeals to you most.
1 – Eat great food!
Go to Singapore hungry! One of my favorite things about Singapore is the restaurants and bars. The diversity of food is huge and you can find the most amazing food offered from Hawker stalls to Michelin Star restaurants. Make sure to build plenty of time into your Singapore itinerary to enjoy lots of different kinds of food from the amazing Singapore restaurants and bars!
Check out the Where To Eat (live link and information coming soon) section in this blog post for reviews of just a few of the many options in Singapore.
2 – Get a great overview of Singapore on the double decker sightseeing bus
Buy a ticket on the double decker bus to get a good overview of Singapore (and use as your mode of transportation around the city). I love to use the double decker red buses when I visit a new city for the first time. I’ve ridden them in places like Singapore, New York City, Washington DC, Paris, Sydney, London, and more. We typically ride the full loop without getting off to get our bearings in the new city, then we decide where to get off on our next loop.
While there are multiple options, my company of choice in Singapore is the Big Bus Tours Singapore. There are a couple of different routes that will get you to most of the major tourist attractions and neighborhoods in Singapore.
Major stops on the Singapore routes include (but are not limited to): Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, Botanical Gardens, Orchard Road, Raffles Hotel, Clark Quay, Robertson Quay, Little India, Sultan Mosque, China Town, and more.
We have also done the Big Bus night tour, which was super fun! We got to see Marina Barrage (with great views of Singapore), Lau Pa Sat for some satay (see Where to Eat for more info), Gardens by the Bay for the light and sound show at Supertree Grove (more on this below), Clark Quay, and Orchard Road. The sights are beautiful (and different) at night!
For more information, visit their official website:
Big Bus Tours Singapore | Singapore Hop on, Hop off Bus Tours
3 – Get a photo (or two) with the Merlion
The Merlion is the official mascot of Singapore. The iconic Merlion statue is located in Merlion Park on Marina Bay, close to shops and restaurants. It is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. The fish body represents Singapore’s history as a fishing village and the lion head represents Singapore’s original name, Singapura, meaning lion city.
No trip to Singapore is complete without vising the Merlion. I like to go really early in the morning before the crowds gather by the statue. It’s the best time to get a daylight photo without the crowds! And going at night reveals a whole different look for the Merlion.
4 – Take a walk through the Singapore Botanic Gardens
The Singapore Botanic Gardens, an 1875-established UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an 82-hectare tropical garden in the city center. It is free to visit, except the National Orchid Garden (which has admission). Key attractions include 10,000+ flora species, the National Orchid Garden's 1,000+ orchid species, a 6-hectare rainforest, and the kid-friendly Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden. It is a great place to take long walk early in the morning before it gets too busy and the sun gets too high!
5 – Check out the Iconic Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands is the infamous hotel on Marina Bay in Singapore that looks like it has a boat on top of its 3 towers (with a pool!). While I’ve never stayed here (yet), it is a great place to visit even when not staying there.
The infinity pool is very well known and one of these days I’ll stay there and go in it. For a great view of the pool, watch the end of the Crazy Rich Asians movie.
Up on the top floor, you can also visit:
Marina Bay Sands Skypark observation deck with amazing views from 56 stories up. You can see Marina Bay, Merlion, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Flyer, and a lot more of Singapore.
Restaurants. There are 3 restaurants at the top of Marina Bay Sands. Lavo restaurant is the one we’ve been to most. We’ve been there many times for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Great views. Outdoor deck. Good food and drinks. There is also Ce La Vie and Spago.
In Marina Bay Sands there is also a shopping mall and casino. The shopping mall is mostly high end, global, luxury brands and restaurants. The mall is a great place to walk and cool off when it’s just too hot outside. The luxurious, four-level casino offers an extensive selection of over 600 table games and 3,000 gaming machines and operates 24 hours a day/7 days a week. You must bring your passport for entry.
Nearby there is also:
Gardens by the Bay - an absolute MUST SEE! - is connected to Marina Bay Sands by pedestrian bridge. It is an amazing 101 hectare, futuristic nature park and horticulture center. It features the world’s largest glass greenhouse (Flower Dome), SuperTree Grove, and a giant indoor waterfall (Cloud Forest).
Cloud Forest and Flower Dome are huge, climate-controlled conservatories showcasing exotic plants, a 35-meter indoor waterfall, and themed floral displays.
SuperTree Grove includes eighteen 25-50 meter “trees” that harvest solar energy and light up to music during the nightly SuperTree Grove light show.
The Art Science Museum brings together the worlds of art and science under one roof. The funky building is unmistakable.
40-minute boat trips from Marina Bay Sands to Clark Quay.
Spectra evening light show on Marina Bay. This is a great light and water show on the bay and can be viewed from the walkway by Marina Bay Sands. It can get crowded so you may need to arrive early. Timing differs so check their website.
6 – Stay Cool at the Museum of Ice Cream
The Museum of Ice Cream is a super fun place to cool off and spend a couple of hours on a hot Singapore day. It’s one of the most Instagrammable places in Singapore, includes more than 12 displays, offers the opportunity to eat all the ice cream you want, and is filled with pink and other fun colors. Can’t imagine a better way to spend part of a day!
There are a variety of rooms that you travel through on your walk thru the Museum of Ice Cream. These include: world’s largest sprinkle pool, giant pink bouncy castle, glowing ice cream maze, California Dreamin’ ice cream room, Scream’s Diner (complete with juke box), banana split tunnel, and more. They are all fun, colorful, and offer lots of yummy ice cream.
General admission prices vary depending on if you go on a weekday or weekend, but are about $40/person. You can also upgrade your experience to a premium ticket, which will get you unlimited ice cream at 5 ice cream stations (and access to some premium flavor options). I highly recommend purchasing the upgrade. If you are going to the Museum of Ice Cream, you might as well go all out on the experience!
To avoid any issues, you can book your tickets online ahead of time for a small fee, with a pre-selected entry time.
For more information, visit their official website: Visit Singapore – MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM.
7 – See Singapore from the sky on the Singapore Flyer
The Singapore Flyer, opened in 2008, is a large observation wheel near Marina Bay. There are 28 air-conditioned capsules that can hold up to 28 people each. You can get some great views of Marina Bay and Singapore from the Singapore Flyer.
You can ride it with no amenities or can select from options like ride + cocktail, ride + champagne, ride + meal, ride + specialty celebration events (ie, Valentine’s Day or Chinese New Year).
The Flyer is a great way to get a bird’s eye view of Singapore while cooling off in the air conditioning for the 30 minutes it takes to make the loop.
For more information, visit their official website: Home | Singapore Flyer.
8 – Stop by Armenian Street and the Peranakan museum
Aremenian Street is a street in Central Singapore located in the Museum Planning Area. It is a short street with fun artwork and some Singapore landmarks including The Substation and the Old Tao Nan School which is the Peranakan Museum, part of the Asian Civilisations Museum.
I strolled Armenian Street enjoying the art, then visited the Peranakan Museum. The Peranakan Museum is filled with exhibits about Peranakan heritage and culture. In case you are wondering what Peranakan is… The Peranakans are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang, namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian Archipelago, as well as Singapore.
Displays in the Peranakan Museum include: Origins, Ceramic and Food Culture, Family and Community Life, Batik, Decorative Textiles, Family Life, and Jewelry.
I found the museum to be very interesting and totally worth a visit! It’s a great way to learn more about the local people and history.
For more information, visit their official website: Peranakan Museum (nhb.gov.sg).
9 – Visit Singapore’s cultural neighborhoods (more detail coming soon)
Chinatown – Known as Niu Che Shui (牛车水) in Mandarin, this name refers to the bullock carts that were used to transport water to the area in the early days of Singapore. In Hokkien, it’s called Gu Chia Chui (古仔街), also with the same meaning. Chinatown’s maze of narrow roads include so many things to see! Restaurants serving Hainanese chicken rice. Souvenir shops. Club Street with trendy bars. And the historic 1827 Sri Mariamman Temple and the Buddha Relic Temple and Museum.
Kampong Glam/Arab Street – While it has the official name of Kampong Glam, it’s commonly referred to as the “Muslim Quarter” or the “Arab Quarter” due to its historical and cultural significance for the Muslim community in Singapore. The 19th century shophouses have been turned into textile stores and restaurants. On Haji Lane, you can find boutiques, street art and trendy cafes. Places to visit include the golden domed Sultan Mosque and the Malay Heritage Center.
Little India – Locally, Little India is often called Tekka within the Indian Singaporean community. Here you will find temples and mosques, street art and brightly painted shophouses. There are also lots of restaurants and shops selling gold jewelry, beautiful silk fabric, and fresh flower garlands. There is the large Mustafa Centre, with shops and restaurants open 24/7.
10 – Enjoy some play time on Sentosa Island
Sentosa Island is a 500-hectare resort island off Singapore's southern coast. It offers a mix of thrilling attractions including:
Resorts World Singapore (home to Universal Studios, SEA Aquarium (one of the largest in the world), and Adventure Cove Water Park)
Luxurious sandy beaches
Hotels, restaurants, beach bars
Championship golf courses
And much, much more
Sentosa Island is accessible via Sentosa Express train from VivoCity, the Singapore Cable Car, or a pedestrian walk along the Sentosa Boardwalk.
11 – Spend a day strolling and shopping on Orchard Road
Orchard Road is Singapore’s famous 2.2 km shopping boulevard. It is shopping on steroids! You will find tons of department stores, high end malls, restaurants, and hotels. It is known for it luxury brand stores in ION Orchard mall, but you can also find discount shopping, electronics, beauty brands, and more.
12 – Experience an airport like no other at Jewel Changi Airport
Changi Airport is like no other airport I’ve been to! It is a world-class, nature-themed entertainment and retail complex (in addition to being a major airport). You could spend days there without even flying. It features:
An amazing, world’s tallest indoor waterfall.. the 40-meter Rain Vortex. And Shiseido Forest, an indoor garden with walking trails surrounding the waterfall.
Canopy Park is a 14,000 sqm leisure park featuring mazes, bouncing nets, and garden trails.
The Jewel is the epitome of an airport mall and offers over 280 shops and restaurants.
Changi Airport also includes a butterfly garden, rooftop swimming pool, free movie theaters, and various art installations.
13 – Taste an original Singapore Sling at Long Bar at Raffles Hotel
When in Singapore, one must have a Singapore Sling at Long Bar. This is the site where it was created in 1915. It is a gin-based cocktail originally designed to look like fruit juice, allowing women to drink in public during the colonial era. It features pineapple juice, gin, lime juice, Cointreau, Benedictine, and cherry liquer.
With fans lazily swaying back and forth from the ceiling and its welcoming, lively, historic feel, Long Bar is like no other. Guests are served complimentary peanuts in logo’d burlap sacks (which I had to purchase) and encouraged to throw the shells on the floor.
Having a Singapore Sling at Long Bar will set you back $30-35 per drink, but it’s well worth it to have the experience at least once.
14 – Get lost in the wilderness at Fort Canning Park
Fort Canning Park is a 22-hectare oasis of greenery in the middle of the city, once the palace home to 5 Malay kings during the 14th century. It offers a mix of history, nature and panoramic views. Places to visit in Fort Canning Park include Tree Tunnel for your Insta worthy photo, the Battle Box war bunker, and Sultan’s tomb.
15 – Take a trip to another part of Southeast Asia
And when you feel like you’ve seen it all on this tiny island… or just want to check out something different… Singapore is a great destination from which to easily reach other Southeast Asian countries. We’ve traveled from Singapore to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Dubai, Maldives, and Indonesia.
It’s easy to get many places and many of them are easily accessible for a short weekend away – so highly recommend visiting some other Southeast Asian locations on your trip to Singapore!
