Day 1
Marina Bay & the Gardens
Take in the skyline from the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark, wander Gardens by the Bay's Cloud Forest and Supertrees, and stay for the evening light shows.
Where Southeast Asia's cultures collide, Singapore gleams as a city-state that turned a tropical island into a garden of superlatives — infinity pools in the clouds, glowing Supertrees and one of the world's great street-food scenes. Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan roots layer through its neighbourhoods, temples and markets.
Spotless, safe and effortlessly walkable, it rewards the design-hungry and the endlessly hungry alike. Spend your mornings in restored shophouse lanes and your evenings chasing chili crab and rooftop views over Marina Bay.
Itinerary
Day 2
Cultural quarters
Explore Chinatown's temples and Maxwell hawker stalls, then Little India and Kampong Glam, ending with dinner and drinks on Haji Lane.
Day 3
Sentosa or the islands
Cross to Sentosa for its beaches, luge and aquarium, or slow down in Tiong Bahru's cafés and the Botanic Gardens.
Highlights
🏛️Landmark
Marina Bay Sands
The three-tower hotel crowned by a boat-shaped SkyPark is Singapore's defining silhouette, with an infinity pool floating 200 metres above the bay. Non-guests can ride up to the observation deck for the view, or catch the free Spectra light-and-water show from the waterfront promenade after dark.
🌿Nature
Gardens by the Bay
Futuristic Supertrees up to 50 metres tall come alive each evening in the free Garden Rhapsody light show, while two cooled conservatories shelter a misty Cloud Forest waterfall and a Mediterranean Flower Dome. Book the OCBC Skyway for a canopy walk between the giant vertical gardens.
🍽️Food
Hawker centres
Singapore's hawker culture is UNESCO-listed, serving world-class chicken rice, char kway teow and satay for a few dollars a plate. Head to Maxwell in Chinatown or the sprawling Old Airport Road centre, and don't skip the Michelin-starred stalls at Chinatown Complex.
🏘️Neighbourhood
Chinatown
Restored shophouses in candy colours line Pagoda and Smith Streets, framing the ornate Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and the Hindu Sri Mariamman. By night the lanes fill with street stalls, craft-beer bars and some of the city's best cheap eats.
🏘️Neighbourhood
Kampong Glam & Haji Lane
The golden-domed Sultan Mosque anchors the Malay-Arab quarter, ringed by textile shops, shisha cafés and Middle Eastern restaurants along Arab Street. Duck into narrow Haji Lane for indie boutiques, street murals and buzzing hole-in-the-wall bars.
✨Experience
Sentosa Island
A quick cable car or monorail ride from the city, this resort island packs beaches, Universal Studios and the S.E.A. Aquarium onto a green headland. Ride the Skyline Luge or just chill on Palawan Beach at the symbolic southernmost tip of continental Asia.
Neighbourhoods
Marina Bay
The showpiece waterfront — Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and the nightly light shows, all lit up after dark.
Chinatown
Colourful shophouses, ornate temples and Michelin-starred hawker stalls, buzzing well into the night.
Kampong Glam
The Malay-Arab quarter around Sultan Mosque, with Haji Lane's indie boutiques and street art.
Tiong Bahru
A calm, arty enclave of 1930s art-deco flats, indie cafés, bakeries and bookshops.
Where to eat
Hainanese chicken rice
The national dish — poached chicken with fragrant stock-cooked rice and a punchy chili-ginger sauce.
Chili crab
Whole mud crab in a sweet, spicy tomato sauce; mop it up with fried mantou buns.
Laksa
A rich coconut-curry noodle soup; the Katong version is the local classic.
Kaya toast & kopi
Crisp toast with coconut-egg jam and soft eggs, washed down with strong local coffee — the Singapore breakfast.
Good to know
Best time to visit
Singapore is hot and humid year-round (around 27–32°C), with brief tropical downpours most afternoons. February to April is the driest, sunniest window; the Christmas–New Year period and June bring lively festivals and light shows. There's no real off-season, so pack light and carry an umbrella.
Getting around
The clean, cheap MRT metro reaches nearly every sight — tap in with a contactless card or a Singapore Tourist Pass for unlimited rides. The centre is very walkable between hops, taxis and Grab are affordable, and Sentosa is a short cable car or Sentosa Express ride away.
- Currency
- SGD S$
- Languages
- English, Tamil, Malay
How much does Singapore cost?
A realistic daily budget per person, in three styles.
BackpackerS$50per person / day
Mid-rangeS$150per person / day
ComfortS$300per person / day
Singapore is known for being a relatively expensive destination.
Local tips
- ✓Eat where the queue is longest — the best hawker stalls always have a line.
- ✓'Chope' your seat at a hawker centre by leaving a packet of tissues on the table.
- ✓Catch the free Spectra show at Marina Bay Sands after dark from the waterfront promenade.
