EmSingapore is one of the most interesting cities in South East Asia, and one of the places travellers are most likely to start their journey. Find out what to do in Singapore beyond the stunning Changi Airport. This is a destination in itself, but definitely not the most interesting thing to do in Singapore!
Singapore was my first stop in Asia. It’s easy to get to from Europe, with multiple airlines flying it. It’s well connected to the rest of South East Asia. There are regular flights to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and other popular countries. There are also buses heading into Malaysia.
It’s also notoriously expensive. Knowing I was heading off for a year of travelling, I chose to only spend one day in the city. But I really packed in the experiences (including a one which was a big surprise to me!). Read on to find out what to do in Singapore to make the most of a short stopover in this amazing city.
Top tip: Pressed for time? If you have a layover of over 6 hours, Changi Airport offers a free 2.5 hour city tour. If you have around 6-10 hours between flights, this could be a good option for you! However, if you’re staying the night in Singapore, I recommend a do-it-yourself approach.
What to do in Singapore:
Arriving in Singapore
As Singapore is a city state, the vast majority of people will arrive at the fabulous Changi airport, rather than land or sea. Changi airport is ultra-modern. Most people will use electronic gates where their arrival card is already digitally registered, making the immigration process the speediest I’ve ever experienced (including arriving into my home country).
Changi is well connected to the city, but be aware the airport is vast and you’ll need to know which terminal you’re arriving into to make your onward travel plans. You’ll also most likely need to change lines.
Train/MRT
You can take the Changi Metro MRT line to either Tanah Merah station and transfer to the Green East-West Line if that’s best for your hotel. You can also take the Changi Metro MRT Line to Expo Station to transfer to the Blue Downtown Line (this is the best option for hotels in China Town or Kampong Glam).
City Shuttle
There are also shared City Shuttles which drop off at most central hotels. These are more expensive than the Metro/MRT but cheaper than a taxi. The downside is that they depart around every half an hour. If this is the right option for you, head to the 24 hour Ground Transport Concierges in any terminal.
Taxi/Grab
As I was arriving in the evening after a long journey, I chose to take a taxi into the city. Your hotel should offer you the option to pre-book a transfer. In addition, Grab is well connected to the airport. There are dedicated Grab pick up gates in each terminal. You’ll need to find out which Grab gate is nearest to you and then use that as your pick up spot. Changi isn’t too far from the city and the prices were not terrible (especially compared to somewhere like London, where airports are so far away from the city).
Where to stay in Singapore
If you’re only spending a short time in Singapore, you want to make sure you’re not wasting unnecessary time travelling (though some travel is inevitable and easy – see the section below).
I based myself in Chinatown, near the Chinatown metro stop. I found this a great location – the two metro lines took me to almost everywhere I wanted to go. I stayed at the Bliss Hotel, which had good showers, excellent aircon and was right by the metro. However, note that many rooms don’t have windows, if this is important to you.
The alternative to China Town is to stay in Kampong Glam. This is definitely an area where tourist options like restaurants are more tightly concentrated, and would make a great base.
Singapore is full of street art, particularly in Kampong Glam.
What to do in Singapore – travelling around
Singapore’s metro system is excellent and very easy to navigate. I found it incredibly easy to spend the day hopping around on the metro, ticking off my list of things to do in Singapore.
To pay for the metro, simply use your contactless card. If you’re only planning a few trips, this works out as economical as trying to get a day pass. It’s also quick and easy.
The metro also has excellent air conditioning so provides a lovely cool break after each stop.
Grab is also everywhere in Singapore, and relatively quick and cheap. I never found traffic to be bad in Singapore – certainly not compared to places I visited later like Kuala Lumpur. Use Grab when the metro won’t take you directly to where you want to go, or if you need a break from the heat.
To do in Singapore – understanding history
You’ll get a lot more out of your list of things to do in Singapore if you have a little bit of an understanding of the city’s history before you start exploring. And I do mean a little – I’m certainly no expert.
Singapore is famously now an ultra-modern city state, but that wasn’t always the case, and one of the things I found most fascinating was the juxtaposition of that modernity with more historic parts of the city.
While there’s evidence that a trading post existed on the island in the 14th century, Singapore’s more recent history really took off in the 19th century. In 1819, the famous British coloniser Stanford Raffles negotiated to create a trading post on the island – and there are still many parts of Singapore named after him today. In 1867, Singapore became an official British colony, which continued until the Japanese invasion in World War 2. British influences are heavy throughout the city.
After World War 2, Singapore returned to British control with increasing levels of independence. It initially became a part of Malaysia in the 1960s, before being expelled and becoming an independent republic in 1965.
Like Malaysia, Singapore is a multicultural city, and part of your day will be spent visiting the areas of the city inhabited by the three main groups which form Singapore’s population: Muslim Malays around Kampong Glam, Chinatown and Little India.
What to do in Singapore – your ultimate one day schedule
I’ve based this schedule of things to do in Singapore starting from China Town, as this is where I was staying. However, it’s easy to mix this around if you’re staying in a different part of the city. I would however recommend doing the Gardens By the Bay last, as this will get you there in time for the evening light show.
Top Tip: Singapore is generally a conservative city, and many of the activities on my list involve visiting temples. It’s definitely worth dressing conservatively, and if you’re female, make sure that you either cover your shoulders and knees or carry something you can put on quickly to enter religious sites.
Stop 1: China Town, the most colourful thing to do in Singapore
China Town is now a bustling, modern part of Singapore, including a useful mall which you can enter directly from the metro station (lots of local and international fast food options, if you need to eat in a rush). But you can also find lots of hints of the area’s past among the backstreets, and it’s a great area to just wander around.
If this is where you’re starting your day, consider having breakfast at Ya Kun Kaya Toast. Kaya Toast is the signature breakfast of Singapore, and Ya Kun is a famous chain that has offered the breakfast since the 1920s. The branch in China Town dates back to 1944 and is their oldest outlet.
Highlights include:
- Sri Mairanmman Temple – This beautiful Hindu temple is the oldest in Singapore, dating from 1827. Despite being in China Town, this temple serves the Hindu population of Singapore. Make sure to check out the stunning entrance.
- Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. This is one of the most famous buildings in China Town, built to hold the sacred Buddha Tooth Relic. Visitors can enter and admire the architecture and amazing decoration inside.
- Thian Hock Keng Temple – Dating from the 1840s, this is one of the oldest Hokkien temples in Singapore. Built entirely without nails, this amazing temple has a huge amount of glorious artwork and decoration throughout.
Stop 2: Haji Lane and Kampong Glam, the most instagrammable thing to do in Singapore
Once you’ve wandered around China Town, it’s time to explore Singapore’s Muslim history. This also happens to be one of the most instagrammable spots in this most instagrammable of cities.
It’s an easy journey from either the main China Town metro or Telok Ayer metro, depending where you are in China Town. Take the blue line to the Bugis stop. Once you exit the metro, follow the crowds for about 10 minutes to Haji Lane.
Haji Lane is the busiest and most famous street in Kampong Glam. Its a narrow row of more traditional houses that now host an array of tourist friendly activities. Expect to find instagrammable shop fronts, small independent stores and far more photo booth studios that you can imagine in such a small street.
Take your time wandering around Haji Lane, Arab Street and the surrounding streets. Make your way down to the beautiful Sultan Mosque. Unfortunately when I was there, it was open for prayer only. ake the time to visit if it’s open and if you are wearing appropriate clothing.
There is a multitude of different restaurants in Kampong Glam, so this can also be a great area to stop for lunch. Alternatively, if Indian food is your fave, there are plenty of great places to eat in Little India.
Surprise what to do in Singapore stop: What the Pug cafe
One activity I was absolutely not expecting to do in Singapore was visiting a pug cafe. But as I arrived in Kampong Glam, I found the cafe filled with adorable pugs and couldn’t resist.
What the Pug offers the option to book in advance and this is definitely recommended, although I was able to walk in. The cafe runs sessions every couple of hours during the day. The owner of the cafe is their dad. He spent time talking to us about the rules Singapore puts in place to ensure their welfare.
As part of your visit, the owner will take a Polaroid for you, and you’ll also get a bottled drink. This was a lovely way to spend an hour during a busy day, not least because the cafe had glorious cold aircon. It was also a good chance to sit down after a good few hours of walking.
Stop 4: Little India
Once you’ve enjoyed a good lunch or cuddled pugs in Kampong Glam, it’s time to head to Little India.
Take the MRT Blue DT Line from Bugis to Little India, and once again follow the crowds to the centre of Little India.
The first thing to do in Little India is head to the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple on Serangoon Road. This is one of the oldest temples in Singapore and is dedicated to the Goddess Kali. The stunning architecture is unmissable, providing an excellent orientation point in Little India.
Near the temple is the house of Tan Teng Niah, the last surviving Chinese villa in the area. While you can’t enter this building, the colourful archtecture makes it a great instagram photo spot.
If you didn’t eat at Kampong Glam, Little India is also a great spot to find lunch. Head to one of the many restaurants in the area, or wander into the bustling Tekka Centre to find the food court.
Stop 5: Merlion statue – the emblem of Singapore
After visiting Little India, it’s another good opportunity for a short break. I chose to go back to my hotel for an hour (I was battling jet lag), but you could also head for a coffee.
The next stop I recommend is visiting Singapore’s famous Merlion statue, on the harbour. The best way to get to the Merlion is to take a Grab, as it’s a bit of a walk from the nearest metro stop. If you are coming from Little India on the MRT, you’ll need to take the Blue line (DT) to Downtown and then walk about 15 minutes.
There are also a number of big hotels and restaurants in this area that would make a great break, with beautiful views of the bay. The best would be the Fullerton Hotel, a fabulous art deco hotel on the harbour. Built in 1928, this used to be Singapore’s General Post Office before being converted into a hotel.
Once you’re ready, head to Merlion Park on the bay. The Merlion is the symbol of Singapore and the fish body represents Singapore’s history as a fishing village. The lion head relates to the fact that the original name, Singapura, means lion in Sanskrit. The Merlion was created in 1964 for the Singapore Tourist Board.
It’s pretty inevitable that Merlion Park is going to be crowded unless you go very early in the morning. Push your way through the crowds to find the best photo spot for you to get a picture of this Singapore icon.
Stop 6: Gardens by the Bay, a Singapore icon
Gardens by the Bay is a Singapore icon, a futuristic nature theme park that sprawls around the harbour area. You could easily spend most of a day at Gardens by the Bay, but if you’re only in town for one day, you probably don’t have that luxury.
There are a number of different elements to Gardens by the Bay, with different pricing structures. To be honest, I found it difficult to understand. But I given time constraints, I knew I could only do one major area, as well as the Supertrees. I opted for the Cloud Forest.
Getting to Gardens by the Bay
First, you need to get to Gardens by the Bay. You can take the MRT to Bayfront Station, which brings you relatively near to the entrance. I walked from the Merlion, which is a substantial walk – consider taking a Grab as well.
Once you arrive at the entrance, you’ll need to make your way to the attraction you’ve chosen. Given the site is so large, and assuming you’ve already done lots of walking during the day, it’s worth taking the Shuttle Service across the site, which costs $3 SGD.
Visiting the Cloud Forest
I absolutely loved visiting the Cloud Forest, which features a large indoor waterfall. It’s stunning inside – you’re taken around the lower levels before taking a lift up to the very top. You then wend your way down, stopping at different installations on different levels. It gives you a birds eye view of the waterfall, as well as the rest of the exotic plant species featured throughout the dome.
Supertree Grove
If you’ve timed your day well, you should finish up at the Supertree Grove in time to find a good spot for the Garden Rhapsody evening light show at the Super Trees, which starts at 7.45pm and 8.45pm daily. This is widely recognised as a must-do in Singapore.
Given that you’ll probably be hungry and thirsty at this point, it’s good to know that there are vendors selling drinks around the Supertree Grove. There are also a couple of restaurants nearby, though they were very busy when I was there.
Unfortunately, jet lag and a full day of sightseeing, plus the thought of an early flight the next morning, got the better of me and I crashed out. But I’ve heard so many amazing things about the Super Tree show while I’ve been travelling – if you have the stamina to make it to the end of the day and watch the show, it will be well worth it!
I clocked up over 25,000 steps on this whistlestop tour of Singapore, which packed in so many amazing sights. Let me know in the comments below if you do this itinerary and how many steps you end up on!
Heading to Malaysia after Singapore? Check out my guides George Town, Penang: Everything you need to know to visit and George Town, Penang: 10 Amazing Things to Do if that’s your next destination!
