Singapore – Itinerary

Singapore is a country of its own. At around ⅔ the size of New York City, Singapore is small in size but grand in reputation. At only 54 years old, it’s already a thriving global financial district, world-renowned tourist destination, and hub for ethnic diversity. Singapore was one of my favorite countries to explore in Asia and a perfect destination for people who enjoy a slightly upper-scale Asian travel experience. Keep reading for my travel itinerary, loose notes, and favorite recommendations.

Travel Dates: Sunday, May 26 – Tues. May 28 (3 days)

General Tips:

• Laws – Singapore is known for its strict laws (no chewing gum in public, no littering, no smoking, and no jaywalking)
• Garden by the Bay – one of Singapore’s most popular attractions for travelers, the outside grounds of the Supertree Grove are free for visitors, but the two indoor attractions, Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, require tickets; purchase tickets online in advance to avoid lines; each attraction closes one day during the week for cleaning so be sure to plan your schedule around closure times
• Airport – Singapore’s Chiang airport is rated the World’s Best Airport by Skytrax for the past 7 years, leave a few extra minutes to see “Jewel” the largest indoor waterfall, which is located between Terminal 2 and 3
• Transportation– Grab is the Uber-equivalent in Singapore, the public transportation is very convenient and safe; I used Grab and the metro interchangeably
• Beating the heat – Singapore is one of the hottest countries I’ve ever visited, this is no surprise as it is located on the equator; it is helpful to always stay hydrated, wear a hat to protect yourself from the sun, and wear loose clothing

Day 1 – Penang → Singapore

Exploring Singapore – Chinatown

• Buddha Tooth Relic Temple – Buddhist temple and museum located in Chinatown that houses a relic of Buddha’s tooth on the 4th floor in a gold chamber; known for its sophisticated interior design
  Review: yellow – nice to walk around, take pictures and find your deity animal, most visitors don’t realize there are multiple floors to see beyond the ground level
• Sri Mariamman Temple – oldest Hindu temple in Singapore
  Review: yellow – take a picture of outside
• Thian Hock Keng Temple – Singapore’s oldest Chinese temple that is filled with heritage, located farther outside of Chinatown close to Maxwell Food Centre
  Review: red – worth the visit for history aficionados and those curious about oriental culture, but otherwise I would have rather skipped
• Hawker Centres (food courts): best place for travelers to enjoy varieties of local foods at a reasonable price, despite the cheap prices between S$2.50 to S$5.00, the quality of food is good
  Review: green – a must-do in Singapore
  • Lau Pa Sat Food Court – Cheap food stalls with local foods, recommend trying stalls with busy tables or longest lines, stalls 7&8 are outside and have famous meat skewers
    Review: green – good, can get many different kinds of meat, don’t be intimidated by the large crowds because the waits are quite short
  • Liao Fan Hawker Chan – Cheapest Michelin star restaurant, ~30 min wait
    Review: green – really good, recommend ordering their most popular dish, soya chicken with rice or noodles
  • Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice – best Hainanese chicken, located within Maxwell Food Centre, very busy and popular

Exploring Singapore – Downtown at Night

• Marina Bay Sands – Singapore’s most iconic hotel, known for the world’s largest rooftop Infinity Pool, and award-winning dining, shopping, and entertainment; looks like 3 buildings with a surfboard
  Review: green – a must-see when in Singapore, while prices per night might be too expensive, there are many ways to enjoy without paying the price
• Helix Bridge – pedestrian-only bridge that links the Marina Centre with Marina South in the Bay, inspired by the structure of human DNA
  Review: green – aesthetically pleasing area to walk around and take pictures, ice cream man at the end of the bridge selling authenticly flavored ice cream for S$1.50
• Merlion Park – half-fish and half-lion, Merlion is the Singapore mascot, located within a park across the river from the Marina Bay Sands, making it a great place to watch the lights show
  Review: green – go to take pics of it squirting water into your mouth

• Light Shows: Singapore lights up at night, many tourists love to enjoy the free light shows the country is known for
  • OCBC Garden Rhapsody at Gardens By the Bay – The largest glass greenhouse in the world that houses the Flower Dome; crowds flee every night for an impressive free light show at 7:45 pm & 8:45 pm, enjoy the best views of the 15-minute show from the SuperTree Grove
    Review: green – find a spot on the ground and look up and watch the amazing lights show, every night there is a different theme with good music, much better than the Marina Bay Sands light show if you only have time for one
  • Spectra at Marina Bay Sands – a free-to-public, 15-minute outdoor light and water show displayed over the water along the promenade, show times are 8 pm & 9 pm daily, visible almost anywhere in the downtown area
    Review: green – must-see while in Singapore but not as impressive as the Gardens By the Bay light show
• Lantern – rooftop bar of Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore, enjoy a drink and a great view of the light show
  Review: green – perfect view of Marina Bay Dands and skyline, drinks slightly pricey, but worth it for the view, also has an outdoor pool

Day 2 – Singapore

Exploring the Botanic Gardens

• Botanic Gardens – only tropical garden to be honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  Review: green – showcases the best and most spectacular of tropical flowers, best to visit in the early morning to avoid the heat
  • Natural Orchid Garden – within the Botanic Garden is the largest display of orchids in world, S$5 entrance fee, recommend spending 30-60 minutes enjoying nature’s pure beauty
    Review: green – best to visit early morning or afternoon to avoid peak temperatures, best part of botanic gardens, about a mile walk from the main metro station entrance

Exploring Singapore’s Neighborhoods

• Little India – ethnic district that showcases Singapore’s Indian community, filled with busy streets of malls, jewelry stores, and tailor shops, travelers love the authentic food and colorful buildings, busiest on Sundays
  • Tekka Centre – part food centre, Part wet market, and part shopping mall, Tekka Centre brings together several ethnic communities, creating a multicultural shopping experience; located next to Little India MRT station food stall center, it is an authentic place to try the best Indian dishes at a great price
    Review: green – very immersive and local experience, tried Naan and butter chicken for the first time and loved it 
  • Tan Teng Niah – popular among photographers, this unique is a 2-story, colorful Chinese villa
    Review: green – located close to the Little India MRT station, worth it for the pictures

• Bugis – Popular with both locals and tourists, Bugis is well-known for the cheapest places in Singapore to buy souvenirs among many other items
  • Sultan Mosque – located on Arab street, it’s the focal point for Singapore’s Muslim community
    Review: yellow – quieter area of Singapore, worth it for travelers into history and Muslim heritage

Day 3 – Singapore → Bali

Exploring the Gardens by the Bay

• Supertree Grove – free, outdoor vertical gardens that are designed to look like trees
  Review: green – best to arrive when it opens to avoid crowds, a map is helpful to guide your exploring of the grounds, peaceful and quiet in the mornings but will get very hot and busy throughout the day
• Cloud Forest – S$21, tallest indoor waterfall in the world, beautiful varieties of tropical plants
  Review: green – cool experience, many exhibits to explore on different floors, inside with air conditioning so a great escape from the heat
• Flower Dome – largest glass greenhouse in the world
• CBC Skyway – S$8 to walk across the bridge, lines get longer at night

Exploring Sentosa Island

• Sentosa Island – Sentosa is a sunny island in Singapore, home to themed attractions, award-winning spas, and golden sandy beaches, located a 20-minute Grab ride outside the downtown area, great half-day relaxing trip
• Beach Options:
  • Tanjong Beach – more secluded, warm waters, fine white sand and tropical palm trees, popular Beach Club, more relaxed vibes in day time
    Review: green – nice vibes, not crowded, slightly expensive prices at beach club, S$50 spending limit to get a day bed; good service, and food 
  • Palawan Beach – cool bridge and palm trees, family-friendly
  • Siloso Beach – family-friendly, more hip beach, lots of food and bars, water sports, volleyball

Recommendations We Missed

• Water Taxi – stands located anywhere along the river, take around to enjoy the views, S$5, best after sunset, the water taxi is the cheap option, the river cruise it’s much more expensive
• Shish Mahal – good restaurant in Little India with butter chicken and naan bread
• Orchard Road – Asia’s most famous shopping street, ranging from retail malls to high-end luxury shops
  • ION Orchard – more affordable shopping mall located next to Orchard MRT station
  • Paragon Shopping Centre – upscale shopping experience
• Rooftops with Views
  • Marina Bay Sands Hotel – long wait for the rooftop bar, cheapest way to experience the view is to buy a drink from bar, the only way to experience the rooftop infinity pool is to stay a night at the hotel
  • Smoke & Mirror – rooftop bar with good views 
  • Art Museum – the top of the museum is a nice spot to see light show  
  • Skypark – great views from the Observation Deck for $17 USD
• Food Recommendations
  • Sin Hoi Sai – Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings)
  • Paradise Dynasty – soup dumplings and tea, La Mian is amazing
  • Sushi Tei – chain restaurant, wide assortment of good quality sushi
  • Standing Sushi Bar – chain restaurant, good daily special options
  • Katong Shopping Centre  – food court in the basement, best local chicken rice in Singapore
  • Jumbo Crab – chain restaurant, jumbo crab and very popular amongst locals
• Night Out
  • Clarke Quay – riverfront area cool at sunset, many bars that are good for going out
  • Bang Bang – ladies night on Wednesday and Thursday
  • 1  Altitude – Rooftop Bar, $15 drinks, opens at 6 pm
  • Commas Nightclub – popular nightclub
• Helpful resource – 2-day Singapore itinerary

If you found this itinerary helpful, please share or comment with your favorite recommendations for Singapore!