Gardens by the Bay Singapore

How Many Days in Singapore is Enough

Plan your sightseeing trip with our handy guide!
By Adam Fraiel

Find out how long you need in Singapore to experience the city's top things to do!

It’s only a small island, but Singapore has plenty to keep you occupied. With so many attractions, adventure parks, complexes, and cultural centers to squeeze in, how much time do you need to see it all? Regardless if you’re visiting for a day, weekend, or longer, we’ll cover how to see the most attractions with the time you have.

How long do I need in Singapore?

How Many Days in Singapore is Enough

How long do I need in Singapore?

Historically, people visited Singapore as a stopover or as part of a holiday in Southeast Asia. However, with the rise of Singapore as a tourism hotspot, people are flying direct and staying for longer and longer. How much time do you need in Singapore? That depends on what you want to do and see, plus your budget.

You should plan to spend at least 4-5 days in Singapore if you want to see as much as possible. This would give you time to visit Singapore’s iconic sites like the Merlion, Gardens by the Bay, and Marina Bay Sands, as well as explore its diverse neighborhoods like Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam, and Tiong Bahru.

We also recommend longer stays for first-timers. This gives you time to experience Singapore’s culinary scene, see the UNESCO World Heritage sites like the Singapore Botanic Gardens and the Singapore Zoo, and enjoy its rich culture.

It’s also a good idea to spend at least 2-3 nights in Singapore to experience the nightlife. The city never stops, but at night it steps up a gear with nightclubs, light shows, and a superb selection of rooftop bars.

 

Must-see attractions in Singapore

You can’t leave Singapore without visiting these popular attractions. Tick these off your itinerary and you’ll have a greater appreciation of the Garden City.

 

Gardens by the Bay

How Many Days in Singapore is Enough

Gardens by the Bay

This attraction is not to be missed when you come to Singapore. Gardens by the Bay is an urban garden spanning 101 hectares, with two immense greenhouses; the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. Surrounded by over 100,000 plants from over 5,000 species, take a stroll along the Supertree Grove or the Dragonfly Lake and surround yourself with Singapore’s lush greenery.

Night Safari

Singapore Zoo is famous for its nocturnal animals. The Night Safari showcases a vast array of animals, including lions, leopards, Malaysian tapirs, hippos, tigers, hyenas, otters, bears, and more. They’re all housed in a zoo environment that mimics their natural habitats, meaning you get to discover how these amazing animals behave at night.

Sentosa Island

Sentosa Island is one of the top tourist attractions in Singapore. This resort island offers exciting activities for everyone in the family. If you want to go on an adventure, visit Universal Studios Singapore and ride the adrenaline-packed rides, or get up close and personal with sea life at Adventure Cove Waterpark. Sentosa’s also home to plenty of stunning beaches, clubs, and restaurants, so there’s no shortage of activities.

Singapore Flyer

How Many Days in Singapore is Enough

Singapore Flyer

Singapore Flyer is Asia’s largest giant observation wheel. Take a fully air-conditioned capsule ride to the top of the Singapore Flyer, and enjoy the 360-degree panoramic views of the Singapore city skyline and Marina Bay, all from 165 meters high.

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel is a 55-story hotel with over 2000 rooms. The hotel features the SkyPark, a 150,000-square-foot rooftop garden with an infinity swimming pool. You can dine at any of the restaurants and bars in the hotel, visit one of many museums or art galleries in the hotel, or shop at the variety of stores in the hotel.

You could see all these attractions in one long weekend, although you’d probably want to spread them out to really enjoy the experience.

If you’ve got the extra days, it’s probably best to split your days into different zones, depending on your preferences.

There’s easily enough on Sentosa island to keep you entertained for a full weekend:

  • Universal Studios
  • Adventure Cove Waterpark
  • Resorts World Sentosa
  • Palawan Beach
  • Tanjong Beach Club
  • Skypark Sentosa by AJ Hackett
  • Many, many more attractions

That’s just one island. Marina Bay and Marina Bay Sands could happily take up another few days. The $5.5 Billion complex is a jaw-dropping feat of engineering.

Gardens by the Bay and the Botanical Gardens are both delightful escapes from the heat and hustle of the city. There are also plenty of boat rides and cruises around the bay, offering a change of pace and amazing views of the city from a unique angle.

Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, and the Night Safari all offer fascinating days out for nature lovers.

In the evenings there’s endless nightlife, whether you prefer to dance the night away or relax with a Singapore Sling cocktail or two. But before you settle down for the evening, be sure to catch a light show.

The light shows in Singapore are legendary, with our favorite being Wings of Time - fireworks, water jets, and lasers choreographed to music, set over the water. If you’ve got one day or one week, try to squeeze in a performance of Wings of Time.

If you can’t make it for whatever reason, worry not. There are light shows all over the city, from Mount Faber Park, Marina Bay, and Gardens by the Bay, to name a few. They’re the perfect end to a day out exploring, or the ideal start to a night on the town.

As you can see, there’s a vast amount of things to do and see, and we didn’t really touch on the delicious food stalls, shopping opportunities at The Shoppes or Orchard Road, or even Changi Airport and the Jurassic Mile.

4 or 5 days is a good amount of time to get a feel for Singapore. You may need to miss out on some attractions, but that gives you the perfect excuse to book a return trip later in the year.

 

 

 

Save on Admission to Top Singapore Attractions

Explore the best things to do with a pass for Singapore by Go City®. Select from top attractions with our All-Inclusive and Explorer passes, where you’ll enjoy access to galleries, museums, tours much more. So grab a Singapore attraction pass and save while you sightsee!

Share Your Adventure with Us

Tag @GoCity in your vacation photos and we’ll feature you on our page. Follow the Go City Instagram and Facebook channels for exclusive competitions, special offers, and events to help you make the most of your travels.

Adam Fraiel
Go City Travel Expert

Continue reading

Group of friends chatting and laughing over a meal in a restaurant.
Blog

Best Vegan Restaurants in Singapore

Plant-based meat and dairy alternatives have seen a massive surge in popularity in recent years, even among cultures where meat-eating is virtually a national sport. And no wonder: not only is a plant-based diet (obvs) a superior option for anyone opposed to breeding animals for food, veganism also has many other benefits, including reduced cholesterol and improved heart health. Now for the science bit: vegan food tastes waaaay better than all those nay-saying carnivores can possibly imagine. Trust us when we say that modern vegan foods have come a long way since their 1990s heyday of drab lettuce sandwiches, insipid vegetable broths and cardboard-flavored nut roasts. The 21st Century’s imaginative vegan dishes now really bring the party to your tastebuds leaving many diners hard-pressed to distinguish mouthwatering plant-based meat substitutes from the real thing. We took a deep dive to seek out the best vegan restaurants in Singapore Cultivate Cafe Located in the historic Tanjong Pajar district of Singapore’s CBD, Cultivate Cafe is the jewel in the crown of the Maxwell Reserve Hotel, a grand colonial-style old dame that’s been doing business here for over a century. Inside, colorful plant-based taste sensations are expertly whipped up using locally sourced organic ingredients and served in plush surroundings with wood-paneling, gorgeous 1920s-style lighting, shelves that fairly groan with antiquarian books, and stately velvet chairs with Liberty-style prints. The menu is an absolute vegan’s paradise. Think steamed white asparagus with Turkish figs and Sicilian olive dressing, zingy pad Thai and leek and pumpkin tart. Wash down with a cold-pressed juice or vegan beer and finish up with ice cream or cake. Dark chocolate and prune brownie with bitter chocolate ganache? Count us in! Find it: Maxwell Reserve Hotel, 2 Cook Street, Singapore 078857 Afterglow Close to Chinatown, Afterglow offers a wide, varied and entirely plant-based menu. We defy any doubters to try the cheesy cauliflower bites (made with cashew milk), kimchi avocado rolls or marinated mushroom scallops and not become an instant convert to vegan food. This one’s child-friendly too, with kiddie faves like chicken nuggets and meatballs represented by moreish lentil flaxseed nuggets and teriyaki mushroom balls. Burgers, noodles, tacos and an impressive lasagne made with mushrooms, walnuts, pesto and zucchini sheets complete the savory line-up. Don’t miss the frankly unbelievable cheesecake, with cashew cream, medjool dates, maple syrup and coconut oil. Undoubtedly one of the very best vegan restaurants in Singapore. Find it: 24 Keong Saik Road #01-0, Singapore 089131 Genesis You’ll find Genesis just a short stroll over the Coleman Bridge from Fort Canning Park. It’s a fine option for cheap and good vegan food in Singapore, with pocket-friendly dishes including delectable steamed dumplings, aromatic nyonya laksa and claypot rice with mushrooms, vegetables, cashews and soy sauce. Desserts include the peculiar Malaysian favorite cendol, a sugary iced dessert with cashew milk, kidney beans and wormlike green jelly noodles made with rice flour. Work it all off with a hike up the hill to Fort Canning Park where there are nine historical gardens to explore, including the city’s original botanic garden and another showcasing the colorful plant species collected, studied and planted by Sir Stamford Raffles in the early 19th Century. Find it: 2 Havelock Road, Singapore 059763 Warung Ijo You can’t really go wrong at any of the eateries in the atmospheric Kampong Glam neighborhood, but this vegan Indonesian joint is in a class all of its own. Compact, and popular enough that queues often form outside, this cute café is worth the wait for its zingy meat-free sambals, rendang fried rice and fragrant nasi padang. Order at the counter, grab a table and get stuck in! Afterwards, make for the cool indie boutiques on Haji Lane or get lost in Arab Street’s cavernous antique treasure troves, crammed to the rafters with Turkish handicrafts including textiles, ceramics and intricate mosaic lamps. Find it: 337 Beach Road, Singapore 199565 Casserole Hop on the cable car for a drop-off right outside the swanky Shangri-La Rasa resort on Sentosa Island. It’s here you’ll find Casserole, its meaty-sounding moniker belying the plant-based taste sensations that await within. Gorge on Middle Eastern spiced kebab and falafel, charcoal grilled satay skewers and Thai fish cakes for the win. And don’t miss the banana leaf dry-braised beef rendang, a perennial Casserole favorite that will leave you 100% convinced that what you’re tasting is real beef. Find it: Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa, Level 3, 101 Siloso Road, Sentosa Island 098970 Love Handle Love Handle: presumably so-named because, once inside, you won’t stop stuffing your face until you feel that waistband begin to tighten. Seriously though, this vegan butcher-cum-restaurant is a little bit special, serving up decadent, messy plant burgers that fairly ooze with sauces, pickles and (non-dairy) cheese alongside a tempting menu of rice and noodle dishes, fried chicken and waffles. Meat eaters: take a big appetite and an open mind and we guarantee you won’t be disappointed! Find it: 8 Ann Siang Hill, Singapore 069788 nomVnom There’s a handful of these burger joints scattered around the island; you’ll find them at Clarke Quay by Fort Canning Park, at Tai Seng and way up north in the Woodlands neighborhood. Each outlet has a different menu to try but all are laser-focused on serving up the finest plant-based patties in Singapore. Pair a satay burger with truffle fries and a refreshing pink guava juice or turn up the heat with a double crispy fishy wasabi burger and spicy kimchi soup. Yum. Find it: various locations Kind Kones What kind of list would this be if it didn’t include at least one ice cream emporium? A rubbish one, that’s what. So here it is: like nonVnom, Kind Kones has three outlets in Singapore, two of them along the shopping mecca that is Orchard Road, ideal for a little mid-spree refreshment. Popular favorites in this plant-based paradise include a decadent tiramisu, creamy double chocolate brownie, and the signature Blue Planet, made with butterfly pea flower, vanilla, matcha cake, and coconut and cashew milks. Find it: various locations Save on attractions and activities in Singapore Save on admission to Singapore attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Woman eating freshly cooked takeaway dumplings inside a hawker center.
Blog

The Best Food Markets in Singapore

Singapore has a bit of an unfair reputation when it comes to cost. While it’s true that it may be expensive for expats living out there or visitors who want to stay in the top-tier hotels (hello, Marina Bay Sands!), it certainly needn’t be the case for your average vacationer. Case in point: you’ll find some of the best eating in the city’s 100+ legendary hawker centers, where authentic Singaporean, Malay, Chinese, Indian and Indonesian dishes start from a mouthwatering couple of Singapore dollars and rarely top more than six or seven bucks, meaning you needn’t ever really splash the cash to give your tastebuds a good time. Read on for our guide to the best food markets in Singapore. What is a Hawker Center? Hawker centers are embedded within Singapore’s very DNA. Here’s where you’ll find decades-old street food stalls that have been handed down through the generations; where locals queue for delicious, affordable meals and catch up on the local gossip over great steaming bowls of noodles, fragrant curries and melt-in-the-mouth grilled meat and fish dishes. There are over 100 of these centers – effectively covered, standalone food courts – dotted around the city, each hosting dozens of vibrant eateries. A literal feast for the senses, you can expect to see (and smell) suckling pig roasting on the spit, roast duck displayed tantalizingly in shop windows and plumes of aromatic smoke and steam rising from pots and griddles at every turn. There’s something to suit every palate here: sweet and savory, spicy and mild, hot and cold, meaty and meat-free – your only challenge is not to be drawn straight to the first stall you encounter by those utterly intoxicating aromas. Singapore Hawker Center Hints and Tips Hawker centers are dedicated standalone premises, usually covered but sometimes open-air and are not to be confused with what Singaporeans call ‘food courts’. Food courts are generally found inside shopping malls; they’re a little less characterful and a mite more expensive than hawker markets, but nevertheless a solid option if you’re out on a shopping spree. Many hawker stalls operate cash-only policies, so be sure to bring some cash as well as a big appetite. We recommend first-timers buy several different small dishes from multiple stalls to get a real (excuse the pun) flavor of what’s on offer. If a stall has a queue, that tends to be a sign the food is top-notch and that the wait will be worth it. Don’t pass busy stalls by! Don't be put off if you find hawker centers a little overwhelming – it really is worth persevering to unlock some of the fantastic flavors on offer within. If in doubt, you can always take a tour with a local guide to help you find your bearings. Singapore Hawker Food – What to Eat Even the most ravenous of visitors may find it difficult to work their way through all the excellent dishes Singapore’s food markets have to offer. But there are a few staples that we’d consider must-eats. Chili crab, for example, is (unofficially) Singapore’s national dish. This stir-fried sensation – crab drenched in spicy sweet-and-savory-sauce – is as ubiquitous as it is delicious and you’ll find it in any hawker center worth its salt. Then there’s sticky skewers of pork and chicken marinated in umami peanut sauce. Again, available everywhere. Other popular favorites include Indian-influence roti canai – a buttery, crumbly melt-in-the-mouth flatbread served with a variety of curry sauces – BBQ pork with rice, pungent fish head curry and chicken with rice. Make like a local and join the morning ritual of spiced teh tarik (tea) or kopi (coffee) sweetened with condensed milk. Feeling adventurous? Turn up the heat by seeking out some of the nation’s most out-there delicacies, among them pufferfish, live octopus and, for the bold gourmand only, fried pigs’ fallopian tubes in spicy kung pao sauce. Nom. Best Hawker Centers in Singapore And now for the main course, the entrée, the bit you’ve all been waiting for: our pick of some of the finest food markets in Singapore. Tuck in! Lau Pa Sat Oozing old-school Singapore charm, the Landmark Lau Pa Sat market is as well known for its distinctive octagonal shape and colonial-style architecture as it is for its satay. Find a spot beneath the soaring wrought-iron Victorian arches and tuck into a huge variety of international cuisines, including Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean and more. East Coast Lagoon Food Village Singapore’s only beachside hawker center provides the picture-perfect setting for a sweet sugar cane juice, fresh coconut or ice-cold Tiger beer. Hit up Song Kee Fried Oyster at stall 15 for perfectly fluffy omelets packed with local oysters and drizzled with a fiery chili sauce. Newton Food Centre Perhaps best known for its appearance in the movie Crazy Rich Asians, this vibrant market near Newton MRT station boasts over 100 stalls serving up some of the best seafood dishes in town. Order spicy sambal stingray in banana leaf for the win. Hong Lim Market and Food Centre Hong Lim is one of the more easily navigable Chinatown hawker centers (more so than the sprawling Chinatown Complex, in any case), so a good option for novices. Authentic Singaporean cuisine abounds here. Try pork braised with Chinese five spice, zingy laksa with crayfish or Teochew porridge served with a variety of meat, fish, veg, eggs and sauces. Clementi 448 Market and Food Centre The long queues at Fried Carrot Cake in Clementi 448 are a dead giveaway. This very literally named hawker stall is something of a local legend around these parts, having been around for over half a century. First things first though: this moreish Singaporean classic (pictured above) has no carrot in it and nor is it really a cake, at least not in the Western sense of the term. But don’t let that (or the queue) put you off this unmissable piping hot melée of sweet, spicy cubed radish cake, egg, garlic and chili sauce. Delish. Old Airport Road Food Centre A little off the beaten track on Singapore’s east coast, the Old Airport Road Food Centre is nevertheless well worth the effort for its vast selection of stalls serving up everything from crab to carrot cake, satay to sambal, dumplings to duck. With close to 200 hawkers to choose from, good luck deciding what you’re going to eat! Tekka Centre This Little India landmark, handily located right next to the MRT station, specializes in Indian food. Head here to make all your dosa dreams come true, and for tandoor grill feasts fit for a maharajah. Tekka Centre is part hawker center, part mall and part wet market, so there are plenty of opportunities for souvenir-hunting and soaking up the old-school Singapore vibes after lunch. Adam Road Food Centre This diminutive hawker center is pretty much right next to the Singapore Botanic Garden, a 200-acre oasis of vibrant flora and tropical rainforest. Work up an appetite with a stroll around the shores of Swan Lake and a visit to the National Orchid Garden before heading to Adam Road for a well-earned laksa. Changi Village Hawker Centre Aromatic nasi lemak, an utterly life-altering dish of rice, coconut milk, chili sauce, crispy anchovies, peanuts and egg, is the one to try here. Located on the island’s northeastern tip, Changi might feel slightly out on a limb, but no day tripper could fail to be charmed by this cute coastal village’s excellent Malay cuisine, fine sandy beaches and lush palm groves. Save on attractions and activities in Singapore Save on admission to Singapore attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Family feeding elephants at Singapore Zoo.
Blog

Mandai Wildlife Parks All on One Pass Discount

This vast tract of rainforest and wetland in north Singapore contains several of the island's premier attractions, namely Bird Paradise, River Wonders, Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari. But why visit just one when you can tick off all four with a single discounted pass? Read on for our guide to the available multi-park ticket options and short summaries of what to expect from each attraction.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

Have a 5% discount, on us!

Sign up to our newsletter and receive exclusive discounts, trip inspiration and attraction updates straight to your inbox.

Thick check Icon