Indoor Activities in Singapore

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak
Published: July 18, 2024
The Rain Vortex at Jewel Changi Airport

First the good news: Singapore is warm year round, with super-hot summers and winters with balmy tropical breezes and average temperatures that rarely dip below the mid-70s. But it also rains rather a lot. Monsoon seasons here run from December to March and June to September; frequent downpours even outside of these seasons have earned Singapore a spot comfortably inside the 20 wettest countries on the planet. And, believe us, when it rains here it really Singa-pours! But don’t let a little thing like that put you off! Simply grab a sturdy umbrella and hop on the excellent MRT subway system for direct access to some of the best indoor activities in Singapore, including:

  • The Gardens by the Bay
  • The National Museum
  • Jewel Changi Airport
  • Snow City
  • The Fragment Room
  • Scentopia
  • Hawker centers for adventurous foodies
  • The coolest libraries in town

Flower Power

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Gardens by the Bay is the kind of attraction that merits multiple visits on any Singapore vacation. See it on a dry day from Marina Bay’s SkyPark observation deck – a dizzying 56 stories up – and don’t miss the free evening light show at its Supertree Grove, a series of deliciously Instagrammable tree-like structures on the waterfront, with a fun elevated walkway. Fun, that is, assuming you’re not caught out unawares up there when the heavens open.

The gardens have plenty of indoor exhibits to keep you entertained (and dry) if the weather does turn against you. Take the soaring Flower Dome, for example. This huge durian-shaped hothouse – a veritable riot of vibrant blooms and nose-tickling perfumes – is only the biggest of its kind on the entire planet. Step inside to discover the baobab forest, an olive grove that features as its highlight a 1,000-year-old tree, and carpets of colorful flowers in gardens that showcase blooms from around the world, including Australia, South America and the Mediterranean.

You might not feel very dry inside the Cloud Forest, where regular misting is in use to keep plants well hydrated and a huge crashing waterfall (the tallest indoor waterfall in the world... maybe) creates its own spray. Find it by following the roaring sound through the forest of ferns, vines and sweet-smelling orchids.

An airport may not be the place you’d naturally think of when planning how to spend a rainy day, but then Jewel Changi Airport is no ordinary airport. This nature-themed entertainment complex contains hundreds of shops and restaurants as well as an indoor garden, the Shiseido Forest Valley, that spans five stories. Cascading recycled rainwater through an oculus in the glass-paneled roof, The Rain Vortex makes for a spectacular centerpiece and – wait for it – also lays claim to the title of the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. Heck, go see both and you can make up your own mind!

Cultural Indoor Activities in Singapore

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You don’t have to be an art aficionado to admire the collection at Singapore’s National Gallery, housed inside the monumental City Hall and former Supreme Court in the Civic District. Browse a huge collection of over 9,000 contemporary and modern works from Singapore and southeast Asia and see highlights including Georgette Chen’s series of evocative family portraits and Singaporean Choo Keng Kwang’s woodcuts and oil paintings. The art-inspired shops and two (count em) Michelin-starred restaurants here make it a great destination for filling an entire Singapore rainy day.

The National Museum is no slouch either. This neoclassical icon houses one of the largest collections of historical artifacts in Asia. Check out paintings, drawings, sculptures, objets d'art and archaeological finds from in and around Singapore, including such priceless treasures as the ancient Singapore Stone, with its mysterious indecipherable inscriptions.

Whiz over to the futuristic ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands for ever-changing immersive exhibitions and a gallery filled with virtual reality artworks. For something a little more traditional but no less eye-popping, catch the curated selection of classic movies, documentaries and arthouse films on show at the museum’s cinema. Did somebody say ‘popcorn’?

Indoor Activities in Singapore for Foodies and Funsters

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Looking for the perfect rainy day activity? How does an afternoon spent gorging on chicken smothered in spicy peanut satay sound? Pretty good, right? Sweet-and-savory-sauce-drenched chili crab –so good it’s basically Singapore’s national dish – is another absolute must-try. Oyster omelet? Count us in! And you’ll need an army to keep us away from umami nasi goreng, another south-east Asian staple that’s at its very best in Singapore’s ubiquitous hawker centers, great inexpensive markets where the heady scents of sizzling spices are nothing short of intoxicating. Try the Old Airport Road Food Centre and Ghim Moh Market for some of the best street snacks in town.

Singapore is a treasure trove of quirky indoor activities, meaning you’ll rarely have a dull moment regardless of what the weather decides to do! We’re talking augmented reality experiences, rage rooms, indoor snowboarding and, um, public libraries (bear with us on that one).

If you’ve ever wanted to let off steam – and we mean really let off steam – in a safe, enclosed space, here’s your chance. The Fragment Room is Singapore's original rage room, a place where, clad in overalls, helmet, goggles and gloves, you’re free to smash up bottles, plates, cups and even electronic gadgets to your heart’s content. Irritated by the rain that's forced you indoors? Here’s where you can vent like a pro and achieve instant gratification to the melodic tinkling sounds of breaking glass.

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The clue’s in the names at Scentopia and Trickeye, two of Singapore’s premier augmented reality experiences. Scentopia combines short tours exploring the history and science of Singapore’s perfume industry with an eye-popping augmented reality gallery packed with dinosaurs, huge colorful blooms and other weird and wonderful flora and fauna that appear to leap from the exhibits. Trickeye offers yet more mind-bending illusions and photo opps galore as you and your family dance with mermaids, slay dragons and swim with sharks.

Cool off at Snow City, Singapore’s first indoor snow center, where the emphasis is resolutely on fun. Wrap up warm and hop on an inflatable tube for the unforgettable experience of ‘snowtubing’ down the 60-meter snow slope and test your bumper car-handling skills – on ice.

Last but by no means least are Singapore’s excellent public libraries. Library@Orchard is particularly cool, a beautifully designed space with long wave-shaped bookshelves, sure to melt the heart of any discerning bibliophile. In Library@Waterfront, the Sentosa views may well prove too distracting to concentrate on reading your book, while Tampines Regional Library comes with its own auditorium as well as boasting an indoor running track and a children’s playground.

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Save on indoor activities in Singapore

Save on admission to Singapore attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.

Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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The Treetop Walks at MacRitchie Reservoir in Singapore
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Natural Attractions in Singapore

Think of Singapore and you’ll likely conjure up images of shimmering glass-and-steel superstructures; a dense forest of urban activity with soaring skyscrapers that jockey for position as they reach ever further heavenwards. But that would be to overlook the vast swathes of green space and unspoiled natural habitat that has earned this island nation the nickname ‘the Garden City’. Read on for our guide to some of the finest natural attractions in Singapore, including: Singapore Botanic Gardens The Gardens by the Bay MacRitchie Reservoir Lazarus Island Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve The Southern Ridges Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Pulau Ubin The Gardens by the Bay Yes we know: the massive durian-shaped hothouses at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay are very plainly not the work of Mother Nature. But it’s what’s inside that counts, right? And what’s inside is nothing short of a nature spectacular. Expect an absolute riot of sights, scents and sounds in the Flower Dome, where carpets of colorful blooms emit a quite dizzying array of perfumes and a thousand-year-old olive tree forms the centerpiece of the pretty olive grove. Meanwhile, the humid Cloud Forest promises sweet-smelling orchids, jungles of ferns and trailing vines and a tall, tranquil waterfall. The Southern Ridges Six miles of jungle trails and elevated walkways connect Mount Faber Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and more along the epic Southern Ridges. Tiptoe through the treetops and shutterbugs may just sneak a snap or two of some of the abundant wildlife here: red-whiskered bulbuls, banded bay cuckoos, orange-bellied flowerpeckers and other such tropical critters await. The trail also includes a section that crosses Henderson Waves, an undulating architectural masterpiece that also happens to be the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore at a whopping 36 meters above terra firma. Don’t look down! MacRitchie Reservoir Completed in 1868, MacRitchie is the oldest reservoir in Singapore and has become both a thriving nature reserve for native wildlife and huge natural playground for locals and tourists alike. Spot macaques and monitor lizards on the seven-mile hike around MacRitchie Trails or get a birds’ eye view from the Treetop Walks, a 250-meter suspension bridge that links the reserve’s two highest points. Take to the water and spend the day kayaking or lace up your running shoes and hit one of the excellent cross-country trails here. Lazarus Island Like your beaches secluded? Lazarus Island is the place for you! One of Singapore's Southern Islands, it’s connected to neighboring Saint John’s Island by a causeway. You’ll need to catch a ferry to Saint John’s and walk the 15 minutes or so to get there but, trust us, it’s well worth the effort. Bone-white sands, swaying palm trees and tropical turquoise waters that are great for swimming and snorkeling await the intrepid traveler. Get there early enough and, who knows, you may even find you have the whole place to yourself! Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Twitchers rejoice! One of the finest natural attractions in Singapore, the unspoiled Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is a thriving habitat for native birds and a crucial stopover for migratory species including the long-legged Asian dowitcher and distinctive Pacific golden plover. Across more than 300 acres of mangrove forest, mudflats and ponds, you might also spot monitor lizards, lobsters, mudskippers, water snakes and big, beautiful Atlas moths. The occasional saltwater croc has even been known to put in an appearance from time to time. Take the two-hour loop trail around the reserve to get the most from your visit. Singapore Botanic Gardens This sprawling 200-acre tropical oasis on the edge of Singapore’s Orchard Road Shopping district has been around since 1859 so to describe the gardens as ‘mature’ would be something of an understatement. Admire colorful and aromatic plants in the aptly named Ginger Garden, take a stroll around Swan Lake, snap a selfie at the iconic bandstand, and enjoy the rare experience of wandering through a rainforest within the city limits of a vast metropolis. The gardens are open from 5AM until midnight so you'll have plenty of time to get lost among the vines, blooms and tree-lined walkways. Best of all, entry is free, though a fee applies for access to the thousands of eye-popping blooms inside the National Orchid Garden, the park’s star attraction. Pulau Ubin Boomerang-shaped Pulau Ubin is an island off Singapore’s northeast coast, where lush uncharted jungle is dotted with traditional kampongs and disused granite quarries, now reclaimed by nature, teem with diverse flora and fauna. Pick ripe, pungent durians along the cycle paths – and try one if you’re feeling bold enough or hungry enough to brave a bite! There’s an observation tower and looping walkway at the island’s otherwise wild Chek Jawa Wetlands, where you’ll hear the melodious call of the bulbul and, if you’re lucky, maybe even catch sight of the electric-blue flash of a kingfisher diving for its supper. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Last but most definitely not least in our rundown of Singapore's greatest natural attractions is the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, slap-bang in the middle of the island. One of very few designated reserves in the country to have remained untouched by timber merchants, it’s a sprawling green space containing some 400 acres of tropical rainforest as well as, at over 500 feet, the highest hill in the country. The reserve is, perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the finest treasure troves of biodiversity to be found in all of Singapore, with animal species including flying lemurs, crab-eating macaques, reticulated pythons and endangered Sunda pangolins to be found among the dense forests and thick undergrowth. There are many superb walking trails here, with options available for everyone from the amateur ambler to the hardened hiker. Head up to the peak for 360-degree views across Singapore and beyond. Save on attractions and activities in Singapore Save on admission to Singapore attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Supertree structures at twilight in Singapore's Gardens by the Bay.
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New Things to do in Singapore

Singapore’s relentless progress towards becoming one of the world’s top tourism destinations means any article fanfaring its newest attractions is destined to seem hopelessly out of date within a few months of publication. Great avalanches of new attractions have opened their doors since the turn of the decade, with many more exciting projects in the pipeline. One thing’s certain though, and that's that you’ll never go short of fun activities and attractions in Singapore! Here’s our guide to some of the best – and, for now, newest – things to do in the Garden City, including: Avatar: The Experience The Museum of Ice Cream Skyhelix Sentosa Jurassic Mile KF1 Karting Circuit Kingfisher Wetlands at Gardens by the Bay Splat Paint House Avatar: The Experience Fans of cinema’s best-loved bright-blue dudes are in for a treat. No, we’re not talking about The Smurfs, but the Na’vi people from James Cameron’s blockbusting Avatar movie series. The huge Cloud Forest dome at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay has been transformed to recreate the bioluminescent alien environments of Pandora, the Na’vis’ home planet, with five immersive walk-through zones. Come face to face with otherworldly flora and mythical creatures like the friendly Ilu, a marine creature featured in the latest Avatar movie, The Way of Water. There’s even an opportunity to fly your own Banshee over the Hallelujah Mountains, as well as encountering a baby Banshee and a Viperwolf pup. Museum of Ice Cream Love ice cream? We know, we know: silly question. Of course you love ice cream! One of Singapore’s quirkier new attractions, the fabulously bonkers Museum of Ice Cream has a multitude of technicolor sensory zones to explore. Rediscover your inner child in the dreamlike unicorn playground, go bananas on the huge fruit-shaped swings and dive into the enormous sprinkle pool (not real sprinkles of course; that really would be bonkers). Of course what you really came here for is the unlimited ice cream to which your ticket entitles you, served throughout the zones in a rainbow of different forms and colors. Ice ice baby! SkyHelix Sentosa Perched high on Imbiah Lookout on Sentosa Island, a location already celebrated for its panoramic views, the new SkyHelix Sentosa attraction takes you even higher! Rise to nearly 80 meters above sea level from where (complimentary slushie or soda in hand) you’ll enjoy 360-degree vistas of the Singapore skyline, the Southern Islands and beyond. You get to spend a full 10 minutes at the top of the ride, where the gondola gently rotates, providing you with countless opportunities to cram your Insta feed full of humblebrag no-filter snaps – unusually, phones are allowed on the ride. Book a sunset slot to see the skies turn flaming orange and flamingo pink from one of the finest vantage points in town. Jurassic Mile Make no bones about it, the Jurassic Mile is one of Singapore's most roar-some new attractions. You'll find it along the recently opened Changi Airport Connector, a 3.5-kilometer jogging and cycling path that includes a stretch roamed by life-sized dinosaurs. Spot gentle giants including the brontosaurus, dodge vicious velociraptors and look out for the terrifying T-rex tearing through the fence! Kids and adults alike will adore this fun family activity, which also includes huge flying critters and cute baby dinos hatching from their eggs. Montane Orchidetum Opened in 2021, the Montane Orchidetum is one of the newest additions to the already spectacular National Orchid Garden, the star attraction at Singapore’s Botanic Gardens. This two-story tropical hothouse is a work of art in itself but gets even better once inside, where you’ll enjoy the somewhat immersive experience of ascending through a tropical mountain ecosystem, rich with the intoxicating sights and scents of hundreds of blooming orchids, bromeliads, magnolias and tropical rhododendrons. Afterwards, wander the scenic Secret Ravine to reach the orchid garden’s other no less impressive glasshouses. Scentopia Singapore’s floral heritage comes spectacularly to life at Scentopia, one of Sentosa Island’s most scent-sational new attractions. See what we did there? Using augmented reality exhibits and a perfumery that highlights the science behind your favorite spray-on scents, it’s something of a sensory saturnalia. Check out mind-melting augmented reality exhibits including dinosaurs, colorful blooms and huge fungi in the gallery, learn about the weird and wonderful ways in which animals smell the world around them and discover the world’s largest flower, the carnivorous Rafflesia, first documented in Singapore over two centuries years ago. KF1 Karting Circuit Go-karting is big business in Singapore, where adrenaline junkies in search of their next fix are never far from a nerve-shredding attraction or seven. Opened in 2021, the Formula One-inspired KF1 is (at time of writing) Singapore’s largest karting circuit, boasting 750 meters of track and 16 bends and corners. Advanced petrolheads can leave competitors in their wake, with karts capable of burning rubber at speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour. A driving license is required if you feel the need for such speed, but you don’t need one for novice sessions (max 30km/h) or (at the risk of stating the obvious) for circuits of the dino-themed kids’ track. Kingfisher Wetlands Gardens by the Bay’s sprawling 250-acre complex rewards multiple return visits and the Kingfisher Wetlands, one of its newest attractions is no exception. Explore the mangrove forest where native species including firefly mangroves and nipah palms can be seen, and keep your camera at the ready for snaps of the beautiful birdlife; there are over 130 species nesting in the reserve, representing nearly one-third of all Singapore bird species and including all nine native kingfishers! Eagle-eyed visitors may also be lucky enough to spot the occasional Malayan water monitor or smooth-coated otter gliding across the water. Splat Paint House Unleash your inner Jackson Pollock in Singapore’s endlessly entertaining Splat Paint House, a permanent new attraction since 2021 following a successful run as a pop-up. This is a place to let loose and create unique artworks by – the clue’s in the name – splattering paint across your canvas in as wild and creative a way as you deem appropriate. Paints are safe and overalls are provided so get busy and get creative: splatter your canvas, splatter the walls and, heck, maybe even splatter your friends! The Round Island Route Launched at the beginning of 2022, the first section of the Round Island Route encircles Singapore’s east coast, with walking and cycling tracks spanning a whopping 75 kilometers. Rent a bike and get ready for the ride of your life. Highlights along this epic coastal trail include the boardwalk and sweeping waterfront views at Changi Bay, a huge bridge that spans the Sungei Punggol canal and all manner of fascinating flora, fauna and marine life. Eyes peeled for majestic white-bellied sea eagles and brahminy kites patrolling the skies! 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
LEGOLAND® Ride
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