Things to do in Downtown Singapore Business District

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak
View of Singapore's downtown skyline from a rooftop pool.

Singapore’s Central Business District, also known as the CBD, financial district or downtown core, is a gleaming jungle of soaring skyscrapers with sensational waterfront views and more landmark attractions than you can shake a very large stick at. Add to that Michelin-starred restaurants, trendy cocktail bars and some of the best shopping in the city and you have the recipe for a fantastic break. Hera are just a few of our favorite things to do in downtown Singapore’s business district, including:

  • Merlion Park
  • The SkyPark at Marina Bay Sands
  • National Gallery Singapore
  • Singapore Flyer
  • Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
  • Shopping at Orchard Road and Marina Bay
  • Bay cruises
  • Gardens by the Bay
  • Cocktails at Raffles

Mythical Beasts and Dizzy Heights

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A stroll around Marina Bay is a fine way to get your bearings in the downtown area. Here, close-up views of the CBD’s sensational skyscrapers give you a sense of the scale of the place and the iconic Merlion statue, emblem of Singapore’s growth from humble fishing village to mighty all-conquering lion is a must-see. Grab a selfie by this 70-tonne fish/lion hybrid with its arc of spouting water that crashes into the Singapore River below, then head up to the SkyPark atop the Marina Bay Sands resort for a different perspective. Steady your nerves with a cocktail before taking in exception 57th-floor views of the Singapore skyline and out across the bay.

National Gallery Singapore

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Immerse yourself in 200 years of Singaporean art and culture at the National Gallery. Appropriately, this stately collection of of more than 9,000 modern and contemporary pieces from Singapore and southeast Asia is housed within two immense national monuments in the heart of the CBD; namely Singapore’s former City Hall and Supreme Court. Step inside to goggle at works that range from 19th-century oil paintings and woodcuts to 21st-century video installations. Visiting in the middle of monsoon season? There’s plenty here to fill an entire day, with major works by Singaporean artists including Georgette Chen, Liu Kang and Cheong Soo Pieng to admire, plus art-inspired shops for unique souvenirs, and two Michelin-starred restaurants.

The Singapore Flyer

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It should come as no surprise, in a city where the title of tallest building is highly prized, that the observation wheel is one of the biggest on the planet, soaring to a knee-trembling 541 feet at its highest point. Steel your nerves for the 30-minute flight aboard the Singapore Flyer from where you can expect views across the CBD skyline to Sentosa Island and even, on a clear day, as far as Indonesia and Malaysia. That’s assuming you haven’t closed your eyes in absolute terror by the time you reach the top. One rotation lasts 30 minutes and you can book tickets that include cocktails and champagne, should such nerve-settling measures be required.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

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Back on terra firma, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is a stunning (and surprisingly recent) example of the Chinese Buddhist architectural style, all decorative flourishes, pagoda-style rooftops and cavernous indoor spaces. Built in 2007, the temple contains what is said to be one of the Buddha’s teeth, though skeptics may question its provenance given the proliferation of Buddha tooth temples in the region and, well, the size of the tooth itself which, at 7.5cm in length, is likely to raise a quizzical eyebrow at the very least. Visit this stunning temple and make up your own mind!

Shop ‘Til You Drop

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There are more malls and brand-name stores along the 2.5-kilometer shopping mecca that is Orchard Road than you could hope to explore in a lifetime, never mind on your two-week vacation. Orchard Central is one of the most interesting, with its digital-art skin, huge indoor climbing wall, public art installations and roof garden. Further opportunities to max your credit card await at Marina Bay Resort’s cavernous Shoppes mall which, in spite of its ye olde name, is an ultra-modern, ultra-luxe shoppers’ paradise that’s guaranteed to give your bank manager serious palpitations. Venetian-style canals and sampan boat rides make for a fun way to get from store to store.

Singapore River Cruise

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Hop aboard a traditional bumboat to get a new perspective on the CBD’s many highlights. Ideal for the lazy sightseer, these scenic cruises tick off a number of the city’s big ticket attractions in one short jaunt along the Singapore River. Expect to see highlights including Marina Bay Sands, with its space-age triple towers topped by what, from way down here, looks for all the world like a giant surfboard, as well as the legendary Raffles hotel, the Gardens by the Bay and the Old Parliament House. Hopeless romantics can catch the golden hour on a sunset cruise as the Singapore skies puts on their colorful daily show and lights twinkle on across the city.

Gardens By The Bay

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With its gargantuan durian-shaped glass hothouses, tranquil East Bay Garden and iconic supertree structures complete with fun elevated walkway, Gardens By The Bay is a treat at any time of day. But it’s arguably at its most enchanting in the evenings, when the Supertree Grove puts on an epic display of colored light accompanied by a rousing symphonic soundtrack, sure to enliven your Instagram feed. Better still, this event is free! Light and music themes change with the seasons but the show generally runs twice per evening, with some variation for holidays and special events.

Sip a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel

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What’s the first thing you think of when someone says the word ‘Singapore’? Skyscrapers? Orchids? No! The answer is of course a Singapore Sling, that delightful gin-based tropical cocktail that’s as iconic a symbol of this island nation as its Merlion mascot. And where better to sample one than in the very place they were invented? We’re talking, of course, about the legendary 19th-century Raffles Hotel, where bartender Ngiam Tong Boon first mixed gin with cherry brandy, grenadine, pineapple, bitters and lime juice back in 1915, and the Singapore Sling was born! Join such illustrious former guests as Hemingway, Kipling and Grahame Greene and try one for yourself in the hotel’s smart Long Bar.

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
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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Things to do in Singapore in September

While much of the world is winding down after the August hijinks, Singapore in September is anything but ordinary. Not only is the weather playing ball, but a whole series of events ensure Singapore claims the limelight. Intrigued? Here’s all you need to know about the top things to do in Singapore in September! Grab a set of wheels Mid-September’s Singapore Grand Prix is certainly a night to remember. One of the biggest days of the Formula One calendar, it became the first night circuit when inaugurated in 1966. Two generations on, it’s lost none of its sparkle. For one thing, this street circuit comes with an extraordinary backdrop of Marina Bay. For another, the surrounding event has previously included performances by huge international acts including Black Eyed Peas, Green Day, and Westlife. Put simply, this is no ordinary motor race! However, if petrol engines aren’t your thing, September in Singapore promises a whole lot more besides. For instance, you can let the rubber hit the roads of Marina Bay on a Night Bicycle Tour. Highlights include Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay, alongside many of the city’s most iconic buildings. The route is designed to delve into Singapore’s full 200-year history, from colonial-era buildings to the calm waters of the Kallang River. Celebrate Singapore’s diversity Singapore’s September weather doesn’t really hint at anything except tropical splendor. Temperatures average 31.6°C, while humidity levels remain at a steamy 82%, equivalent to annual averages. When it comes to Singapore’s September rain, the equally good news is that the month is one of the driest of the year. Heavy thundery showers are to be expected. Few will affect your plans in any significant way. This is great news, since the end of the month is marked by one of the biggest cultural celebrations of the year – the mid-Autumn festival. As popular as Lunar New Year, the festival is a key date in the calendar for Singapore’s Chinese descendants. Chinatown is the obvious place to head, with celebrations hitting full swing after dark. Then, decorative paper lanterns line streets and public spaces, providing ample lighting to get your pick of the party food. Also known as the Mooncake Festival, it doesn’t take a genius to realize mooncakes are a big drawer. These pastries are traditionally filled with sesame seed paste, although chocolate and even champagne versions can also be sought out. Get a taste for the good life The Raffles Hotel Long Bar has been an unmissable part of any visit to Singapore since the early 1900s. Combining a sense of history with majestic surrounds, there’s nothing quite like sipping a Singapore Sling cocktail in this hallowed space. So grab your glad rags, the clink of ice on cocktail shakers awaits... Alternatively, make the secular pilgrimage to the city’s Tiger beer brewery, where no dressing up is necessary. Tiger Brewery Tours offer a behind the scenes look at how the beer is made. Then discover for yourself just how refreshing a glass can be with a complementary drink at the bar. Those sworn off alcohol don’t have to miss out, thanks to this Authentic Tea Appreciation Experience. Relax in Singapore’s oldest teahouse as your senses are serenaded with magical blends sipped by kings, queens, and presidents. Check out Singapore’s epic museums Visit Singapore in September and you shouldn’t forget about the city’s fantastic array of museums. The National Museum of Singapore is the place to head for a dose of history. Its galleries do a great job of detailing the development of Singapore from its origins to the present day. Meanwhile, The Battlebox in Fort Canning Park underlines the role of Singapore during the Second World War. An underground bunker with a difference, it was here that the defense of Singapore was planned by British military leaders. Their failure led to three years of Japanese occupation – a period of huge hardship. The displays at Changi Chapel and Museum, the site of a civilian prison camp, testify to the harsh conditions. The ArtScience Museum is altogether different. Located within the lotus flower-like structure of Marina Bay Sands, its ever-changing displays blend between art, science, technology, and culture. Dedicated solely to temporary exhibitions, there’s always another reason to enter its 21 galleries. As a guide, previous shows have spanned Harry Potter, Lego, Andy Warhol, and the photography of Annie Leibovitz. Enjoy the garden city’s green spaces Singapore isn’t called the garden city for nothing. Despite its population density, it has an array of green spaces you miss at your peril when visiting Singapore in September. The earliest dedicated public green space has to be Singapore Botanic Gardens, which trace their origins back to 1859. That’s just 43 years after the modern city was founded by Stamford Raffles. The only tropical garden declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the gardens span 82 hectares. Within this area you’ll find Symphony Lake, the National Orchid Garden’s 2,300 plants, and a small area of tropical rainforest. Singapore’s largest stretch of surviving rainforest is located within Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Various short walks guide visitors around the summit of the hill, while mountain biking and rock climbing are additional options. Elsewhere in Singapore, MacRitchie Reservoir in the center of the island is perfect for a tranquil afternoon stroll. It’s also one of the only places outside of Singapore Zoo to see monkeys occupying the trees. You won’t need binoculars though, thanks to the 250-meter-long Treetop Walk. Visit Singapore in September with Go City September is widely considered one of the best months to visit Singapore. The city’s weather makes exploration really easy, while a string of September Singapore events only add to the atmosphere. If there’s a way of making your trip to Singapore in September even better, it’s with Go City. Grab one of our passes for savings on entry to many of Singapore’s top attractions. Don’t believe us? Take a look at all the fun people are having with Go City on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Alex Birungi
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Overnight Stopover in Singapore

If your vacation includes an overnight stop in Singapore, there’s a fair chance you’ll have enough time on your hands to venture out and see a little of the Garden City, you lucky thing. This is one of the world’s most-visited cities, so it stands to reason that there are oodles of things to keep tourists entertained. Our advice is to plan your layover carefully: pick one or two things you’d really like to do and book tickets up front if required. With only a few hours to spare, you’ll want to maximize your time enjoying the attractions rather than waiting in ticket booth queues or frantically googling for fun things to do on the hop. Read on for our guide to the perfect Singapore stopover... Singapore Stopover Hints and Tips Singapore’s immigration policies are fairly accommodating for layovers, with many nationalities qualifying for the 96-hour visa free transit facility (VFTF) and others requiring proof of onward travel or easily acquired short-term visas. You can browse a fairly comprehensive summary of requirements here. Avoid sweating your way around downtown Singapore with trolley cases and backpacks in tow by taking advantage of 24-hour left luggage facilities in any one of Changi Airport’s four terminals. Trust us: you don’t want to be carrying a week’s worth of clothes and toiletries around with you in the afternoon heat! Heading downtown? Your best bet from the airport is to take a cab. Sure it’s more expensive than the otherwise super-efficient MRT (Singapore’s mass rapid transit system), but it’s also your fastest way of getting to the heart of the action and, on a layover, every minute you can save on transport and admin is an extra minute being wowed by Singapore’s superlative sights. Note that once you’re actually downtown, the MRT comes into its own and is by far the better method of getting from A to B at speed, while cabs can spend what feels like hours laboring through the often dense city center traffic. Singapore Stopover Highlights for Sightseers Sightseers can have it all on a whirlwind visit to Marina Bay. This is where you’ll find one of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks: the towering tree-like structures that make up Supertree Grove in the Gardens by the Bay. Get up close to the lush vertical gardens that cling to these manmade steel monsters on a stroll around the elevated OCBC Skyway platform. Or explore all manner of tropical plantlife (as well as one of the tallest indoor waterfalls in town) in the huge durian-shaped hothouses. Further vertiginous exploits await around the bay,in the shape of the colossal Singapore Flyer observation wheel, inevitably one of the world’s tallest, and the 57th-floor SkyPark atop the futuristic Marina Bay Sands Resort, another instantly recognizable star of the Singapore skyline. If you prefer your entertainment a little more, shall we say, down to earth, you can hit the massive shopping complex on the resort’s ground level, complete with bank balance-sapping luxury brands and cute Venetian-style waterways where you can take a sampan boat ride. Step outside to meet the island’s mascot in statue form. Part mermaid and part lion, the famous Merlion stands sentinel, splashing water into the bay from its roaring mouth. Singapore Stopover Highlights for Families Kids are notorious for their itchy feet, so it’s a good thing Singapore has plenty of great stuff for families to do on a layover. Chief among these is the island playground of Sentosa, where the cable car ride to get there is just the beginning of the fun. We’re not kidding when we say this tiny landmass is absolutely packed with activities and attractions. Universal Studios theme park with white-knuckle and child-friendly rides? Check. Water park? Check. Massive aquarium? You betcha. This is also where you’ll find some of Singapore’s best beaches, complete with Insta-perfect golden sands, emerald-green lagoons and swaying coconut palms. A handy shuttle service serves the sunny Palawan, Tanjong and Siloso beaches, saving you yet more precious time. If you don’t quite have the time required to make the most of a trip to Sentosa, fear not! Help is at hand in the form of Jewel, a cavernous entertainment complex connected (landside) to Changi Airport itself. If anything this is even more ideal than Sentosa, especially if you’re traveling with difficult-to-please teenagers, thanks to its rich mix of high-end shopping, hip restaurants and super-cool attractions that will appeal to any selfie addict worth their salt. We’re talking (another) sky high waterfall or, more accurately, ‘Rain Vortex’ (pictured above), a four-story slide, an indoor forest garden that spans five floors, cinemas, mesmerizing kinetic sculptures, a butterfly garden and, yep, even a Pokémon Center. Just imagine: all that fun without even leaving the airport! Singapore Stopover Highlights for Foodies Foodies rejoice! Singapore’s delicious hotch-potch of Asian cuisines – Indian, Chinese, Malay, Indonesian and more – means you’ll never go short of a new dish (or six) to try. A swift foray into Chinatown or Little India oshould be considered essential on all but the very shortest of layovers. We’re talking steaming grills, heady with the aromas of kung pao chicken and Peking duck and spicy fish head curry served up in the kind of picturesque labyrinthine lanes of which Instagram dreams are made. Want more? Kampong Glam, Singapore’s buzzing Muslim district and bona fide foodie mecca, promises sticky peanut satay, traditional nasi padang and zingy lamb rendang that’s almost as delicious as the neighbourhoods edible-looking Peranakan shop fronts in lime greens, mustard yellows and chili reds. The legendary Old Airport Road Food Centre is a short cab ride from Changi Airport and offers more of the same, with a dizzying array of street food stalls all condensed under one unspeakably tempting roof. Nighttime Singapore Stopover Highlights Staying overnight? Singapore’s flurry of fun nighttime activities will have no trouble enticing you away from an evening spent flicking through cable channels at your airport hotel. Hawker centers like the aforementioned Old Airport Road are great places to wander, soak up the vivid Singaporean culture, take memorable snaps and stuff yourself silly. There are over 100 of these spread out right across the city, meaning whichever part of town you visit you’re never far from a delicious (and surprisingly affordable) feast. Feasts of the visual variety are free to enjoy back down in Marina Bay, where nightly light-and-sound shows are held at both Supertree Grove and in front of Marina Bay Sands. The resort’s Spectra spectacular combines dancing fountains with huge visual projections, mist effects and lasers, backed by a booming orchestral soundtrack. Watch both shows from the SkyPark, 57 floors up, or catch a ride on the Singapore Flyer for sensational nighttime views of the sparkling city skyline. Animal lovers can even take a night safari inside the world’s first park dedicated solely to nocturnal beasts. Meet a cavalcade of crepuscular creatures from the Asian tropics and African savannah, including oddball favorites like fishing cats, slow lorises, giant anteaters and barking deer. 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.
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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

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