Things to Do in Singapore in Autumn

Published: July 18, 2024
Singapore Skyline

By Mia Russell

Glitzy and glamorous, sleek and sophisticated, Singapore has it all. Take a peek behind the shimmering skyline and you’ll find a wealth of incredible things to see and do in Singapore in Autumn. From spectacular green urban spaces and awe-inspiring architecture to out-of-this-world shopping and a world-class culinary scene, Singapore will steal your heart.

Why visit Singapore in the autumn?

Autumn in Singapore runs from September through November and the rain and humidity tend to increase over this time. Temperatures are still very hot during autumn with averages of 30 °C (86 °F) during the day and the humidity begins to rise towards the middle of October.

This may not sound like the most comfortable weather for exploring the city, but it's nothing a good umbrella can’t handle. The rain and humidity tend to keep tourists away in autumn, so you’ll find some great deals on airfares and hotels around the city.

Autumn is also the best time to hit Singapore’s incredible art galleries and museums, which are air-conditioned and cool, and a saving grace from the rain. This is also the time to shop until you drop into the myriad shops and stores that make Singapore a world-class shopping destination.

 

Explore the city’s outstanding museums

Things to Do in Singapore in Autumn

Escape the rain and heat and while away the day in a few of Singapore’s award-winning art galleries, top-notch museums, and one-of-a-kind cultural institutions.

The National Museum of Singapore is the oldest and largest museum in the city and should be your first port of call. Opened in 1887, the museum is housed in a stately 19th-century Neo-Palladium-style building with a beautiful glass rotunda. Take a moment to admire the exquisite architecture – it’s a work of art in itself.

If you’re a lover of contemporary Asian art, the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is a treat! The museum exhibits artworks in multiple spaces, including a satellite space at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, and the main building along Bras Basah Road. This is the one you want to visit not only to marvel at the beautiful architecture of the heritage buildings but to see some impressive art, too.

Next on the list is the Asian Civilisations Museum, a captivating journey through Asia’s cross-cultural connections.

If you are an art-lover, head to the National Gallery Singapore to admire an incredible collection of Singaporean and Southeast Asian art. Brave the Changi Museum & Chapel to learn the stories of POWs and held Changi Prison during the Japanese occupation of Singapore.

Another luminary in Singapore’s art world, the National Gallery Singapore is huge! The largest visual art gallery of its kind in the city, it's packed with the world’s largest collection of Southeast Asian art from the 19th century to the present. And there are interactive installations and exhibits for the kids too, so make a day of exploring this glorious behemoth.

Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival

Things to Do in Singapore in Autumn

Singapore comes alive when the Mid-Autumn Festival rolls around. Also known as the Moon Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the end of the autumn harvest on the Chinese calendar and has been observed since the early Tang dynasty.

The city lights up with spectacular lantern displays and families gather to walk with lanterns and gaze at the moon. There is a vibrant atmosphere with mid-autumn festivities and performances around the city. Sweet treats abound with mooncakes taking center stage. These traditional round cakes are filled with salted egg yolk as the yolk is said to represent the full moon and reunion. They are both eaten and presented as gifts to families and friends.

One of the best places to view the fantastic lantern displays is Chinatown and the Gardens by the Bay in Marina Bay. One of the city’s most spectacular green spaces is lit up with the soft light of lanterns, creating a breathtaking display.

While you are there, wander around the park and marvel at the towering high-tech trees that also light up at night, the whimsical sculptures, and the misty biodomes. Use your pass to get free access to the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome.

Spend the day at Sentosa Park

Things to Do in Singapore in Autumn

Sentosa Island is the perfect place to spend a rainy day. The all-ages playground is packed with things to do from an aquarium and a casino to some amazing theme parks.

Hop on the Singapore Sky Cable with your pass for a thrilling ride to Sentosa Island from Mount Faber on the mainland. Take in the amazing views on the way and spend the day enjoying all the attractions on the island.

Make your first stop Sentosa 4D AdventureLand. Use your pass to get into this amazing fantasy land where you can ride a super log through ravines and valleys and dive into crocodile-infested water. Zoom into a haunted old mine on a thrilling rollercoaster ride or saddle up and let your inner cowboy out as you go after the bad guys.

Other fantastic attractions you can use your pass to enjoy at Sentosa Island include SEA Aquarium, Universal Studios, and the exhilarating SkyHelix Sentosa.

Shop until you drop

Things to Do in Singapore in Autumn

Rainy days are made for shopping and there is no better place to shop until you drop than Singapore! Singapore’s shopping scene is world-renowned, and people visit the vibrant city just to shop. The tiny island state is home to an impressive range of shopping malls, high-end boutiques, brand-name stores, and hidden gems. You can find everything from appliances to apparel and the choice of places to get them is nothing less than mind-boggling.

The best place to start your shopping spree is the epochal Orchard Road. Mega malls line the two-mile stretch of street and whatever you are looking for from budget clothing to state-of-the-art electronics, you’ll find it here. For something extraordinary, head to the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, where you do some window shopping while taking a relaxing gondola ride around the mall. You’ll also find some outstanding restaurants here when you start getting ‘hangry.’

 

Take a culinary journey around the world

Things to Do in Singapore in Autumn

Singapore is foodie heaven! This multicultural city is renowned for its incredible cuisine and whether you want to eat like a local or dine at the finest restaurants in the city, Singapore has it all.

The best place to get a taste of Singapore is on the street at the legendary hawker centers. From eye-wateringly hot Indian curries to melt-in-your-mouth murtabak, the city’s culinary scene has every dish conceivable. Be sure to try delicious local dishes like laksa, a spicy, coconutty noodle soup, and chicken rice with a twist.

If you prefer French champagne and foie gras, the city is home to several Michelin-star restaurants that offer out-of-this-world dining experiences. The top of the list is Odette. Located in Singapore’s National Gallery, this exceptional restaurant is helmed by Chef Royer brings French and Japanese cuisine together to create sublime plates. Try the Foie Gras terrine with kumquat marmalade.

For mouthwatering Italian cuisine, head to Garibaldi where Executive Chef Roberto Galetti cooks traditional Italian dishes like handmade pasta with caviar and snow crab. Sip some of the finest Chianti in the world.

 

Dance the night away

Things to Do in Singapore in Autumn

When the sun goes down, Singapore changes from flats to heels and really puts on a show. Trendy restaurants, buzzing bars, and glitzy nightclubs all vie for attention, while chic rooftop bars draw the cool crowd.

Kick off the evening with a complimentary Singapore Sling at the famous Raffles Long Bar – present your pass for your free drink. Then head out into the night and experience Singapore’s electric nightlife.

Start at Zouk, Singapore’s longest-running nightclub. Renowned for propelling the dance music movement throughout Asia, Zouk attracts some of the biggest names in the industry and you can party the night away to the sounds of Paul Oakenfold and The Chemical Brothers.

Another memorable nocturnal carnival experience can be found at MARQUEE. This massive club has three floors, sky-high ceilings, and a giant indoor Ferris wheel!

 

Make the most of your trip with a Singapore Pass. Save while you sightsee all of the best Singapore attractions.  

Alex Birungi
Go City Travel Expert

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Woman looking across the water to the Singapore Flyer
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Singapore for Adults - Activities and Attractions

Singapore is one big amusement park for grown-ups, with hundreds of fun and unusual things to do, from night safaris to Singapore Slings and slurping zingy chili crab with black pepper from hawker stalls. Add world-class galleries and museums, dizzyingly high observation wheels and platforms, gardens bursting with colorful blooms and bone-white beaches so pristine we swear you’d eat your dinner off them if it wasn’t for all that pesky sand. No list of Singapore activities for adults can ever claim to be truly comprehensive and nor does ours. Here, instead, are 10 of our favorite things to do in Singapore for adults, including... Dinner on the Singapore Flyer A Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel SkyPark views at Marina Bay Sands An authentic tea-tasting experience Sizzling Sentosa island A hike through the treetops The best street food in Singapore Get Snap-Happy in the Gardens by the Bay You’ll recognize the Gardens by the Bay from their much-photographed Supertree Grove: soaring tree-like structures that light up at night and are connected by an elevated walkway. Grab your camera and beat the Instagram influencers at their own game, then mosey on over to the veritable explosion of color and scent that is the Flower Dome, only the biggest greenhouse on the planet. Cooler and more misty inside, the neighboring Cloud Forest conservatory also makes for some atmospheric snaps (assuming your lens doesn’t fog up). Follow the sound of the world’s tallest indoor waterfall through a forest of vines, ferns and aromatic orchids. Sip a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel Raffles and its signature gin cocktail are as synonymous with Singapore as skyscrapers and orchids, making this colonial-era 19th-century icon a must-visit on any trip to the Garden City. And it would be remiss while there not to sample their Singapore Sling, a tropical blend of gin, cherry brandy, pineapple, grenadine, lime juice and bitters first concocted by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon here in 1915 and a favorite of visitors to the hotel’s Long Bar – including literary giants like Hemingway, Kipling and Greene – ever since. National Gallery of Singapore Anyone with even a passing appreciation of fine art will find much to admire at Singapore’s National Gallery in the Civic District. Focusing primarily on modern and contemporary artworks from Singapore and southeast Asia, its collection of over 9,000 pieces dates from the late 19th Century to the present day and (a common theme in this supersize city!) is the largest of its kind in the world. Don’t miss Singaporean Choo Keng Kwang’s oil paintings and woodcuts, and Georgette Chen’s evocative series of family portraits. Night safari Operated by the same group that runs the wildly popular Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari is the world’s first park that’s devoted solely to creatures of the night. Expect crepuscular critters and nocturnal beasts galore inside an 86-acre reserve that’s home to over 2,500 animals including Malaysian tapirs, Asian elephants, white African lions and the critically endangered (and ferociously cute) Sunda pangolin. Explore on foot or hop aboard the complimentary tram for an informative audio commentary as you meander through themed zones including fishing cat and wallaby trails. Marina Bay Sands You’ve heard Singapore can be expensive, right? Well, trust us when we say nowhere will zap your bank balance quite as rapidly as the Marina Bay Sands resort. Here, Michelin-star dining, achingly cool (and painfully pricey) cocktail bars, designer boutiques and, yup, even a casino, all vie for your wallet’s attention. Head 56 stories up to the SkyPark observation deck for sweeping views of the Singapore skyline and down to Supertree Grove and the huge hothouses in the Gardens by the Bay below. You’ll have to be a guest to access the quite unbelievable rooftop infinity pool (the world’s largest, natch) that straddles the resort’s three soaring towers. As good an excuse to book a room in this luxury resort as any, if you ask us. Feel Like Royal-Tea If you’re going to go tea-tasting in Singapore, you might as well do it at the city’s most storied tea house, right? Previous guests of Tea Chapter, a lovingly converted three-storey pre-war shophouse, include no less than Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Queen Elizabeth II herself! So you’ll be in fine company as you allow time to slow down while you're schooled in the noble art of tea appreciation. Relax with a cup of delicate Imperial Golden Cassia that’s literally fit for a queen inside this zen haven of elegant Eastern furnishings, ornate Chinese architecture, traditional Chinese classical music and perfect tranquility. Take a Day Trip to Sentosa Take the scenic route aboard the cable car to Sentosa or hop aboard the speedy Sentosa Express to get you there in under five minutes. Back on dry land, you’ll discover this sunny island resort has enough activities and attractions to keep you entertained for days on end. Hit the golden sands at palm-strewn Siloso Beach, where you can swim in the sea, ride an enormous swing and walk the SkyBridge 154 feet above the sunbathers below. Then head over to Imbiah Lookout where amazing views across Sentosa to the Southern Islands are already par for the course. The SkyHelix ride supercharges those vistas by taking you even higher, ascending to a dizzying 260 feet above sea level. Other attractions on the island include Universal Studios Singapore, the vast Luxury Fashion Galleria mall and the S.E.A. Aquarium. Savor the Singapore Foodie Culture Singapore’s hawker centers are the stuff of legend. There are over 100 of these open-air food courts around the city, meaning delicious, cheap, freshly cooked Indian, Malay and Chinese cuisine is at your fingertips. The noise and heady aromas – oh lord, those intoxicating aromas! – can be overwhelming at first. Our tip: look for the longest queues (indicating the most popular stalls) and get in line. A world of zingy coconut noodle soups, chili crab and spicy peanut satay awaits. Try the Old Airport Road Food Centre and Ghim Moh Market for some of the very best. Ride the Singapore Flyer Soaring to a knee-knocking 541 feet, the Singapore Flyer stakes its rightful claim as one of the tallest observation wheels on the planet. Steel your nerves for the 30-minute flight as you board at Marina Bay, with ticket upgrades that include a Singapore Sling, a glass of champagne and even a four-course dinner for two. Don’t worry: you get to stay on for two rotations with the dinner package, so no need to wolf down those profiteroles like your life depends on it! Included with all tickets, of course, are life-affirming views over Singapore and Sentosa island; even, on clear days, as far as Malaysia and Indonesia. Tiptoe Through the Treetops If the hustle and bustle of the city all gets too much, fear not! There are plenty of opportunities to escape into the great outdoors amid the plentiful lush vegetation of this tropical paradise. Pedal yourself silly on the epic Round Island bike route, or hit the Park Connector Network, which links major parks, gardens and nature reserves across the island. For those who prefer to explore on foot, the scenic Southern Ridges Trail is a breathtaking elevated walkway through the treetops of the hills south of the city. Cross Singapore’s highest pedestrian bridge and see if you can spot banded bay cuckoos, red-whiskered bulbuls and myriad other colorful bird species flitting through the canopy. Save on attractions and activities for adults in Singapore Save on admission to Las Vegas attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Best Neighborhood to Stay in Singapore
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Best Neighborhood to Stay in Singapore

Picking the right accommodation location is one of the most important parts of planning a vacation. What can your budget allow? What kind of vibe are you looking for? What do you want to be near? Whether you're looking for a mix of things, or are more specifically target one parameter, we've got you covered. Below, we've collated the best neighborhoods to stay in when you visit Singapore. So, whether you're looking to be by the city's most famous landmarks, in the thick of Singapore's nightlife, or want something a bit more traditional, we've found districts that will fit you like a glove. So read on, and find the perfect place for you! Including Marina Bay Riverside Downtown Orchard Road and more! Marina Bay Bringing your family to Singapore? Then Marina Bay is arguably the best neighborhood for you and your clan to stay in. Though it may err on the pricier side, if you're bringing the entire family to the city, you probably have the cash to burn. Location-wise, you'll be in the thick of the action. Marina Bay is a stone's throw from Clarke Quay and the Civic District, so you'll find plenty to keep busy. Plus, one of Singapore's top attractions, the Gardens by the Bay, is right on your doorstep. If you can, book a room at the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Not only are the rooms exquisite, but you'll also have easy access to the hotel's wonderous infinity pool. Riverside Leaving the little ones at home and looking to explore the city's after-dark samplings? Look no further than Riverside. Here, you'll find Singapore's hub of nightclubs, bars, and affluent restaurants. The once-busy docks have been transformed into Singapore's hippest evening area. Not only will you find plenty of rooftop bars where you can soak up some rays or see in the sunset, but you'll also don your dancing shoes at one of the area's many discotheques. Boogie woogie, and all that. However, like Marina Bay, Riverside is on the dearer side of Singapore neighborhoods. Many of the city's top restaurants and night haunts are located there, and you'll be paying a premium to sample their delights. It's also the busiest district for tourism, so if you travel during peak season, expect to be rubbing shoulders with plenty of other travelers. Downtown Singapore's financial district is, understandably, the city's most expensive place to stay. Reserved for traveling business people and the many clients they're visiting, accommodation can be on the pricier side. However, if you can afford it or are in town for business, why not splash the cash? Some of the city's best hotels are housed within, so if you've got it, why not flaunt it? Stacked with skyscrapers and futuristic designs seen in shows like Westworld, you'll find plenty of photo ops around Downtown. But don't worry; it isn't all glass, steel, and concrete. In fact, you'll find plenty of shopping opportunities and even parks if you need to take a verdant break. And yes, while most hotels are relatively expensive, hunt about, and you might find cheaper deals on some more reasonable places. Orchard Road Calling all shoppers. Do you have expensive taste? Do you accept nothing but the biggest and best labels adorning your body and accessories? If you answered yes, then Orchard Road is the best neighborhood to stay in while visiting Singapore! Even if you're not in the market for a new coat or bag, there are still plenty of reasons to stay in the area. You'll find classy cafes, wonderful restaurants, and smaller boutique stores where you can pick up unique items you won't find on the high street. And, when you finally hit your overdraft and have too much to bring back with you, you'll find easy connections to other parts of the city. So, if you need to shop but also want a dazzling locale as your base of operations, check out Orchard Road. Chinatown While we've mainly covered the higher end of budgets when it comes to neighborhoods in Singapore, you needn't break the bank to get the best. In fact, if you're looking for a more authentic cultural experience where rents are cheap, and food is affordable, you can't do much better than Chinatown. A little piece of China in the heart of Singapore, Chinatown also offers all the wonderful delicacies you can expect from a little slice of the east. Food stalls selling myriad Chinese dishes and street food; welcoming shops full of cultural items and knickknacks, as well as great connections to some of the more expensive parts of the city. If you're not looking to break the bank and desire a bit of peace with your accommodation, Chinatown is more than worth a look. Plus, you'll even find the city's cheapest Michelin-star restaurant within, so you can dine like a king without flogging the crown jewels. Little India If you like the idea of Chinatown but prefer your cuisine with a little added spice, say hello to Little India. As a location, it shares many of the same benefits as its eastern partner, with cheaper rents, affordable food, and plenty of authentic shops and experiences to discover. Food-wise, however, expect to find plenty of traditional offerings; curries of all shapes and sizes, pakora, vada pav, and many more. And, as it's located close to some of Singapore's best shopping districts, you'll have plenty of reasons to head out and explore, should you wish to. And those are our picks of the best neighborhoods to stay in during your Singapore vacation! Now that you know where to set up your base camp, you'll need to plan the rest of your trip. If you're suffering from choice paralysis, let Go City ease your woes! Thanks to our All-Inclusive Pass or Explorer Pass, you can see all of the city's best bits and make huge savings while you're at it!
Dom Bewley

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