Things to do in Singapore in the Morning

The quintessential Singaporean breakfast combines soft-boiled eggs with a cup of morning joe and some kaya toast – toasted bread with sweet coconut jam and butter. Available at any Singapore coffee shop (kopitiam) worth its salt, this is perhaps the most Western-palate-friendly of all the Singapore breakfast choices, and should be tried at least once. Try the old-school Keng Wah Sung Café in Geylang district, go modern at one of the city’s many Killiney and Ya Kun outlets, or hit up your nearest hawker center for the win.

In the market for something a little more adventurous for breakfast? You’re in luck. It’s fair to say that in the great culinary melting pot of SIngapore – a heady blend of Chinese, Malaysian, Indian, Indonesian and Peranakan cuisines – the world is your oyster (sauce). 

Set in the heart of Singapore’s bustling Chinatown, a sensory carnival of colorful temples, traditional teahouses and waving cat ornaments, Chinatown Food Street is where it’s at for some of the finest breakfast dim sum and dumplings in town. Or mosey over to the trendy Kampong Glam neighborhood, one of Singapore’s top foodie destinations, where you can take your pick from classic Malaysian nasi lemak, Indian curry with roti, and fancy baked Western delicacies designed to make your eyes pop and your mouth water. Afterwards, walk it all off with an Insta-tastic stroll around the ‘hoods many marvels, among them eye-catching street art, atmospheric Turkish antique emporia, and the opulent golden dome that tops the splendid Sultan Mosque (pictured).

Singapore’s hawker centers are the stuff of legend, and there are more than 100 of them scattered throughout the city. Inside, sizzling street-food stalls, some of them with pedigrees that stretch back several decades, serve cheap, authentic and delicious Asian food to hungry locals and curious tourists. Whatever your breakfast poison – Chinese rice congee, fried carrot cake, crispy oyster omelet, curried crab – you’re sure to find it here. Check out our guide to some of the best Singapore hawker centers.

Morning is a great time to explore Singapore’s great outdoors, before the midday mercury starts tickling the mid-80s and you wilt faster than a popsicle in a heatwave. There are oodles of great green spaces to choose from here, often with dense jungle cover that will keep you (relatively) cool at just about any time of day.

Magnificent MacRitchie Reservoir is an immense playground for humans and wildlife alike. Get there early for a sunrise hike around its seven-mile trail and get a bird’s-eye view of the forest canopy and reservoir from the TreeTop Walk, a 250-meter-long suspension bridge that links the reserve’s two highest points. Early birds are more likely than most to catch a glimpse of native wildlife including white-throated kingfishers, monitor lizards and flying lemurs out hunting for their breakfast. You can even kayak out onto the lake for a spot of mindful meditation in (relative) morning solitude.

Wake your legs up on a morning hike up to Singapore’s highest point at Bukit Timah Hill. Part of the sprawling nature reserve of the same name, the hill sits among 400 acres of pristine rainforest, an absolute treasure trove of biodiversity where you might meet long-tailed macaques, crimson sunbirds and – if you’re incredibly lucky – the critically endangered Sunda pangolin, as you make your way to the summit. Once there, walkers are rewarded with stunning views across the jungle canopy to the space-age Singapore city skyline beyond.

Read our guide to Singapore's top natural attractions here.

Morning is often the best time to visit the most popular Singapore attractions, achieving the twin benefits of beating the crowds *and* the heat. If you haven’t already had your fill of wildlife after all those amazing nature walks, and fancy bidding good morning to the residents of Singapore Zoo, it’s a good idea to do it early in the day. Heck, you can even pitch up for a ‘Breakfast in the Wild’ experience if meeting orangutans, Bengal eagle owls and African penguins over porridge and coffee floats your boat. It is otherwise a fine time to see the zoo’s 4,200+ hungry critters waking up for breakfast, including two-toed sloths, bearded dragons, elephants and African lions. You can read our guide to Singapore Zoo and the other animal parks that make up the epic Mandai Wildlife Reserve here.

Admission to all Mandai Wildlife Reserve attractions is included with a Singapore pass, which can save you up to 50% on dozens of tours, activities and attractions across the island. Another bucket-lister included on the pass is Gardens by the Bay. Take a morning meander along the dizzying treetop walkway at Supertree Grove – soaring structures that are liberally festooned with tropical foliage – then come back down to earth with coffee and a breakfast roti in peaceful Bay East Garden, with yet more smashing views of the Singapore skyline. Afterwards, stroll futuristic Marina Bay for that all-essential selfie with the Merlion Park statue of Singapore’s mythical mascot – a wondrous water-spouting monster with the head of a lion and body of a fish.

You can also ride the spectacular Sentosa cable car with your pass. And, once on the island, you’ll also have access to several more mega-popular Singapore attractions, including Universal Studios and the Skyline Luge, both of which tend to be less busy in the morning. You can read our full guide to Sentosa Island here.

Want to discover more fun things to do in Singapore in the morning, and save up to 50% on admission to dozens of top tours, activities and attractions? Of course you do! Hit the buttons below to make it so…