Things to do in Singapore

Marina Bay Sands observation deck

Marina Bay Sands is a 5* hotel that has become part of the iconic Singapore skyline. You can get fantastic views of Gardens by the bay, the cloud forest and flower dome, the Singapore Strait and much of the city below. Make sure you check the weather before you go, if there are thunderstorms, the observation is closed and you have to leave. However, if you go to the ticket desk as you leave, they will give you another ticket to come back at a later time. Tickets cost $28 per person.

Capita Spring

Capita Spring is a free alternative to Marina Bay Sands observation deck and offers views of Marina bay Sands, the Lotus and some of the city below. You have to book the ticket far in advance, otherwise they sell out very quickly. If you haven’t been able to get a free ticket, you can purchase a ticket which includes access to the restaurant/bar and you can redeem the paid ticket for a soft drink. You can expect to spend around 30-45 minutes here.

Cloud Forest and Flower Dome

The Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome are other main attractions in Singapore located in the Gardens by the Bay Area. The Cloud Forest is home to one of the world’s tallest indoor waterfalls with aerial walkways. You can expect to spend around 1 hour here. the flower dome is also located in the gardens by the Bay Area. It contains different plants from all over the world and you can also expect to spend around 1 hour here.

A combined ticket for the cloud forest and flower dome costs $32 for an adult and $18 for a child (3-12 years old). Prices also vary depending on if you’re a Singapore resident or visitor. If I had to decide on only visiting one, I would choose the Cloud Forest.

Gardens by the Bay (OCBC Skyway)

Gardens by the Bay skyway is a must when visiting Singapore! The trees are made from concrete, steel and glass. The Gardens by the Bay Area is free to visit and if you want to go up to the OCBC skyway it costs $14 for an adult and $10 for a child (3-12 years old). If you time your visit for the light show bear in mind the queue to go onto the skyway is quite long at this time.

The garden rhapsody light show happens twice per night. At 7:45pm and 8:45pm and lasts for around 15 minutes. The light show is free but get there beforehand for a good spot.

Botanic Gardens

The Singapore Botanic Gardens are located slightly out of the main city area, however it’s very easy to get to. You can use the circle line or the downtown line on the MRT network or if you have a hop on/hop off bus pass you can get off at the Botanic Garden stop.

The botanic gardens are quite large and you can easily spend half a day or a full day here. We didn’t stop for long but we managed to have a nice lunch and a short walk around. The tropical gardens are located in the Orchard Road shopping district in Singapore and have been certified as a UNESCO world heritage site. The gardens contain lakes, flowers, plants, different birds and animals such as the clouded monitor lizard and different species of frog. The Botanic gardens are free to visit.

Merlion

The Merlion was originally built as the logo for the Singapore tourism board in 1972. It’s a statue depicting a mythical lion/fish hybrid animal and is free to visit on the promenade opposite Marina bay sands.

Satay street at La Pau Sat

In Singapore there are lots of Hawker markets, which are large food halls with lots of different food stalls and communal tables to eat at. One of the famous and oldest Hawkers in Singapore is La Pau Sat where Satay Street is located. Satay Street is what it says it is, a street full of satay stalls selling a variety of satay meats and fishes. There are rows of tables and chairs for communal style eating. We ordered satay chicken, satay king prawns and egg fried rice (very large portions) and some drinks for around $80 (for 3 people).

La Pau Sat - Satay Street

Satay Chicken and Satay King Prawns

St Andrews cathedral

St Andrews cathedral is an Anglican Cathedral located near City Hall. It has the name St. Andrew’s, after the patron saint of Scotland to honour the Scottish community who helped towards the building fund.

Raffles

Raffles hotel was founded in 1887 and has since become a luxurious 5* hotel in Singapore.

One of the bars at Raffles, The Long Bar, is famous for the Singapore Sling, a gin based cocktail which was created in 1915 by Ngiam Tong Boon. You can also get a non-alcoholic version if you wish. At each table there is a bag of peanuts to share. Once you take the peanut out the shell, the tradition is to throw the shells on the floor, which felt very fun but very wrong. This tradition dates back to the 18th century, when plantation and rubber owners would meet at the bar on the weekends and would brush the shells onto the floor.

We heard that sometimes there is a long wait for a table but we visited at 8:45pm and they found a table for us straight away.

The Singapore sling costs $41

Haji Lane and Sultan Mosque

Haji Lane is located in the Kampong Glam area of Singapore and is home to many independent shops, cafes, restaurants as well as brightly decorated buildings and street murals and is becoming a very trendy area of Singapore. We had a wander through Haji Lane and the surrounding streets. We decided to have an early dinner at Coconut club on Beach Road. They serve traditional meals such as Nasi Lemak, Beef Rendang and Chicken satay. We had a few dishes to share and they were all delicious. I highly recommend the coconut shake drink, it was heavenly!

Sultan Mosque is located on Muscat street and is the oldest and largest mosque in Singapore. The beautiful gold dome of the mosque can be spotted from the other streets with the call to prayer echoing through the area.

Changi waterfall

Make sure when you land in Singapore or you leave Singapore, that you explore the airport. The Changi waterfall is one of those things that you just have to see.

1 day itinerary

Merlion
Marina Bay Sands
Gardens by the Bay Area, OCBC skywalk, cloud forest and flower dome
La Pau sat for dinner and The long bar for a Singapore Sling.

2 day itinerary

Day 1

Merlion
Marina Bay Sands
Gardens by the Bay Area, OCBC skywalk, cloud forest and flower dome
La Pau sat for dinner

Day 2

Botanic gardens in the morning
Haji lane and sultan mosque in the afternoon
Coconut club for dinner and then head to the long bar at Raffles for a Singapore sling

3 days in Singapore