Attraction
Gardens by the Bay
A 105-hectare waterfront garden at Marina Bay, known for its Supertree Grove, two vast glass conservatories and a free evening light show.
Most things to do in Singapore are close together, which makes the city easy to explore in a short visit. Marina Bay is the modern waterfront, with Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum. The older districts show the city's mix of cultures: Chinatown has temples and shophouses, Little India has spice shops and the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, and Kampong Glam is centred on the Sultan Mosque. Orchard Road is the main shopping street, and Sentosa island has beaches, resorts and theme parks.
Food is one of the main reasons people visit. Hawker centres such as Maxwell, Lau Pa Sat and Chinatown Complex serve dishes including Hainanese chicken rice, laksa, char kway teow and chilli crab at low prices, and a few hawker stalls have received Michelin recognition. There is also a large range of restaurants and rooftop bars. Three to four days is enough for the main areas, the gardens and plenty of eating. Singapore also works well as a stopover between Europe and Australia or other parts of Asia.
Attraction
A 105-hectare waterfront garden at Marina Bay, known for its Supertree Grove, two vast glass conservatories and a free evening light show.
Attraction
Founded in 1859 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015, these 82-hectare gardens hold a pocket of old rainforest and the National Orchid…
Attraction
Housed in the former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings, this gallery holds more than 9,000 works of Singaporean and Southeast Asian art.
Attraction
Singapore's oldest museum, with roots going back to 1849, telling the nation's story inside a domed 19th-century building on Stamford Road.
Attraction
A riverside museum in the restored Empress Place Building tracing Asia's trading cultures, including the 9th-century Tang Shipwreck cargo.
Attraction
An open-concept zoo in the Mandai rainforest, opened in 1973, home to around 2,500 animals from more than 300 species.
Café
Specialty coffee bar and roastery in a former hardware shop on Tyrwhitt Road, one of the cafés that shaped Singapore's third-wave coffee scene.
Café
The original Tiong Bahru Bakery in the 1930s estate of Tiong Bahru, known for its croissants and kouign amann.
Café
Small specialty roaster and espresso bar tucked into an Everton Park housing estate near Outram, focused on carefully sourced, seasonal coffees.
Hotel
Singapore's grand colonial hotel, opened in 1887 by the Sarkies brothers, now an all-suite property with butler service and the birthplace of the Singapore Sling.
Hotel
Moshe Safdie-designed integrated resort with 1,850 rooms across three towers, crowned by the SkyPark and its rooftop infinity pool 191 metres up.
Hotel
Five-star hotel in the 1928 former General Post Office at the mouth of the Singapore River, a national monument with 400 rooms and suites.
Hotel
WOHA-designed hotel opposite Hong Lim Park, opened in 2013, known for its terraced sky gardens holding 15,000 square metres of greenery.
Hotel
Heritage-inspired lifestyle hotel on the former Joo Chiat Police Station grounds in Katong, with Peranakan-themed rooms and a rooftop pool.
Hotel
A 37-room boutique hotel in restored 1895 riverside godowns on the Singapore River, with industrial-chic interiors and the restaurant Po.
Bar
Award-winning cocktail bar at Amara Singapore in Tanjong Pagar, ranked No. 9 in The World's 50 Best Bars 2025, known for polished classics.
Bar
Grand Art Deco cocktail bar in the lobby of Parkview Square, famous for its towering gin collection and opulent, gilded interior.
Bar
The Raffles Singapore bar where the Singapore Sling was created in 1915, with plantation-style décor and a tradition of peanut shells on the floor.
Bar
Rooftop restaurant, SkyBar and club on the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands, with sweeping views over Marina Bay and the city skyline.
Bar
Microbrewery and bar on the 33rd floor of Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1, brewing its own beers with views over Marina Bay.
Restaurant
Bib Gourmand hawker stall at Maxwell Food Centre, serving Hainanese chicken rice with poached chicken, fragrant rice and house-made chilli since 1987.
Restaurant
Family-run hawker stall on Crawford Lane, dating back to the 1930s, whose vinegar-laced bak chor mee earned one of the first Michelin stars for street food.
Restaurant
A historic cast-iron market hall in the financial district, turned food centre, where Boon Tat Street becomes an open-air satay strip every evening.
Restaurant
Indian-Muslim restaurant opposite Sultan Mosque, founded in 1908 and known for stuffed murtabak and nasi biryani with its family-recipe gravy.
Restaurant
Vegetarian Indian restaurant in Little India, opened in 1947, known for South Indian meals served on banana leaves alongside North Indian dishes.
Restaurant
Bib Gourmand flagship of the bak kut teh brand that began as a pushcart in 1969, serving peppery Teochew-style pork rib soup by the river.
Thing to do
Opened in 1994 as the first zoo designed around nocturnal animals, explored by tram and walking trails through six geographical zones after dark.
Thing to do
A 10-kilometre chain of trails linking Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill and Kent Ridge parks, crossing the wave-shaped Henderson Waves bridge.
Thing to do
A 165-metre observation wheel at Marina Centre, opened in 2008, offering a roughly 30-minute rotation with views across Marina Bay and beyond.
Thing to do
A rustic island off Changi reached by a 10-minute bumboat ride, known for cycling trails, kampong life and the Chek Jawa wetlands.
Thing to do
Historic Malay-Muslim quarter around Sultan Mosque, with conserved shophouses on Haji Lane and Arab Street now filled with boutiques, cafés and bars.
Tour operator
Award-winning narrated heritage walks run since 2003 by Journeys, exploring themes such as Little India, colonial history and the Changi war trails.
Tour operator
One-hour land-and-water sightseeing tour aboard a refurbished amphibious vehicle, splashing into Marina Bay after a drive through the Civic District.
Tour operator
Forty-minute bumboat cruises along the Singapore River past Clarke Quay and Boat Quay to Marina Bay, boarding at several riverside jetties.
Tour operator
Singapore tour company running neighbourhood walking tours, including a free 2.5-hour Chinatown walk covering temples, food streets and Ann Siang Hill.
Tour operator
Open-top hop-on, hop-off bus tours from Suntec City, with a City route via Orchard Road and a Heritage route through Little India and Chinatown.
Three to four days covers Marina Bay, the main heritage districts, Sentosa and the hawker centres. A one or two-day stopover is enough for the highlights.
Marina Bay and the Civic District are central for sightseeing, while Chinatown and Clarke Quay are good for food and nightlife. Little India and Bugis often offer better value.
The MRT runs from Changi Airport to the city centre with a change at Tanah Merah. Taxis, ride-hailing apps and airport transfers are also available.
Hotels and alcohol are expensive, but hawker centre meals and public transport are good value. Many sights, such as the outdoor areas of Gardens by the Bay, are free.
Singapore has very low crime rates and is considered one of the safest cities in Asia. Rules are strictly enforced, including on littering, smoking areas and eating or drinking on the MRT.