This guide will tell you the 10 best things to do in Singapore, a city of many cultural contrasts that boasts not only with amazing food but also world-class shopping, futuristic architecture and impeccable cleanliness. Singapore definitely lives up to its reputation of being very expensive, but the city is filled with free sights as well. If you are coming for a short visit, you could also read a post on how to spend 1 day in Singapore the best way. Singapore is a great short-stay city and we travelled to it by bus from Kuala Lumpur, so you ought to make it to Singapore in combination with your Malaysia travels.
1. Gardens By The Bay
Gardens by the Bay are referred to as the enormous complex of the famous Supertree Grove, OCBC Skyway and Cloud Forest and Flower Domes. Visiting the supertrees is completely free and it’s easy to spend a couple of hours just roaming around the park. On a hot day, you don’t even have to be there early – the majority likes to hide in the shade.
2. Old Hill Street Police Station
The Old Hill Street Police Station is a colonial landmark located at the junction of River Valley Road and Hill Street. The building has a total of 927 windows that have been painted in shades of rainbow colors and these are what makes this building just so special. For best shots, go across the road and time your shots when the traffic stops. It will be just a second or two, so get those high-speed camera settings ready!
3. Little India
Little India is a cute part of Singapore, filled with restaurants, malls, jewellery stores and tailor shops. Today this area is one of Singapore’s most vibrant districts and has quickly become an Instagram hotspot. The colorful buildings make for the perfect backdrop to any photos. While neighbourhoods, such as Chinatown or Kampong Glam, were created at designated locations, Little India was created organically. This means there is plenty of history here. PS: don’t forget to come hungry!
4. Cloud Forest & Flower Dome
Indoor waterfall, colorful flowers and a dome big enough to house a small village are all part of the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. The Flower Dome which features plants from all over the world, is definitely a sight for sore eyes. Cloud Forest will greet you with a 35m tall man-made indoor waterfall and height-challenging walkways among the jungle. Both equally impressive and both charge for entrance (S$28 or $20 USD for both).
5. Fort Canning Park
Fort Canning Park is a large green space in the heart of Singapore and one of the city’s most significant historical landmarks. The trip to the park is a perfect escape from the busy city and here you can enjoy walking, visiting the Spice and Botanic Gardens, the Jubilee Park and much more. The park is packed with hidden treasures like the one below – what might appear as just a boring staircase at first, actually provides a really fun perspective on the outside park. You will find it just by the main road.
Planning to take a short trip to Malaysia as well? Then make sure to check out this article:
11 Best Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur in 3 Days
7. Capsule Hotel
While this one could (completely understandably) be left out by all you claustrophobes – it is actually really interesting to experience sleeping in a capsule hotel during your stay in Singapore. We stayed at Cube Boutique Capsule Hotel in Chinatown and really liked it’s location, cleanliness and rules. Despite having over 20 pods in one room we didn’t hear any guests. Never been in such a quiet shared stay before!
8. Marina Bay
Marina Bay is where you’ll get the best views of Marina Bay Sands Hotel, ArtScience Museum, Esplanade Theatre and where the Merlion Statue, the symbol of Singapore, lies. During our visit they were restoring Merlion, so we only got to see a smaller version of it – but I can imagine the real thing is just as cool to see – I mean – a lion/mermaid statue?! How awesome! Grab an ice cream, sit down and observe the tall buildings and people.
9. Haji Lane and Arab Street
The area surrounding Arab Street is where we ate delicious Turkish meals, had amazing sour cherry ice-teas, grabbed a selfie coffee and did some window-shopping. Haji Lane is trendy and traditional and very popular, especially among young people. It’s also an area filled with Instagram worthy photo spots! So if you are looking to buy some new clothes or try out a new flavour of artisan ice cream, this is the place. The area is a cool mix of cultures and it’s easy to spend 3 hours here.
10. Garden Rhapsody
The Garden Rhapsody is one of the most memorable, outer-worldly performances, a person could ever experience. They literally made the super-trees dance to some of the most iconic movie soundtracks in history. And believe it or not – this show is completely free! All you have to do is show up at Gardens by the Bay at 19.45 and get ready for goose-bumps!
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