One day in Singapore

Day by day

1. Day 1: Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands SkyPark

   Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands SkyPark, Merlion Park and the Marina Bay promenade and Singapore Botanic Gardens, then Night Safari in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Gardens by the Bay

      Visit the cool conservatories in the afternoon heat, then lie on the ground under the Supertree Grove for the free evening show. Allow 3–4 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Marina Bay Sands SkyPark

      Go up about 30 minutes before sunset to see the skyline in daylight and after dark on one ticket. Allow 1 hour.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Hainanese chicken rice

      Maxwell Food Centre in Chinatown is the classic stop; most hawker centres have a chicken-rice stall.

   4. Afternoon

      Merlion Park and the Marina Bay promenade

      Walk the loop at dusk when it is cooler, timing your arrival at the Event Plaza for a Spectra show. Allow 1–2 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Singapore Botanic Gardens

      Come at 7–8am with the joggers, when it is cool and the swans and terrapins on Swan Lake are most active. Allow 2–3 hours.

   6. Evening

      Night Safari

      Take an early entry slot so children are not exhausted, and walk the trails after the tram for quieter viewing.

Before you go

• Gardens by the Bay: Buy conservatory tickets online on weekends and school holidays to skip the counter queue.
• Night Safari: Timed entry slots sell out on weekends and holidays; book online.

If it rains

• Swap in Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (Chinatown): Cover shoulders and knees (shawls are provided), then cross to Maxwell Food Centre for lunch.
• Swap in National Gallery Singapore (Civic District): Even without a gallery ticket, head to the rooftop for the view over the Padang and the bay.
• Swap in Asian Civilisations Museum (Civic District): Combine it with a walk along the river to Boat Quay for lunch or a drink.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–13 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 12 hours in December to 12.2 hours in May.

Getting between stops: Metro. The MRT runs from about 5:30am to around midnight, with frequent, air-conditioned trains.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Singapore
• 3 days in Singapore
• 4 days in Singapore
• 5 days in Singapore
• 7 days in Singapore

Questions travellers ask