Things to do · Singapore
19 best things to do in Singapore
19 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote . Feel free to use any of my images, but plea, CC BY 4.0
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Quick answer
The essential sights in Singapore are Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands SkyPark and Merlion Park and the Marina Bay promenade. Of the 19 picks below, 9 are free, 6 work on a rainy day and 9 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Gardens by the Bay
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Gardens by the Bay
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardens by the Bay | Marina Bay | 3–4 hours | Mid-priced |
| Marina Bay Sands SkyPark | Marina Bay | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Merlion Park and the Marina Bay promenade | Marina Bay | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Singapore Botanic Gardens | Tanglin | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Buddha Tooth Relic Temple | Chinatown | 1 hour | Free |
| Little India | Little India | Half a day | Free |
| Kampong Glam and Sultan Mosque | Kampong Glam | 2–3 hours | Free |
| National Gallery Singapore | Civic District | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Asian Civilisations Museum | Civic District | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| National Museum of Singapore | Civic District | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Singapore Zoo | Mandai | Half a day | Expensive |
| Night Safari | Mandai | 3 hours | Expensive |
| Universal Studios Singapore | Sentosa | Full day | Expensive |
| Jewel Changi Airport | Changi | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Southern Ridges and Henderson Waves | Telok Blangah | 2–4 hours | Free |
| MacRitchie Reservoir and TreeTop Walk | Central Catchment | 3–4 hours | Free |
| Pulau Ubin | North-east Singapore | Half a day | Low cost |
| Haw Par Villa | Pasir Panjang | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Singapore River bumboat cruise | Singapore River | 40 minutes | Low cost |
The 19 best things to do
Garden · Marina Bay
1.Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay is a 101-hectare waterfront park whose 16-storey Supertrees are vertical gardens of ferns and orchids. The outdoor gardens are free; two glass conservatories charge entry — the Flower Dome, with Mediterranean and desert plants, and the Cloud Forest, with a 35-metre indoor mountain and waterfall. In the evening, the Garden Rhapsody light-and-music show plays under the Supertrees.
Visit the cool conservatories in the afternoon heat, then lie on the ground under the Supertree Grove for the free evening show.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Buy conservatory tickets online on weekends and school holidays to skip the counter queue.
- Iconic
- Kids
- Couples
- After dark
- Rainy day
- Nature
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Marina Bay
2.Marina Bay Sands SkyPark
The ship-shaped SkyPark spans the three 55-storey towers of Marina Bay Sands. The observation deck, open to non-guests with a ticket, looks over the bay, the financial district and the Supertrees; the famous infinity pool is reserved for hotel guests. Below, The Shoppes mall has a canal with sampan rides and the ArtScience Museum sits on the waterfront.
Go up about 30 minutes before sunset to see the skyline in daylight and after dark on one ticket.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Couples
- After dark
- Photo spot
Waterfront · Marina Bay
3.Merlion Park and the Marina Bay promenade
The 8.6-metre Merlion, half lion and half fish, spouts water into the bay opposite Marina Bay Sands. From here a promenade loops past the Esplanade's spiky 'durian' domes and over the Helix Bridge, about 3.5 km in all. In the evenings the free Spectra light-and-water show is staged on the bay in front of Marina Bay Sands.
Walk the loop at dusk when it is cooler, timing your arrival at the Event Plaza for a Spectra show.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- After dark
- Views
- Photo spot
- Kids
Garden · Tanglin
4.Singapore Botanic Gardens
Founded in 1859 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, the Botanic Gardens cover 82 hectares of lawns, lakes and a patch of original rainforest. Entry is free except for the National Orchid Garden, which shows hundreds of orchid species and hybrids. The Jacob Ballas Children's Garden at the northern end has water play and treehouses.
Come at 7–8am with the joggers, when it is cool and the swans and terrapins on Swan Lake are most active.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
- History
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Religious site · Chinatown
5.Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
Built in 2007 in Tang dynasty style, this five-storey temple houses what devotees venerate as a tooth relic of the Buddha in a gold stupa on the fourth floor. Its rooftop orchid garden has a prayer wheel, and the lower floors hold a museum of Buddhist art. It faces Maxwell Food Centre across the road.
Cover shoulders and knees (shawls are provided), then cross to Maxwell Food Centre for lunch.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Neighbourhood · Little India
6.Little India
Little India's grid of shophouses off Serangoon Road is full of garland makers, gold shops and spice merchants. Visit the colourful Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, eat banana-leaf curry or dosa, and browse Tekka Centre's wet market and hawker floor. The pastel Tan Teng Niah house on Kerbau Road is a favourite photo stop.
Come in the late afternoon, then eat dinner at Tekka Centre or a Race Course Road fish-head curry restaurant.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Photo spot
- Shopping
Neighbourhood · Kampong Glam
7.Kampong Glam and Sultan Mosque
The golden dome of the 1928 Sultan Mosque anchors the old Malay quarter, where Arab Street sells batik and fabric and Bussorah Street is lined with palm trees and restaurants. Nearby Haji Lane is a narrow strip of murals, independent boutiques and small bars, and the Malay Heritage Centre occupies the former sultan's palace.
Visitors can enter the mosque outside prayer times; robes are lent at the door.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Shopping
- Food
- Architecture
Gallery · Civic District
8.National Gallery Singapore
The former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings were joined under a single canopy to house the world's largest public collection of modern Southeast Asian art, with strong galleries of Singaporean painting. The rooftop garden looks across the Padang to Marina Bay Sands.
Even without a gallery ticket, head to the rooftop for the view over the Padang and the bay.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Views
Museum · Civic District
1.Asian Civilisations Museum
On the Singapore River at Empress Place, this museum traces the trade links that shaped Singapore, from Chinese ceramics to Islamic manuscripts and Indian bronzes. Its centrepiece is the Tang Shipwreck, the cargo of a ninth-century Arab dhow found off Indonesia with tens of thousands of Chinese ceramics.
Combine it with a walk along the river to Boat Quay for lunch or a drink.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Civic District
2.National Museum of Singapore
Singapore's oldest museum occupies a domed 1887 building near Fort Canning and tells the island's story from Temasek and colonial Singapore through the Japanese occupation to independence in 1965. The galleries are immersive and well suited to a first day in the city.
Climb Fort Canning Park behind the museum afterwards for its spice garden and colonial-era gates.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Zoo · Mandai
3.Singapore Zoo
Set beside the Upper Seletar Reservoir, the zoo uses moats and vegetation instead of cages wherever it can. Orangutans roam overhead in the free-ranging primate area, and the Fragile Forest biodome lets you walk among sloths and lemurs. Bird Paradise, River Wonders and the Night Safari share the Mandai site.
Arrive at opening when the animals are active and before the midday heat; allow 45 minutes by MRT and shuttle bus from the centre.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Online tickets are often cheaper than the gate and combined Mandai park tickets are available.
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Zoo · Mandai
4.Night Safari
Next to the zoo, the Night Safari opens after dark to show nocturnal animals such as Malayan tigers, leopards, tapirs and pangolins in lit forest enclosures. A tram ride covers the main loop and walking trails lead to the fishing cat and leopard areas.
Take an early entry slot so children are not exhausted, and walk the trails after the tram for quieter viewing.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Timed entry slots sell out on weekends and holidays; book online.
- Kids
- After dark
- Nature
Theme park · Sentosa
5.Universal Studios Singapore
Southeast Asia's Universal park, inside Resorts World Sentosa, is compact enough to cover in a day: seven themed zones include Sci-Fi City's duelling Battlestar Galactica roller coasters, Transformers The Ride and the Ancient Egypt and Jurassic Park areas. Many rides are indoors, which helps on a hot or wet day.
Go on a weekday outside school holidays and head to the coasters first.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Buy dated tickets online in advance; Express passes sell out at busy times.
- Kids
- Active
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Architecture · Changi
6.Jewel Changi Airport
A glass doughnut linked to Changi's terminals, Jewel shelters the HSBC Rain Vortex — at 40 metres the world's tallest indoor waterfall — inside the terraced Shiseido Forest Valley. The landside public areas are free, with paid extras such as the Canopy Park hedge maze and nets on the top level.
Leave luggage at the airport's storage counters and come for the evening light show on the waterfall before a late flight.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Nature · Telok Blangah
7.Southern Ridges and Henderson Waves
A 10 km chain of parks and elevated walkways joins Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill and Kent Ridge. Its highlight is Henderson Waves, a wooden footbridge 36 metres above the road with wave-shaped ribs. The Forest Walk section runs through the treetops of secondary rainforest.
Start at HarbourFront MRT, climb Mount Faber, and walk west so you finish near the Labrador or Kent Ridge stations.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Views
- Active
- Off the beaten path
Nature · Central Catchment
8.MacRitchie Reservoir and TreeTop Walk
Trails around Singapore's oldest reservoir run through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, where long-tailed macaques, monitor lizards and colugos live. The TreeTop Walk is a 250-metre suspension bridge between the reservoir's two highest points, reached by a round-trip hike of about 7 km.
Start early, carry plenty of water and keep food out of sight of the macaques.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Island · North-east Singapore
9.Pulau Ubin
A ten-minute bumboat ride from Changi Point Ferry Terminal, Pulau Ubin keeps the look of a 1960s kampong village, with wooden houses, quarry lakes and mangroves. Rent a bicycle in the jetty village and ride to the Chek Jawa Wetlands, where a boardwalk crosses mangroves and seagrass flats.
Bring cash for the bumboat and bike rental; boats leave when about 12 passengers have gathered.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Active
- Off the beaten path
- Kids
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Park · Pasir Panjang
10.Haw Par Villa
Built in 1937 by the brothers behind Tiger Balm, this hillside park holds more than 1,000 statues and dioramas from Chinese myths and legends. Its best-known section, the Ten Courts of Hell, graphically depicts punishments in the afterlife and is now part of a paid Hell's Museum; the rest of the park is free.
The hell scenes are gruesome; preview them before bringing younger children.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
Experience · Singapore River
11.Singapore River bumboat cruise
Converted wooden bumboats run from Clarke Quay and Boat Quay down the Singapore River, past the old godowns and the Fullerton Hotel, and out into Marina Bay beneath the Merlion. The 40-minute round trip is a restful way to see the old trading river and the new skyline together.
Take a sailing after dark to see the skyline lit up and, with good timing, the Spectra show from the water.
- Time needed
- 40 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Couples
- Kids
- After dark
- Views
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | National Gallery Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum and National Museum of Singapore |
| History | Singapore Botanic Gardens, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Kampong Glam and Sultan Mosque and Asian Civilisations Museum |
| Views | Marina Bay Sands SkyPark, Merlion Park and the Marina Bay promenade, National Gallery Singapore and Southern Ridges and Henderson Waves |
| Outdoors and nature | Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari |
| Food and markets | Little India and Kampong Glam and Sultan Mosque |
| After dark | Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands SkyPark, Merlion Park and the Marina Bay promenade and Night Safari |
| With children | Gardens by the Bay, Merlion Park and the Marina Bay promenade, Singapore Botanic Gardens and Singapore Zoo |
| On a rainy day | Gardens by the Bay, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, National Gallery Singapore and Asian Civilisations Museum |
What to book ahead
- Gardens by the Bay: Buy conservatory tickets online on weekends and school holidays to skip the counter queue.
- Singapore Zoo: Online tickets are often cheaper than the gate and combined Mandai park tickets are available.
- Night Safari: Timed entry slots sell out on weekends and holidays; book online.
- Universal Studios Singapore: Buy dated tickets online in advance; Express passes sell out at busy times.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Singapore?
Gardens by the Bay. Gardens by the Bay is a 101-hectare waterfront park whose 16-storey Supertrees are vertical gardens of ferns and orchids.
+What can you do for free in Singapore?
Merlion Park and the Marina Bay promenade, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Little India and Kampong Glam and Sultan Mosque. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Singapore when it rains?
Head indoors to Gardens by the Bay, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, National Gallery Singapore and Asian Civilisations Museum.
+What is there to do in Singapore at night?
Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands SkyPark, Merlion Park and the Marina Bay promenade and Night Safari are best after dark.