10 Things You Should Not Miss in Singapore

Singapore is a perfect city for a stopover in Southeast Asia. The big city has lots of places to visit so you can easily spend a couple of days exploring the sights of Singapore. It doesn’t get boring in Singapore because the city offers way more than you think.

Singapore – 10 sights you should not miss

We have been in Singapore twice now and are absolutely thrilled by its sights. The city is quite popular, especially for a short stopover before moving on to Malaysia or Indonesia.

Three days won’t be enough in order to get to know the city well, but you can indeed see the most important sights of Singapore in a few days. This is best done with one of the day tours in Singapore, because you can learn a lot about the city or find exciting activities. Here is our little guide for 10 things you should not miss in Singapore.

How to get to Singapore

Singapore has not only one of Asia’s largest airports, Changi Airport, but also one of the best in the world! Therefore, Singapore is well connected to the international flight network.

You can fly from many destinations in Europe directly to Singapore and from many destinations in Southeast Asia. More expensive airlines as well as cheap airlines land in Singapore and a good overview of flights with departure times and prices can be found at Skyscanner.

There are also bus and train connections from Thailand or Malaysia, as they can reach Singapore via the mainland. Further information as well as tickets are available at 12go.asia.

Accommodation in Singapore – our hotel tip

Accommodation is significantly more expensive in Singapore than in other major cities in Southeast Asia. For a decent hotel with a good location you have to have a little more budget. A good hotel we can recommend is the ibis budget Singapore Clarke Quay. It’s located in the beautiful and popular district of Clarke Quay, just 5 minutes from the MRT station. The rooms are relatively small, but modern and bright. There is also a rooftop swimming pool to cool off after a hot day in Singapore as well as a gym.

If you would like to stay in a place other than Clarke Quay, have a look here for more hotels in Singapore.

1. Marina Bay Sands

The Marina Bay Sands was built in 2010 and is still a relatively new building when it comes to the superlatives of Singapore. Nevertheless, in the short time it has become a famous landmark which you definitely will recognize if you have seen pictures of Singapore before.

The hotel and casino reminds visitors of an airplane and has in total 55 floors, is about 191 meters high and absolutely impressive. The Marina Bay Sands isn’t just a hotel but also a casino, shopping mall, conference center and offers on top of that some nightclubs and bars.

It is actually something for the wealthy people, but I can still recommend you a visit. The architecture is fascinating and will attract your attention anyway from everywhere nearby.

In addition, the Marina Bay Sands offers a magnificent view at the skyline of Singapore, as well as its famous infinity pool. Unfortunately, this is reserved for guests only, but you can visit the Skypark which also worth a visit with a 360 degree viewing platform.

The Skypark of the Marina Bay Sands is open daily from 9.30 A.M. until 10 P.M. and on weekends even until 11 P.M. You can either buy a ticket for 23 SDG on site or an online ticket to skip the line.

2. Gardens by the Bay

The Gardens by the Bay are an artificial and huge park just behind the Marina Bay Sands. The gigantic garden was created to increase the quality of life of the inhabitants of Singapore. But it’s not only a popular place among the people of Singapore, it is also a great attraction for tourists.

The three main attractions are the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and of course the Supertrees. The Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest are two huge greenhouses where different climates have been created. In the inside you can explore many plants from different regions of the world.

The Supertrees are artificially laid trees within a steel framework. On the top they have solar collectors to generate energy from the sunlight. Really impressive!

Also at night, when the Supertrees are illuminated, you should definitely visit them. It is worth to see the Gardens by the Bay at daylight as well as in the night time.

A visit to the Gardens by the Bay is free of charge but you will have to pay an entrance fee for some of the attractions like the OCBC Skywalk at the Supertrees. Open daily from 9.00 A.M. to 9.00 P.M. with an entrance fee of 8 SGD.

The Flower Dome and Cloud Forest are open at the same time. A combined ticket to these two attractions comes at a price of 28 SGD. Mostly, you can find the tickets online a little bit cheaper.

3. Singapore Flyer

The Singapore Flyer is located on the opposite riverside of the Gardens by the Bay. It’s the second largest Ferris wheel in the world with a height of 165 meters. It was replaced as the highest Ferris wheel by the Las Vegas High Roller in 2014.

The 28 gondolas are endowed with windows on every side so you will always have a 360 degrees view on Singapore. A complete turn takes you about 30 minutes.

The Singapore Flyer is open daily from 8.30 A.M. to 10.30 P.M. and a ticket is 33 SGD per person. However, there are also special offers like dinner etc. More information can be found here.

The view is really terrific. During the day time you even can see Sentosa Island if there are good weather conditions. But the night time is more memorable since the illuminated skyline of Singapore is absolutely impressive.

Tickets for a ride on the Singapore Flyer including a Singapore Sling Cocktail can be found here.

4. The Merlion

The Marina Bay is a main spot for tourists and you can find the next highlight of Singapore here. The Merlion – a mix of a lion and a fish – is along with the Marina Bay Sands the second famous landmark.

The statue represents the patron saint of Singapore and was developed in 1964 as a logo of the country. It expresses strength and the relationship to the sea since Singapore has one of the largest ports of the world.

The Merlion attracts thousands of tourists every day, most of them take pictures with some funny poses in front of the statue. Also the view at the Marina Bay Sands is fantastic and a popular photo spot. However, be aware of the large appearance of tourists around the Merlion.

5. The Helix Bridge

Opened in 2010, the pedestrian bridge connects the Marina Bay Sands with the walking path around the Marina Bay. The architecture resembles a spiral in the form of the human DNA and has 4 viewing platforms with a great view at the skyline of Singapore.

The use is free and especially in the evening the Helix Bridge is worth a visit. Then it is colorfully illuminated and you shouldn’t miss that. A perfect spot for some nice pictures.

6. The skyline of Singapore

We love breathtaking skylines and Singapore has exactly one of them. You can see countless skyscrapers along the Singapore River until the Marina Bay, but also from the Marina Bay towards the Merlion. Great locations for a memorable picture.

Even if the skyline is pretty amazing during the day, for me personally, it gets more impressive as soon as it gets dark.

Singapore shines in a sea of light from the skyscrapers and gives you terrific views. If you take a walk along the Marina Bay, it will give you the best views of Singapore’s skyline at night. Highly recommended!

7. Clarke Quay

The Clarke Quay is located at the waterfront of the Singapore River. It’s known for its many restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Here you can find all sorts of international cuisine and a club for everyone’s taste. There isn’t much going on during the day, but in the evening the Clarke Quay is filled with life.

Like (almost) everything in Singapore, it’s a little bit more expensive to party or drink. The price of a beer in one of the bars is sometimes about 10-15 SGD, but in some cases you can make a good deal during happy hour.

All the colorful warehouses and bars right next to the water create a great and relaxed atmosphere and you should definitely stop by if you visit Singapore. If you are traveling alone, join a pubcrawl in Singapore to meet new people.

8. Orchard Road

The Orchard Road is the shopping center of Singapore. Here you can find all famous and high-class brands, as well as huge shopping malls, cafes and restaurants. Partly, the buildings are constructed futuristically and modernly, which looks really great. There is always something going on at Orchard Road and you can even see some street artists now and then.

You can walk around Orchard Road to take the atmosphere in. Even if you don’t buy anything, it is quite impressive! If you need to cool down from the heat of Singapore, it’s best to take a look around the inside of the air-conditioned shopping malls.

9. Colonial District

The Colonial District is located at the east bank of the Singapore River. It was founded by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles and gives you a great insight into the colonial times of Singapore. You can discover the whole district easily by walking. Especially interesting are the Victoria Theatre, the City Hall, the Old Supreme Court or the Old Parliament House.

You should also visit the Colonial District in the evening. Many of the buildings are illuminated and spread a nice and cozy atmosphere. Whether by day or night, if you are interested, you can learn more about Singapore’s colonial district on a historical bike tour.

10. Mandai Singapore Zoo

The 28 hectare huge Singapore Zoo is hardly comparable to the usual zoos in Europe. On a very large area you can experience over 3000 different animal species. They even live in different zones, which are correspondent to the original climate where the animals are coming from.

If you have some time in Singapore left, then it’s definitely worth a visit. There is also the Singapore Night Safari in the evening. Here you can take a train through the grounds and observe the animals that are active during the night. A great experience.

The admission to the zoo is about 33 SGD and the opening times are from 8.30 AM to 6.00 PM If you like to have some more information, check out the official website. You can also book tickets for the Singapore Zoo including the tram tour online.

Singapore is a fantastic city that offers everything you can imagine and is probably one of the most modern cities we’ve seen so far. On the other hand, it also offers a lot of sights for culture and history freaks. Singapore is definitely worth a visit for a stopover or even a couple days more.

Singapore: Tours and tickets

Do you prefer to travel with a guide who knows the area very well? Then we recommend a guided tour with a local. This way you can get to know Singapore in a completely different way. GetYourGuide offers a wide selection of exciting tours for Singapore.

Do you like Singapore? What is your favorite sight in the city? Do you have any tips what we should see next time?

Photo 3 (Skyline): Kobetsai/Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0) – Photo 8 (Singapore Flyer): jar [o]/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)