How to spend a few days in Singapore on a stopover
It might look tiny on a map, but don’t let that fool you, Singapore has a long list of wonderful things to do. There is no shortage of incredible parks and gardens, spectacular architecture, well curated museums and amazing food. Here is how to spend 2-5 days exploring this remarkable city state.
Initial Planning & Booking:
I have stopped in Singapore on multiple trips from the west coast of the US to Nepal. I found it is a great way to break up the long flights and take advantage of Singapore Airlines free stopover. To book the stop over, I just use the multicity function on the flight search directly on the Singapore Airlines website and build in however many days you want to spend there or you can work with a travel agent to do this for you. Or better yet, have a travel agent (like myself do this for you). Singapore Airlines has direct flights from several cities on the west coast of the United States, including Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. They are very long flights, but the airplanes are fairly comfortable (even in coach) and have good food and services on board, making the sixteen plus hours on board not too miserable.
It is possible to jam a lot into one day in Singapore since the city is relatively compact and easy to get around in, but I really recommend two to five days if you have the time to be able to not be so rushed. This tiny city state does have a ton to offer and even after doing two multiday stopovers there now myself, there is still a pretty long list of things I still want to see, but haven’t had the time yet.
Immigration into Singapore for a US citizen is super easy and seamless making stopping here and going through customs no extra hassel. I have never waited in line. You simply scan your passport and fingers and you are on the way out of the airport. The city clean and comfortable, and English is the national language making it easy to navigate on your own. The only potential con to Singapore is that it is quite expensive, especially hotels and alcohol. There is not really any such thing as a “budget” hotel in Singapore.
For where to stay and what to do on the stopover you can work directly with the airline or you can just book things on your own. The first stopover I did, I worked directly with the airlines to book a hotel room and the singapore pass, which gave you free transportation to your hotel and passes to many activities throughout the city for a set fee. The second time I just booked my own hotel and tickets for activities online. Both ways worked great, it all depends on how much research or work you want to do yourself verses having someone book things for you. If you want to do multiple activities on the Singapore Pass, it is worth it to get the pass. However if you are more interested in just wandering the city, then it might not be worth it to spend the extra money and you can pay entrance fees and get tickets only to the things you really want to do.
The Basics:
Where to stay:
Recommended mid range hotels: The Dorset (Chinatown), The Jen Singapore Orchard, and Park Regis Hotel
Luxury Hotels: The Marina Bay Sands, Raffles Hotel, or The Fullerton. But there are tons of beautiful options.
Where to eat/drink:
There are lots of very fancy, well rated and michilen stared restaurants in Singapore, but if you don’t have the money or didn’t get reservations at those places don’t worry there are lots of other options for delicious food including tons of incredible super cheap street food. Here are a few of my favorites.
Samy’s Curry: An Indian restaurant located near the Botanical Gardens, it is pretty casual, but they serve delicious curries right on a bamboo placemat and walk around and let you pick what you want to try. They are pretty spicy, so be sure to get something cold to drink to wash the food down with.
Jumbo Seafood (at Clark Quay): There are many of these restaurants, but this one has a great view. Trying the chili crab is a must in Singapore and this place has it mastered, including the bid and all the wet wipes you need to eat this.
Tanuki Raw (Orchard Mall): A sushi spot in the Orchard Mall, everything on the menu was delcious and they have fun cocktials. Dining on the deck is great for people watching too.
Hawker Chan (Chinatown): The original Michelin starred hawker stand, this place is simple yet delicous. Stop by for the chicken and rice.
Courtyard Cafe @ The National Gallery: The National Gallery is not only home to incredible art and history, but a good list of incredible highly rated restaurants. If getting reservations or paying the hefty price for some of the fancy places here isn’t on your agenda. The Courtyard cafe is a more casual no reservations needed kind of place, but it is still serving up delicious Singaporean dishes.
Hawker market: There are many hawker markets all over Singapore, but we enjoyed the Newton Food Center. It is a large market with lots of differnt stalls and a very local feel. There are tons of food and drink options, but make sure to grab a glass of sugar cane juice while you walk around and decide what to eat. If you are feeling a little adventurous, go for the Ice Kachang for a one of a kind dessert.
The Dim sum Place (Kampong Glam): As the name would suggest this place serves a wide selection of Dim Sum.
Rooftop bars: The famous one being the Marina Bay Sands rooftop, which is expensive, but a one of kind experience. There are lots of other options though. The National Gallery has a rooftop bar and if you stay at the Jen on Orchard the rooftop pool bar is a great place to take in the city skyline in the day and at night. Go to at least one while you’re in the city.
Atlas Bar: An upscale bar with fancy over the top interior architecture. Make sure you get a reservation, otherwise you likely won’t be able to get a table even on an afternoon. It is worth stopping by to see if even if you don’t want a drink.
Two Days with the Discover Singapore Pass:
Day 1: Sky Bridges, Sentosa, Marina Bay and Clark Quay
Wake up and catch the metro to the Harbourfront stop. Then wander the trails into Mount Faber park. Following the trails you will be able to access the park’s famous Henderson Waves bridge and Southern Ridges canopy walks before the heat of the day sets in. After winding your way through the park you go back towards the metro and catch thecable car to Sentosa Island, which is included on your pass. There are additional cable cars on Sentosa Island, so you can ride those around to see the island and stop at one of the beaches where you can lounge in the sand and even swim if you want.
After you will want to return to the hotel and relax and clean up a bit before heading out again for the evening. Walk or take the subway Marina Bay Sands Hotel for drinks and snacks on the top floor over looking the city and the port. If you time it right you may even catch the sunset. You’ll have to pay to go up, but it counts towards your tab which will be easily reached with one or two drinks how pricey the items are, but it’s still a must do experience. If you do not want to go to the restaurant there is also a Skypark Observation Deck you can pay to visit for sweeping views of the city and its surroundings. From the hotel walk along the water front towards the Merolin and Clark Quay to schedule your city lights at night cruise. Make sure you get your ticket and book a spot on the boat, with your pass at least a little ahead of time otherwise the seats can fill up. Then grab a quick bite to eat at one of the many restaurants along the waterfront before the cruise. Stop by the Merolin and then load up on the boat. You should be able to catch the marina bay light show from the boat before cruising down to see the lights of Clark Quay.
If you still have energy, head across the water to the Singapore Flyer and take in the city lights from above as you ride the giant ferris wheel. You’ll have great views of the Super Trees lit up at night where you’ll be headed the next morning. If you’re anything like me after a day jam packed like this you will be very ready to go back to the hotel and go to bed, but if not head out to one of Singapore’s many trendy bars.
Day 2: Gardens by the Bay & China Town
Wake up and head down the Gardens by the Bay. Wander the gardens taking in the beauty before heading to the domes. There is a flower dome and the cloud forest. The cloud forest, is absolutely stunning and you really do feel like you’re in a jungle. After that head to the Super Trees skywalk to see them up close and get great views of the gardens.
Then head towards China Town and get in line at Hawker Chan for lunch, which was the first Michelin stared hawker stand. It is now a little stand alone restaurant, but still has a casual vibe, limited menu, and a hawker stand vibes despite it being famous for dishing out Michelin starred food. Then wander the streets of China Town checking out the cute shops, there are lots of great vendors here and big food markets if you want to do some souvenir shopping or pick up some Chinese medicine and creams that are hard to find at home. There is also a beautiful temple you can walk through.
Head to the airport a little early and after dropping your bags walk down to see the famous “Jewel”. The water that appears to pour down from the ceiling. If you have lots of time there are many restaurants and things to do here centered around the Jewel, otherwise after watching for a bit head back to your terminal to pass through exit migration and head to your gate.
Additional Days 3-5
Day 3: Botanical Gardens & Zoo
Jump on the metro to the Botanical Gardens first thing in the morning. Stroll through the gardens for a couple hours making your way to the National Orchid Garden. The gardens themselves are free with tons of different pathways through various gardens, past lakes and little cafes, but to go to the Orchid Garden you will have to pay a small entrance fee. The Orchid Garden is where the iconic vine archway is located and there are tons of incredibly beautiful and colorful orchids growing throughout the garden. If you come out the opposite side of the Botanical Gardens from the metro stop you will be in easy walking distance to Samy’s Curry for lunch.
Next order a Grab Taxi (Asia’s version of Uber) to go the zoo, which is not on the metro line, so it is easiest to just taxi there. You can go the River Wonders exhibit or the regular zoo or do both. The River Wonders has the panda exhibit as well as some other pretty unique exhibits and a river cruise. The Zoo is also very large with unique animals and is considered one of the best in the world. Going to both makes for a long day, but really is a great way to spend the day. Singapore is well known for its zoo’s for good reason it is rated as one of the top zoo’s in the entire world.
After heading back to the hotel relax by the pool for a while before getting ready for dinner. Singapore is very hot and humid, so spending time by the pool in the afternoon heat is kind of a must. For dinner head to Clark Quay neighborhood and grab a table at Jumbo Crab along the river front to eat their famous chili crab with a view of the colorful bridge and buildings. I recommend booking a reservation otherwise you may have to wait a while to get a table, this is a popular spot. After dinner wander around Clark Quay taking in the fun colored lights after dinner. You can wander down along the river towards Marina Bay and the Merolin if you want to see the light show and take in the lights of the city at night. Singapore does come alive at night when the sun goes down and everything cools off.
Day 4: Wander the neighborhoods & waterfront, visit a Hawker market and the night zoo
Start your day in Singapore’s Little India wandering the streets. The Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple is a beautifully painted Hindu temple that is worth checking out. Then walk down towards the Masjid Sultan Mosque and brightly colored streets of Kampong Glam. There is some great street art in the back alleys here, so wander for a bit and then go to Haji Lane. This might be one of the most famous streets in Singapore for it’s colorful buildings, cute restaurants, and fun street art. There are lots of food options along Haji Lane, but we opted for something a little less touristy and went to The Dim Sum Place for lunch a few blocks away. There are tons of amazing and affordable food options in this neighborhood. There are also some massage places and we stopped and got a foot massage, which was so amazing after a full day of flying and then several days of lots of city walking. Once you are feeling refreshed continue the walking and head down to the Marina Promenade and you can pass by the the formula 1 racing strip before you end up back down by the Marina Bay (if this is too much walking you can always take a Grab or hop on the Metro to get from place to place).
Spend another afternoon by the pool before heading to Orchard Central Mall for dinner at Tanuchi Raw. Even if you don’t want to shop, go a bit early to dinner so you can wander around the mall, it is pretty impressive to just see the scale of it. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu at Tanuchi, we loved it all, and for the quality of the food you get it is a pretty good deal. We loved our seat out on the deck so we could people watch on the streets below. Afterwards walk out to the street and check out the malls and other shops light up for the night.
If you aren’t tired of the zoo then head back out for night safari at the zoo. This is a super fun and unique experience, if you only do one zoo experience in Singapore I would recommend the night zoo. I don’t think there are are any other zoos in the world that do something quite like this. On arrival you can jump on a little train that takes you past many of the major animal exhibits, then I totally recommend walking around as well. There are small lights on the paths to help you find your way and you get to see more exhibits than are on the train route. We even got the opportunity to feed a rhino! Book tickets for one of the early entrance times so you can maximize your time there. It does sell out, so you will want to buy tickets online in advance. They can be purchased directly from the zoo’s website
https://www.mandai.com/en/ticketing/admission-and-rides/parks-selection.html
Day 5: Fort Canning Park, The National Gallery & a fancy bar
Spend the morning exploring the different paths through Fort Canning Park, which is an old military fortification area. Fort Canning Hill is the high point in downtown, so you get great views of the city and the port. There are tons of different paths, you can easily spend an hour or more wandering past old military equipment and buildings and bunkers, through nicely manicured gardens, and past views of the city. Visiting the park in the morning before the heat of the day is the best time and you will see many locals out doing the same.
Then spend the heat of the day wandering through the National Gallery’s vast collection of art. There is so much here you could spend days, so pick a few exhibits to prioritize, if you don’t have the entire day to spend. The building is also very beautiful to just spend some time sitting and relaxing in. If you need a break stop by the Coutyard Cafe for some delicious food. The National Gallery is also home to some of Singapores top rated restaurants including National Kitchen, Odette, Smoke and Mirrors, and Art Di Daniele Sperindio just to name a few.
Then head out for an afternoon drink at one Singapore’s iconic bars. The drinks are never very strong in Singapore, so don’t worry having an afternoon beverage won’t put you to sleep. You can get in line at the Raffles Hotel to have one of the original Singapore Slings. They were invented at this very bar and there is even an old school machine that mixes the drinks, which was featured on the Somebody Feed Phil Singapore episode. The Raffles Bar no longer take reservations, so be prepared to spend a long time in line. We arrived right after it opened and the line was already insanely long, so I still have to actually sit down and have a drink at this iconic spot. A few blocks away is the beautiful Atlas Bar, which is an absolutely stunning building with an old school bar that feels like it belongs in the Great Gatsby. You will need to make a reservation to get in here even in the afternoon, but if you can preplan for a stop here I would highly recommend it.
