Singapore City Trip: What to See and Do on Your Visit

This destination guide recounts my trip to Singapore and shows what you can see and do during a short one-day or two-night visit to the city.

A trip to Singapore

After a great flight in Air France business class on the Boeing 777, I had arrived in Singapore, where I would kick off this trip to Asia.

Although I’ve transited through Singapore a couple of times before and briefly ventured into the city for at most half a day each time, I never really had the chance to properly explore it.

That would change now, as I had booked a 2-night stay in Singapore, which would give me plenty of time to visit the city.

Although my late arrival meant I only had the evening to explore Singapore on day one, at least on day two I had a full day and night to enjoy the city to the fullest before continuing my trip to Taiwan on day three.

The Jewel at Singapore Changi Airport

If you arrive in Singapore by plane, as I did, it makes sense to begin your city tour at the Jewel in Changi Airport.

The Jewel is essentially a shopping and entertainment complex attached to the airport, though its main attraction is something that will impress even those not interested in the shops or other facilities.

At the heart of the Jewel at Singapore Changi Airport is the Rain Vortex, the world’s largest and tallest indoor waterfall.

From a large oculus in the impressive glass roof, the water of the Rain Vortex falls down 40 metres (131 ft).

The artificial waterfall is surrounded by a beautiful terraced indoor garden, with walkways that ascend from the ground floor to Canopy Park on the top level.

Although most people have likely seen images or videos of the Jewel at Changi Airport on social media before, the sight still takes your breath away in person, as it’s even more impressive when you first approach it.

The Jewel at Changi Airport and the Rain Vortex can be visited free of charge, but keep in mind that they are located landside in a retail complex adjoining the airport, so if you’re in transit between flights, you’ll need to clear immigration and enter Singapore to access it.

However, even if you’re just in transit, you can still see the Rain Vortex at the Jewel during your layover without formally entering Singapore, as the Changi Airport Skytrain — the line running between transfer point ‘E’ in Terminal 2 and transfer point ‘B’ in Terminal 3 — passes right alongside this indoor waterfall, allowing you to see it from the window of this automated people mover system for transit passengers.

From the airport into the city

Changi Airport is well connected to the rest of the city by public transport, and most visiting travellers will probably use the MRT, Singapore’s extensive metro system.

Singapore Changi Airport is located on a short spur line of the MRT, and you will have to change trains at Tanah Merah onto the main East–West Line (an easy cross-platform connection) for another train to take you towards the city centre.

I got off a few stops before the city centre at Aljunied station in the Geylang district, as that was where my hotel was located.

Geylang Road

It was a 15-minute walk from Aljunied MRT station to reach my hotel.

The walk took me along Geylang Road, one of Singapore’s major east–west trunk roads, known for its historic and highly colourful Chinese shophouses and neon-lit restaurants, many of which appeared to specialise in crab and frog dishes.

As the sun set below the horizon, beautiful twilight colours spread across the cloudy skies over Geylang Road, making the scene of Chinese shophouses appear even more exotic.

Singapore budget hotel

For my two-night stay in Singapore, I booked a superior double room at Hotel 81 Premier Princess, a good-quality budget hotel in Geylang.

Although my room was rather small, it was spotlessly clean and comfortable, with a pleasant view from the window over a sports field.

Singapore can be an expensive city to visit, so I was more than happy with the price I paid for my room — 181.69 Singapore dollars (123.93 euros) for two nights.

There are many more hotels like this in the suburbs of Singapore, and as long as they are close to a direct bus or MRT line to the city centre, their location can still be quite convenient for exploring the city.

Bugis Street

As I managed to get some good sleep on my flight from Paris to Singapore, I still had plenty of energy to head out into the city in the evening.

I took the bus from Geylang to Bugis Street, a lively shopping area with dozens of stores, food markets, and hawker stalls.

With so many restaurants and hawker stalls in Singapore, it can feel a bit overwhelming to decide where to eat.

In my opinion, the best approach is to follow your nose and instincts, see which places are busy with locals, or check some blogs that cover the Singapore food scene.

There are countless online blogs and social media accounts dedicated to hawker stalls and restaurants in Singapore, and those written by native Singaporeans are especially good at highlighting the most popular local dishes and the best places to try them.

On the recommendation of one such website, I stopped at New Rong Liang Ge in a small hawker centre just around the corner from Bugis Street, a place well known among the local Singaporean crowd for its roasted duck and Char Siu, Cantonese-style barbecued pork.

The Char Siu was indeed delicious — and like most hawker food in Singapore, very affordable (€2.40) — although the same cannot be said for buying a beer or other alcoholic drinks, as these cost a small fortune in this city-state due to high taxes.

Atlas Bar

Next on my evening tour of Singapore was a visit to nearby Parkview Square, an office building that houses a famous cocktail lounge called Atlas Bar.

Atlas Bar has an absolutely stunning Art Deco interior and, although it only opened in 2017, it exudes the historic charm of the 1920s Jazz Age.

The centrepiece of Atlas Bar is its imposing three-storey, 15-metre-tall (49-foot) gin tower, which houses a vast collection of over 1,300 bottles of gin.

Atlas Bar is simply one of the most fantastic places I have ever had a drink in, and I thoroughly enjoyed the two gin and tonics I had during my visit on my first evening in Singapore.

Do note that a smart casual dress code applies at Atlas Bar from 5pm, and just like any other Singapore bar or pub, be prepared that a cocktail or a long drink will cost you a small fortune.

I just wish more places around the world would follow Singapore’s Atlas Bar as an example, since it proves that even today we can still create beautiful historic styles like Art Deco when we choose to.

Breakfast at Lau Pa Sat

Although I would have loved to stay longer at Atlas Bar or visit other pubs in Singapore, I cut my first day short and returned to my hotel for a good night’s sleep to avoid jetlag and be fully fit for my second day in the city.

Again, I took a bus from my hotel to the city centre, which is incredibly straightforward since on Singapore public transport you simply tap your debit or credit card when boarding and alighting from the bus (or entering and exiting an MRT station), and the fare is automatically deducted from your card.

This time I got off at One Raffles Quay in Singapore’s financial district, from where I headed to Lau Pa Sat, a Victorian-era market hall full of hawker stalls.

As it was early morning and I hadn’t eaten anything yet, I went to a recommended hawker stall at Lau Pa Sat for some delicious Nasi Lemak, a Malay breakfast staple of coconut rice served with fried anchovies, peanuts, and sambal.

Morning tour of Singapore

After the filling breakfast, I had all the energy I needed for a full day of exploring Singapore, and I set off on my long trip on foot along the city’s main sights.

I began my city tour by walking from Lau Pa Sat towards the Promontory at Marina Bay to take in the views of the Singapore skyline, before continuing to my first real sight of the day, Gardens by the Bay.

Although my visit was in mid-November during Singapore’s wet season, it fortunately wasn’t rainy at all that morning, and in fact, the sun broke through the clouds numerous times.

No matter when you visit Singapore, expect the weather to be extremely humid, although this is especially true during the wet season.

When walking through the city, it is therefore advisable to bring plenty of water, some deodorant, and perhaps even a spare shirt, as it is likely to be a sweaty experience!

Gardens by the Bay

One of Singapore’s most popular sights is Gardens by the Bay, a sprawling urban park measuring 105 hectares (260 acres).

Gardens by the Bay can be visited for free, though several attractions within the park, such as the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome — two large greenhouses — require an entry ticket.

Entry tickets can be purchased on the Gardens by the Bay website.

I decided not to visit any of the attractions and simply enjoy the pleasant surroundings of the beautifully landscaped park and the excellent views it offers.

Inside the park, you will also find many modern art installations and sculptures worth seeing, although most weren’t exactly my cup of tea.

Supertree Grove

The most iconic sight in Gardens by the Bay is the Supertree Grove, which consists of 12 tree-like structures ranging from 25 metres (82 ft) to 50 metres (164 ft) in height.

At other locations in Gardens by the Bay, you can find a further six Supertrees.

Although admiring the Supertrees from below is free, you’ll need to buy an entry ticket to access the canopy, where there is a walkway and observation deck.

In the evening, the Supertree Grove is home to a sound and light show.

Across the Helix Bridge

To continue my Singapore visit, I walked across the Helix Bridge towards the Esplanade on the other side of Marina Bay.

The curved design of this steel footbridge is based on the structure of DNA and is certainly quite striking.

From the bridge, you have a great view of the ArtScience Museum, another iconic building in Singapore with a striking modern architectural design meant to resemble a flower.

Singapore skyline views from the Esplanade

The Esplanade, a promenade along Marina Bay, offers perhaps the best view of the dozens of skyscrapers that make up the Singapore skyline.

There are plenty of places where you can sit down along this waterside promenade to take in the skyline views.

There are plenty of places to sit along this waterside promenade and enjoy the skyline views, and if you’re hungry or thirsty, you’ll find a few food and drink stalls where you can buy something.

As you walk along the Esplanade towards the Padang, the views of the Singapore skyline only become better.

Also from the Jubilee Bridge, the footbridge that runs across Marina Bay parallel to the busy main road, Esplanade Drive, you can enjoy some terrific views of the Singapore skyline.

Padang

When you explore the city centre of Singapore, it’s hard to miss the large green field in the middle of the urban jungle known as the Padang.

Padang simply means ‘field’ in the Malay language, and it is essentially a large grass lawn.

During British colonial rule, the Padang was used as a cricket and parade ground, and today it serves a similar purpose as a venue for sports activities and large events such as concerts.

The Padang isn’t unique to Singapore, as you’ll also find one in the heart of other Southeast Asian cities, most notably in Kuala Lumpur.

The Padang is surrounded by some of the Singapore’s most iconic historic landmarks, such as the old City Hall, the National Gallery Singapore, and St Andrew’s Cathedral, and from the field you’re also treated to excellent views of the modern skyline of the financial district down the road.

War memorials

If you’re at the Padang, you may also want to pay your respects to the fallen British and Commonwealth soldiers, as well as the local Singaporean people, who lost their lives during World War I and II.

In Esplanade Park, which directly adjoins the Padang, you can find the Singapore Cenotaph, modelled after the one in Whitehall, London, while a more modern memorial stands in War Memorial Park across Stamford Road.

During World War I, 124 Singaporean soldiers served in the British Army and fought on the frontlines.

Although life in Singapore was relatively peaceful compared to cities in Europe, as the frontlines were far away, a 1915 mutiny by Indian sepoys of the British Indian Army’s 5th Light Infantry — sparked by rumours they would be sent to the Middle East to fight the Ottomans — resulted in the deaths of 36 soldiers and civilians.

World War II was far more brutal for Singapore, as it was conquered by the Japanese Empire and its people faced harsh repression under the occupying forces.

Although British and Commonwealth soldiers outnumbered the Japanese forces and Singapore had a naturally defensive location as an island, it fell on 15 February 1942 after just a week of fighting due to superior Japanese tactics, training, weaponry, and air supremacy.

The British commanders also made several tactical blunders in their defence of the city, although they were also let down by insufficient support from the RAF and Royal Navy.

In what became known as one of Britain’s worst military defeats in history, some 80,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers were taken prisoner after the fall of Singapore.

While the POWs were interned and marched off in dire conditions, life was scarcely better for the local Singaporeans, as summary executions, public beheadings, and mass rapes by the Japanese forces were common in the weeks that followed, with the Chinese community especially hard hit.

Only on 12 September 1945 — nearly a month after Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki — did the local Japanese garrison in Singapore officially surrender to the British.

Raffles Hotel

Next on my tour around Singapore was a visit to the Raffles Hotel, the city’s most historic hotel and the place I would definitely choose to stay on my trip if I had an unlimited travel budget.

Even if you can’t afford to stay at this luxury Singapore hotel, a visit to the Raffles is still a great way to experience its colonial-era architecture and historic atmosphere.

The Raffles Hotel was opened in 1887 by the Sarkies Brothers, three entrepreneurial Armenian hoteliers who established and operated many other iconic hotels across British colonial possessions in Southeast Asia, including the Eastern & Oriental Hotel in George Town on Penang Island, Malaysia, and the Strand Hotel in Rangoon.

The hotel is named after British statesman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (1781–1826), who is regarded as the founding father of modern Singapore.

Long Bar

In my opinion, a trip to Singapore is not complete without a visit to the famous Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel.

The Long Bar is Singapore’s most historic bar and the place where the Singapore Sling, a gin-based cocktail, was first created in 1915.

Back then, etiquette dictated that ladies could not consume alcohol in public, so bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created a cocktail that resembled fruit punch in colour, allowing women to enjoy an alcoholic drink without raising suspicion, which is how the Singapore Sling was born.

As I personally find the cherry flavour of the Singapore Sling a bit too sweet, I ordered its more bitter ancestor, the Raffles 1915 Gin Sling, a drink popular throughout 19th-century Malaya, and it turned out to be one of the best cocktails I’ve ever tasted.

A nice touch when drinking at the Raffles Bar is that you’re always served a complimentary bowl of peanuts in their shells, which — by tradition — you simply discard onto the bar floor!

Colonial-era architecture

After two Gin Slings, I felt properly refreshed and ready to brave the humid weather of Singapore once again.

From the Raffles Hotel, I headed towards Fort Canning Park, passing several historic Colonial-era buildings along the way, including the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Good Shepherd and the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator, where the graves of the Sarkies brothers can be found in the churchyard.

There are plenty more buildings with British colonial architecture in this central part of Singapore, such as Stamford House and the Capitol Building, which now comprise the Capitol Kempinski Hotel.

Nearby, you can find a former Catholic convent and girls’ school that has been transformed into a restaurant and entertainment complex known as CHIJMES — an acronym for Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Middle Education School, pronounced “chimes”.

Fort Canning

Located on a 48-metre-high hill (157 ft) overlooking Singapore, Fort Canning was once a British Army barracks and is now a pleasant park.

The hill has been inhabited for many centuries, and historic artefacts found on the site suggest it was an important centre of the 14th-century Malay state of Singapura.

Instantly recognising the hill’s strategic position overlooking the town of Singapore, the British fortified it and built an army barracks, completing all fortifications in 1861.

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles also built his bungalow here in 1822, which became known as Government House and served as the official governor’s residence until 1857.

Most of the fortress was demolished in 1926 to make way for the construction of a large freshwater reservoir on the hill, as it had lost much of its earlier significance due to the advances in modern weaponry and the expansion of the city of Singapore.

Nowadays, the entire hill has been transformed into a historic park known as Fort Canning Park, which makes for a pleasant place to stroll.

Make sure you take a look at Fort Canning Centre, the former British military barracks, as well as the old fort entrance gate to the west, which is beautifully overgrown with plants and trees.

Government buildings

After my visit to Fort Canning Park, I walked downhill back into the city centre, this time heading towards the spot where the park meets the Singapore River.

At this corner, you can find the Old Hill Street Police Station, which was built in 1934 and stands out for its more than 900 colourful louvered windows painted in all the colours of the rainbow.

In this area, you will also find many of Singapore’s government buildings, such as the Ministry of Finance, the Treasury, and Parliament House.

Along the Singapore River

Another pleasant place for a walk in Singapore is Boat Quay, a pedestrianised street along the Singapore River lined with numerous bars, making it an ideal spot for a drink if you get thirsty during your visit.

The stretch between Elgin Bridge, constructed in the late 1920s, and Anderson Bridge, another historic structure built in 1910, is particularly scenic, with the small houses along the riverbank providing a striking contrast to the towering skyscrapers of the financial district just behind them.

Many of the bars, pubs, and restaurants along Boat Quay offer generous happy hour deals, making them some of the more affordable places in Singapore to enjoy a beer or two or some other alcoholic drinks.

Even if you don’t plan to drink on your trip and have no interest in the bars along Boat Quay, this Singapore street still offers one of the most atmospheric settings for a leisurely stroll.

Craft beer

I ended my walk along the Singapore River at Anderson Bridge, where the river flows into Marina Bay.

As the walk up to Fort Canning and back — combined with the high humidity — had left me tired, it was time to stop for another drink.

Although the bars along Boat Quay looked inviting, I decided to continue to the promenade along Marina Bay to visit Brewerkz One Fullerton, one of the outlets of microbrewery and pub chain Brewerkz, which is one of the best places in Singapore to sample local craft beers.

I sat down on the outdoor terrace and ordered Brewerkz’s own NEIPA, as well as their classic IPA, which I was particularly curious to try.

Just a few weeks earlier, English wine writer Oz Clarke visited the same spot in Singapore and raved about the Brewerkz IPA, calling it a “smasher” and saying it tasted like “a Jaipur used to taste 15 years ago”.

Both beers tasted great, and Oz Clarke was spot on about the Jaipur, which was incredibly refreshing in Singapore’s humid weather.

While I was seated outside at Brewerkz, the skies suddenly opened and it began to rain heavily, so I was forced to stay longer and have another glass of the IPA — a trip to Singapore during the wet season really can be tough!

Merlion

When the downpour had almost stopped, I decided to continue my walk despite the light rain, as ordering yet another beer didn’t seem like a good idea given the high alcohol prices in Singapore.

As I was nearby, I first made my way to the Merlion statue at the end of the Fullerton Promenade.

The Merlion is a large statue depicting a mythical creature with the body of a fish and the head of a lion, spouting water from its mouth into Marina Bay.

The Merlion has become an official symbol of Singapore, often featured in tourism brochures and used as a mascot at various events.

While walking back from the Merlion along Fullerton Promenade, the rain suddenly stopped, and within minutes the dark clouds began to give way to blue skies and sunshine.

Although heavy downpours are common during the rainy season in Singapore — especially in the afternoon — the skies can clear just as quickly, and you might still be lucky enough to enjoy some good weather on your trip.

Chinatown

Another area of Singapore not to be missed on your trip is Chinatown, a must-visit for its temples, architecture, and vibrant mix of bars, hawker stalls, and restaurants.

Chinatown is a fairly large area, with the MRT stations Telok Ayer and Maxwell located at the heart of its most historic section.

This area was developed between 1820 and 1830 as a settlement for migrants from China and soon grew into a thriving commercial hub and centre of Chinese culture.

The southern fringes of Chinatown, around Bukit Pasoh Road and Tanjong Pagar MRT station, were developed much later, in the early 20th century.

Historically, Chinatown was predominantly a working-class area, with most Chinese settlers originating from Canton and Fujian, many of whom maintained strong ties to their families and clans back in China.

In recent decades, Chinatown underwent significant gentrification, with many original working-class residents priced out as the neighbourhood experienced substantial urban redevelopment, although its Chinese heritage has been carefully conserved.

I took a quick bus ride from downtown Singapore and began exploring the beautiful Chinese shophouses and architecture in the south-west corner of Chinatown, along Neil Road, Keong Saik Road, and Kreta Ayer Road.

Hindu temples

Although Chinatown was once almost exclusively Chinese, it is now a more racially and culturally diverse neighbourhood, like most other areas in the melting pot that is Singapore.

In Chinatown, there are also some Hindu temples worth visiting, which is especially worthwhile if, like me, you have only one full day or two nights at most in Singapore and no time to explore Little India properly.

On my walk, I decided to visit Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple, which was built in 1925 by Tamil migrants who had relocated from southern India to Singapore.

Sri Mariamman Temple, built in the Dravidian style, is another Hindu temple well worth seeing in Chinatown.

This rich blend of cultures is something I have always loved about Singapore, where British, Malay, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, and many other cultures have left their mark and influenced modern-day Singaporean life.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

The largest and most impressive Buddhist temple in Chinatown is the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple on South Bridge Road.

Although this Singapore temple is relatively modern — having been completed in 2007 — its design is based on the Chinese Buddhist architectural style of the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD).

The temple gets its name from the left canine tooth of the Buddha, which was recovered from his funeral pyre and is kept as a relic in a giant stupa made from 320 kilograms of gold.

Another beautiful Chinese temple worth visiting in Chinatown is the Thian Hock Keng Temple, which, as the oldest and most important Taoist temple of the Hokkien community in Singapore, has a distinctly historic atmosphere.

Chinatown Street Market

The beating heart of Chinatown is the Chinatown Street Market, which consists of the small streets directly north of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.

Most of the streets of the Chinatown Street Market are pedestrianised and certainly lively, as the many shops, bars, hawker stalls, and restaurants attract both Singaporean locals and tourists alike.

It’s a highly colourful area — both in its people and architecture — and the best way to soak up the atmosphere is simply to wander at leisure, following your nose and instincts through the patchwork of streets and alleys.

Chinatown Complex

As I was getting hungry, I walked into Chinatown Complex in search of something to eat, as this covered market is home to a well-known hawker centre.

Chinatown Complex felt a bit run-down in places, particularly around some of the shops on the ground floor, but it offered a nice contrast to the more gentrified areas outside.

The hawker centre at Chinatown Complex offers plenty of great food stalls to choose from, so you’re sure to find something to your liking.

As I didn’t have any satay yet — which I think is a must on any trip to Singapore — I made a visit to 168 CMY Satay at Chinatown Complex, which is said to be one of the better satay hawker stalls in the city.

The satay I ordered was indeed delicious.

For what it’s worth, if you’re searching for a specific food stall in a large Singapore hawker centre that you’ve read about online or been tipped to visit by a local, it’s helpful to know that stalls are usually numbered in consecutive order.

So, in the case of “168 CMY Satay”, it was much easier to find and identify this particular stall by its number, 168, than by its name!

Maxwell Food centre

After my visit to Chinatown Complex, I walked to another popular hawker centre in this part of Singapore — Maxwell Food Centre — which is basically just across the road from the Chinatown Street Market.

As I was still hungry, I ordered a bowl of Ban Mian — a popular Chinese noodle dish — from one of the hawker stalls at Maxwell Food Centre, and it turned out to be delicious as well.

Nighttime walk around Singapore

When I walked out of the hawker centre, darkness had already fallen over the streets of Singapore, and as I had an early start the next day, I was ready to call it a night.

Although I had already walked a considerable distance, I still had some energy left for a short night-time stroll through Singapore.

From Chinatown, I walked through the financial district back downtown, with the bright lights of the office buildings illuminating the streets and skies.

Although I had walked here earlier in the day, it never hurts to retrace your steps, as everything looks completely different — and just as impressive — at night.

This is certainly true for Fullerton Promenade, which might be an even better place for a stroll in the evening or at night than during the day, as the view of the Singapore skyline and the lights of all the skyscrapers is spectacular from here.

I particularly enjoyed the nighttime view of the Fullerton Hotel, Anderson Bridge — beautifully illuminated with green lights — and the towering skyscrapers behind it.

After crossing the bridge and taking in the skyline view from the waterfront promenade at the Esplanade, I called it a night and caught the bus back to my hotel.

Conclusion

Singapore is one of my favourite cities in Asia, as it’s such an intriguing blend of different cultures, with the British, Malay, and Chinese in particular having left a significant imprint.

Although there are some interesting historic sights to admire in Singapore — most notably the British colonial buildings around the Padang and Fort Canning — the city is best known for its modern architecture, with highlights such as the indoor waterfall at Jewel and the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay among its top attractions.

You can’t help but be impressed by the modern Singapore skyline, whether you admire it in broad daylight or at night, when the lights of all the skyscrapers are shining brightly.

When you think of Singapore, hawker food inevitably comes to mind, and any trip to this city-state will involve some delicious and surprisingly affordable meals at one of the many hawker centres and stalls found throughout the city.

Although alcohol isn’t as cheap as hawker food in Singapore due to the high taxes levied on it, it’s a must to stop at the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling, or at the Atlas Bar, with its magnificent Art Deco design, for a gin and tonic.

With English as the lingua franca and an excellent public transport network, Singapore is also a remarkably easy city to get around, and with its exceptionally clean and safe streets, you won’t encounter any problems when travelling here.

Although it’s certainly possible to get a good impression of Singapore on a short one-day or two-night trip, you definitely won’t get bored if you plan a longer visit.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘Trip to Taiwan: Exploring Asia’s Underrated Travel Gem‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. Review: Air France Intra-Europe Business Class Bucharest to Paris
2. Review: Air France Business Class Boeing 777 Paris to Singapore
3. Singapore City Trip: What to See and Do on Your Visit (current chapter)

** rest of the chapters to follow soon **