10 Best Things to Do in Singapore: Exploring the Lion City

One of the major airline hubs in Asia, Singapore is a popular layover city. Here’s a curated list of 10 things to do in Singapore that will make your visit unforgettable.

From pirate enclave through empire outpost to economic powerhouse, Singapore is a must visit destination in Southeast Asia.

The Lion city is a diverse cultural melting pot with something for everyone. If your interests lie in exotic food, luxurious hotels and complex history, Singapore is the place for you. To get the most out of one of the world’s great cities, take a look at this list of the 10 best things to do in Singapore.

Before you start exploring Singapore, take advantage of the Singapore Pass. This is available from 2 nights up to 7 and offers up to 50% on over 50 of the best attractions, tours and activities in Singapore.

Watch the Sunset at Marina Bay Sands SkyPark

The subject of a million photographs, the Skypark, perched on top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, has quickly become an icon of Singapore.

Ride the lift to the ear-popping 56th floor. Once there, take a dip in the Skypark’s infinity pool, order a cocktail and take in the spectacular sunset over the city. Finally, watch the phenomenal light and water show that illuminates the Gardens by the Bay after dark.

The Marina Bay Sands Skypark was the finishing point of the first season of the popular TV travel series, Race Across the World. The Marina Bay Sands Skypark is definitely one of the 10 best things to do in Singapore.

You can buy tickets for access to the Skypark here.

Wander Through the Gardens by the Bay

Politicians rarely keep their word, but in 1967, when Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew announced his vision to make Singapore a garden city, it has absolutely come to pass. This list covers 10 Great Things to do in Singapore. The Gardens by the Bay easily makes that list, but in 2024, it achieved the list of the top 10 visitor attractions in the world!
The Gardens by the Bay holds a huge number of attractions for visitors.

Wander the walkways between the eco-friendly self-powered Supertrees, explore an indoor cloud forest with a 35m high waterfall, soak in the multi-coloured flowers of the Flower Dome.

Alternatively, discover Singapore’s diverse fauna with multicoloured sunbirds, jewelled kingfishers, sleek water monitors and splashing otters easily seen.

These gardens are a modern wonder and one of the most memorable things to do in Singapore.

You can purchase tickets for Gardens by the Bay here

Relax at Sentosa Island

Singapore is full on! With so many people in a tiny space, the Lion City can get hectic.

If Singapore gets too much, follow the locals, and retreat to the peace of Sentosa Island, a tropical paradise just minutes away from downtown Singapore. It’s well served by public transport and even has a cable car!

Enjoy a day of fun-filled activities, there’s something for everyone. Visitors can commune with nature, lounge on sandy beaches, walk or cycle the many trails or hit the thrilling rides at Universal Studios Singapore.

At sunset, if you’re having too much fun, you don’t need to go home, Sentosa has you covered with 20 hotels. One, the spectacular Equarius Ocean Suites, has 11 suites with a window into the S.E.A. aquarium. This aquarium is one of the largest in the world, holding 10s of thousands of sea creatures in its 45 million litres of water. Guests can explore the depths without even getting out of bed.

Stuff Yourself at one of Singapore’s Famous Food Courts

Singapore has one of the world’s great street food cultures. The diversity of its cuisine reflects its historic position as one of Southeast Asia’s major trading hub and its acceptance of all races and religions. You can find every style of food in Singapore.

Normally, street food comes with its risks, as many sufferers of ‘Delhi Belly’ or ‘Montezuma’s Revenge’ have discovered. Singapore’s street food is different. The world’s premier restaurant guide, Michelin, awarded its coveted stars to two of Singapore’s street food vendors and acknowledged several others.

The beauty of the Hawker Centres like Maxwell Food Centre is that it’s not just about the food, it’s the entire experience. This is communal dining at its finest, with large tables seating many diners. Bag a seat by putting something on it, wander around until you decide what you want. Tray loaded, take it back to your table to eat. Fancy different dishes from different stalls? No problem. Most stalls are counter service, although others serve at your table, and many do takeaway. Make sure you have cash, many stalls don’t take credit cards.

Explore Singapore’s Diversity at Little India and Chinatown

Singapore is the poster child for multi-culturalism with many religions and ethnicities living harmoniously side-by-side. Immerse yourself in Singapore’s multicultural heritage by exploring the vibrant neighbourhoods of Chinatown and Little India. Wander through bustling streets lined with colourful shophouses, temples, and markets. Sample authentic Chinese and Indian cuisine at local eateries, and shop for souvenirs, spices, and traditional crafts.

The colourful Hindu temples in Little India, such as Sri Veeramakaliamman and Sri Srinivasa Perumal, are well worth visiting.

Smell the Flowers at the Singapore Botanic Gardens

In 2015, UNESCO designated the Botanic Gardens Singapore, a World Heritage site, Singapore’s first. It is only the third garden in the world to achieve this accolade.

The garden was first laid out in 1859, after Sir Stamford Raffles himself had started a ‘Botanic and Experimental garden’ at Fort Canning in 1822.

Today, the Botanic Gardens cover 82 hectares, and is one of Singapore’s most visited attractions. The Gardens feature themed areas like the Ginger Garden, which holds hundreds of species of ginger, The Walk of Giants, an 8m high canopy walk and the National Orchid Garden, home to over 1000 species of orchid.

You can spend an entire day wandering these beautiful gardens. Peruse the exhibitions at the various galleries, listen to a free concert at the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage or the bandstand. Alternatively, eat at the cafes and restaurants (or bring a picnic).

Enjoy a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel

Raffles Hotel, one of the truly iconic hotels of the world, has been a fixture of the Singapore expat scene since it opened. Established in 1887, Raffles Hotel was named for modern Singapore’s founder, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles.

The hotel has been a favoured haunt for the writers such as Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham and Noel Coward. The rich and famous, like Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy, have also passed by its liveried Sikh door staff into its hallowed halls.

In 1915, Ngiam Tong Boon, a bartender at Raffles’ famous Long Bar, invented one of the world’s great cocktails, the Singapore Sling. Mixing gin, pineapple juice, lime juice, Curaçao, Bénédictine, grenadine, and cherry liqueur, he cunningly designed the drink to resemble a fruit juice, so ladies wouldn’t appear to be drinking alcohol.

The Singapore Sling is now Singapore’s national drink. It really needs to be sampled in its original setting, the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel. Raffles is famous for offering its customers free peanuts as a snack. Don’t forget to sweep the shells onto the floor as 140 years of patrons have done before you.

Commune with Nature in Singapore’s Parks

Singapore is one of the world’s greenest cities and the perfect place to find exotic flora and fauna. Singapore’s bird list features 450 species, an extraordinary number for such a small area.

The best places to watch birds and other wildlife in Singapore include:

• Central Catchment Nature Reserve which specialises in rainforest species and boasts a tower platform to get you up into the canopy.
• Ubin Island, accessible by a short boat ride, features a disused flooded quarry and is great for fishing, white-bellied sea eagles.
• Kranji Marshes for marshland and grassland species like greenshank, whimbrel and red turtle doves.

Don’t forget to keep your eyes open at the Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the Bay. You can see many species, including kingfishers, water birds, and the occasional rare bird. In 2018, hundreds of twitchers rushed to the Botanic Gardens for a Band-bellied Crake, only the 2nd ever seen in Singapore).

Walk on the Wild Side at Singapore Zoo Night Safari

If hunting for your own wildlife sightings seems too much like hard work, Singapore has a fabulous zoo, holding over 2500 species. The problem with zoos is, many of the animals you want to see are nocturnal and normally tucked up in bed during normal working hours. Never fear, Singapore Zoo’s got you covered. For 30 years they’ve been running night safaris, the first in any zoo globally.

Instead of closing when night falls, and things get interesting, they keep the park open. You can explore the zoo on a tram ride, or join a guided walking tour. Both offer a really special nature experience.

Take in Singapore’s Art Galleries and Museums

Singapore boasts some world classic museums and art galleries.

The National Museum of Singapore is the country’s oldest museum. It explores Singapore’s development over the last 700 years. It even has a planning app to help you plan your way around its exhibitions and galleries.

The National Gallery Singapore hosts the world’s largest collection of art from Singapore and the surrounding region. Its innovative approach to displaying its collection has won many prestigious global awards.
Other fascinating museums and galleries include:

• SAM (Singapore Art Museum);
• Indian Heritage Centre;
• Battlebox (the site of the decision to surrender Singapore in WW2);
• Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.

Conclusion

Singapore, the Lion City, is one of the great cities of the world and is incredibly tourist friendly.

It’s compact, filled with great things to do, has wonderful food options and a hot (if humid) climate.

The public transport system is clean, cheap, easy to use and comprehensive, making getting around Singapore incredibly easy.

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