Singapore

Why go

Singapore makes travel easy. Trains come every few minutes, the tap water is safe, English is the working language and the streets are among the safest anywhere. The airport even has a 40-metre waterfall under a glass dome.

Singapore's hawker culture is on UNESCO's list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, and one open-sided food hall shows you why. You can eat Hainanese chicken rice, Malay nasi lemak, murtabak from the Indian Muslim tradition and Teochew fishball noodles, each from a stall that has refined one dish for years, for S$5–8 a plate. A pork noodle stall on Crawford Lane holds a Michelin star.

In Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam, temples, mosques and shophouses sit a few blocks from the glass towers of Marina Bay. At night the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay light up for free, and in the morning you can cross a suspension bridge through the rainforest canopy in the island's central nature reserve. Singapore is expensive for hotels and drinks, strict about rules and hot in every month. Plan for that, and allow three or four days.

The lay of the land

Singapore is an island city-state of 6.21 million people. Most of what visitors want lies in the south, around the mouth of the Singapore River.

Marina Bay is the modern skyline: Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum, the Merlion and, behind them on reclaimed land, Gardens by the Bay. North of the river, the Civic District is the colonial core, with the Padang, the National Gallery, Raffles Hotel, the Asian Civilisations Museum and Fort Canning Park. Upriver, the quays change mood as you walk: Boat Quay for bars beneath the financial district, Clarke Quay for clubs, and Robertson Quay for quieter restaurants and serviced apartments.

Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar sit south-west of the river, with shophouse streets, temples, Maxwell Food Centre and bars along Keong Saik Road and Club Street. North of the centre are Little India, around Serangoon Road and Tekka Centre, and Kampong Glam, around the Sultan Mosque, Arab Street and Haji Lane. Orchard Road is the shopping spine, with the Botanic Gardens at its western end.

Further out: Sentosa, the resort island to the south; the Mandai wildlife parks in the north; the central nature reserves around MacRitchie Reservoir; Katong and Joo Chiat, with their Peranakan shophouses, in the east; and Changi and Pulau Ubin at the eastern tip.

When to go

There is no bad season in Singapore and no cool one. Meteorological Service Singapore's 1991–2020 normals put average highs between 30.5°C in December and 32.4°C in April, and lows between 24.3°C and 25.7°C. Every month gets more than 100 mm of rain. February is the driest (about 105 mm), while November and December are the wettest (252 mm and 332 mm), during the northeast monsoon. Rain usually arrives as short, heavy thunderstorms, especially in the inter-monsoon months of April and May and of October and November, so an umbrella matters more than a plan B.

Haze is the wildcard. Smoke from land and forest fires in the region can drift over during the drier southwest monsoon, roughly June to October. In October 2026 readings sat in the unhealthy range for days, and the PSI peaked at 192 in the central region on 9 October. Check haze.gov.sg before you travel, and pack masks if you have asthma.

Chinese New Year falls on 6–7 February 2027, with Chinatown's street light-up and the Chingay parade; some family-run stalls close for a few days. Ramadan runs through February and early March, with a night bazaar at Geylang Serai, and Hari Raya Puasa falls on 10 March 2027. Deepavali on 8 November 2026 lights up Little India, and Orchard Road's Christmas lights run into December. National Day on 9 August and the Formula 1 night race, usually in late September or early October, fill hotels. School holidays in June and from late November crowd Sentosa and the zoo.

What it costs

Singapore's costs split sharply. Hotels are the big expense: Booking.com's weekend average for a three-star room was about US$236 a night in October 2026, and Marina Bay rooms cost far more. Alcohol is the other. Beer carries customs and excise duties of S$76 per litre of alcohol, and wine and spirits S$88, so a pint in a bar often costs S$12–18. A Singapore Sling at the Raffles Long Bar is about S$37–39 before the 10% service charge and 9% GST.

Food and transport are cheap. A hawker meal costs S$5–8, kopi about S$1.50–2.20, and an MRT ride S$1.28–2.57. Many of the best sights are free: the outdoor gardens and Supertree light show at Gardens by the Bay, Spectra on Marina Bay, the Botanic Gardens, the TreeTop Walk and the Rain Vortex at Jewel.

Locals save by eating at hawker centres and coffee shops, which also sell big bottles of beer for well under bar prices, by drinking at happy hour, and by buying their duty-free allowance at Changi. Watch for "++" on menus: it means service charge and GST are added, nearly 20% in total.

Getting there and around

Changi Airport (SIN) is about 20 km east of the centre. Before you fly, submit the free SG Arrival Card on ica.gov.sg or in the MyICA app within three days of arrival, counting the arrival day; your permitted stay then arrives as an e-Pass by email, so check the date. Trains leave Changi Airport station, between Terminals 2 and 3, from 5.31am (5.59am on Sundays and public holidays). Change at Tanah Merah for the East West Line or at Expo for the Downtown Line; City Hall is around 45 minutes and about S$2 away. Taxis take about 30 minutes and cost S$25–45 on the meter, plus an airport surcharge of S$6, or S$8 between 5pm and 11.59pm. A 50% surcharge applies from midnight to 5.59am. Grab and other ride-hail apps pick up at every terminal. Seletar Airport (XSP), in the north-east, handles Firefly turboprop flights to Kuala Lumpur's Subang airport; there is no MRT, so take a taxi.

In the city, the MRT goes nearly everywhere. Tap in and out with a contactless Amex, Mastercard, Visa or NETS card or a phone wallet; there is no ticket to buy. Adult fares run from S$1.28 to S$2.57 by distance and are lower if you tap in before 7.45am on weekdays. Foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard cards incur a S$0.60 admin fee per day, so stick to one card per person. The Singapore Tourist Pass (S$17 for one day, S$24 for two, S$29 for three) only pays off if you ride a lot. Eating and drinking on trains is an offence.

Walking is the best way to see the heritage districts, but the heat limits it. Use underground links and covered walkways downtown, save long walks for early morning or after dark, and cross at crossings: jaywalking is illegal. The RTS Link train to Johor Bahru in Malaysia, once due by the end of 2026, is now expected in February 2027.

Where to stay

Marina Bay and the Civic District suit first-timers with money. You can walk to the bay, the museums and Chinatown, at the city's highest prices. Raffles, the Fullerton and Marina Bay Sands are here.

Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar are better value, with restored shophouse hotels, Maxwell Food Centre and bars on Keong Saik Road and Club Street. Robertson Quay, upriver, is quieter, with riverside restaurants and serviced apartments that suit families. Orchard Road is convenient for shopping and transport but feels anonymous. Kampong Glam, Bugis and Little India have the cheapest central beds, including capsule hotels, and the most street life.

Sentosa's resorts work for a beach-and-theme-park family holiday, but every other sight means a transfer. Very cheap rooms in Geylang sit in the city's red-light district and one of its two Liquor Control Zones: great for late-night food, less good as a base.

What to do

At Gardens by the Bay, the outdoor gardens and the Supertree Grove are free. The two cooled conservatories, the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, cost S$46 together for non-residents and are best on a hot afternoon. Stay for Garden Rhapsody, the free light-and-music show in the Supertree Grove at 7.45pm, then walk round the bay to Marina Bay Sands for Spectra, the free light-and-water show at 9pm (it also runs at 8pm, and at 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays). The SkyPark Observation Deck on top of Marina Bay Sands costs from S$35.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are free and open from 5am to midnight; the National Orchid Garden inside costs S$15. The National Gallery Singapore (S$20 for non-residents) fills the former Supreme Court and City Hall with Singaporean and Southeast Asian art. Walk Chinatown for the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Little India for the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple and Tekka Centre, and Kampong Glam for the Sultan Mosque and Arab Street. Dress modestly. The mosque closes to visitors during Friday prayers.

The Night Safari (S$58) in Mandai is the zoo's nocturnal sibling, explored by tram and on walking trails. In the middle of the island, the TreeTop Walk crosses the rainforest canopy at MacRitchie Reservoir; it is free and closed on Mondays except public holidays. At Changi, the Rain Vortex at Jewel pours 40 metres through a glass dome. It is free, open 10am to 10pm, with light shows at 8pm and 9pm (and 10pm from Friday to Sunday), so time it for your arrival or departure.

Day trip to Pulau Ubin

Pulau Ubin, a village island off the north-east coast, is one of Singapore's last rural corners, with kampong houses, quarry lakes, mangroves and cycling trails. Bumboats leave Changi Point Ferry Terminal when they fill and cost S$4 each way, plus S$2 for a bike, in cash. Rent a bicycle on the island and ride to the Chek Jawa wetlands for the boardwalk through mangroves and coastal forest. Go on a weekday morning, carry water, and finish with nasi lemak at Changi Village Hawker Centre by the ferry terminal.

Eat and drink

Eat at hawker centres. They are open-sided food halls with dozens of specialist stalls, shared tables and some of the best food in the city.

For Hainanese chicken rice, Tian Tian at Maxwell Food Centre in Chinatown has the famous queue. Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle on Crawford Lane holds a 2026 Michelin star for its bak chor mee, minced pork noodles with vinegar and chilli, so expect to wait. 328 Katong Laksa on East Coast Road serves the coconut curry noodle soup with the noodles cut short, so you eat it with a spoon. Ya Kun Kaya Toast at Far East Square has served kaya toast and soft-boiled eggs since 1944. Zam Zam on North Bridge Road has made murtabak, griddle bread stuffed with spiced meat, since 1908, and The Banana Leaf Apolo on Race Course Road has served fish head curry since 1974. For chilli crab, Jumbo Seafood has been a dependable name since 1987. For satay, Lau Pa Sat's Satay Street takes over Boon Tat Street from 7pm on weekdays and 3pm at weekends.

Order coffee in code. Kopi comes with condensed milk, kopi O is black with sugar and kopi C uses evaporated milk; add "kosong" for no sugar or "siew dai" for less sweet. Many stalls take PayNow or NETS but not foreign cards, so carry some cash.

The drinking rules are strict. Drinking in any public place is banned from 10.30pm to 7am, and shops cannot sell takeaway alcohol in those hours. In the Liquor Control Zones of Geylang and Little India, the public drinking ban also runs from 7am on Saturday to 7am on Monday, and over public holidays and their eves. Licensed bars and restaurants keep serving later.

Practicalities

Money. The currency is the Singapore dollar (S$). Cards and phone wallets work almost everywhere except some hawker stalls, and ATMs are easy to find. Tipping is not expected; bills marked "++" add a 10% service charge and 9% GST.

Data. Tourist SIMs and eSIMs are sold at Changi; Singtel's hi! Tourist plans start at around S$12–15.

Water and power. Tap water is safe to drink. The supply is 230 V, 50 Hz, with British-style three-pin Type G sockets.

Safety and the law. Petty theft and card fraud occur, but the real risks are legal. Drug offences carry caning and, for some trafficking offences, a mandatory death sentence; you can be tested on arrival, and drugs taken before you arrived count. Laws against outrage of modesty are strictly enforced. A first littering offence usually brings a S$300 fine, and courts can impose up to S$2,000. Importing chewing gum is prohibited, apart from approved dental and medicinal gum. Do not enter Changi's transit area with a boarding pass unless you are flying: misuse can bring a fine of up to S$20,000 and two years in jail.

LGBTQ+. Parliament repealed the law criminalising sex between men in 2022, but same-sex partnerships and marriages are not recognised, including for visas. The gay scene is visible but low-key, and public displays of affection of any kind draw looks.

Accessibility. Singapore is one of Asia's easiest cities with limited mobility. MRT stations have lifts and step-free routes, public buses are wheelchair-accessible, and most hawker centres are on one level.

Phrases. English works everywhere. In Singlish, "can" means yes or fine, "shiok" means delicious or great, "makan" means to eat and "tapau" or "dabao" means takeaway. For emergencies, dial 999 for police and 995 for an ambulance or the fire service.

What nobody tells you

Average highs top 30°C every month, and the humidity soaks a shirt in minutes. Plan outdoor sights for early morning and evening, carry water and an umbrella for both sun and storms, and use air-conditioned malls and MRT links as shortcuts.

The haze can wreck a trip. In bad years, smoke from regional fires turns the sky white and the air unhealthy for days or weeks, as it did in October 2026. Check haze.gov.sg and be ready to swap outdoor plans for museums.

The bills add up. Hotels and drinks will dominate your budget. Read the "++", ask for the price per kilogram and the weight before ordering crab, and expect higher prices at the hawker centres closest to the big hotels.

The rules apply to you. Fines for littering, vaping and leaving trays are enforced, cameras are everywhere, and not knowing the law is no defence.

Sentosa's beaches are man-made, and the horizon is a line of anchored cargo ships. Go for the theme parks or a swim, not for wild coast.

Gardens by the Bay and Jewel are packed at weekends and in school holidays, so go on weekdays, and book timed tickets for the SkyPark and the Night Safari.