Top 10 Things To Do in Singapore

Singapore is home to the most amazing world heritage sites, Michelin star restaurants and incredible architecture. It is not one to be slept on when travelling to Asia.

I always knew that Singapore was a bucket list destination for me, but it still managed to exceed expectations! There’s lots to do, so I’ve created a handy list of my top 10 from experience on our visit in May. It’s worth noting that it’s best to narrow it down to 1-3 activities if you are on a short lay over. We stayed for 6 days, which was plenty of time to do all that we wanted to do, but a lot of people visit on a multi-centre trip.

Here's my top 10:

1. Visit the Super Tree Grove / Gardens by the Bay – This is the one you’ve probably seen the most of if you’ve been researching Singapore. This cannot be missed! The Gardens by the Bay is home to 18 Supertrees which are an architectural wonder in themselves. They have solar panels that power the nightly light shows (definitely go to see this – 7pm and 8pm shows and it’s free!) and they also have a 128m-long OCBC Skyway. Entrance to Garden’s by the Bay and Super Tree Grove is free, but you can pay for tickets to go to the top of the trees to the skyway and also to enter the Cloud Forest / Flower Dome. If you check out Singapore Tickets you can get combination tickets which works out a lot cheaper. As you may already know, Singapore is hot all year round so the domes definitely provide respite with aircon whilst providing a completely unique experience by being one of the largest indoor greenhouse in the world.

2. Explore land and water on the Duck boat – I don’t often see this high up on people’s lists, but it’s high up on mine! We booked our Duck Boat tour tickets through Trip Advisor, without knowing what to expect from the reviews. They can be quite mixed online with people commenting that the engine is quite loud (we didn’t find this to be the case). The Duck Boat is a repurposed military vehicle from World War II and it is amphibious, meaning it can go on both land and in water! The tour starts at Suntec City Mall where you’ll be picked up, it then takes you on a short tour around the city lead by a guide. After the short stint of the city, the boat will then make a big splash entering the water to tour around the famous landmarks such as the Merlion, the Singapore flyer and also Marina Bay. We really enjoyed this tour and it’s a great way to sight-see (even if I did scream when it went into the water!).

3. Have a Sling at Raffles – If you’re a cocktail lover like me, you absolutely HAVE to go to Raffles Long Bar whilst in Singapore. Raffles is the home of the Singapore Sling which was created there by Ngiam Tong Boon in 1915. It has a modern yet vintage vibe with rattan furniture, black and white tiles, large ceiling fans and a spiral staircase. Not only is it a great experience but they are working towards carbon reduction and reforestation by reducing their plastic use and planting a tree in the Kalimantan or Sumatran rainforest for every 25 slings ordered. With the foot traffic to this place, that has to be more than one a day! We love an environmentally conscious business so this was great to know.

You may have to queue to get in here, as you can imagine it is quite popular. Cocktails are around £22 (depending on conversion rate at the time), which is quite pricey! It’s definitely one for novelty rather than sitting drinking for hours as you could end up blowing your budget quite easily. We had 2 (we got over excited and ordered another each) and got a little magnet from the souvenir menu. Just as proper tourists would do! I am really glad we visited here as it’s not often you can say you visited the home of the iconic Singapore Sling so I would recommend adding this to your list!

4. Check out the rooftop dining – I love a viewpoint no matter where I go, and Singapore has exceptional options for rooftop dining with a great view. There were two we visited on our recent visit – Ce La Vi and LeVel33 - and both were great for different reasons. If I had to pick one of the two if we had limited time it would definitely be LeVel33. This is a rooftop micro-brewery, bar and restaurant overlooking the iconic Marina Bay. You can book (with a deposit) a table that is outside and it has the most incredible unobstructed views! You can choose from either sunset dining or evening dining, we tried the evening and the views of the marina were one of the highlights of our trip. You could even see the SuperTree light show from a distance!

On top of incredible views – the service was great. The staff went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience. It was our honeymoon so they took a polaroid picture and gave us a cake as a gift which was such a lovely touch. I would recommend this place to anyone who will listen!

Ce La Vi is also a solid option for fine dining, I have visited the Ce La Vi in Hong Kong and the vibes are always immaculate. Good music, good food and a rooftop bar, what more could you want! The only downside was that this particular one on top of Marina Bay Sands has a slightly obstructed view by the hotel’s sky deck just below. It wasn’t a problem though but I think this is why I would rank it slightly below LeVel33. It can be a little pricey but definitely worth it and the service was great.

5. Hop on a cable car to Sentosa – An escape from the city to an island resort just 30 minutes away from central Singapore! All you need to do is hop on a cable car from Mount Faber and you arrive in paradise. Admittedly, cable cars are not my favourite but the Pokemon themed cute cars did help.

Once you arrive in Sentosa, there’s the option to go to Universal Studios, grab a luge, or hit the beach bars. We spent the entire day in the beach bar and pool (Ola Beach Club) as it was a scorcher! You pay for entry which goes towards your food and drinks - you can order via QR code and just relax. Perfect after a few days of exploring central Singapore! After our lazy day we decided to try out the luges, which are super fun! You can buy different tickets that allow you to go down either once or multiple times and the queues move pretty quickly.

6. Visit the Merlion Statue – It’s great to see the iconic Merlion but it is just that, once you’ve seen it that’s it and you can move on which is why it isn't higher up on the list for me. The Merlion’s history is good to know, it is the official mascot of Singapore and its fish-like body symbolises Singapore’s origins as a fishing village and the lion head is symbolic if Singapore’s original name “Singapura” which means Lion City in Sanksrit! It’s definitely one for the list, but it can be crowded at times. You can also see it at night when the bay is lit up!

7. Explore the Temples – I love that Singapore is so diverse in culture and history, and it is home to some beautiful temples that date back to the 1800s. There are so many that you can map into your trip but we prioritised the Thian Hock Keng temple (Temple of Heavenly Happiness) in China Town. This temple is dedicated to the Mazu, the goddess of the sea and is extremely important to the Hokkien community in Singapore. The temple has so much detail including colourful porcelain on the roof, red colours throughout and sculptures of dragons. When we arrived there were lots of locals paying their respects and the temple was bustling with people, the smell of incense filled the air which is always so relaxing to me.

8. See the bright colours of Haji Lane – Bright, colourful, artistic – just a few words to describe Haji Lane. As you walk onto the street, you’re met with something for all of the senses, the smell of various food outlets, music coming from speakers and the colourful murals on the walls of the buildings infront of you. Haji Lane is a great place to visit for some good food, drinks and shopping as the street also has lots of independent businesses and even a pug café! Make sure you check out the iconic artwork for some amazing pictures too!

9. Explore the neighbourhoods – Arab Street and Chinatown

As mentioned further up in this blog post, Singapore is vastly multi-cultural which is what makes it such a great place to visit. The population is made up primarily of residents of Chinese, Malay or Indian descent. If you want to explore the different cuisines, cultures and national monuments, then make sure you check out the Arab Street and Chinatown neighbourhoods!

Arab street is home to the incredible Sultan Mosque which is named after Sultan Hussain Shah. In 1975 the mosque was designated as a national monument and is a seriously impressive building. Its gold dome can be seen from a few streets away, and as you approach you can see how amazing the architecture is. The volunteers at the mosque are incredibly welcoming and helpful, they provide cover ups and guide you into the building where you will find infographics and boards to teach you about the Muslim faith and the mosque itself. The prayer section is (rightly) sectioned off so that tourists do not disturb people who are there for religious reasons.

China Town is home to the Budda Tooth Relic Temple & Museum which was designed by the temple’s Chief Abbot Venerable Shi Fa Zhao and is based on elements of the Tang Dynasty. Not only a temple, but there is also a museum on the third floor, a theatre and a “Discovering Buddhism” workshop. Both this temple and the Sultan mosque are free to enter and explore. Beyond the temple, China Town is lined with gift shops, restaurants (including Michelin Star ones!) and bars. You could easily spend a whole day there but some prefer to split it with another activity to get the most out of the city.

10. Day at airport – I never thought I would encourage several hours at an airport until I went to the Jewel at Changi. It is the only airport where a few hours might not even be enough! You may have seen the huge waterfall that is in the centre of the Jewel, but there is also so much more to do! There are plenty of restaurants, shops, gardens and even a cinema that span the multiple floors of the Jewel – it is a day out in itself!

We spent most of our time checking out the shops (there is even a Pokémon Center there for the gamers!), and eating / drinking our way through the day which definitely took the edge off of the blues we had about returning home. We headed to the airport early in the morning where you can check in to your flight well ahead of time, provided your airline is one on this list.

That concludes my comprehensive list of top 10 things to do in Singapore. I would highly recommend creating a plan prior to work in all of the things you’d like to do – this helps you get the most out of your trip and see everything that Singapore has to offer. Happy travels!