Top 10 Things To Do In Singapore

Top 10 Things To Do In Singapore

“I’ll be in Singapore for only a few days. What should I do if I’m in Singapore? Where can I go?”

The Top 10 things to do in Singapore are highlighted in this list, making it easy for you to include them in your short trip itinerary. It’s difficult to define what “interest” means, so determine what you enjoy and use that as your guide

1) Merlion, Museums & the Civic District

Get there: Raffles Place or City Hall MRT

The Merlion is Singapore’s most popular tourist trap. However, it is unavoidable. Simply go to the Merlion, take that required picture, and upload it on Facebook obediently.

The Civic District, which retains a link to Stamford Raffles (founder of Singapore’s modern government) and the country’s imperial past, is located near the Merlion. The city’s civic core is located in the downtown area. The area extends along Main Street and features 19th-century warehouses, restored historic architecture, and century-old national monuments. The Civic District is made up of many sites worth seeing, including the Raffles Landing Site, Victoria Theatre, Esplanade, War Memorial Park, Old Parliament House, Central Fire Station, and more.

Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum fronting Marina Bay, and Helix Bridge.
National Museum of Singapore. Image Source (KKday)

The gazetted national monument status emphasizes the spectacular history of the Civic District’s museums. These museums have returned to premises formerly occupied by schools and government structures. Check out the good admission deals at these museums:

  • Singapore Art Museum: Complimentary entry on Fridays from 6pm-9pm
  • Peranakan Museum: 50% discount on Fridays from 7pm-9pm
  • National Museum of Singapore: Free admission to Living Galleries daily from 6pm-8pm

2) Dine like a Local – Eat at a Hawker Centre


If there is a queue, the food has to be good!

In Singapore, there are several restaurants to select from, but the hawker centre is the ultimate local experience. It’s all about eating when you go street food. The Singaporean hawker centre is generally an open-air food marketplace. It’s usually located near public housing communities or transportation centers, and it has a diverse range of food stalls.

In reality, the hawker centres are where you’ll find some of Singapore’s most well-liked street foods including Chicken Rice, Char Kway Teow, and Fishball Noodles. Aside from the inexpensive costs and genuine tastes, the hawker centre is primarily a real local dining experience for visitors.

Claypot Frog Porridge. Image Source (Tidbits Mag)

Hawker centres that are accessible by MRT (<10 min walk):

  • Old Airport Road Food Centre (Dakota MRT)
  • Maxwell Food Centre (Chinatown or Outram Park MRT)
  • Tekka Centre (Little India MRT)
  • Hong Lim Food Centre (Chinatown MRT)
  • Chinatown Complex Food Centre (Chinatown MRT)
  • Albert Centre Food Centre (Bugis MRT)
  • Lau Pa Sat (Raffles Place MRT)
  • Seah Im Food Centre (Harbourfront MRT)

3) Jump into the Little India Mayhem

Get there: Little India or Farrer Park MRT

Lonely Planet has long regarded Little India as one of Singapore’s top attractions. Little India has a lively blend of curry restaurants, spice stores, sari shops, backpacker hostels, and traditional Indian businesses. It also contains several monuments and locations with cultural and historical significance such as the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple and Abdul Gaffoor Mosque.

Around Dunlop Street, there is a lively street culture that no doubt gets plenty of support from the area’s trendy and elegant businesses, such as bars and restaurants, as well as its status as the unofficial backpacker drags.

On weekends, Singapore’s biggest Indian neighbourhood draws the greatest number of foreign workers on the sidewalks and roads. Little India is unquestionably one of the three primary ethnic settlements in Singapore with the strongest cultural heritage, whether you love it or hate it.

Little India is a fascinating destination to see another aspect of Singapore.4) Singapore Flyer and the Singapore Food Trail

Get there: Promenade MRT

The Singapore Flyer is a large observation wheel with one of the world’s most beautiful city vistas. It still holds the world record for the tallest Ferris wheel, at 165 meters tall, over China’s Star of Nanchang and the London Eye in the United Kingdom.

The view is impossible to beat. The Civic District, Marina Bay, Gardens by the Bay, Esplanade, Marina Bay Sands, and the city centre are all visible from where you’re sitting.

The Singapore Food Trail is located on the top floor of the Singapore Flyer. It’s a 1960s-inspired street where food stalls operate from odd-looking carts beside the manmade highway. It is highly commercialised yet maintains its historic value as a study of Singapore in the 1960s. The majority of the stalls are well-known as well.

5) Kampong Glam & Haji Lane

Get there: Bugis or Nicoll Highway MRT

Kampong Glam was the ancestral home of Singapore’s old Malay aristocracy and has been a Malay-Muslim ethnic community since. It’s presently a curious combination of old and new. The Malay Heritage Centre, which chronicles Singapore’s rich Malay history and the Malayan community, is now the former home of the Malay rulers.

Sultan Mosque is one of Singapore’s oldest and most significant mosques, with ties to Singapore’s history dating back to its foundation. The shophouse area of Bussorah Mall is home to a diverse range of items, including souvenirs and mementoes. At Arab Street, it’s all about history. Small businesses sell Persian carpets, batik cloths, textiles, and handicraft collections.

Haji Lane, which is named after the religious term “hajji,” is a haven for hippies. It’s located parallel to Arab Street and draws tourists with its street graffiti, shisha, fashion boutiques, and concept stores. Bali Lane is a street with several bars and restaurants where you may relax at reasonable prices at the outdoor seating areas of each.

6) Clarke Quay and the Singapore River at Night

Get there: Clarke Quay MRT

Riverboat cruising along Singapore River. Image Source (City Tours Singapore)

The area where Clarke Quay and the surrounding buildings are located is one of Singapore’s most well-known nightlife spots, as it houses a wide range of eateries, clubs, and bars. Although you do not drink, Clarke Quay at night is still appealing due to the neon lights and slow romantic boat trips along the Singapore River.

Clarke Quay was one of the first planned settlements in Raffles Town Plan. Merchants and traders plying their trade from the warehouses along the riverbank were plentiful. These warehouses were converted into nightclub spaces after they were abandoned. It’s happy hour in this bar.

7) Jurong Bird Park/Singapore Zoo/Night Safari

Get there:

Jurong Bird Park (Boon Lay MRT followed by bus 194 or 251)

Singapore Zoo/Night Safari (Ang Mo Kio MRT followed by bus 138)

Birds n Buddies Show at the Jurong Bird Park. Image Source (Flickr)

If you only want to see birds, Jurong Bird Park is the place to go. Visit the Zoo if you enjoy animals. The Night Safari is a great place to see nocturnal animals. These three attractions have received numerous honours, including awards for tourism and experience.

If you wish to visit several places, there are combination packages that can save you money. The disadvantage is that they are all located outside the city centre, making a trip necessary. You should also try to schedule a visit to see the free animal shows at designated intervals.

  • Singapore Zoo
  • Night Safari
  • Jurong Bird Park

8) Teh and Kaya Toast

Kaya buns at Chin Mei Chin Confectionery. Image Source (OpenRice Singapore)

Teh and Kaya Toast restaurants are quite popular in Singapore, with hundreds of locations throughout the island – including Ya Kun, Toast Box, Killiney Kopitiam, Coffee and Toast, and many more. There has to be something special about this hot milk tea and toast bread with coconut jam combination.

It’s certain that it makes a great morning comfort food, a teatime snack, or simply a casual conversation starter.

9) Visit the Old Town of Chinatown

Get there: Chinatown MRT

Street in Chinatown. Image Source (Wikipedia)

To the southwest of Singapore River, Chinatown, a Chinese settlement since 1822, was given. It was also in Chinatown that the term “five-foot way” originated – from the two and three-story shophouses fronted by continuous verandas.

Before land reclamation work began, the area was known as Telok Ayer in Chinatown and was the landing spot for many immigrants. Many of Singapore’s oldest religious structures are found in Chinatown, which has been preserved and is still utilized. Such examples are:

  • Thian Hock Keng (oldest existing Chinese temple in Singapore)
  • Fuk Tak Chi Museum (first Chinese temple in Singapore; now converted museum)
  • Sri Mariamman Temple (Singapore’s oldest Hindu place of worship)
  • Masjid Jamae (one of the oldest mosques)
  • Nagore Durgha (one of earliest Indian Muslim shrines)

The variety of religious places of worship in Chinatown reflects Singapore’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious character, where people from various backgrounds live together. Apart from promoting leisure tourism, Chinatown in Singapore might be compared to Melaka’s and Penang’s UNESCO towns of George Town and Jonker Street, respectively.

10) Sentosa the Island Getaway

Get there:

Harbourfront MRT, followed by Sentosa Express monorail from Vivocity, or

Harbourfront MRT, followed by bus RWS 8, or

Cable Car via The Jewel Box at Mount Faber or HarbourFront Tower 2

Sentosa, as an island off Singapore’s south coast, is unquestionably the finest one-stop family entertainment complex in Singapore. The Universal Studios theme park in Resorts World, the dolphins at Dolphin Lagoon, the walk-through aquarium tunnel of Underwater World, multimedia extravaganza that is the Songs of the Sea, and picnic and volleyball-friendly beaches are all must-see attractions for children and young-hearted adults.

Attractions are priced individually, and some attractions can be purchased in a pricing package. The Singaporean expression, “SENTOSA means Nothing to See Anyway,” is a joke.

Disclaimer:

This Top 10 list does not represent all of Singapore’s attractions. There may well be a Top 30 in addition. Yes, Orchard Road is absent. Singapore has far too many shopping malls. This is a completely independent resource that has no connection to any agency or business. In fact, this information is in your best interests, the traveller. Welcome to Singapore.

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