Akshat & I have been hosting many guests for the last 8 months that we have spent together in our new home. The duration of their stay varied and we always found it challenging to create a perfect itinerary for our guests with a mix of touristic and non-touristic experiences. After a few trials, we have been able to create an itinerary that would create a memorable experience for you and your loved ones.
Interesting Facts About Singapore
- This country has absolutely no natural resources and pretty much everything is imported when it comes to your daily supplies. Keep this in mind as you wander around the streets of Singapore as you would totally appreciate the Singapore in an entirely different light.
- Process is the norm. Without even you realizing it, you will become a part of the process. For example: people always stand on left side of the escalators leaving space on the right for people who walk to walk down and are in a rush.
- More than 70% of Singaporeans do not cook at home. There are infinite eating options in Singapore and beyond what you can imagine. Do try the famous “chilli crab” if you are on this island country.
- With this little background about Singapore, let me give you a tour of how your visit can potentially look like with some local flavor. 🙂
- Day 1: Botanical Garden, Orchard Street, Clarke Quay
- Day 2: Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Arab Street
- Day 3: Sentosa: Universal Studios/SEA Aquarium/ Madam Tussauds (1 or 2 days depending on whether you choose to do 1 or multiple attractions)
- Day 4: Chinatown, Singapore Flyer, Gardens By the Bay, Marina Bay Sands & Casino
- Day 5: Jurong Bird Park, Chinese Garden
- Day 6: Little India, Bugis Street, Kampong Glam, Night Safari
- Day 7: Tree Top Tour, Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery, East Coast Park
Day 1: Botanical Garden, Orchard Street, Clarke Quay
Most people would recommend the man-made attractions first in Singapore but if you are not pressed for time, I recommend that you start you trip with something more serene, quiet and peaceful. Botanical gardens are not just beautiful but also refreshing.
You can then hit the popular Orchard Street which is famous for shopping amongst tourists. Any and every brand is available within a stretch of 1-2 Kms. However, if you want to buy fakes, you can consider to go to Lucky Plaza which is also on the Orchard street.
Clarke Quay looks best on weekend. The view is phenomenal with restaurants and pubs on either side of the river and there is live music almost everywhere for you to sing and dance along. This street is open till early morning (4 AM) so you can go there late in the evening.
Day 2: Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Arab Street
Singapore Zoo is a must do attraction. I have written a separate post on this. Please click here for more information. If you are an animal lover this might take up your entire day. River Safari is right next to the Singapore Zoo. If you are pressed for time, I wouldn’t recommend River Safari. You can end your day with a walk on the Arab Street. It is a street with amazing restaurants in a very Arabic style.
Day 3: Sentosa: Universal Studios/ SEA Aquarium/ Madam Tussauds
Sentosa is by far THE most popular destination in Singapore. If you have 1 day, you ought to visit this one. Sentosa is an island that is totally commercialized with numerous attractions. If you intend to do all the attractions, it may end up taking upto 3 days. If you have just one day for Sentosa, my pick would be Universal Studios along with the ‘Wings of Time’ light and sound show in the evening on the Sentosa beach.
Day 4: China Town, Singapore Flyer, Gardens By the Bay, Marina Bay Sands & Casino
If you are in Singapore, you ought to see Chinatown. While it is crowded, Chinatown offers very unique experience with assorted souvenirs, which you can take for your loved ones. There are free walking tours for Chinatown on specific days and I highly recommend to do the tour if your schedule permits. Click here for more information.
Gardens by the Bay is an engineering marvel. There are 2 domes: flower dome and cloud forest; both are equipped with centralized air conditioning so you can enjoy the domes even if it is hot and humid outside. These domes have specific opening and closing time so prioritize the domes before you see the rest of the gardens. Light and sound show happens every day in the evening at regular intervals which is free of cost.
Singapore Flyer is a one-time experience. It is a 30 mins ride on a giant-wheel and gives you a panoramic view of the whole city. It opens daily from 8:30 AM to 10 PM. The best time would be around 6 PM so that you can see the city both in the day and with the lights. You can find more by clicking here.
You can end your day with a visit to Marina Bay Sands (MBS) which is walking distance from the Gardens by the Bay. It is the iconic building of Singapore and you simply cannot miss it as it visible from everywhere in the central part of Singapore. The entry to the casino at MBS is free of cost and it is quite an experience to see folks playing with $1000 chips on the blackjack tables. Please do carry your passports as you will not be allowed to enter without the passports. The experience of the roof top bar (Ku De Ta) in MBS is also quite nice but I would recommend 1-Altitude as it offers better views and cheaper than Ku De Ta. If you have seen casinos in Vegas before, dont be surprised to see people dressed in casuals and shorts. There is no dress code here except closed shoes.
Day 5: Jurong Bird Park, Chinese Garden
Jurong Bird Park has gorgeous colorful collection of birds and some of them are rare species. If you want to get close shots with birds, this makes a perfect place.
Chinese garden is not very far from Jurong Bird Park (Nothing is far in Singapore!). It will retract you from the busy city life of Singapore and will take you into another world. I love these gardens. And yes, don’t forget to check out the Turtle sanctuary inside Chinese garden. It is quite an experience to see tortoise and turtles moving around and you can feed them too! Adjacent to these are Japanese gardens whose architecture is very different from the Chinese gardens. Indeed, a great place for photography! Click here to read more about Chinese gardens. I recommend you do either of the 2 gardens: Chinese Garden or Botanical Garden depending on time availability.
Day 6: Little India, Bugis Street, Kampong Glam, Night Safari
Similar to Chinatown, Little India also very unique and distinct. One of the most fascinating places is Mustafa which is a huge shopping center that sells everything from groceries to luggage. It beats Walmart in a lot of ways! Little India also has various options for good Indian food. Note: If you are an Indian and do not crave for crowd or Indian food, I do not recommend it as you will not find anything exclusive.
Bugis Street is the shopping street in Singapore where you get very cheap stuff. Some people really enjoy going there. If you enjoy street shopping, this street is worth your time. The area adjacent to it is Kampong Glam which is very rich in culture and heritage.
Night Safari is closer to the Singapore Zoo and I donot recommend to club this with the Zoo unless you are running out of time. Doing Night Safari on a different day will enhance your experience and make you love the safari even more! Do not miss out on the walking trails. Do every single of them. It’s fun!
Day 7: Tree Top Tour, Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery, East Coast Park
This is really something which the locals do so if you don’t have time, I wouldn’t recommend it. Tree Top Tour closes at 5PM and is a wonderful experience to get a bird eye view of the forest and experience the city in a slightly different way.
Tree Top Tour can become very strenuous is you are not into walking/trekking of sorts. The other great option would be to go to Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery. This monastery is about 100+ years old and very historic. This is what I really love about Singapore. You can see really beautiful mosques, monasteries, hindu temples & churches all in this really small country. Below is my Instagram feed for the monastery. It is indeed very beautiful and the pictures do not do a justice at all.
Best time to visit East Coast Park (ECP) is around 5 PM you can ride bikes and cycle around the coast overlooking the sea. I love visiting ECP as this place is so vibrant. You can watch kids skating, folks running, people hosting barbecue, boys playing volleyball and some adventurous folks camping in this beautiful stretch.
While there is lot more to do, these places form the essence of this truly inspiring city! Hope you truly enjoy your stay here in Singapore. I would love to hear back from you if you are travelling to Singapore anytime soon and would need any assistance. 🙂
Have you already been to Singapore? Which was your favorite place? Do pen down your thoughts here…
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Brilliantly written.
You guys enjoying life. Great locations. Songborae is my favourite place. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
How fun!! Look forward visiting Singapore sometime.
I will totally be adding the gardens to my list when I am in Singapore. The images look incredible and it is great you provided some background info in the beginning because I had no idea they import everything.
Singapore is one of the favorite destinations in Asia for my partner and I. We just love it. He also went to school there and showed me around many of the places you have highlighted in this post. It certainly a wonderful place with wonderful, friendly people. You have really put together a great itinerary that I think everyone would enjoy. Lovely photos as well.
The Sky Gardens by the Bay are already on my bucket list for when I visit Singapore – but I had no idea there were so many other cool things to do there! Thanks for sharing!
It really does look beautiful there. I didn’t realise there was so much to do and see in Singapore. My children would probably love it too.
Who knew there were so many cool things to do in Singapore?! The tree top tour looks like so much fun. Also, I had no idea that they have to import everything. What a great post and really fun photos
Singapore looks beautiful!! I learned so much about so many attractions just in this short article! Thanks for sharing 😀
wow, it seems like you had too much fun from the pictures 🙂 I never knew there was a Universal theme park in Singapore.
Such a fantastic zoo. The animal enclosures are amazing, but the gardens are also worth visiting. Loved seeing the orangutans roaming high up in the trees.
Singapore is always amazing for a long layover. I stayed here for a week before and had the best time!
A very comprehensive post on Singapore. The photos are also so nice.
That seems like an exhausting itinerary for my laziness! The fact that Singapore has zero of its own natural resources both shocked and astounds me, how does a place like that even begin without it’s own resources?
I went to singapore last year because i had a long lay over. I just did the river cruise which was amazing. Singapore has so much to offer. Will definitely come back and maybe stay a few days. Thank you for sharing your itinerary
Awesome guys!!!
Thank you Manish! 🙂
What a beautiful place! I didn’t know that they didn’t cook I thought that was just me!
I had no idea that they have no natural resources and have everything shipped in to them. That must cost them a lot of money.
Oh I would love to check out Singapore. That would be so much fun to go there one day.
My brother would love to visit singapore! This is definitely something I’m going to share with him! I love your 7-day guide so you can truly experience it all!
This sounds like it was such an amazing time. I would love to be able to see Singapore one day!
we’ve been to Singapore and it was one of my favorite places to visit, such a beautiful and cultured place with plenty to see and do!
Signapore looks like such a fun place to visit. Definitely a place on my bucket list for the future.
This is a great itinerary for anyone traveling to Singapore! I’d enjoy the zoo, garden, and seeing the birds! Thanks for sharing these things to do in for either tourist and non tourist events.
I’ve learned so much from this. First off that 70% stat is interesting, curious as to what it is in the US. Also had no idea Universal there, I love it!
I miss Quay’s in the US. I haven’t been to Singapore but seems like I will like this city
What a gorgeous place to visit! I had no idea Singapore has their very own Universal. How fun is that?
Reading about the elevator riding styles in Singapore reminds me of NYC. You could always tell the tourist by the way they don’t follow the rules. I’ve never been to Singapore, but it looks amazing. I had no idea there was a Universal Studios there. I would love the chance to explore the food and culture of the area.
Wow! It sounds like there is so much to do there that I didn’t even consider. I would love to visit someday when the kids are older.
Singapore is most definitely on my traveling list and the beautiful Chinese garden designed by Taiwanese architect Prof. Yuen-chen Yuis is what I’m most excited about. Thanks for making me inspired with your pictures again.
everything looks like so much fin! I am so adding this to my travel bucket list. I really had no idea they had a Universal there, that’s awesome.
I’ve always wanted to go to Singapore, I never realised how much you could do there. Seems like you had a blast, great photos 🙂
I’ve never been to Singapore and I’d love to see what you can do there and what it has to offer! It sounds like such a fun place and there are tons of attractions as well.
I had no clue about the importing. One of my friends might be moving to Singapore after she gets married this summer and this makes me want to go to visit so badly x
I have always wanted to visit Singapore. It look so beautiful. I’m so envious of you. xx
Wow, this looks amazing! Such a beautiful place!!! I would love to go!
Wow! Singapore seems like there is so much to experience! You are so brave to be right there with all the animals! I think the tree top tour is the one thing that I would not want to miss. Thanks so much for the great info!
I had no idea that Singapore did not have any natural resources and that most of their stuff is imported. Plus who knew that a large majority do not cook? xx
I agree that the tree top tour sounds like a great experience. After all when you visit a new country it is nice to try out things that you wouldn’t necessarily do at home x
I never knew there was a Universal theme park in Singapore. It be fun for me to check out how it compares to the ones in the states.
Looks like a fun-filled trip! I love looking at the photos. I wish I can visit Singapore in the future too.
Belle | One Awesome Momma
Looks like a fun trip. I had no idea there was a Universal in Singapore and so many fun other things to visit like the Zoo. I always love to go to Zoos at every city I vacation in.
Wow, I didn’t realize there was so much to do in Singapore. And I had no clue about the resources. That is a cool/interesting fact. The zoo is right up my ally, so I would totally do that!
That tree top tour looks incredible! I would be so into that walkway up in the air, through those trees! Such a unique perspective on things!
I have always wanted to go to Singapore. It sounds like there is so much to see and do there. Hopefully someday I will get there.
I had no clue that they import everything! It looks like you had a fantastic time. You took great photos!