10 Top Places to Visit in Singapore

Marina Bay Sands opened in 2010 - three 55-storey hotel towers crowned by the SkyPark rooftop, a 343-metre-long ship-shaped platform connecting the towers' tops. Designed by Moshe Safdie, the building has redefined the Singapore skyline. The SkyPark hosts an infinity pool (hotel guests only) and a public observation deck (S$32) with the city's most photographed view across Marina Bay to the financial district and Gardens by the Bay.

The base of the building houses the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands (luxury shopping), the ArtScience Museum (the lotus-shaped white building, S$24 admission), and 30+ celebrity-chef restaurants. The free Spectra light and water show plays nightly at 20:00 and 21:00 along the Event Plaza waterfront - one of the world's best free spectacles. Open daily; SkyPark observation deck 09:30-22:00.

Pro Tip: Skip the paid SkyPark observation deck (S$32) and instead book a S$30 drink at the LAVO Italian restaurant on the 57th floor with the same view - no entry fee, same panorama, and you get a cocktail. Book the 19:30 slot to catch the Spectra show from above.

Gardens by the Bay is a 101-hectare horticultural park opened in 2012 that contains the visual symbol of contemporary Singapore - 18 Supertrees, vertical gardens 25-50 metres tall combining tropical plants with solar-collecting structures. The garden was conceived as part of Singapore's City in a Garden strategy and combines outdoor heritage gardens with two enormous climate-controlled conservatories: the Flower Dome (Mediterranean and arid plants) and Cloud Forest (tropical mountain mist with a 35-metre indoor waterfall).

The free Supertree Grove with its OCBC Skyway (S$10 to walk the 128-metre aerial bridge between Supertrees) hosts the free Garden Rhapsody light show nightly at 19:45 and 20:45. The 2 conservatories cost S$32 combined adult; Cloud Forest features the Avatar Experience zone since 2024. Allow 4 hours for both conservatories plus Supertrees. Open daily; conservatories 09:00-21:00.

Pro Tip: Position yourself directly under the central Supertree at 19:40 for the Garden Rhapsody light show - the music and choreography are synchronised, and the centre point is the best free Singapore evening experience. Bring a portable mat to sit on the lawn.

Sentosa is a 5-square-km resort island just off the southern coast of Singapore, accessed by 700-metre causeway, monorail, or cable car. Once a British military fort and later a fishing community, since the 2000s the island has been redeveloped as Singapore's main leisure destination. The island combines Universal Studios Singapore, S.E.A. Aquarium (one of the world's largest), 3 beach clubs (Tanjong, Palawan, Siloso), the Skyline Luge, and the Resorts World casino.

Universal Studios Singapore S$83 adult; S.E.A. Aquarium S$45. Multi-attraction passes available. The free internal monorail Sentosa Express runs between all major attractions. Beach access free; sun loungers 30-50 SGD. Sentosa entry S$4 by bridge or S$8 by Sentosa Express. Open daily; specific attraction times vary. Allow a full day. The southern Palawan Beach southernmost point of continental Asia marker is a popular photo stop.

Pro Tip: Use the Mount Faber Cable Car (S$35 round-trip) to arrive at Sentosa - the scenic 15-minute ride from the mainland is the best Singapore harbour view. Book the Universal Studios Express Pass online if visiting on a weekend - queues regularly exceed 2 hours on major rides.

Singapore Zoo opened in 1973 and pioneered the open zoo concept - animals are separated from visitors by hidden moats, glass barriers, and dense vegetation rather than visible cages. The 28-hectare park houses approximately 300 species across 4 climate zones. The Free-Ranging Orangutan Boardwalk lets visitors walk among free-roaming orangutans (8 metres above ground); the Fragile Forest walk-through dome shelters lemurs, sloths, and tropical birds.

The adjacent Night Safari (the world's first nocturnal zoo, 1994) and River Wonders (Asia's only river-themed park) share the property. Singapore Zoo standalone S$48; combined 4-park pass S$130. Open daily 08:30-18:00 zoo; Night Safari 19:15-midnight. MRT Khatib station then bus 138, or zoo shuttle bus from major hotels. Allow 4 hours minimum.

Pro Tip: The Breakfast with Orangutans experience (S$45 extra, 09:00-10:30) lets you eat breakfast at a viewing terrace as the orangutans descend for their morning meal - the most photographed Singapore Zoo experience. Book 1 week ahead through the official zoo website.

Singapore's Chinatown (Niu Che Shui in Mandarin, Bullock Cart Water) dates to the 1820s when Stamford Raffles allocated this area for Chinese immigrants. The district preserves 19th-century shophouses, Hokkien-Hakka heritage, and several major temples. The pedestrianised Pagoda Street and Smith Street fill with souvenir stalls and food vendors; Telok Ayer Street holds the historic temples.

Standout sights: Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (a 2007 Tang-dynasty-style building with a claimed Buddha tooth on the 4th floor, free entry), Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple (the country's oldest Hindu temple in Chinatown, ironic placement), Thian Hock Keng Temple (1840 Hokkien temple at Telok Ayer), and Maxwell Food Centre (Tian Tian Hainanese chicken rice). Pagoda Street is busy 11:00-22:00. Free to wander; temple entries free with sarong loaned if needed.

Pro Tip: Eat at Maxwell Food Centre for an authentic hawker dinner - Tian Tian chicken rice has a 30-minute queue but worth it (S$5). Try Heap Seng Leong on Telok Ayer for kopi gu you (coffee with butter), a Singapore Chinese tradition since the 1950s.

Little India stretches around Serangoon Road and is the most sensory neighbourhood in Singapore - the smell of jasmine garlands and spices, Tamil signage, sari shops, and South Indian temples. Tekka Centre is the wet market and hawker centre at the southern end; the wholesale gold shops cluster around Buffalo Road. The Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, with its colourful Dravidian-style tower (gopuram), is the most-photographed Hindu temple in Singapore.

The 24-hour Mustafa Centre on Syed Alwi Road is South Asia's most comprehensive shop in Singapore - 6 storeys, 75+ departments, electronics to gold to groceries. Free to wander. South Indian vegetarian thali meals at Komala Vilas (140 Serangoon Road, S$8-12) are the local benchmark. Banana leaf meals at Muthu's Curry are the upmarket option. The district is open 24/7 but liveliest 17:00-23:00.

Pro Tip: Visit on a Sunday evening for the most vibrant atmosphere - South Asian migrant workers congregate in the area on their day off and the neighbourhood transforms. Try a hand-painted henna design at any of the Buffalo Road stalls; tip 5-15 SGD depending on intricacy.

The Merlion - a half-fish, half-lion sculpture spouting water into Marina Bay - is Singapore's official tourism symbol since 1972. The 8.6-metre, 70-tonne original Merlion at Merlion Park stands on a small promontory at the mouth of the Singapore River with the city skyline behind. The lion head represents the Sanskrit name Singapura (Lion City) and the fish body represents the city's origins as a fishing village.

The promenade includes a smaller Merlion cub (2 metres) and is right opposite Marina Bay Sands across the bay - prime selfie location with both icons. The area connects to the Esplanade Theatres (the durian-shaped buildings) and the Boat Quay restaurant strip along the river. Free to visit; open 24 hours. Allow 30 minutes. Combine with a Singapore River cruise (S$28) for a different angle.

Pro Tip: Walk the Helix Bridge across the bay to Marina Bay Sands at 19:50 - you cross during the Spectra show with both icons in view from mid-bridge. The DNA-shaped pedestrian bridge is itself one of Singapore's most photographed structures.

Founded in 1859, Singapore Botanic Gardens is the only tropical garden inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2015) and the city's oldest cultural institution. The 82-hectare garden was instrumental in the development of rubber as a global commodity (the first commercial rubber trees came from here in 1877). Today the gardens hold over 10000 species across themed zones, the original 4-hectare Rain Forest (older than the city itself), and the National Orchid Garden with 1000+ species.

Free to enter the main gardens; National Orchid Garden S$15 (the only paid section). The Symphony Lake hosts free Sunday evening concerts at 18:00 in season. The Heritage Trees - 14 ancient specimens marked across the park - are walking-tour highlights. Open daily 05:00-midnight; National Orchid Garden 08:30-19:00. Allow 3 hours minimum. The Halia restaurant inside the gardens is a popular weekend brunch destination.

Pro Tip: Arrive at 06:00 to walk the 4-hectare Rain Forest with the morning chorus of cicadas and birds - the oldest part of the gardens predates the colonial-era plantings by centuries. The Tanglin Gate at the north has free parking; bus 7 runs from Marina Bay area.

Hawker centres are Singapore's collective open-air food halls - 110+ government-managed buildings where individual hawker stalls compete on price, quality, and recipe authenticity. Inscribed by UNESCO in 2020 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, hawker culture is the most authentic Singapore food experience. Most meals cost S$4-8; locals queue for famous stalls. Some hawker stalls have earned Michelin stars (Hawker Chan in Chinatown, Liao Fan Soya Sauce Chicken).

Top hawker centres: Maxwell Food Centre (Tian Tian Chicken Rice), Lau Pa Sat (satay street at night), Old Airport Road (locals favourite for fish-head curry), Tiong Bahru Market, Chinatown Complex (largest), and Newton Food Centre. Self-seating; cash mostly preferred but PayLah! and contactless increasingly accepted. Most open 10:00-21:00. Try chicken rice, char kway teow, laksa, chilli crab, and roti prata as starting dishes.

Pro Tip: Chope a table by placing a packet of tissues on it before ordering food - the local way to reserve a seat. Visit Old Airport Road Food Centre for the most authentic hawker experience (almost no tourists; the locals' choice). The Ren Ren Roast Duck stall on the 2nd floor is the best in Singapore.

Jewel Changi opened in 2019 and is the lifestyle destination integrated with Singapore Changi Airport - a 134000-square-metre nature-themed complex centred on the Rain Vortex, the world's tallest indoor waterfall at 40 metres. Designed by Moshe Safdie (also the architect of Marina Bay Sands), Jewel mixes retail, dining, hotels, gardens, and an indoor canopy walk - all just outside Terminal 1 and accessible without a flight ticket.

The Rain Vortex transitions to a light show every hour after 19:00 (free). The Canopy Park on the top floor (S$8 admission) holds a hedge maze, mirror maze, bouncing nets, and the indoor canopy bridge. Restaurants include Shake Shack (Singapore's first), Burger and Lobster, and local favourites. Open daily; Rain Vortex displays 11:00-22:00. MRT Changi Airport station, 5-min walk.

Pro Tip: Jewel makes an excellent stop before or after a flight, but also a good Singapore evening destination on its own. The 19:00 first light show is best viewed from the 5th floor cafe overlooking the Rain Vortex. The Canopy Bridge after dark is dramatically lit.