This year, I’m celebrating my 10th anniversary of living in Singapore! Yup, I’ve officially lived in this city country for a decade, and recently even became a Singaporean myself.
I don’t need to tell you that ten years is a pretty long time to get to know a place – especially one as tiny as Singapore. I’d like to think I know a thing or fifteen about this country!
I know many visitors ended up in Singapore as a layover while traveling to another country. Thanks to our beloved Changi Airport, which serves as a vibrant hub for many intercontinental flights. If you are one of the passengers of such flights, you might end up in Singapore just for a short time as you are connecting to your next flight.
Fret not – I’ve created a guide tailored just for you! Singapore is a city known for its small size and highly efficient lifestyle, so it’s very possible to see a lot even if you’re here for a short time.
- What should I do if I am only stopping over for a few hours in Singapore?
- Luggage storage at Singapore Changi Airport
- Where to stay in Singapore
- What to do in Singapore
- Staying for a bit longer?
What should I do if I am only stopping over for a few hours in Singapore?
This is a tricky question, but I’ll try to answer it as comprehensively as I can! Buckle up and read on:
1. Getting in and out of Changi Airport
Remember how I told you Singapore is highly efficient? Well, our airport is a great sneak peek of that efficiency. The immigration and taxi lines at Changi Airport move very fast.
Get through Immigration faster: make sure you’ve filled out the electronic Arrival card to make your visit even faster.
You’ll get out of the airport and into a taxi in 15-20 minutes on average. If you’re unlucky and the immigration line is long, don’t worry – it would still take less than 45 mins. Then from the airport, it’s only a 20-minute taxi ride to the central area. You won’t have issues getting a taxi either, as the taxi line is managed and there’s always a supply of cabs waiting.
Taxis in Singapore take both cash and major credit cards, but if you’re paying with a card just make sure to mention that you intend to do so to the person who is managing the taxi line, on the off chance that a taxi takes only cash.
2. How much time will I have in the city?
As a rule of thumb if you’re trying to estimate how much time you’ll actually have in the city, subtract your layover time by about 4-5 hours:
- 1-2 hours to get off your flight and into the city
- 30 minutes to get back to the airport later
- 2 hours to be at the airport before your next flight
- 30 minutes for some buffer time, just in case
So for example, if your layover is 6 hours, you’ll probably only have 1-2 hours to explore the city.
3. Is it worth getting out of Singapore Changi Airport on a layover?
It depends on when you’re landing and how long your layover is.
If you are in Singapore for LESS than 6 hours or during off-hours
If you are stopping over for less than 6 hours, or if you’re stopping over at night outside regular business hours, then it’s probably not worth getting out of the airport. But don’t worry, Changi Airport isn’t considered the best in the world for nothing! Check out the Changi Airport website for ideas on what to do while transiting.
Recently, the new Jewel Changi Airport was opened to the public which features an impressive indoor waterfall and garden as well as a long list of retail shops and good restaurants. You won’t be bored. However, visiting Jewel Changi Airport DOES require you to get out past the immigration line so only do this if you have a visa to enter Singapore. Jewel can be accessed quite easily from all 4 terminals of Changi Airport.
Click here to find out more about Jewel Airport.
If you are in Singapore for MORE than 6 hours during regular business hours
If you are stopping over for more than 6 hours and it’s during the day, then you should definitely get out of Changi Airport and explore the city.
Check out my itinerary below and see which one you’d like to do and which one is actually feasible for you. Personally, I think at the very least you should at least go to the waterfront promenade area.
4. Free Singapore Tour from Changi Airport
If you are in Singapore for more than 5.5 hours but less than 24 hours, you might be eligible for a free Singapore Tour that departs daily straight from Changi Airport depending on your passport (whether it grants you visa-free entry to Singapore or not) and flight time.
Book the free tour via the Changi Airport website
But if you prefer to go around by yourself, then keep reading for my recommendations!
Luggage storage at Singapore Changi Airport
You can store your luggage at Changi Airport for a small fee of S$5-18 depending on the size of the luggage, payable per 24 hours. This means even if you’re stopping in Singapore overnight, you could leave your big luggage at the airport and bring only your essentials and one day of clothes with you!
Click here for information on luggage storage at the airport
Where to stay in Singapore
If your layover includes an overnight, you should not limit yourself to staying near the airport. Singapore is a small country – there is hardly ever any traffic and taxis are available around the clock, so you won’t encounter problems going to the airport later. I recommend staying in the Central area, Little India, Bugis, or Chinatown which is only a 20-minute cab ride to Changi airport.
Here are a few hotels you can consider:
The Scarlet Hotel ($$) – A luxury boutique hotel located conveniently in a shophouse on Club Street, one of Singapore’s most lively streets filled with cocktail bars and chic restaurants.
Raffles Hotel ($$$$) – Raffles Hotel is one of the most iconic hotels in Singapore, dating back to 1887. Although the rooms are kept in the old colonial black-and-white style, the hotel has been refurbished several times, most recently in 2017. It is truly a gem.
Marina Bay Sands ($$$$) – Of course, everyone knows the famous Marina Bay Sands. Sometimes referred to as MBS here, it is known for its infinity pool on the rooftop on the 57th floor overlooking Singapore. Since its opening in 2010, MBS has become the most iconic landmark of Singapore’s skyline.
Shangri-la Orchard ($$$) – Located conveniently at the heart of the city, Shangri-la Orchard has been around since 1971. That’s almost as old as Singapore itself! But if you are expecting a dated hotel, you won’t find it. Instead, you will find a luxurious hotel that even locals love to staycation in. I wrote a review of the hotel when I stayed there.
Singapore One Day Itinerary
Okay, enough talk! Let’s move on to what you can do during your layover in Singapore. If you start really early in the morning and closely follow the itinerary I have below, your day might look like this:
As you can see, this is a pretty full-on schedule from early morning til night time. I’d like to remind you that this itinerary is merely a recommendation, so please feel free to pick and choose which activity you want to do!
1. Try the quintessential Singaporean Breakfast
If you are in Singapore for breakfast time, start your day with breakfast loved by all Singaporeans! Actually, I’ll take that back – you can have this any time of the day ?
A breakfast set in Singapore usually consists of Kaya Toast with cold butter, accompanied by two soft-boiled eggs and a cup of local Kopi (the local way of saying “coffee”). You could skip the eggs and coffee, but I highly encourage you to try at least the Kaya toast, served with kaya jam and butter. Kaya jam is made from coconut milk, eggs, and sugar and is totally delicious.
I recommend heading down to Ya Kun Kaya Toast on China street (map) – it’s their first outlet since 1944 and is their most authentic outlet. It also helps that it’s in the middle of the city so it’s highly accessible.
However, if you can’t make it to this location, there are plenty of other Ya Kun locations around the city too, and sometimes even just any local food center will have a stall that sells Kaya toast.
2. Explore Singapore’s Chinatown (~2 hours)
From Ya Kun Kaya, Chinatown is only a short walk away – it’s just across the street actually!
A bit of back story of the Chinatown area – If you take the MRT (the subway) to Chinatown, you will notice that the station is displayed using three Chinese characters 牛车水. Those characters do not mean “Chinatown”, but they do tell a history of this area very well. 牛 is the character for “cow”, 车 is “car” and 水 is “water”. This is because back in the day, freshwater supplies were carried using carts pulled by oxen from a well in Ann Siang Hill, which I will get to in a minute.
I recommend starting from Telok Ayer street, literally translated to “Bay Water” in Malay (which by the way, is one of the four national languages of Singapore). Why the name? Because this area was literally the coastal line of Singapore before the country began reclaiming lands in the late 1880s. Back when it was still a coastal line, boats would line up and wait for freshwater here before hauling them up to Ann Siang Hill.
On Telok Ayer Street, you can find Thian Hock Keng temple, the oldest Hokkien temple in the country. While exploring the temple, take note of the beautiful tiles in and around the temple. These are the beautiful Peranakan tiles. Later on, in Chinatown, I recommend stopping by Peranakan Tile shop to see the various tile designs. The tile shop used to be located in this temple but had moved to 36 Temple Street, 10 minutes away from here, which you can do in the next part of Chinatown Central.
From Telok Ayer, you can walk north to Ann Siang Hill and find the well I was talking about earlier. Make your way to Chinatown central, where you’ll find Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, and of course, the Peranakan Tile shop I mentioned before. The Chinatown area, as the name indicates, was the settlement area for Chinese immigrants who came to Singapore in the 1800s. Nowadays, it’s a bustling area filled with shops, restaurants, and night markets.
Continue your way to Kreta Ayer Road and Keong Saik Road. Kreta Ayer simply means “Cart water” in Malay, and similar to Telok Ayer, it was named so due to its past history involving fresh water being carried by oxen carts. Keong Saik Road, on the other hand, is an area that was once a prominent red light district but has now turned into a hip area filled with bars and boutique hotels, housed in colorful preserved shophouses.
If you are in Singapore during the Chinese New Year period, you will find the area decorated and bustling with activities! Check the Singapore Events Calendar here.
Nearby Keong Saik road is the EW16 Outram Park MRT, which you can take to your next destination at EW12 DT14 Bugis MRT.
3. Visit Kampong Glam (~1.5 hours)
Kampong Glam was home to Malay royalties back in the 1800s. Since 1989, it has become one of the conservation areas in Singapore. From EW12 DT14 Bugis MRT, make your way to Haji Lane, an artsy alley filled with colorful murals, local indie brands in shophouses, and trendy cafes. In the past 10 years, it has slowly become more vibrant and more trendy – definitely popular on Instagram these days.
Go one street over from Haji Lane to Arab Street where you’ll find Sultan Mosque, one of the most important mosques for the Muslim community in Singapore. In front of the Sultan Mosque, you’ll find rows of middle eastern restaurants. It used to be that you can relax and smoke shisha here, but shisha was banned from Singapore in 2016. So nowadays, you can just find good middle eastern food and some live entertainment here at night.
If you are in Singapore during the Ramadan month, you might want to come back here at night. Ramadan is the holy month when Muslims celebrate by fasting, and they break their fast by sunset and cool food markets will open. Check the Singapore Events Calendar here.
On your way out of the Kampong Glam area, if modern architecture is of interest, you might want to stop by Parkview Square which has been colloquially referred to as the “Gotham Building” by Singaporean residents. Once you see the building, you’ll know why – the building is grandly decorated in art deco style, and you can even find a few Dali sculptures in the courtyard. At the lobby of Parkview Square is Atlas, a grand art deco bar where you can have cocktails or afternoon tea.
4. Try Singaporean Local Food
Singapore is a country with many cultures, which you can see well in the form of our local food. We have Chinese food, Malay food, Indian food, Peranakan food, and even a fusion of Indian and Malay!
Want to know more about food in Singapore? Check out my list of what to eat in Singapore
Here are some of my personal favorites:
- Bak Kut Teh – Bak Kut Teh is a peppery, garlicky pork ribs soup that is loved by locals. Local favorites include Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh and Founder’s Bak Kut Teh.
- Hainanese Chicken Rice – Singapore is pretty much synonymous with chicken rice, and you’ll see why! Despite the name, much of the importance of the dish lies in the rice itself rather than the chicken. The rice is so fragrant and full of flavors. My favorite chicken rice is Loy Kee.
- Violet Oon at National Gallery – A popular choice for Peranakan fare, set in the beautiful National Gallery museum.
- MTR 1924 – Located in Little India, this vegetarian restaurant serves some of the best South Indian food you can find not just in Singapore, but anywhere. Get the Masala Dosa, you won’t regret it!
If you don’t have time to make it to the original restaurants, you can find most of these dishes at Rasa Pura food court, found in the basement of Marina Bay Sands.
5. Go to Little India (1-1.5 hours)
Once you’re done with the Kampong Glam area, take the train to NE7 DT12 Little India MRT, which is only one stop away from Bugis MRT using the downtown line. Your first stop from the Little India MRT is Tan Teng Niah House.
This colorful building is the former residence of Tan Teng Niah, the last Chinese villa in Little India. Tan Teng Niah owned sugarcane sweet factories in the area back in the 1900s. The house was restored and conserved in the 1980s for commercial use, and the restoration project was awarded the Singapore Institute of Architects Honourable Mention in 1991.
From Tan Teng Niah house, make your way down Serangoon Road on foot and just take in the atmosphere of Little India. It might be a little chaotic if you are here on a weekend.
This incredibly ornate gate is the Gopuram (entrance tower) of Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, a Hindu temple in Little India. It is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, the fierce embodiment of Shakti, and the god Shiva’s wife, Parvati. You are allowed to enter the temple, but please take off your shoes before you do. There are places designated for your footwear right outside the temple.
At the end of Serangoon Road near Farrer Park MRT station is Mustafa Center, notorious as Singapore’s craziest shopping experience that you probably won’t find elsewhere in the world. Basically, Singapore locals and expats alike regard Mustafa Center as this magical, chaotic place where you can find everything and anything you can possibly dream of – from clothes to groceries, to even jewelry and furniture. The layout of Mustafa isn’t the most organized or logical, so just be mentally prepared before you get in.
PS: Little India is one of the most festive neighborhoods in Singapore. If you are so lucky to have come to Singapore during one of the festivals, especially Deepavali, you’ll find the neighborhood even more lively and brightly decorated. Check the Singapore Events Calendar here.
6. Walk around the Waterfront Promenade (~1 hour)
One of the areas I always recommend friends to visit is the Singapore waterfront promenade. It’s very accessible (practically in the middle of the city) and it’s a very cool area to walk around in.
First and foremost, you cannot miss the Merlion statue. Merlion is a mythical creature that resembles a mermaid with the head of a lion (hence the name Merlion!). But why a lion? It has been speculated that the name “Singapore” comes from the Malay words Singa (lion) and Pura (city). Hence, Singapore has been nicknamed “lion city”. And the fish part? It is to symbolize Singapore’s past as a humble fishing village.
Aside from the Merlion Statue, you can also visit a few historical sites such as the Fullerton Hotel, which was originally built in 1928 and had been used for many purposes – the General Post Office, a hospital during World War II, and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (tax) headquarters, before finally being restored into a five-star luxury hotel in 2001.
A little off the waterfront is Raffles Hotel, the most charming and historical hotel in Singapore dating from 1887. You probably can’t visit most of the private areas unless you are a guest of the hotel, but you can still take a look at the lobby and admire its colonial-style look and furniture. Most notably, you’ll want to visit the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel which is said to be the place where Singapore Sling, the cocktail, was born. I’ll speak more about this later on, in the nightlife section, but it’s not reserved for just nightlife. Day drinking is a thing in Singapore! ?
If you decide to walk along the water on the promenade, you’ll come across a lotus-shaped building. This is the ArtScience Museum, one of my favorite museums in Singapore. The museum often houses very interesting exhibits, and one of their permanent exhibits is interactive pieces by the famous teamLAB from Japan. You can check what’s on and buy tickets for ArtScience Museum exhibits here.
7. Marina Bay Sands Skypark
And nearby the Art Science Museum is the Marina Bay Sands Hotel with the famous infinity pool at the top of the hotel. While the pool is strictly for hotel guests only, there is an observation deck called the Marina Bay Sands Skypark which can be visited by the public. The Skypark will give you a 360 view of the Singapore waterfront area.
If the weather is good, I would recommend visiting the Skypark close to sunset – around 6:15 PM – 6:30 PM would be ideal. The sun sets around 7 PM in Singapore.
A ticket is required to visit the Skypark. Get the tickets here! For entry after 4 PM, you do need to book a time slot when you buy the ticket.
8. Visit Gardens By The Bay for the Garden Rhapsody Show (~1 hour)
A visit to the Gardens By The Bay requires at least three hours to properly walk around the area and visit the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest.
You can buy tickets to Gardens By the Bay here
But if you only have half an hour or so, I still recommend catching the free show Garden Rhapsody – you’ll see the Super Tree in all its glory, with a matching musical number! They do the show every night at 7:45 PM and 8:45 PM.
Check Garden Rhapsody Schedule here for the most up-to-date schedule.
Entry to the Garden Rhapsody area is free, but there is a paid skywalk you can take to be even closer to the trees. I recommend this if you have more than half an hour (not counting the Garden Rhapsody, which takes 15 minutes).
9. Have some Evening Drinks
Singapore has a very vibrant nightlife, so you will not be short of options if you want to go out. But since you are short on time, here are a few that I recommend, depending on the vibe you are going for:
For a great view of the city: Go to Lvl 33 or OverEasy
These two spots are the perfect spot to view the Spectra light show!
Check the Spectra Light & Water show schedule here.
For some culture & history: Long Bar at Raffles Hotel
If you’ve heard of the Singapore Sling – well, look no further! The Long Bar is where the drink was invented. While I personally think the Singapore Sling is way too sweet and overpriced (it’s $32!!), I loved the charm of the Long Bar itself. The Long Bar features countless notable guests, such as Ernest Hemingway, Elizabeth Taylor, and Alfred Hitchcock.
At the bar, you’ll also notice peanut shells scattered around the floor – this is part of the long tradition left from colonial times and quite possibly the only place in squeaky-clean Singapore where littering is actually encouraged.
For Trendy Bars and Cocktails: Head to Keong Saik Street and Duxton Hill
When it comes to the trendier cocktail bars, Singapore is heaven for you, if you are willing to shell out the dollars, that is! Most of these places open at night, so I can only recommend this if your flight is not until after midnight or the next morning.
Some of the notable cocktail bars and lounges are:
- The Tippling Club (one of the world’s best 50 bars)
- Junior (a very small bar with only 10 or so seats)
- 28 Hong Kong Street (a hidden speakeasy bar)
If you want something a bit special, you can head to Atlas at Parkview Square. Like Parkview Square itself, Atlas is also highly decorated in art deco style. Take note while the rest of Singapore is pretty relaxed about dressing up, Atlas enforces a dress code so you need to wear pants and closed-toe shoes.
But if you’re not picky where you go – just head down Keong Saik street and you’ll be spoiled for choice. The crowd is good here on Friday and Saturday nights. Most of the cocktail bars close at midnight or 1 AM, and the crowd resumes to lounges or nightclubs.
Staying for a bit longer?
If you’re staying more than 24 hours, fret not. There is so much more to see in Singapore. Check out my 5 days Singapore Itinerary for more ideas. I recommend looking at Day 2 and 3 in that post for things that I did not cover here.
And that’s all I have on the must-do in Singapore within 24 hours. If you have a question or two, PLEASE do not hesitate to comment below. I am actively answering comments you guys leave, so you’ll get your answer really soon!