---
title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Singapore, Singapore (2026 Guide), Wimup"
description: "The 10 best things to do in Singapore, mapped, filmed and ranked. When to go, how many days you need, where to stay and the tourist traps to skip."
url: https://wimup.com/city/singapore
type: City guide
updated: 2026-10-07
publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com)
---

# Top 10 Things To Do in Singapore

Singapore, Singapore · Asia · By Wimup Editorial, 16 min read

Singapore is a tropical city-state that runs like clockwork, futuristic gardens, four cultures and arguably the best street food on the planet. Below are the **ten experiences worth your time**.

## Quick answer

The best things to do in Singapore are the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay, a hawker-centre feast, the Marina Bay skyline and the cultural quarters of Chinatown and Kampong Glam. Give it 2–3 days, it’s warm year-round, driest Feb–Apr.

## Quick facts

- **Best months:** Feb–Apr
- **Ideal length:** 2–3 days
- **Budget per day:** $120–200
- **Language:** English
- **Getting around:** MRT & walking
- **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.visitsingapore.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## The 10 best things to do in Singapore

### 1. See the Supertrees light up at Gardens by the Bay

Landmark · Marina Bay

Futuristic vertical gardens and cooled conservatories, stay for the free Supertree light show after dark.

- **Time:** 2–3 hrs
- **Cost:** S$/free
- **Best at:** After dark
- **Tip:** Free 7:45 show

Links: [Website](https://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) · [Place guide](https://wimup.com/place/gardens-by-the-bay.md)

### 2. Feast at a hawker centre

Food · Citywide

Michelin-cheap street food under one roof, chilli crab, chicken rice, laksa; follow the longest queue.

- **Time:** 1–2 hrs
- **Cost:** S$
- **Best at:** Lunch
- **Tip:** Queue = good

### 3. Take in the Marina Bay skyline

Viewpoint · Marina Bay

Walk the bayfront loop past the Sands and the Merlion; the nightly Spectra light-and-water show is free.

- **Time:** 1–2 hrs
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Evening
- **Tip:** Spectra at 8pm

Links: [Website](https://www.marinabaysands.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 4. Wander Chinatown

Neighborhood · Outram

Temples, shophouses and food streets, visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and eat down Smith Street.

- **Time:** Half day
- **Cost:** S$
- **Best at:** Afternoon
- **Tip:** Try the satay

### 5. Explore Kampong Glam & Haji Lane

Local life · Rochor

The Malay-Arab quarter, a golden mosque, indie boutiques on Haji Lane and great Middle Eastern food.

- **Time:** Half day
- **Cost:** S$
- **Best at:** Afternoon
- **Tip:** Haji Lane murals

### 6. Stroll the Botanic Gardens

Nature · Tanglin

A UNESCO tropical garden with a free orchid-filled heart, Singapore’s lush escape from the malls.

- **Time:** 1–2 hrs
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Orchids S$15

Links: [Website](https://www.nparks.gov.sg/sbg?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) · [Place guide](https://wimup.com/place/singapore-botanic-gardens.md)

### 7. Spend a day on Sentosa

Family · Sentosa

The resort island of beaches, Universal Studios and cable cars, a full family day a monorail ride away.

- **Time:** Full day
- **Cost:** S$$
- **Best at:** All day
- **Tip:** Cable car over

Links: [Website](https://www.sentosa.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) · [Place guide](https://wimup.com/place/sentosa.md)

### 8. Go wild at Singapore Zoo

Family · Mandai

Consistently rated the world’s best, open enclosures, plus the famous Night Safari next door.

- **Time:** Half day
- **Cost:** S$$
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Night Safari too

Links: [Website](https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 9. Brunch in Tiong Bahru

Hidden gem · Bukit Merah

Art-deco walk-ups, indie cafés and an old wet market, the city’s most charming low-rise neighborhood.

- **Time:** Half day
- **Cost:** S$
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Go on a weekday

### 10. Sip a Singapore Sling at Raffles

Experience · Civic District

The colonial grande dame where the cocktail was invented, toss peanut shells on the floor at the Long Bar.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** S$$$
- **Best at:** Evening
- **Tip:** Long Bar tradition

Links: [Website](https://www.raffles.com/singapore/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best restaurants in Singapore (2026)

From Michelin hawker stalls to three-star dining rooms, where locals actually eat.

1. **Maxwell Food Centre** (Hawker · S$ · Outram): Tian Tian chicken rice and dozens more stalls.
2. **Jumbo Seafood** (Seafood · S$$$ · Marina): The classic messy chilli-crab feast by the river. [Website](https://www.jumboseafood.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Komala Vilas** (Vegetarian · S$ · Little India): Banana-leaf dosa institution since 1947. [Website](https://komalavilas.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Odette** (Tasting · S$$$$ · Marina): Three-Michelin-star French at the National Gallery. [Website](https://odetterestaurant.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
5. **Burnt Ends** (Modern barbecue · S$$$$ · Dempsey): A four-tonne wood oven and counter seats you book weeks out. [Website](https://burntends.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
6. **Candlenut** (Peranakan · S$$$ · Dempsey): The world’s first starred Peranakan kitchen; buah keluak is the order.

## Best bars in Singapore

Gin cathedrals, hidden speakeasies and a rooftop over the Padang.

1. **Atlas** (Gin · S$$$ · Bugis): An art-deco hall with a three-storey gin tower; dress up, go at golden hour. [Website](https://atlasbar.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Native** (Regional · S$$ · Amoy Street): Cocktails built from foraged regional ingredients, ants optional.
3. **28 HongKong Street** (Speakeasy · S$$$ · Clarke Quay): The unmarked shophouse door that put Singapore on the cocktail map.
4. **Smoke & Mirrors** (Rooftop · S$$$ · City Hall): On top of the National Gallery, facing the Padang and the Marina Bay skyline.

## Best museums & galleries in Singapore

Southeast Asian art at scale, colonial history and a digital wonderland.

1. **National Gallery** (SEA art · S$$ · City Hall): The old Supreme Court and City Hall joined into the world’s largest Southeast Asian art collection. [Website](https://www.nationalgallery.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **National Museum** (History · S$$ · Bras Basah): Singapore’s story told twice: as history downstairs, as immersive spectacle upstairs.
3. **ArtScience Museum** (Future World · S$$$ · Marina Bay): The lotus building at Marina Bay Sands; Future World’s digital rooms are the draw.
4. **Asian Civilisations Museum** (Asian art · S$$ · Boat Quay): Trade-route treasures on the river, including the astonishing Tang shipwreck gold.

## Best shopping in Singapore

The Orchard strip, a 24-hour bazaar and the mall with a waterfall.

1. **Orchard Road** (Flagships · Orchard): Two kilometres of flagship malls; start at Ion and stop when your feet do.
2. **Mustafa Centre** (Everything · S$ · Little India): The legendary 24-hour department store that sells absolutely everything.
3. **Bugis Street Market** (Bargains · S$ · Bugis): Hundreds of cheap-and-cheerful stalls where Singapore actually haggles.
4. **Jewel Changi** (Waterfall mall · Changi): The airport mall built around a 40-metre indoor waterfall; worth landing early for.

## Best things to do in Singapore with kids

Night safaris, bird paradises and a science centre that sparks.

1. **Night Safari** (Night zoo · S$$$ · Mandai): The world’s first nocturnal zoo; take the tram, then walk the fishing-cat trail.
2. **Bird Paradise** (Aviaries · S$$$ · Mandai): Walk-through aviaries by continent; the penguin cove steals the show. [Website](https://www.mandai.com/en/bird-paradise.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Science Centre** (Hands-on · S$$ · Jurong): A thousand hands-on exhibits, a mirror maze and daily fire tornadoes. [Website](https://www.science.edu.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **S.E.A. Aquarium** (Aquarium · S$$$ · Sentosa): The vast open-ocean tank is one of the world’s great sit-and-stare rooms.

## Best neighborhoods in Singapore

The areas to base yourself, and who each one suits.

1. **Marina Bay** (Iconic · S$$$ · Marina): Skyline, gardens and the bayfront light shows.
2. **Chinatown** (Central · lively · Outram): Temples, food streets and boutique hotels.
3. **Kampong Glam** (Hip · cultural · Rochor): Murals, mosque and indie shops on Haji Lane.
4. **Tiong Bahru** (Calm · charming · Bukit Merah): Art-deco lanes, cafés and an old market.

## Best day trips from Singapore

Kampong islands, ferry beaches and a border-hop for lunch.

1. **Pulau Ubin** (Kampong · half day · Changi): A bumboat to old Singapore: rent a bike, ride boardwalks over the wetlands at Chek Jawa.
2. **Southern Islands** (Ferry · half day · Marina South): Island-hop to St John’s and Lazarus for the quietest sand in the country.
3. **Johor Bahru** (Across the causeway · Malaysia): Cross for street food and malls at half the price; bring your passport and patience.
4. **Bintan** (Ferry · full day · Indonesia): An hour’s ferry to Indonesian beach resorts; a weekend disguised as a day trip.

## Festivals & annual events in Singapore (2026)

- **Chinese New Year & Chingay** (Jan/Feb): Chinatown light-up, then Asia’s biggest street parade.
- **Geylang Serai bazaar** (Ramadan): The Hari Raya night market: food stalls and lights for a month.
- **Singapore Food Festival** (Jul): The city celebrates the one thing it argues about most.
- **National Day** (9 Aug): Fighter-jet flypasts and fireworks over Marina Bay.
- **Mid-Autumn Festival** (Sep): Lantern walks and mooncakes in Chinatown and the Gardens.
- **F1 Singapore Grand Prix** (Sep): The night race turns downtown into a circuit; book beds early.
- **Deepavali** (Oct/Nov): Little India under a canopy of lights for a month.
- **Marina Bay Countdown** (31 Dec): Fireworks over the bay from every waterfront angle.

## Must-try dishes in Singapore, Singapore

- **Hainanese chicken rice**: Poached chicken on fragrant rice, the national dish.
- **Chilli crab**: Mud crab in sweet-spicy tomato gravy; mop with mantou.
- **Laksa**: Coconut-curry noodle soup with prawns and cockles.
- **Char kway teow**: Smoky wok-fried flat noodles with cockles.
- **Kaya toast**: Coconut-jam toast with soft eggs and kopi.
- **Satay**: Charcoal-grilled skewers with peanut sauce.

## Singapore transport & airports

- **Changi** (SIN): The world-famous hub, 20km E. The MRT or a taxi reach downtown in ~25 min, see the Jewel waterfall. [Website](https://www.changiairport.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **MRT** (MRT): Spotless, air-conditioned and cheap; tap a contactless card or EZ-Link. [Official website](https://www.smrt.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Buses** (BUS): Extensive and frequent; the same tap-card works everywhere. [Official website](https://www.lta.gov.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Tourist Pass** (PASS): Unlimited rides for 1–3 days if you’re moving around a lot. [Official website](https://thesingaporetouristpass.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Singapore at a glance

- **Country:** Singapore
- **Region:** –
- **Population:** 5.9M
- **Founded:** 1819
- **Nickname:** The Lion City
- **Language:** EN · MS · ZH · TA
- **Currency:** Sing. $ (S$)
- **Time zone:** SGT · UTC+8
- **Calling code:** +65
- **Airports:** SIN
- **Power:** 230V · Type G
- **Emergency:** 999

## Interesting facts

- Singapore is one of only three surviving city-states in the world.
- Changi Airport has been voted the world’s best more times than any other.
- Two of its humble hawker stalls have held Michelin stars.
- It’s a "city in a garden", nearly half the island is green space.
- Chewing-gum sales have been restricted here since 1992.

## Watch

[Best of Singapore](https://wimup.com/watch/singapore.md), 1:00:03

## Singapore travel FAQ

### How many days do you need in Singapore?

Two to three days covers the gardens, hawker food, Marina Bay and the cultural quarters.

### What is the best time to visit Singapore?

It’s hot and humid year-round; February–April is the driest stretch. Showers are brief any time.

### Is Singapore expensive?

Hotels and alcohol are pricey, but hawker food and the MRT are cheap, budget $120–200 per day.

### Where should I stay for the first time?

Marina Bay for the skyline, Chinatown for food and value, Kampong Glam for character.

### What should you skip in Singapore?

Overpriced Clarke Quay tourist bars and Sentosa’s pricier add-ons if you’re short on time.

## Nearby guides

- [Kuala Lumpur](https://wimup.com/city/kuala-lumpur.md): Malaysia · 10 picks
- [Penang](https://wimup.com/city/penang.md): Malaysia · 10 picks
- [Phnom Penh](https://wimup.com/city/phnom-penh.md): Cambodia · 10 picks
- [All of Asia →](https://wimup.com/asia): 71 cities

Part of the [Singapore guide](https://wimup.com/country/singapore.md) · [Asia](https://wimup.com/asia.md)

## Sources

- [Singapore tourism board](https://www.visitsingapore.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [See the Supertrees light up at Gardens by the Bay (official site)](https://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Take in the Marina Bay skyline (official site)](https://www.marinabaysands.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Stroll the Botanic Gardens (official site)](https://www.nparks.gov.sg/sbg?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Spend a day on Sentosa (official site)](https://www.sentosa.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Go wild at Singapore Zoo (official site)](https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Sip a Singapore Sling at Raffles (official site)](https://www.raffles.com/singapore/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Jumbo Seafood (official site)](https://www.jumboseafood.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Komala Vilas (official site)](https://komalavilas.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Odette (official site)](https://odetterestaurant.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Burnt Ends (official site)](https://burntends.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Atlas (official site)](https://atlasbar.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [National Gallery (official site)](https://www.nationalgallery.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Bird Paradise (official site)](https://www.mandai.com/en/bird-paradise.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Science Centre (official site)](https://www.science.edu.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Changi (official site)](https://www.changiairport.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [MRT (official site)](https://www.smrt.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Buses (official site)](https://www.lta.gov.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Tourist Pass (official site)](https://thesingaporetouristpass.com.sg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.