Few cities pack in more per square kilometre than Singapore. Futuristic icons like Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands stand beside the temples and hawker centres of Chinatown and Little India, the world's best zoo, the theme parks and beaches of Sentosa and a UNESCO botanic garden — all in a spotless, walkable, tropical city-state. Here are the 18 attractions worth building your trip around, with prices, opening hours and insider tips.
S$32Marina Bay Sands & SkyPark
Area
Marina Bay
Category
Icon & Architecture
“The rooftop infinity pool is for hotel guests only — non-guests buy the level-56 SkyPark Observation Deck (S$32); arrive by 18:30 for sunset.”
S$32Gardens by the Bay
Area
Marina Bay
Category
Gardens & Nature
“The free Garden Rhapsody light show at Supertree Grove runs nightly at 19:45 and 20:45 — arrive 20 minutes early and lie on the lawn beneath the trees.”
S$49Singapore Zoo
Area
Mandai
Category
Wildlife
“Book the Jungle Breakfast (S$49 extra) to eat a buffet beside free-ranging orangutans between 09:00 and 10:30 — the most memorable start to a Mandai day.”
S$56Night Safari
Area
Mandai
Category
Wildlife
“Ride the included Wildlife Express tram first to get your bearings, then walk the four trails on foot — the fishing cat and pangolin are trail-only sightings.”
S$4Sentosa Island
Area
Sentosa
Category
Island Resort
“The Sentosa Express monorail from VivoCity (S$4) is the cheapest way over, but the Mount Faber cable car (S$35 return) gives the best first impression of the harbour.”
S$89Universal Studios Singapore
Area
Sentosa
Category
Theme Park
“Ride Battlestar Galactica and Transformers first thing when the park opens at 10:00 — an Express Pass (from S$50) halves the queues on peak days.”
FreeChinatown
Area
Chinatown
Category
Neighbourhood
“Visit Sri Mariamman Temple and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, then have lunch at Maxwell Food Centre — Tian Tian's chicken rice is the classic order.”
FreeLittle India
Area
Little India
Category
Neighbourhood
“Mustafa Centre never closes — it's perfect for a midnight browse — and Tekka Centre upstairs serves the city's best biryani and roti prata for S$4–6.”
FreeKampong Glam & Arab Street
Area
Kampong Glam
Category
Neighbourhood
“Photograph the Sultan Mosque's golden dome from Bussorah Street, then dive into Haji Lane's indie boutiques and street art one block over.”
FreeSingapore Botanic Gardens
Area
Tanglin
Category
Gardens & Nature
“The main gardens are free around the clock; only the National Orchid Garden charges (S$15) — go early for cooler air and birdsong before the joggers arrive.”
S$21ArtScience Museum
Area
Marina Bay
Category
Museum
“The permanent teamLab 'Future World' digital-art show is the reason to come — visit on a weekday morning to have the immersive rooms almost to yourself.”
FreeJewel Changi Airport
Area
Changi Airport
Category
Architecture & Shopping
“The Rain Vortex is free to admire from every level — it's lit and set to music after dark — while the rooftop Canopy Park's nets and mazes cost S$8.”
S$44S.E.A. Aquarium
Area
Sentosa
Category
Aquarium
“The vast Open Ocean viewing panel is at its most serene for photos after 16:00, once the school groups have left; the touch pool is a hit with small children.”
FreeBuddha Tooth Relic Temple
Area
Chinatown
Category
Temple
“Cover shoulders and knees (free shawls at the door), then take the lift to the serene rooftop orchid garden and its huge prayer wheel — most visitors miss it.”
FreeHenderson Waves
Area
Mount Faber
Category
Views & Walks
“Walk it between 17:30 and 19:00 to catch daylight, sunset and the bridge's night lighting (from 19:00) all in one visit; it's part of the 10 km Southern Ridges.”
FreeFort Canning Park
Area
Bras Basah
Category
History & Nature
“The Instagram-famous Tree Tunnel spiral staircase draws crowds — come before 09:00 for a clear shot, then explore the free hilltop gardens and spice terrace.”
FreeMacRitchie Reservoir
Area
Central Catchment
Category
Nature Reserve
“Start by 07:30 to beat the heat and catch the wildlife; the free TreeTop Walk suspension bridge is one-way, so check its opening days before you set out.”
S$4Pulau Ubin
Area
Pulau Ubin
Category
Island & Nature
“Bumboats leave Changi Point only when 12 passengers have gathered, so go early (08:00–10:00); hire a bike (S$8/day) and bring cash — ATMs are scarce.”
Singapore attractions in detail
1.Marina Bay Sands & SkyPark
Marina Bay Sands is the building that put modern Singapore on the world's postcards — an eight-billion-dollar resort designed by Moshe Safdie and opened in 2010, its three cantilevered 200-metre towers joined at the summit by a 340-metre, boat-shaped SkyPark. That platform holds the legendary 150-metre infinity pool, reserved for the resort's 2,561 hotel guests, which appears to spill straight into the skyline. Even if you are not staying, the level-56 SkyPark Observation Deck (S$32) delivers the classic panorama across Gardens by the Bay, the Singapore Strait and the glittering Central Business District. Below sits a self-contained city: Southeast Asia's largest casino, a 270-store luxury mall with an indoor canal and sampan rides, celebrity-chef restaurants, a theatre staging Broadway shows, and the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum next door. Come after dark for the free Spectra light-and-water show at the Event Plaza, staged nightly at 20:00 and 21:00 (with a third show on weekends). For photographers, the best angle is from the Merlion Park or Helix Bridge across the water at blue hour, when the towers light up and mirror in the bay. Allow an hour or two, and consider a rooftop cocktail at CÉ LA VI if the pool is off limits — the view is nearly identical.
Hours
SkyPark Observation Deck daily 11:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30)
Price
SkyPark deck S$32 adult, S$28 child; infinity pool hotel guests only
Getting there
MRT Bayfront (CE1/DT16), exit B, connects straight into the hotel's retail galleria
Insider tip: The rooftop infinity pool is for hotel guests only — non-guests buy the level-56 SkyPark Observation Deck (S$32); arrive by 18:30 for sunset.
2.Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay is Singapore's boldest statement of its ambition to be a 'City in a Garden' — 101 hectares of reclaimed waterfront transformed into one of the world's most spectacular urban parks when it opened in 2012. The signature sight is Supertree Grove: twelve tree-shaped vertical structures between 25 and 50 metres tall, clad in living plants and fitted with solar cells that power the nightly Garden Rhapsody light-and-sound show — free, and staged at 19:45 and 20:45. The OCBC Skyway, a 22-metre-high aerial walkway strung between two of the Supertrees (S$14), gives a 360-degree view over the bay. The two glass conservatories are world-class feats of engineering: the Cloud Forest wraps a 35-metre indoor waterfall, the tallest in the world, in a misty mountain of ferns and orchids, while the Flower Dome is the planet's largest glasshouse, sheltering Mediterranean and cool-temperate flora that shift with seasonal displays. Elsewhere you'll find the Cloud Forest's aerial walkways, the Floral Fantasy attraction and vast free outdoor gardens perfect for a picnic. Budget four to five hours to see it properly, wear light clothing for the humid outdoor sections and bring a layer for the chilled domes. It pairs naturally with Marina Bay Sands, a short walk away across the Dragonfly Bridge.
Hours
Outdoor gardens daily 05:00–02:00; conservatories & Supertrees 09:00–21:00
Price
Outdoor gardens free; Cloud Forest + Flower Dome combo S$32; OCBC Skyway S$14
Getting there
MRT Bayfront (CE1/DT16), exit B, then a signposted 10-minute walk via the underpass
Insider tip: The free Garden Rhapsody light show at Supertree Grove runs nightly at 19:45 and 20:45 — arrive 20 minutes early and lie on the lawn beneath the trees.
3.Singapore Zoo
Singapore Zoo in the leafy Mandai district is consistently rated among the finest zoos on earth, and it earns the reputation through its pioneering 'open concept' design: instead of bars and cages, more than 4,200 animals from 300 species are separated from visitors by cleverly concealed moats, streams and vegetation, so you seem to share the same lush rainforest. Sir David Attenborough himself has called it the best zoo in the world. The undisputed stars are the free-ranging orangutans, whole families of Bornean and Sumatran apes moving through the canopy directly above the walkways; the Jungle Breakfast (an extra S$49) lets you eat a buffet in their company from 09:00 to 10:30. Other highlights include the walk-through Fragile Forest biodome with its lemurs, sloths and flying foxes, the Reptile Garden, the white tigers, the Elephants of Asia habitat and gentle boat and tram rides for tired legs. The whole complex is beautifully landscaped and genuinely humane in feel, making it a rewarding half-day for adults and children alike. Allow five to six hours if you want to see it all, go early to catch the animals at their most active and beat the midday heat, and consider combining it with River Wonders and the Night Safari next door on a single Mandai ticket for better value.
Hours
Daily 08:30–18:00 (last entry 17:00)
Price
S$49 adult, S$34 child 3–12; multi-park tickets available
Getting there
MRT Khatib (NS14) then bus 138 (~15 min), or Mandai Khatib Shuttle; taxi/Grab from the centre ~S$20
Insider tip: Book the Jungle Breakfast (S$49 extra) to eat a buffet beside free-ranging orangutans between 09:00 and 10:30 — the most memorable start to a Mandai day.
4.Night Safari
Opened in 1994 beside Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari was the world's first wildlife park designed entirely for after-dark viewing, built on the simple insight that around 90 per cent of tropical animals are nocturnal and barely visible in a daytime zoo. Across 35 hectares of forest, more than 1,000 creatures from some 100 species move through subtly moonlit enclosures under lighting soft enough not to disturb their natural behaviour. The park opens at 19:15, and the classic experience is the 40-minute Wildlife Express tram, included in the ticket, which glides silently through habitats grouped by region — the Himalayan Foothills with snow leopards and Himalayan tahr, Equatorial Africa with lions and striped hyenas, the Indomalayan zone with Asian elephants and tapirs, and the Indian Subcontinent with its tigers and sloth bears. To spot the shyest animals — the fishing cat, the pangolin, the slow loris — leave the tram and take the four walking trails on foot, torch-free so your eyes adjust. Round out the evening with the Creatures of the Night live show at 19:30 and 21:30. It is one of the city's most atmospheric experiences and a firm family favourite; wear insect repellent, bring a light layer for the occasional breeze and buy a combined Mandai ticket if you are also visiting the zoo or River Wonders.
Hours
Daily 19:15–24:00 (last entry 23:15)
Price
S$56 adult, S$39 child 3–12 (includes the tram ride)
Getting there
MRT Khatib (NS14) then bus 138 or the Mandai Khatib Shuttle; taxi/Grab from the centre ~S$22
Insider tip: Ride the included Wildlife Express tram first to get your bearings, then walk the four trails on foot — the fishing cat and pangolin are trail-only sightings.
5.Sentosa Island
Sentosa is Singapore's playground — a five-square-kilometre resort island just off the southern coast, connected to the mainland at VivoCity by a monorail, a shaded boardwalk and a scenic cable car from Mount Faber. Transformed from a British military base into a leisure destination in 1972, it now packs an improbable amount into a small space: four beaches (Siloso, Palawan, Tanjong and the exclusive Sentosa Cove), the sprawling Resorts World Sentosa complex with Universal Studios, the S.E.A. Aquarium and Adventure Cove waterpark, two 18-hole golf courses, Madame Tussauds, ziplines, the Skyline Luge and much more. The Mount Faber cable car costs S$35 return but rewards you with 30 minutes of the best harbour views in the city; the Sentosa Express monorail (S$4) is quicker and cheaper. The beaches are free, with swimmable warm water year-round, and Palawan Beach has a suspension bridge to a tiny islet billed as the southernmost point of continental Asia. Depending on your appetite it can fill a relaxed half-day of beach time or two full days if you are combining rides with sand and sunset. Everything is well signposted and family-friendly, though queues and prices climb during school holidays; book theme-park tickets online in advance and start early to make the most of a single admission.
Hours
Island always open; individual attractions typically 10:00–19:00
Price
Sentosa Express monorail S$4; Mount Faber cable car S$35 return; beaches free
Getting there
MRT HarbourFront (NE1/CC29) to VivoCity, then the Sentosa Express monorail, boardwalk or cable car
Insider tip: The Sentosa Express monorail from VivoCity (S$4) is the cheapest way over, but the Mount Faber cable car (S$35 return) gives the best first impression of the harbour.
6.Universal Studios Singapore
Universal Studios Singapore, opened in 2010 within Resorts World Sentosa, was the first Universal theme park in Southeast Asia and remains one of the region's best. Its 20 hectares are divided into seven movie-inspired zones — Hollywood, New York, Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, The Lost World, Far Far Away and Madagascar — holding 24 rides and shows. Thrill-seekers head straight for Battlestar Galactica: Human vs. Cylon, a pair of duelling roller coasters that were once the tallest in Asia, and Transformers: The Ride, a hyper-immersive 3D motion simulator widely rated among the best dark rides anywhere. Ancient Egypt's Revenge of the Mummy indoor coaster and The Lost World's Jurassic Park Rapids add to the adrenaline, while families with young children gravitate to the gentle Madagascar boat ride, the Shrek 4-D Adventure and the Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase. Regular street shows, character meet-and-greets and seasonal events (Halloween Horror Nights each autumn is a huge draw) round out the day. Adult tickets are S$89, children S$65; an Express Pass from S$50 lets you skip the longest lines and is well worth it during Singapore's peak periods of June to August and December. Arrive at opening, tackle the big coasters before the crowds build, and plan a full day — you can easily fill it, and combining it with the neighbouring aquarium makes a great two-attraction Sentosa outing.
Hours
Daily 10:00–19:00 (hours vary seasonally)
Price
One-day pass S$89 adult, S$65 child 4–12; Express Pass from S$50 extra
Getting there
MRT HarbourFront → Sentosa Express to Resorts World Station; the park entrance is a 5-minute walk
Insider tip: Ride Battlestar Galactica and Transformers first thing when the park opens at 10:00 — an Express Pass (from S$50) halves the queues on peak days.
7.Chinatown
Singapore's Chinatown is a compact, photogenic grid of pastel two-storey shophouses dating from the 1840s, once home to the city's Chinese labourers and still the beating heart of Chinese culture in the city-state. Pagoda Street and Trengganu Street are the most atmospheric, strung with red lanterns and lined with market stalls, tea merchants, medicine halls and souvenir shops, some run by families four generations deep. In a quirk of history the district also holds Singapore's oldest Hindu temple, the Sri Mariamman on South Bridge Road, built in 1827 and topped by a spectacular six-tier gopuram crowded with 72 brightly painted deities. A short walk away, the vast Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, completed in 2007 in Tang-dynasty style, is said to house one of the Buddha's teeth and shelters a four-metre solid-gold Maitreya statue. To dig into the neighbourhood's harder history, the Chinatown Heritage Centre (S$18) recreates the cramped quarters of early immigrants. Above all, Chinatown is about food: finish at Maxwell Food Centre, where Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice — a favourite of the late Anthony Bourdain — serves the national dish for around S$5, or seek out the Michelin-listed Liao Fan Hawker Chan nearby. It is free to wander, at its liveliest in the evenings and during Chinese New Year, and easily combined with the CBD and Ann Siang Hill's bars.
Hours
Streets always open; temples typically 07:00–19:00
Price
Free to explore; Chinatown Heritage Centre S$18
Getting there
MRT Chinatown (NE4/DT19), exit A, opens straight onto Pagoda Street
Insider tip: Visit Sri Mariamman Temple and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, then have lunch at Maxwell Food Centre — Tian Tian's chicken rice is the classic order.
8.Little India
Little India is the most sensory neighbourhood in orderly Singapore — the air thick with jasmine garlands, sandalwood, incense and fresh curry leaves, the streets loud with Tamil pop and the shophouses painted every shade of the rainbow. The district grew up in the 1840s around a cattle market and became home to the Tamil labourers recruited to build the young colony. Its hub is the Tekka Centre on Serangoon Road: a wet market of fish, meat and vegetables downstairs and one of the city's best hawker centres above, where South Indian specialities like biryani (around S$5), roti prata (S$4) and fish-head curry draw long lunchtime queues. Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, one of Singapore's oldest Hindu temples (1881) and dedicated to the fierce goddess Kali, blazes with a gopuram carrying more than a hundred sculpted figures. On Syed Alwi Road, the legendary Mustafa Centre is a six-floor emporium open 24 hours a day, selling everything from electronics and gold to saris and Tiger Balm — a genuine only-in-Singapore experience for insomniac shoppers. Add the striking street murals along Hindoo Road and the excellent Indian Heritage Centre (S$8) and you have a quarter that rewards slow, aimless wandering. It is free, endlessly photogenic and at its most electric during the Deepavali festival of lights, when the whole district is strung with illuminations.
Hours
Streets always open; temples typically 06:00–12:00 & 16:00–21:00
Price
Free to explore; Indian Heritage Centre S$8
Getting there
MRT Little India (NE7/DT12), exit E; or Rochor (DT13) for the Tekka Centre end
Insider tip: Mustafa Centre never closes — it's perfect for a midnight browse — and Tekka Centre upstairs serves the city's best biryani and roti prata for S$4–6.
9.Kampong Glam & Arab Street
Kampong Glam is Singapore's Malay-Muslim heart, named after the gelam trees that once grew here and centred on the majestic Sultan Mosque (Masjid Sultan). Completed in 1824 and rebuilt a century later, the mosque is crowned by a huge golden onion dome whose base is ringed with the ends of glass bottles — donated by poorer worshippers so that everyone, rich and humble, could contribute to its construction. Bussorah Street, the palm-lined pedestrian promenade leading up to it, is one of the prettiest streets in the city, framed by restored shophouses, cafés and perfume shops. One block over, Haji Lane is Singapore's most creative alley: barely two metres wide and crammed with independent boutiques, hole-in-the-wall bars and some of the city's boldest street murals. Arab Street itself has been the textile quarter since the 1830s, its shops piled with silks, carpets, batik and Persian calligraphy. The neighbourhood is also a fine place to eat, from Malay satay and nasi padang at long-running institutions to shisha lounges and third-wave coffee. The Malay Heritage Centre (S$8), set in a former sultan's palace, tells the community's story. It is all free to wander, endlessly Instagrammable and best explored in the late afternoon, when the light gilds the dome and the bars and cafés begin to fill.
Hours
Streets always open; Sultan Mosque 10:00–12:00 & 14:00–16:00 (closed to tourists during prayers)
Price
Free; Malay Heritage Centre S$8
Getting there
MRT Bugis (EW12/DT14), exit B, then a 5-minute walk up Arab Street
Insider tip: Photograph the Sultan Mosque's golden dome from Bussorah Street, then dive into Haji Lane's indie boutiques and street art one block over.
10.Singapore Botanic Gardens
Founded by British colonists in 1859, the Singapore Botanic Gardens became the nation's first and only UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015 — a distinction only a handful of tropical gardens anywhere have achieved. Its 82 hectares stretch from the busy edge of Orchard Road into a genuine patch of primary rainforest, threaded with lakes, lawns and heritage trees. Highlights include Swan Lake and Symphony Lake, the latter hosting free weekend concerts on its island stage; the Heritage Tree Trail, with more than 80 towering protected giants; the Healing Garden of medicinal plants; and Jacob Ballas Children's Garden, the first of its kind in Asia. The undoubted jewel is the National Orchid Garden (S$15), a separately ticketed hillside displaying more than 1,000 orchid species and 2,000 hybrids — the largest such collection on earth, and the birthplace of Vanda Miss Joaquim, Singapore's national flower. The gardens are also woven into daily life: at dawn thousands of Singaporeans jog and practise tai chi along the paths, and at dusk families spread out picnic blankets. The main gardens are free and open from 05:00 to midnight, making them a cool, green escape from the city's glass and concrete. Allow two to three hours for an unhurried loop, wear light clothing and mosquito repellent for the rainforest section, and bring water — it is a large and humid place.
Hours
Daily 05:00–24:00; National Orchid Garden 08:30–19:00
Price
Gardens free; National Orchid Garden S$15 adult
Getting there
MRT Botanic Gardens (CC19/DT9), exit A, at the Bukit Timah gate; or Napier (TE12) for the Tanglin end
Insider tip: The main gardens are free around the clock; only the National Orchid Garden charges (S$15) — go early for cooler air and birdsong before the joggers arrive.
11.ArtScience Museum
The ArtScience Museum is one of the most striking buildings on the Marina Bay waterfront — a gleaming white structure shaped like an open lotus flower, designed by Moshe Safdie, the same architect behind the neighbouring Marina Bay Sands, and opened in 2011. Its ten 'petals' rise to skylights that funnel rainwater down through the building into a central pool, a poetic fusion of form and function that gives the museum its name. Inside, it stages ambitious touring blockbusters — past shows have covered everything from the Titanic and Leonardo da Vinci to marine biology and pop culture — but the star attraction is 'Future World: Where Art Meets Science', a permanent, ever-evolving collaboration with the Japanese collective teamLab. Across a series of darkened halls, digital projections respond to your movement and touch: waterfalls cascade over rocks, flowers bloom and scatter, shoals of light swim around you, and a mirrored 'Crystal Universe' surrounds visitors with drifting points of light. It is genuinely magical and one of Asia's best immersive art experiences, hugely popular with families and photographers alike. Tickets to Future World are S$21, with combined passes for the touring exhibitions. Visit on a weekday morning to enjoy the interactive rooms in relative calm, and pair it with a stroll around Marina Bay and the light show at nightfall.
Hours
Daily 10:00–19:00 (last entry 18:00)
Price
Future World S$21 adult; combined and touring-exhibition tickets vary
Getting there
MRT Bayfront (CE1/DT16), exit C or D, beside the Marina Bay Sands shopping galleria
Insider tip: The permanent teamLab 'Future World' digital-art show is the reason to come — visit on a weekday morning to have the immersive rooms almost to yourself.
12.Jewel Changi Airport
Jewel Changi Airport is proof that even a transit hub can be a destination in its own right. Opened in 2019 and designed by Moshe Safdie, this vast steel-and-glass toroidal dome sits between the terminals of the airport routinely voted the world's best, and at its heart plunges the HSBC Rain Vortex — at 40 metres, the tallest indoor waterfall on the planet, fed by recycled rainwater and ringed by a lush terraced forest valley of 900 trees and 60,000 shrubs. It is free to admire from any of the surrounding levels, and after dark it becomes a light-and-sound spectacle, illuminated in shifting colours and set to music on the half-hour from 19:30. Around the waterfall spiral more than 280 shops and restaurants, but the real draw for families is the rooftop Canopy Park (from S$8), with its bouncing nets suspended high above the atrium, a hedge maze, a mirror maze, sculptural topiary and glass-bottomed Canopy Bridge. Because it is linked directly to the terminals and to the city by MRT, Jewel makes a brilliant way to fill a long layover or a rainy afternoon, and many travellers deliberately arrive early to enjoy it before a flight. Even if you are not flying, it is an easy 15-minute ride from the centre and an astonishing feat of engineering and greenery.
Hours
Mall 10:00–22:00; Rain Vortex show hourly from 19:30; Canopy Park 10:00–21:00
Price
Free to visit; Canopy Park attractions from S$8
Getting there
MRT Changi Airport (CG2), directly linked to Terminal 1; or a 15-minute taxi from the city
Insider tip: The Rain Vortex is free to admire from every level — it's lit and set to music after dark — while the rooftop Canopy Park's nets and mazes cost S$8.
13.S.E.A. Aquarium
The S.E.A. Aquarium on Sentosa Island is among the largest aquariums in the world, holding more than 100,000 marine animals from around 1,000 species across some 50 habitats and 22 million litres of seawater. Its centrepiece is the Open Ocean tank, viewed through one of the biggest acrylic panels ever made — 36 metres wide and 8.3 metres tall — behind which hammerhead sharks, manta rays, giant groupers and shoals of tuna glide past in near silence, framed like a living cinema screen. The journey there takes you through themed zones representing the waters between Southeast Asia and Africa: the Shark Seas gallery with some 200 sharks from a dozen species, living coral gardens, a Shipwreck habitat, and an interactive touch pool where children can meet gentle rays and other shallow-water creatures under supervision. Quiet benches set before the great viewing panels invite you to sit and watch the marine life drift by, a genuinely calming counterpoint to the buzz of Sentosa outside. For an extra fee, the Ocean Dreams experience even lets guests sleep beside the Open Ocean tank. Tickets are S$44 for adults and S$33 for children; allow two to three hours. It is entirely indoor and air-conditioned, making it an ideal option for the hottest part of the day or a tropical downpour, and it combines neatly with Universal Studios or Adventure Cove nearby.
Hours
Daily 10:00–17:00 (hours vary)
Price
S$44 adult, S$33 child 4–12
Getting there
MRT HarbourFront → Sentosa Express to Waterfront Station; inside Resorts World Sentosa
Insider tip: The vast Open Ocean viewing panel is at its most serene for photos after 16:00, once the school groups have left; the touch pool is a hit with small children.
14.Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
Rising in richly ornamented red and gold above the Chinatown streetscape, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is one of Singapore's most impressive religious buildings despite being a relative newcomer, completed in 2007 in a grand Tang-dynasty architectural style. It takes its name from what its founders believe to be a tooth of the Buddha, recovered from a collapsed stupa in Myanmar and now enshrined on the fourth floor within an extraordinary reliquary of some 320 kilograms of gold, much of it donated by devotees. The main hall on the ground floor is a breathtaking space of hundreds of Buddha figures, hanging lanterns and a towering, intricately carved altar centred on a four-metre Maitreya Buddha. Upstairs, a small but well-presented Buddhist culture museum traces the faith's history and art, and a rooftop garden — a peaceful surprise above the bustle — holds a huge prayer wheel housed in a pavilion and a fragrant orchid display. As a working temple it welcomes visitors free of charge, asking only that you dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees; free shawls are available at the entrance. It is at its most atmospheric during morning chanting and festival days, and its position right beside Maxwell Food Centre and Sri Mariamman Temple makes it an easy, rewarding stop on any Chinatown wander.
Hours
Daily 07:00–17:00 (main hall); relic viewing 09:00–18:00
Price
Free (donations welcome)
Getting there
MRT Chinatown (NE4/DT19) or Maxwell (TE18); on South Bridge Road beside Maxwell Food Centre
Insider tip: Cover shoulders and knees (free shawls at the door), then take the lift to the serene rooftop orchid garden and its huge prayer wheel — most visitors miss it.
15.Henderson Waves
Henderson Waves is the most photogenic of Singapore's many green connectors — a 274-metre pedestrian bridge that arcs 36 metres above Henderson Road, making it the highest walkway in the city. Opened in 2008 and clad in warm yellow balau hardwood, it is shaped like a series of seven undulating waves; the curving ribs are not merely decorative but form sheltered alcoves and benches where walkers can pause and gaze out over the treetops. The bridge is the centrepiece of the Southern Ridges, a roughly 10-kilometre chain of elevated walkways and forest paths that links five of the city's southern hill parks — Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill, HortPark, Kent Ridge and Labrador Nature Reserve — without ever forcing you to cross a road. From its highest point you get a sweeping panorama over the harbour, Sentosa, the Keppel Bay marina and the CBD skyline. The structure is illuminated with a soft glow from 19:00 to 02:00, so the ideal plan is to arrive in the late afternoon and linger: you can experience daylight, sunset and the lit bridge in a single, unhurried visit. It is free and open around the clock, a favourite of joggers, photographers and courting couples. Wear comfortable shoes and carry water for the humid uphill approach from HarbourFront, and consider walking a stretch of the wider Southern Ridges trail while you are there.
Hours
Always open; lit 19:00–02:00
Price
Free
Getting there
MRT HarbourFront (NE1/CC29), then a 15-minute uphill walk through Mount Faber Park to the bridge
Insider tip: Walk it between 17:30 and 19:00 to catch daylight, sunset and the bridge's night lighting (from 19:00) all in one visit; it's part of the 10 km Southern Ridges.
16.Fort Canning Park
Fort Canning Park is a leafy hill rising in the middle of downtown Singapore, and few places pack more history into so small a footprint. In the 14th century it was the seat of Malay royalty, and archaeological digs have unearthed artefacts from that early kingdom; the British later made it a colonial garrison and, during the Second World War, dug a bunker complex into the hillside. It was here in the Battle Box (now open for gripping guided tours, S$23) that Lieutenant-General Percival took the decision to surrender Singapore to the Japanese in February 1942. Today the hill is a beautifully kept public park, its slopes threaded with themed gardens — a spice garden recalling Raffles' original experimental plantation, an artisans' garden, and nine historic 'gardens' tracing the island's past. Its most famous feature is entirely modern in fame: the Tree Tunnel, a spiral staircase framed by a perfect oval of greenery that has become one of the city's most photographed spots, best shot early before the queues form. The park's lawns host open-air concerts and festivals through the year, and its shaded paths offer a cool, quiet retreat a stone's throw from Orchard Road and the colonial district. It is free to enter and open around the clock, making it an easy and rewarding green pause between the museums, malls and river attractions nearby.
Hours
Park always open; Battle Box guided tours ~09:30–17:00
Price
Park free; Battle Box tour S$23
Getting there
MRT Fort Canning (DT20), Dhoby Ghaut (NS24/NE6/CC1) or Bras Basah (CC2), each a short walk to a park entrance
Insider tip: The Instagram-famous Tree Tunnel spiral staircase draws crowds — come before 09:00 for a clear shot, then explore the free hilltop gardens and spice terrace.
17.MacRitchie Reservoir
MacRitchie Reservoir is Singapore's oldest and largest nature reserve, a swathe of mature rainforest wrapped around a man-made lake first dammed in 1868 to supply the growing city with drinking water. For anyone who wants genuine jungle without leaving the island, it is the finest option: some 12 square kilometres of towering dipterocarp forest laced with well-marked trails. The star attraction is the TreeTop Walk, a 250-metre free-standing suspension bridge slung 25 metres above the valley floor, offering a rare canopy-level view over the primeval forest and, if you are patient, its wildlife. The full loop out to the bridge and back runs around 10 to 12 kilometres and takes three to four hours, a proper half-day hike rewarded with real wilderness. Along the way you may spot long-tailed macaques (keep your distance and never feed them — they can be bold and will snatch food), monitor lizards up to a metre and a half long, kingfishers, and, with real luck, the shy Sunda pangolin. Back at the water's edge you can hire a kayak and paddle the reservoir. Go at dawn for the coolest air and the most active animals, carry at least two litres of water since there are no shops inside the reserve, and wear proper shoes and insect repellent. It is free, and a world away from the glass towers a few kilometres south.
Hours
Park 07:00–19:00; TreeTop Walk Tue–Sun 09:00–17:00 (closed Mon)
Price
Free; kayak hire from ~S$15/hour
Getting there
MRT Caldecott (CC17/TE9) or Marymount (CC16), then a short walk/taxi; taxi from the centre ~S$15
Insider tip: Start by 07:30 to beat the heat and catch the wildlife; the free TreeTop Walk suspension bridge is one-way, so check its opening days before you set out.
18.Pulau Ubin
Pulau Ubin is Singapore's time machine — a small, 10-square-kilometre island off the north-east coast that has preserved the 1960s kampong (village) life long since erased from the mainland. Getting there is part of the charm: take the MRT to Tanah Merah, a bus to Changi Village and then a wooden bumboat, which departs only when a dozen passengers have gathered, for a bouncy 15-minute crossing (S$4 each way). There are no cars on the island. Instead you hire a bicycle at the jetty for around S$8 a day and pedal the dirt tracks between stilted wooden houses, rubber and durian trees, disused granite quarries (Ubin means 'granite' in Malay) and thick secondary jungle alive with hornbills, wild boar and monitor lizards. The highlight for many is Chek Jawa Wetlands on the eastern tip, a rich intertidal ecosystem of mangroves, seagrass lagoons and coral rubble, explored via a boardwalk and a viewing tower. A handful of rustic seafood restaurants serve chilli crab and cold beer to hungry cyclists. It makes a perfect half-day escape from the intensity of the city, offering a glimpse of an older, slower Singapore. Bring water, cash (ATMs are almost non-existent), sun protection and insect repellent for the mangroves, and set off early to make the most of the cooler morning and the on-demand ferry.
Hours
Island always open; bumboats run ~06:00–19:00 on demand
Price
Bumboat S$4 each way; bicycle hire from S$8/day
Getting there
MRT Tanah Merah (EW4) then bus 2 to Changi Village, walk to Changi Point Ferry Terminal for the bumboat
Insider tip: Bumboats leave Changi Point only when 12 passengers have gathered, so go early (08:00–10:00); hire a bike (S$8/day) and bring cash — ATMs are scarce.