24 Hours in Singapore - BEST Things to Do

​Singapore is one of only three sovereign states in the entire world, meaning that this city-state is in a class nearly all by itself. (In case you're wondering, the only other two are Vatican City and Monaco.) Made up of 64+ islands surrounding the mainland, Singapore has many sights to see - like the World's Tallest Indoor Waterfall! If you've got 24 hours to explore this incredible city - or maybe even just a long layover - then read on because we've gathered some of our favorite things to do in Singapore!

Other posts you might be interested in :

• Best Places to Eat in Canggu
• Best Places to Eat in Nusa Penida
• One Day at Disneyland Tokyo​

Our Essential Travel Resources :
​There are a lot of travel companies out there, but some are better than others. These are our favorite websites and resources to help you plan an incredible trip.

For flights, we recommend using WayAway or Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to your destination.

Car rentals comparisons are best through Discover Cars - just make sure to bring your international driver's permit with you if you're heading somewhere international!

We always use AGODA for hotels. They have an easy-to-use platform where you can compare the best rates.

To keep cell phone service if you're traveling internationally, we always use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required).

For fun things to do, we always recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Klook also does the trick, especially for tours in Asia.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my packing list for your international or domestic travels.

Is 24 Hours Enough for Singapore?

If you're planning a visit to Singapore, you might be wondering if 24 hours is enough to explore the city of 5.5+ million people. If we're being honest, we would recommend staying at least a couple of days to truly explore around the city, however if you're simply there on a layover you might not have a choice. On our most recent trip, we spent 3 days there, but hardly felt we had enough time to see more than just the Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands!

8 Best Things to Do in Singapore

Singapore is a vibrant city, full of hidden gems and bucket list experiences. Although our time there was short - only 48 hours - our list of recommendations only seemed to grow the longer we were there! Read on for our top 8 recommendations of things to do in Singapore, or watch our video below!

Marina Bay Sands - This hotel is hands down Singapore's most iconic hotel and piece of architecture. Featured in photos and movies around the world, Marina Bay Sands also houses the world's largest infinity pool! Unfortunately, you'll have to be a guest at the hotel to access the pool, which ultimately fell way outside our price range. If you aren't able to visit the infinity pool, there are plenty of other amenities like the onsite casino and nightly water & lights show! Called Spectra, this light show is truly incredible, and we recommend going early to get a good seat to one of two nightly shows (8:00 pm and 9:00 pm). We watched from the walkway in between the Marina Bay Sands hotel and the waterfront, which we think is the best view! If you've got some extra time you can also walk the 3 miles around Marina Bay towards Merlion Park to see the famous Merlion statues!

Clark Quay - Located along the Singapore River, this area now houses endless cafes, restaurants, and clubs. If you're a foodie (or just love to eat) then this is your spot! You can also catch a river cruise or boat tour here to explore more of the river and the views of the Singapore skyline!

Gardens by the Bay - Another iconic stop in Singapore, we highly recommend visiting the Gardens by the Bay! Although it is very touristy, and can get quite expensive for the extra activities, we truly found some of the best views of Singapore from the Supertree Observatory! Because it can get SO hot, we highly encourage you to bring some kind of fan, sunscreen, and lots of water to stay cool. They also have a shuttle ride you can purchase that brings you throughout the park area in case you aren't able to (or don't want to) do the walk on your own. We had purchased a package ticket for the Supertree Observatory and Flower Dome which we thoroughly enjoyed, but we've heard the waterfalls inside the Cloud Forest are worth exploring as well! The Gardens by the Bay also has their own light show, Garden Rhapsody, which we personally enjoyed more than the light show at Marina Bay Sands! At 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm nightly, the entire Supertree Grove lights up and dances along to the music playing from the speakers, if you're able to, we highly recommend walking the OCBC Skyway at this time to truly get immersed into the light show!

Pulau Ubin - Looking to get away from the city? Take a short, 15 minute ferry to this island off the coast of northeast Singapore to find a variety of different habitats from forests to mangroves to beaches. We recommend renting a bike for the day to get around a bit quicker and see even more that the island has to offer, like the only remaining traditional village. You might also spot a variety of birds, otters, crabs, and plenty of insects like dragonflies and mosquitos (bring mosquito repellent!). Want to continue the bird watching or escape from the city? Head to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve!

Jewel Changi Airport - Another popular spot to visit in Singapore, whether you're flying in or out of the airport we recommend carving out a bit of extra time to explore the airport itself. The Jewel at the Changi Airport not only houses the world's largest waterfall, but also has some other incredibly fun amenities like a walking net, canopy park, mirror maze, slides, forest, garden, and a seemingly endless number of places to eat and shop! You could truly spend your entire 24 hours here if you really wanted!

Sentosa - Another island off the coast of Singapore, this island isn't quite as tranquil and quiet as Pulau Ubin. After only about 25 minutes on the subway, you'll be able to make it to this beautiful beach island! Although it used to be used as a military fortress, it's now evolved into a beach and island resort with endless activities. Some of our favorites? Indoor skydiving, zip lining, jumping around at the trampoline park and inflatable aqua-park, taking a cable car ride, and enjoying the multiple theme parks scattered around the island!

Thion Hock Keng - As Singapore's oldest Chinese temple, Thion Hock Keng was built to worship Mazu, a Chinese Sea Goddess. Also commonly called the Tianfu Temple, there is no entry fee to visit and is open to visitors from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. While you're here, consider checking out the rest of Chinatown as well!

Old Airport Road Food Center - Head here for an authentic Hawker Center experience. As one of Singapore's oldest Hawker Centers, this one has been around for more than 40 years and has a seemingly endless array of food stalls. Unfortunately we weren't able to visit this spot during our visit, but you can bet that it's at the top of our list for next time!

Watch our Adventures in Singapore here!

Other Singapore blog posts :

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