A Splendid Three Days in Singapore Itinerary

Singapore is the only island city-state in the world, located right at the bottom of the Malay peninsula. It has a diverse culture, interesting places to visit and is extremely clean and safe. And the food culture is simply sublime. Our three days in Singapore itinerary offers a variety of activities in this lovely country which will show you some of the best areas to visit, as well recommend some foodie favourites to tantalise your tastebuds.

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When To Visit Singapore?

Singapore can be visited any time of year. The best months are outside the rainy season, so February to April and June to August are good times.  The weather will be driest and sunniest from June to August. It is hot and humid all year round, temperatures ranging between 25 and 32 degC.

How To Get Around Singapore

Singapore is a small country and it is very easy to get around. The MRT – subway – system is cheap and efficient and you can travel between sites of interest easily and quickly.

If you wish to use buses, there is a comprehensive bus network with a stop around every half a kilometre or so.

Travel Tip – you don’t have to buy tickets or a travel card to use the MRT. You can just tap your credit or debit card in and out at the barriers. There is a small daily charge (less than a dollar) then you pay as you go.

If you wish to purchase a card which you can use on the transportation system as well as at various stores and attractions, the NETS FlashPay Travel Card may be useful.

Where To Stay in Singapore

Singapore has a huge range of accommodation from the super-posh to more basic. Prices vary accordingly. The hotels around the Marina Bay area are likely to be pricier.

We chose to stay in Kinn Studios, a boutique hotel in Chinatown. Its location was excellent for the MRT and it was just a three minute walk from the Chinatown hawker market – a place of great deliciousness. 

Explore Little India

MRT: Little India

Little India, as its name suggests, is the area where many residents of Indian heritage have made their home. There are two Hindu temples along the Serangoon Road. Both the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (5:00am to 9:00 pm daily) and Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple ( 6:00am to 12:00pm and 6:00pm to 9:00pm) are open daily. Visitors are welcome. The Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his one of the most historically important temples in Singapore. The architecture is beautiful, especially the tall Gopuram (tower) at the entrance. Note that shoes will need to be removed before entering the temples.

The Indian Heritage Centre offers displays showcasing the Indian heritage of the area.

Little India is the place to explore the shops for all sorts of flowers, fruit, vegetables and spices. There are a plethora of restaurants in the area, serving food from all regions within India.

Spend the Evening in the Marina Bay Area

Head to the trendy part of the city to explore the modern architecture and entertainment options. There are all sorts of shopping malls and cultural events in this area.

Check out the Singapore Merlion which is the city’s mascot and which overlooks the bay.

Marina Bay Sands, the resort most likely to survive global warming with its grandiose ship design sitting atop three towers, offers Spectra, a nightly light show that runs for around 15 minutes every evening. You can visit the Sands SkyPark Observation Deck for a fee (about S$25-36) to get a panoramic view of the city.

The Singapore Flyer is Asia’s largest big wheel and also offers fantastic views of the bay and the city.

We were in Singapore during the National Day rehearsals, which ran every Saturday from June to August, so we enjoyed watching various displays, including a fantastic fireworks display, across the bay.

Three Days in Singapore Itinerary – Day 2

Explore Kampong Glam

MRT: Bugis

Kampong Glam is the Malay district, Singapore’s Muslim quarter. It’s located a short walk from Bugis MRT and is one of the oldest districts in Singapore. It is a lovely, vibrant area with loads of street art to enjoy. Haji lane has a bunch of cool shops as well as restaurants.

The Sultan Mosque is open to visitors from Sunday to Thursday (10.00-12.00am and 2.00-4.00pm). The mosque was constructed in 1824 by the first Sultan of Singapore, Sultan Hussein Shah. Please note that modest dress should be worn and shoes removed before entering the mosque. Cover ups are available, if needed.

The Malay Heritage Centre (currently closed for renovation) offers a variety of exhibits showing the history and culture of the area.

If you are seeking great Malaysian, Indonesian and even Middle Eastern food then this is the place to be.

Botanical Gardens

MRT: Botanical Gardens

Spend the afternoon at Singapore’s extensive botanical gardens, which are UNESCO listed (they were Singapore’s first UNESCO site, inscribed in 2015). They are free to enter and located right by the MRT station.

There are some indoor attractions such as the Centre for Ethnobotany, which displays infographics on some of the cultural aspects of local plants, and a Forest Discovery Centre.

The gardens are beautifully designed and you may see otters or monitor lizards wandering through the gardens as well.

The orchid garden does have a fee but it is worth it to see these beautiful flowers – and catch some time in the cold house, which simulates alpine climates and provides some relief from Singapore’s heat and humidity!

Alternative activity: Singapore’s zoo is one of the best rainforest zoos in the world – it is extensive, has a good space for the animals. They also run popular night safaris where you can see the nocturnal species, something to consider for the evening.

Three Days in Singapore Itinerary – Day 3

Take some time to wander around the colonial district. St Andrew’s Cathedral is the largest cathedral in Singapore with its distinctive architecture. Fort Canning Park, set atop a hill, has nine gardens including a spice garden. It also offers a number of horticultural events. 

Museum of Asian Civilisations

MRT: Raffles Place

We recommend this museum as a place to understand heritage and culture from all over Asia. It has an extensive collection of objects that showcase the region’s history, as well as religious and cultural artifacts.

Singapore National Gallery

MRT: City Hall

If you are interested in art, the National Gallery is worth a visit. Located in the former Supreme Court and former City Hall buildings, the main galleries have a large collection of Singaporean and South East Asian art. There are a number of galleries dedicated to special exhibitions, often with an Asian theme, at a small extra fee. These are very well curated.

Alternatively, visit the National Museum which offers an extensive history of Singapore.  

The Peranakan Museum celebrates Peranakan culture, a mixed-heritage community with roots from China, India, the Middle East, and Europe, many of whom intermarried and settled in Southeast Asia.

We should have listened to the late Anthony Bourdain who noted, ‘Nobody in Singapore drinks Singapore Slings. It’s one of the first things you find out there. What you do in Singapore is eat. It’s a really food-crazy culture.’ He’s right. We forked out so you don’t have to.

But if you do fancy a tipple, why not visit the bar at the Warehouse Lobby Bar at Robertson Quay? You can walk along the river from the colonial district (or it’s a short walk from Havelock MRT). The hotel offers a range of exciting and unusual cocktails from a bar that contains a vast array of alcohol and mixers. The cocktails aren’t cheap but they are cheaper than Raffles and are delicious and innovative, with some really unusual flavour combinations.

Evening At The Gardens by the Bay

MRT: Gardens by the Bay or Bayfront

The Gardens by the Bay are an extensive set of beautifully designed gardens. They are free to enter but if you wish to visit specific attractions, such as the cloud forest, flower dome or supertree observatory, there is a fee. The supertrees are a highlight, these giant vertical gardens house over 200 species of plant. The free daily Garden Rhapsody light and sound show takes place at 7.45pm and 8.45pm and shows off the supertrees at their most delightfully glittery. 

If you get a chance, it is also worth squeezing in a visit to the Gardens by the Bay during the daytime as they are very beautiful.

Day 3 Alternative – Sentosa Island

MRT: Harbourfront, then transfer to Sentosa Express

If you are travelling with children, you might want to consider a day trip to Sentosa, an island to the south of Singapore, which has all sorts of attractions, including Universal Studios, an oceanarium, a waterpark as well as spas and beaches amongst many others.

Singapore For Foodies

Oh, where do we begin? Singapore has a fantastic food culture and you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a really excellent meal.

Singapore’s Hawker Centres are also UNESCO-listed as an intangible cultural heritage. They are food courts where you can browse the dishes on offer at the various stalls and buy them directly from the vendor before sitting down at a vacant table and scoffing. They are truly fantastic places to get a really cheap and very delicious meal. If there’s a queue for the food at a particular stall, it’s almost certainly worth trying!

If you want to dine at the popular outlets arrive early. The centres will be busiest around lunchtime, between 11am and 2pm. Most hawker stalls will be cash-only – so make sure you have notes with you.

One of the most popular stalls in the Chinatown Complex is Hawker Chan, whose chicken rice received a Michelin star some years ago (it is no longer starred but still mentioned in the guide) – possibly the cheapest Michelin meal in the world! We arrived at the stall just after it had opened but still had to queue.

They offered both chicken rice (see further below) and delicious noodles.

Specific Singapore dishes that we recommend are:

Nanyang breakfast – kaya (coconut jam) toast and kopi (coffee), with soft-boiled eggs. Definitely one of the world’s best breakfasts.

Chicken rice is often considered to be the country’s national dish. The chicken is gently poached and served with lovely rice and a chilli, garlic and ginger glaze.

Chilli crab – gloriously messy, but utterly delicious, this is a whole crab cooked in a spicy sauce.

Satay – skewers of grilled meat, served with a spicy peanut sauce.

Congee – rice porridge with a variety of toppings, the ultimate comfort food.

In Little India, Chettinad crab soup, heavily spiced with the heat of pepper, was delicious.

Steamed pot rice or clay pot rice, fluffy rice with a variety of toppings, is a popular hawker centre dish. Expect to pay less than S$4-5 for a filling meal.

Fruity drinks are perfect for the hot climate. Fresh coconut water, straight out of the shell, or freshly squeezed lime juice with sour plums are so refreshing.

Resources To Help You Plan Your Trip

Singapore Accommodation

MRT Transport Card

Activities in Singapore

Final Thoughts on Three Days in Singapore Itinerary

Singapore is a fantastic country to visit, with a diverse range of things to see and do. It is the kind of place where everything just works – the transportation is cheap and reliable, and the country is very clean and safe. We received a friendly welcome wherever we went. And its wonderful multi-cultural heritage guarantees a food scene that is absolutely divine.