Singapore is an international city of eclectic cross-cultural highlights – from its bustling financial district to its historic Chinatown and its rich Little India, which is home to magnificent fabric shops and Indian restaurants.
While these historic cultural pockets make the city’s personality one that is rich with food, fashion and culture, the government works hard to make this a truly international tourist destination.
There is an abundance of tourist attractions on offer in Singapore – from the glamorous world-famous Raffles Hotel, birthplace of the Singapore Sling cocktail, to the modern Marina Bay, Gardens By the Bay and one of the world’s largest observation wheels, the Singapore Flyer.
Sentosa Island Day Tours Including Universal Studios
The Sentosa Fun Pass is the best way to make the most of this exciting, action-packed island. Just a 15-minute monorail ride from central Singapore, Sentosa Island is Singapore’s playful little sister and home to Universal Studios, Skyline Luge Sentosa, Fort Siloso, KidZania Singapore and S.E.A. Aquarium.
You can purchase various day passes, including entry into three attractions, five attractions or up to 20 attractions. If you can’t fit everything into a single day, there are also two-day fun passes or guided fun passes for those who want someone else to take care of the organising.
Singapore Zoo
A family of rare white tigers at Singapore Zoo (Image: Getty)
A half-day pass or night safari excursion at Singapore Zoo allows you to wander through rainforests where lemurs, sloths and mouse-deer live, where baboons roam and pygmy hippos can be spotted. As night falls, expect the nocturnal animals of Singapore Zoo to come to life. Watch a fishing cat catch its dinner in the river below, see leopards, giant flying squirrels and wallabies, all lively in the darkness.
Singapore Zoo offers extensive guided tours, live feeding, and creatures of the night shows, allowing you to explore to your heart's content until the clock strikes midnight.
Singapore City Tour
Immerse yourself in the vibrant history of Singapore – from its roots as a tiny fishing port to the international financial hub and tourist destination that it is today. English-speaking guides show you where Sir Stamford Raffles first set foot, leading the way for the now famous Raffles Hotel, Parliament House and Victoria Theatre.
Continue the journey into the cultural neighbourhoods of Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam where your senses will be tantalised by delicious street food, handcrafts and textiles stores. If retail therapy calls your name, the tour also takes in modern shopping malls and entertainment hubs such as Suntec City.
Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour
Raffles Hotel - not to be missed on a hop-on hop-off tour (Image: Getty)
By far the best way to see everything this port city nation has to offer, the Singapore hop-on hop-off bus tour takes you everywhere in the city – from historic and cultural attractions to adventure parks and some of the best retail and entertainment hubs in the world.
Highlights include the Asian Civilisation Museum and Singapore Art Museum, Boat Quay, Bugis Village, the Historic Civil Village and Little India. Stop off for high tea in Raffles Hotel, enjoy delicious street food in Chinatown, cruise the river or find a new carpet on Little India’s Arab Street.
Bintan Island Ferry
Bintan is a beautiful resort island covered in luscious rainforest, serene resorts and the clear blue water of the South China Sea. While it feels kilometres away, Bintan is just a 45-minute ferry ride from the heart of Singapore.
Departing from the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, Singapore’s modern ferryboats are equipped with comfortable seating and a snack bar. Visiting Bintan is a popular day trip from Singapore, and there is a range of luxury and family accommodation in the northern Lagoi district for those staying a little longer.
Chinatown With Dinner
A Chinatown street scene (Image: Getty)
This intimate inner-city neighbourhood, now one of Singapore’s most famous, was once crammed with immigrants and opium dens, where the locals rarely ventured.
Today, the traditional architecture has been restored, and the streets are lined with a vibrant mix of raucous hawkers and popular urban restaurants and bars. Locals and tourists swarm to the street stalls, renowned for their delicious local flavours.
The Chinatown With Dinner evening tour includes trishaw and riverboat transport, a visit to the vibrant night markets and dinner at a local Chinese restaurant.
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Jurong Bird Park
Home to some of the world’s largest free flying bird aviaries, the Jurong Bird Park has been amazing visitors since 1971. Suitable for families of all ages, the park offers a range of tours, taking in over 5,000 birds of 400 different species, spectacular plant life and a 30-metre waterfall.
VIP tours take you around with a personal, English-speaking guide in a buggy, or you can join a Bird’s Eye Tour or a feeding frenzy tour. Asia’s largest bird park, Jurong is home to some of the most exciting birds including penguins, flamingos and pelicans.
Footsteps Of Raffles With Afternoon Tea
The great man himself - Sir Stamford Raffles (Image: Getty)
Follow in the footsteps of Sir Stamford Raffles on this afternoon high tea tour, enjoying the glitz and glamour of modern day Raffles while you’re at it. Starting where Raffles first landed in 1918, this tour follows the history of the Singapore River along to the world-famous hotel, and birthplace of the Singapore Sling.
After a decadent high tea at the hotel, you’ll board a Bumboat to cruise up the river taking in the city sights. Alighting at Clarke Quay in the heart of the city, the tour ends with a visit to a local Pewter gallery, where you’ll learn about the development of the city as a trade port into the international hub you see today.
Changi Museum, WWII Trail & East Coast Day Tours
Today, the idyllic seaside region of Changi is a stark contrast to the horrific past it witnessed. On this informative day tour, you will be guided through the historic Changi Museum, Johore Battery, Selarang Barracks and Changi Village, where prisoners of war were tortured, held hostage and killed under the Japanese occupation during World War II.
An interactive tour will show you how the prisoners lived, and you’ll get a chance to visit sacred sites such as Changi Beach, the site of the Sook Ching Massacre.
Gardens By The Bay
Skywalking in Gardens By The Bay (Image: Getty)
The Gardens by the Bay at Marina Bay is an incredible inner-city park filled with 10 unique garden exhibits, including heritage gardens, tropical wetlands and misty mountains.
One of the most impressive is the Cloud Forest, an indoor observatory that replicates a high mountain ecosystem, 2,000 metres above sea level. Another highlight is the Supertree Grove, where 25-metre-tall vertical gardens double as a skywalk during the day and a lightshow during the night.
Guided tours, self-guided tours, audio tours and other interactive tours are on offer at Gardens By the Bay. Running for 1-2 hours, the guided tours will take you through the most appealing and popular attractions in the gardens, while a self-guided tour allows you the freedom to wander in and out of your desired attractions.
Singapore Flyer
Sitting an impressive 165 metres above the ground, the view from atop the Singapore Flyer stretches from Marina Bay below, over the city skyline and to the sea beyond. The 30-minute Singapore Flyer ride takes in key architectural highlights on the city skyline – from Raffles Hotel to the modern skyscrapers and beautiful Marina Bay.
A flyer ticket includes entry to the Journey of Dreams interactive gallery, which is a multimedia exhibit that gives a generous historical overview of this city nation – from its humble beginnings to the international hub loved and frequented today.
Sands Skypark
Infinity and beyond in the Marina Park Sands pool (Image: Getty)
Perched on the rooftop of the spectacular Marina Bay Sands Hotel, the Sands SkyPark has one of the best panoramic views across Singapore. The SkyPark spans right across the top of the hotel’s three accommodation towers, and includes a huge observation deck and a range of restaurants to enjoy a meal 57 storeys above the ground.
If you’re staying at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel you can even enjoy a dip in the spectacular SkyPark Infinity Pool, which must have one of the best pool views in the world.
