Last updated July 26, 2026 · Editorial policy
More: When to visit Singapore · Singapore travel guide
Quick Answer
The best things to do in Singapore are Gardens by the Bay and its free light show, eating at hawker centres, the Marina Bay Sands view, the UNESCO-listed Botanic Gardens, and the heritage quarters of Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam. Here are 10, with tips on doing them cheaply.
Singapore has a reputation for expense that its best experiences quietly contradict — the finest food is in hawker centres for a few dollars, and several of the headline sights are free. These 10 are the ones worth your time.
10 Best Things to Do in Singapore
1. Gardens by the Bay & Supertree Grove
The free light show at 7.45pm and 8.45pm is the best thing in the city that costs nothing. The cooled conservatories are worth the ticket.
2. Hawker centres
Maxwell, Lau Pa Sat and Old Airport Road — Michelin-recognised food for a few dollars. This is Singapore’s real cuisine.
3. Marina Bay Sands SkyPark
The view over the bay is the postcard; a drink at the rooftop bar often costs about the same as the observation deck ticket.
4. Singapore Botanic Gardens
A UNESCO World Heritage site and free to enter, with the National Orchid Garden inside for a small fee.
5. Chinatown, Little India & Kampong Glam
Three distinct heritage quarters within walking distance of each other — temples, mosques, shophouses and very different food.
6. Sentosa Island
Beaches, Universal Studios and the cable car — touristy, but genuinely good with children.
7. The Southern Ridges walk
A ten-kilometre canopy walk linking parks and the Henderson Waves bridge, high above the forest.
8. Singapore Zoo & Night Safari
Consistently rated among the world’s best zoos, with an open-enclosure design and a genuinely different night experience.
9. Pulau Ubin
A bumboat ride to a rustic island of kampong houses and bike trails — the Singapore of fifty years ago.
10. Peranakan Museum & Katong
Colourful shophouses, laksa and the culture of the Straits Chinese, away from the tourist centre.
Practical tips
Singapore is hot and humid year-round with no real seasons; plan indoor activities for the afternoon and save walking for early morning or evening. The MRT is fast, cheap and air-conditioned. Eat at hawker centres rather than restaurants — it is where locals eat, the quality is exceptional, and it is a fraction of the price. The Gardens by the Bay light show, Botanic Gardens and heritage districts are all free, which offsets the cost of accommodation.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.