Singapore 6 Day Itinerary

Singapore’s hawker centres are regulated by the government, inspected regularly, and have been recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. A plate of Hainanese chicken rice from a stall that has been making only chicken rice for 40 years costs SGD 5 to 8. The same city has hotels that run SGD 1,200 a night. You do not need to spend at the top end to eat extraordinarily well here, but you do need to find the right hawker centres rather than defaulting to hotel restaurants.

Visa and Entry

Most nationalities (including US, UK, EU, Australian, and many others) do not require a visa for stays up to 30 or 90 days. Check the Singapore ICA website for the current list before travelling; it is one of the world’s most permissive entry policies for Western passport holders. Singapore is part of a Schengen-equivalent arrangement with Malaysia for land border crossings, but air entry is uncomplicated for the vast majority of visitors.

Getting In and Getting Around

Changi Airport (SIN) is consistently ranked among the best airports in the world and is also functionally exceptional: the MRT train (East-West Line) runs from the airport basement directly to the city centre in about 30 minutes for roughly SGD 1.50 to 2.20, depending on destination. Buy an EZ-Link card at any station (SGD 10 including SGD 7 stored credit) or tap any contactless Visa or Mastercard directly at the gates. Taxis and Grab from the airport to the centre cost SGD 25 to 40 depending on time of day and destination.

Within the city, the MRT covers every site on this itinerary. Fares run SGD 1.28 to 2.57 per trip using a stored-value card. Grab (ride-hailing) is reliable and cheap for short trips or late nights. Singapore is an entirely walkable city within individual neighbourhoods, though 35-degree heat and high humidity make midday walks uncomfortable; plan for indoor breaks.

Day 1: Marina Bay

The free Supertree Grove light and music show at Gardens by the Bay happens nightly at 7:45pm and 8:45pm. Build your evening around it. The Supertrees (tree-like vertical garden structures up to 16 storeys tall) are impressive in daylight but become something else entirely when the LED display runs; the show lasts 10 minutes and costs nothing.

If you want to go inside the cooled conservatories (Flower Dome and Cloud Forest), buy tickets in advance online: a combined adult ticket runs SGD 53 in 2026, and online booking typically saves 10 to 15 percent over gate pricing. The Cloud Forest is the stronger of the two: a 35-metre indoor waterfall with a climate-controlled mountain trail through orchids and ferns, genuinely spectacular on a hot day.

Marina Bay Sands observation deck (SkyPark) runs about SGD 23 to 29 for non-guests. The view is excellent but the deck is very crowded; if you are willing to spend SGD 30 to 40 on a cocktail, the rooftop bar (Ce La Vi) on the same level gives you the same view with a seat.

Dinner: the Marina Bay Financial Centre basement food court has good options at SGD 8 to 15 per dish. Alternatively, Lau Pa Sat (a Victorian cast-iron market building on Raffles Quay) is the correct first-night choice: after 7pm, Boon Tat Street outside the market closes to traffic and becomes an outdoor satay street, with charcoal grills running the length of the road. Order satay by the stick (SGD 0.70 to 1 each), point at what you want, and eat at communal tables outside.

Day 2: Chinatown and Little India

Chinatown’s cultural core is the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (Sago Lane, South Bridge Road), a Tang Dynasty-style building completed in 2007 that houses what is claimed to be a tooth relic of the Buddha. Entry is free. The temple is active and serious; remove shoes, dress modestly, and spend 30 minutes in the upper levels where the relic chamber and smaller worship halls are less crowded than the ground floor.

Maxwell Food Centre on Maxwell Road (a two-minute walk from the temple) is one of the best hawker centres in the city: Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice has held a queue here for years, with good reason (SGD 5.50 to 6.50 per plate). Arrive before 11:30am to avoid the peak queue. Also try the egg tofu or the chilli crab wonton stall if you are hungry enough for two courses.

In the afternoon, take the MRT to Little India (Farrer Park or Little India station). Serangoon Road has been the commercial and spiritual heart of Singapore’s Tamil community since the 19th century; the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (141 Serangoon Road, free entry) is dedicated to the goddess Kali and is one of the most visually intense religious buildings in the city. Go before 5pm when the afternoon puja (worship) ceremony begins.

Tekka Centre on Serangoon Road is Little India’s primary wet market and hawker centre. The fish market in the basement is the most sensory part; the food stalls upstairs offer excellent biryani, roti prata, and Indian-Muslim cooking at SGD 4 to 10 per dish.

Indian Heritage Centre (Canning Lane) has permanent exhibitions on the history of Singapore’s Indian community from colonial times to the present. Entry runs around SGD 8. If your schedule is tight, spend the evening in the neighbourhood rather than at the museum.

Day 3: Sentosa Island

Take the MRT to HarbourFront and walk across to VivoCity mall, from where the Sentosa Express runs to the island (admission to Sentosa changed structure in recent years; check the current entry requirements as they have varied between free, SGD 1, and SGD 4 depending on mode of entry and period).

Universal Studios Singapore (approximately SGD 81 to 88 for adults in 2026) is the main theme park anchor of the island. Buy in advance online. The Battlestar Galactica roller coasters and the Jurassic World ride are the main draws. The park is busiest on weekends and Singapore public holidays; a weekday visit is considerably more comfortable.

The S.E.A. Aquarium (SGD 47 to 53 for adults) is one of the largest aquariums in the world, with an Open Ocean gallery featuring a panoramic viewing panel measuring 36 metres wide. It is the right half-day alternative if a theme park does not interest you.

Palawan Beach and Siloso Beach are free; bring your own towel and sunscreen, as the beach club operators on the island charge significantly for chairs and umbrellas.

Wings of Time (SGD 18 to 23) is a nightly outdoor water and light show at Siloso Beach. It runs at 7:40pm and 8:40pm. Worth seeing once; book in advance.

Day 4: Wildlife and the North

Mandai Wildlife Reserve (north of the city, accessible by bus from Khatib MRT) is the central site for Singapore Zoo, River Wonders (formerly River Safari), and Night Safari. The Night Safari (tickets around SGD 55, roughly 10 percent cheaper booked online in advance) is the world’s first nocturnal zoo, operating from 6:15pm to midnight. The tram ride through the park is the standard way to see it, but walking the trails on foot gives better encounters with the tigers, fishing cats, and Malayan tapirs. Allow three hours minimum.

Alternatively, Jurong Bird Park has relocated and merged into the Mandai complex as Bird Paradise (approximately SGD 48 for adults); the new facility is larger and better designed than the old Jurong location.

For a full day in the north, Singapore Zoo opens at 9am. Combine the zoo in the morning with Night Safari in the evening; Mandai operates a shuttle loop between the parks from the main bus terminal. Have dinner at the on-site restaurants or pack food; options near Mandai are limited.

Day 5: Pulau Ubin and the East Coast

Pulau Ubin is a 10-square-kilometre island off the northeastern coast that has been deliberately kept undeveloped; it has no MRT, limited electricity, and around 100 permanent residents. Take the MRT to Tanah Merah or Pasir Ris, then bus to Changi Point Ferry Terminal. Bumboats (small wooden ferries) run when 12 passengers have assembled; the crossing takes 10 minutes and costs SGD 4 return. Rent a bicycle at the island jetty (SGD 8 to 15 per day) and cycle the tracks to Chek Jawa Wetlands on the eastern tip, where mangrove boardwalks extend over a tidal flat with mudskippers, sea anemones, and kingfishers. Allow four to five hours for a relaxed island day.

In the evening, return to the east side of the main island for East Coast Park (a long beachfront park along the south coast) or Katong, the Peranakan neighbourhood inland from the coast with ornate heritage shophouses and the city’s best laksa. 328 Katong Laksa on East Coast Road is a well-known stall for the local variant (thicker coconut broth, shorter noodles) and costs about SGD 6 to 8.

Day 6: Orchard Road and Final Evening

Orchard Road is Singapore’s commercial retail main street, with roughly 2km of shopping malls running continuously from Dhoby Ghaut to Newton. It is genuinely good for certain categories: Singapore is a major hub for electronics, cosmetics (particularly Korean and Japanese brands), and mid-range international fashion at competitive prices. Do not expect street market bargaining; fixed prices are standard in the malls, though periodic sales are significant.

For the final evening, the rooftop bar 1-Altitude at One Raffles Place (level 63) has one of the city’s highest open-air vantage points, with 360-degree views. Cocktails run SGD 25 to 35. Book a table to guarantee access on busy nights.

For a final dinner without the price premium: Old Airport Road Food Centre in the Geylang-Kallang area is a large hawker centre that locals consistently rate as one of the best in the city. Char kway teow, oyster omelette, and carrot cake (the savoury Singaporean version, which bears no resemblance to the Western dessert) are all worth ordering. Budget SGD 15 to 25 per person for a full spread.

Where to Stay

• Marina Bay Sands (10 Bayfront Avenue): iconic three-tower property with the infinity pool on the 57th-floor skybridge. Rates from SGD 600 to 1,200 per night. Worth booking for a night if budget allows; the pool itself is the experience.
• Raffles Hotel (1 Beach Road, City Hall): fully restored colonial property, rates from SGD 800 upward. Mandatory stop for a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar even if you are not staying.
• Mid-range (Orchard Road or Bugis area): multiple reliable business hotels run SGD 180 to 350 per night with MRT access to everything on this itinerary.
• Budget: Capsule hotels and hostels in the Little India or Chinatown area start at SGD 30 to 60 per night.

Things to Know

Singapore strictly enforces laws on drug possession (mandatory death penalty for trafficking above threshold quantities), littering (fines from SGD 300), chewing gum (sale is restricted; bringing small quantities for personal use is tolerated), and jaywalking. None of these should be an issue for a normal tourist, but the framework is worth understanding.

The city is one of the cleanest and safest in the world; petty crime is genuinely rare. Tap water is drinkable and high quality; buying bottled water is unnecessary.

Singapore’s heat and humidity are constants year-round (30 to 35 degrees, 80 percent humidity). There is no best season in the way temperate destinations have one. The northeast monsoon (December to early March) brings heavier rain. Sun protection and hydration are requirements rather than suggestions regardless of the month.

The most expensive single mistake in Singapore is eating exclusively at hotel restaurants and tourist-facing venues. A meal at a hotel restaurant costs SGD 40 to 80 per person. The same quality (often better) in a hawker centre costs SGD 5 to 10. Spend the savings on the Night Safari or a marina bay cocktail and use the hawker centres for every meal that does not have a specific occasion attached to it.