Singapore compresses Chinese, Malay and Indian cultures into one immaculately clean, endlessly air-conditioned city-state. It's the most expensive stop in the region but also the easiest — and the hawker centres serve some of Asia's best food for a few dollars a plate.
Good to know
- Get an EZ-Link card for the MRT — it's the fastest way around and air-conditioned.
- Chewing gum sales and littering fines are real; jaywalking fines are enforced too.
- Hawker centres are cash-friendly and communal — grab a table first, then order.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Futuristic Supertrees and climate-controlled domes housing a cloud forest and a Mediterranean flower dome.
Infinity pool and observation deck 200 metres up, straddling three towers with the best skyline view in the city.
The half-lion, half-fish statue spouting water across the bay from the Marina Bay Sands — a five-minute photo stop.
Hawker hall famous for Tian Tian Hainanese chicken rice — cheap, fast, and some of the best food in the city.
Shophouses, incense shops and a working Hindu temple side by side in Singapore's oldest ethnic quarter.
Cable car or monorail to a resort island of man-made beaches, Universal Studios and a luge track.
Hollywood-themed rides and shows, including the world's tallest duelling roller coasters.
Spice shops, gold jewellers and the ornate Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple along Serangoon Road.
The world's first nocturnal zoo — tram or walk past free-roaming lions, hyenas and leopards after dark.
Restored godowns along the river turned into bars and clubs, plus a night-time river cruise dock.
Southeast Asia's largest public art collection inside the restored former Supreme Court and City Hall.
Kilometre-long strip of malls from luxury flagships to budget basements — also lit up spectacularly at Christmas.