In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Singapore
Singapore city
Singapura · 新加坡
Singapore is a morning-and-evening city on the equator: do the gardens and temples before 10:30, spend midday in air-conditioned malls and hawker centres, and ride the MRT between four compact areas.
Singapore works: the MRT is fast, the airport is 30 minutes away, and signs are in English. What fails is the weather and the rules. Noon at Gardens by the Bay is 32°C with no shade, a vape in a jacket pocket is a fine, and a Chinese New Year lunch may mean closed stalls. Four walking areas cover a first visit; keep one bed and let the MRT move you.
- Country
- Singapore
- Local name
- Singapura · 新加坡
- Best months
- Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul
- Time zone
- Asia/Singapore
- Stay
- 2 days: Marina Bay morning, Chinatown midday, Kampong Glam evening
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- SGD
- Money
- Contactless cards and phone wallets work in shops, taxis, MRT gates and most restaurants. Hawker stalls and old coffee shops are the exception: many take cash or PayNow (a local bank transfer by QR) only. Carry S$30–50 in S$2–10 notes and coins.
- Daily spend
- Budget S$35–60 excl. bed · Mid S$60–150 excl. bed · High S$150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly, or buy a tourist SIM from the Singtel, StarHub or M1 counters and convenience stores at Changi (passport needed).
- Emergency
- Police 999 · Ambulance and fire 995 · Non-emergency ambulance 1777
- Plugs
- 230 V; British three-pin sockets (type G). Many hotels have a universal socket; bring an adapter.
- Tipping
- Not expected. Restaurants and hotels add a 10% service charge plus 9% GST, shown as '++' on menus. No tip at hawker stalls or in taxis.
- Water
- Tap water is safe to drink everywhere. Refill a bottle at hotel taps and at the water points in malls and parks.
- Toilets
- Free and clean in malls, MRT stations, parks and museums; hawker-centre toilets may ask S$0.10–0.20.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (kopi at a coffee shop / café latte) | S$1.50–2.50 / S$6–8 |
| Hawker plate (chicken rice, laksa) | S$4–7 |
| Beer: hawker bottle / bar pint | S$8–10 / S$14–20 |
| 5 km taxi or app car | S$12–18 |
| MRT or bus ride | S$1.30–2.50 |
| Tourist SIM or eSIM, about a week | S$12–25 |
| Museum entry (foreign visitor) | S$15–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)
- SIN to the centre: one taxi or ride-hail car, 20–40 minutes, plus an MRT fallback until around midnight — the risk is the arrival card, not the ride.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Woodlands Checkpoint (Causeway) (Woodlands Checkpoint) | Buses and cars to Johor Bahru and beyond | MRT from Woodlands about 40 min; taxi 30–40 min |
| Woodlands Train Checkpoint | KTM Shuttle Tebrau to JB Sentral (about 5 min across the Causeway) | Taxi 30–40 min; bus to Marsiling MRT |
| RTS Link (Woodlands North) | Rail shuttle to Bukit Chagar, Johor Bahru, with customs at each end | Brown line to Orchard about 30 min |
| Queen Street bus terminal | Cross-border buses to Johor Bahru (Larkin terminal) | Already there; Bugis MRT 5 min |
| Golden Mile and Beach Road coach offices | Coaches to Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Penang, Genting | Walk or taxi 5–10 min |
| HarbourFront Centre ferry terminal | Ferries to Batam | MRT (purple, orange lines) about 15 min |
Typical fares
- Changi → centre, taxi
- S$25–45 with surcharges, 20–30 min
- Changi → centre, MRT
- about S$2–2.50, 35–50 min with a change at Tanah Merah (check)
- Taxi across the centre
- S$10–18
Get around
Walk inside an area, MRT between areas, bus for the gaps, taxi or app car with bags and after midnight. Tap a contactless bank card at every gate and bus reader: no tickets, no pass needed.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside each area; the waterfront loop; covered links between malls |
| MRT | S$1.30–2.50 per trip (check the current fare table) | Everything between areas, the airport, the zoo shuttle, Sentosa |
| Public bus | Same distance fares as the MRT | Gaps the MRT misses: Tiong Bahru, Dempsey, Katong, Changi Village |
| Taxi | Flag fall about S$4–5, then metered; surcharges for peak hours, midnight to 06:00, the airport and the CBD | Bags, groups, late nights |
| App car (Grab, Gojek, TADA, Zig) | S$12–25 across the centre; surges in rain and at 17:00–20:00 | Door to door with a fixed fare |
| Bike share | About S$1–2 per 30 min (check) | East Coast Park, Marina Bay loop, park connectors |
| Bumboat and river taxi | River cruise about S$25–30 (check) | Singapore River sightseeing from Clarke Quay to Marina Bay |
| Sentosa Express | About S$4 into Sentosa; rides on the island free (check) | VivoCity to Sentosa |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass needed: pay per ride with a contactless card; fares between areas are about S$1.50–2.50.
- Late at night
- MRT lines stop around midnight; the last train differs by line and direction, so check the operator app for the day. Taxis and ride-hailing run all night.
See and do
01Gardens by the Bay
Supertrees, two glass domes and the bay skyline; the outdoor gardens are free and at their best before 10:00 and at the evening light show.
Hours: best 08:00–10:30, or 19:00–21:00 for the show · Price: Outdoor free; both domes about S$50–60 (check) · Time: 2–3 h · 1.2816, 103.8636
02A hawker lunch at Maxwell麦士威熟食中心
Chicken rice, fish porridge and oyster cake for under S$10: hawker culture is on UNESCO's list for a reason.
Hours: best Before 11:30 or after 13:30 · Price: S$5–12 · Time: 45 min · 1.2803, 103.8448
03Buddha Tooth Relic Temple佛牙寺龙华院
Five floors of Tang-style halls, a free museum and a rooftop prayer wheel in the middle of Chinatown.
Hours: best 07:00–10:00 · Price: Free · Time: 45–60 min · 1.2815, 103.8443
04Marina Bay waterfront at dusk
Walk the Helix Bridge to the Merlion as the towers light up, then watch the Spectra show from the promenade.
Hours: best 18:30–21:00 · Price: Free · Time: 1.5 h
05Kampong Glam: Sultan Mosque and Haji LaneKampung Glam
Golden domes, textile shops, murals and murtabak in one small grid of lanes.
Hours: best 09:00–11:00 or after 17:00; not Friday midday · Price: Free · Time: 2 h · 1.3000, 103.8570
06Little India and Tekka Centre
Temples, flower-garland stalls, biryani and a wet market; loud, bright and nothing like the CBD.
Hours: best Morning market or early evening · Price: S$10–20 for food · Time: 2 h
07Singapore Botanic Gardens
The 1859 garden on the UNESCO list, with rainforest paths and the orchid collection.
Hours: best 07:00–09:30 · Price: Free; orchid garden about S$15 (check) · Time: 2 h
08National Gallery or the Asian Civilisations Museum
The best air-conditioned half-day in the city: regional art or two thousand years of Asian trade.
Hours: best 12:00–16:00 · Price: About S$20–25 (check) · Time: 2–3 h
09Night Safari
Tram and trails through a night-time zoo; children remember it for years.
Hours: best From opening, about 19:15 (check) · Price: About S$55–60 plus the ride (check) · Time: 3 h with the ride
10Jewel Changi Rain Vortex
A 40 m waterfall inside a glass dome, land-side at the airport, so it fits before a late flight.
Hours: best Evening light show · Price: Free · Time: 1 h
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sentosa | Sentosa Express monorail from VivoCity (HarbourFront MRT), cable car, or taxi | Half or full day |
| Pulau Ubin | Bus or taxi to Changi Point, then a bumboat of about 10 min | Half day, start by 08:00 |
| Johor Bahru (Malaysia) | Bus from Queen Street or Kranji across the Causeway, or the train shuttle from Woodlands | Half day to full day |
| Batam or Bintan (Indonesia) | Ferry from HarbourFront or Tanah Merah, 45–60 min | Full day; better with a night |
| Malacca (Malaysia) | Coach about 3.5–4.5 h each way plus the border | Too long for a day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maxwell Food Centre | Chicken rice, fish porridge, oyster cake · Chinatown | S$4–8 | Hawker |
| Chinatown Complex Food Centre | Claypot rice, soya-sauce chicken, local craft beer · Chinatown | S$4–10 (check) | Hawker |
| Lau Pa Sat and Satay Street | Satay sticks, stingray · CBD (Raffles Quay) | S$10–20 shared | Hawker |
| Tekka Centre | Biryani, roti prata, teh tarik · Little India | S$5–10 | Hawker |
| Zam Zam | Murtabak · Kampong Glam (North Bridge Road) | S$8–20 | Mid-range |
| Song Fa Bak Kut Teh | Peppery pork-rib soup · Clarke Quay (New Bridge Road) | S$15–25 (check) | Mid-range |
| Banana Leaf Apolo | Fish-head curry on a banana leaf · Little India (Race Course Road) | S$30–50 shared (check) | Mid-range |
| Zi char coffee shops | Cereal prawns, sambal kangkong, hor fun · Housing estates, Geylang | S$20–40 shared | Mid-range |
| Chilli crab seafood restaurants | Chilli or black-pepper crab with mantou buns · Clarke Quay, East Coast Seafood Centre | About S$90–130 per kg of crab (check) | Splurge |
| Candlenut | Modern Peranakan tasting menu · Dempsey | From about S$150 (check) | Splurge |
| Burnt Ends | Wood-fired Australian barbecue · Dempsey | S$200+ (check) | Splurge |
| Odette | French tasting menu · National Gallery | S$400+ (check) | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Stalls close one day a week and move; check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | S$35–70 dorm or capsule · S$120–180 small double | Little India, Farrer Park, Bugis, Chinatown | Hostels, capsule hotels, budget chains |
| mid | S$200–400 | Chinatown, Bugis, Clarke Quay, Orchard fringe | Boutique shophouse hotels, 3–4 star chains |
| splurge | S$500–1,500+ | Marina Bay, the Civic District, Orchard, Sentosa | Landmark hotels, international chains, resort hotels |
| mid | S$250–450 (cheaper by the week) | River Valley, Orchard, Tanjong Pagar | Serviced apartments |
Per room per night in Singapore dollars, 2026 estimate; Formula 1 week, National Day and Chinese New Year add 30–100%.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Coffee with condensed milk | Kopikoh-pee |
| Black coffee with sugar | Kopi-Okoh-pee oh |
| No sugar | Kosongkoh-song |
| Less sweet | Siew daisee-oo dye |
| Iced | Pengpeng |
| Takeaway, please | Tapau / da baotah-pow |
| Eat here | Have herehave here |
| Thank you (Malay) | Terima kasihteh-ree-mah kah-see |
| Thank you (Mandarin) | Xièxieshyeh-shyeh |
| Please take me to this address | 请带我去这个地址qing dai wo qu zhe ge di zhi |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Mosques and temples: Shoes off where the racks are; shoulders and knees covered (robes lent at the Sultan Mosque); no entry to prayer halls during prayers.
- Seats at hawker centres: A tissue packet or umbrella on a table means the seat is taken ('choping'). Share tables with strangers when it is busy.
- Trays and litter: Return trays and crockery to the return points at hawker centres: it is enforced with fines. Litter and spitting are also fined.
- Queues: Queue for everything: taxi ranks, MRT doors (stand aside for people getting off), stalls.
- Escalators: Stand on the left, walk on the right.
- Tipping: Not expected; restaurants add 10% service. Hawkers and taxi drivers do not expect tips.
- Hands and gifts: Pass money and cards with both hands or the right hand, especially in Malay and Indian shops.
- Durian: Not on public transport and not in most hotels; eat it at the stall.
Red lines
- Vapes and e-cigarettes are illegal to bring in or use.
- Mosques and temples: cover shoulders and knees, shoes off where signed.
- No smoking in air-conditioned places, on covered walkways, or within 5 m of a building entrance where signed.
Scams and watch-outs
- Electronics shops in Sim Lim Square that add 'warranties' after the card is swiped: buy at chain stores, or get the final price in writing first.
- People dressed as monks asking for donations or selling amulets in Chinatown and on Orchard Road are not from any temple: decline and walk on.
- Seafood priced 'per 100 g' or 'market price': ask for the weight and total before the crab goes in the pot.
- Unlicensed drivers offering rides in the Changi arrivals hall: use the taxi rank or an app.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover of 24 hours or a long layover. Skip: Sentosa, the zoo and Orchard Road: each is a half-day of its own.
- 07:30Kaya toast and kopi near the hotel
- 08:30Outdoor gardens and Supertrees before the heat
- 11:00MRT to Chinatown; temple halls and museum
- 12:00Hawker lunch
- 13:30National Gallery or a mall through the hottest hours
- 17:30Kampong Glam lanes and dinner
- 19:45Light show under the Supertrees, then the waterfront
2 days
The usual stopover on the way to Bali, Australia or Europe. Skip: A Sentosa beach day: it needs a third day.
Day 1 — Marina Bay and Chinatown
- 08:30Gardens by the Bay
- 11:00Temple and Chinatown lanes
- 12:00Maxwell lunch
- 13:30Hotel pool or a museum
- 18:30Waterfront walk and Spectra show
Day 2 — Botanic Gardens, Kampong Glam, Little India
- 07:30Botanic Gardens before it heats up
- 11:00Sultan Mosque and Haji Lane
- 12:30Murtabak or nasi padang lunch
- 14:00National Museum or the Peranakan Museum
- 17:30Little India, Tekka Centre dinner
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Singapore Tourism Board: www.visitsingapore.com/
- Land Transport Authority: www.lta.gov.sg/
- Wikivoyage — Singapore: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Singapore
- Wikitravel — Singapore: wikitravel.org/en/Singapore
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Singapore citySingapura · 新加坡
请带我去这个地址
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- 麦士威熟食中心Maxwell Food Centre
- 佛牙寺龙华院Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
- Kampung GlamKampong Glam & Bugis
Most embassies and high commissions are around Tanglin and Napier Road near the Botanic Gardens (US: Napier Road; UK: Tanglin Road). Write your own mission's 24-hour line below.
Drivers speak English; show the six-digit postal code and they will find it.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/singapore-city). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.