Singapore is one of those cities everyone needs to add to their travel plans. When most people think of Singapore, they probably think of the modern architecture, plant covered buildings, and the Marina Bay Sands. Although all great, there is so much more to see and do in Singapore. I spent a solid 3 days in Singapore and definitely needed a couple more days to see everything I had marked down. This 3-Day Singapore itinerary is based on my recommendations and personal itinerary. If you want to experience the best of the Lion City, I wrote this guide to help you plan your perfect Singapore itinerary. From historic landmarks and nature reserves to food tours and botanical gardens, let’s explore Singapore!  **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links or banners throughout the page, whether it be TripAdvisor, Booking.com. Agoda.com, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support! Summary Why Visit Singapore: Singapore is just one of those countries that everyone should visit once in their lifetime. This 3-day Singapore itinerary covers many of Singapore’s top attractions and how we spent our time here.  Top Things to do in Singapore: Try Food at a Hawker Centre. Walk around Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay. Why not visit a free attraction in Singapore like the Botanic Gardens. Where to Stay in Singapore: We stayed at the Paradox Singapore at Clarke Quay and had a wonderful experience here. If you are feeling like staying in one of the world’s best hotels, there is always the Marina Bay Sands.  Interested in a Singapore Tour? I recommend checking out this Private Customized Tour or take a Singapore Hop-On Hop-Off Sight Seeing Tour. Why is Singapore Known as the “Lion City” I didn’t know that Singapore was referred to as the “Lion City,” until I visited. I saw the “Lion City” somewhere, and thought to myself, why is Singapore known as the “Lion City”?  I mean, there aren’t any lions in Singapore, so why the nickname?  We booked a Singapore Food Tour and our guide explained the meaning behind the “Lion City” to us. Singapore can be broken down into “Singa” and “Pura”. Singa is the Malay word for Lion and Pura means City.  Our guide explained to us that a prince from the island of Sumatra came to what is now Singapore and claimed he spotted a lion and quickly named it Singapura.  That is basically it! The “Lion” stuck and now it is a symbol of Singapore.  3-Day Singapore Itinerary My 3-day Singapore itinerary is based entirely on my trip. Of course I only include what I recommend or find might be of interest to fellow travelers.  I tend to mix a lot of nature into my trips, so I started a few of my days at either the botanical gardens or nature reserves. Obviously, you don’t have to follow my itinerary, feel free to mix and match based on your preferences and interests. Or perhaps, you are only visiting Singapore for a day or two and can only visit some of my recommended places to visit in Singapore. It’s up to you, no matter what you’ll love Singapore.  There were quite a few places I was unable to visit this time around, like Fort Canning Park, or taking the cable car across the harbor, or visiting some of Singapore’s museums. But that is every city I visit, always so much to see and so little time.  Below I have my 3-day itinerary broken down by each day.  Day 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve A little off the beaten path but well worth the journey in my opinion is a visit to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.  This is the perfect nature escape in Singapore, especially in the mornings when crowds are small and the weather is still somewhat bearable.  Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is a nature reserve that has several kilometers of well maintained trails.  If you want to see saltwater crocodiles in Singapore, giant monitor lizards, and more wildlife, then a visit to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is a must! To read more on how to get to this nature reserve and trail information, I have a whole post written on Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.  Chinatown After visiting Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, head back to your hotel to freshen up and rest before going back out.  I recommend spending some time at Singapore’s Chinatown. This area is somewhat touristy but has a lot to offer, including the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Maxwell Hawker Centre.  Food Tour After exploring Singapore’s Chinatown, I bet you are getting hungry at this point. Lately, I’ve been booking food tours online through Viator or Get Your Guide. I generally book food tours on my first day of visiting a new city. This allows me to learn a bit about the city, it’s food, and culture. I also tend to gain more confidence when ordering the next few days.  I booked the Singapore Street Food Tour with a Local.  We ate at several Hawker Centres and tried at least 8-10 different dishes. This tour helped us so much the following few days when we decided to visit Hawker Centres by ourselves. Interested in learning more about booking a food tour? I have a dedicated post on booking a Singapore food tour. Spectra – A Light & Water Show Our Singapore food tour ended at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore area. Our guide told us to wait around for the Spectra Water Show. The Spectra – A Light and Water Show did not disappoint. This is a nightly light and water show lasts 15 minutes and you do not want to miss it. The lights, water show, and music, was beautiful, calming, and intense.  I saw the Spectra Show twice. In case you are curious, the songs played when I visited, were: Nero by Thomas Bergersen, Miss You Dear by Jeetu Bhowmik, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence by Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Dragons and Demons by Veigar Mergeirsson.  The light show times are Sunday through Thursday at 20:00 and 21:00 and Friday and Saturday at 20:00, 21:00, and 22:00. Day 2 Singapore Botanic Gardens We started day 2 of our Singapore vacation at the Botanic Gardens. Singapore’s Botanic Gardens are a must visit. In fact, the gardens are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The gardens are huge, you could spend an entire day here, but we had a lot of Singapore to explore. We probably spent around 3 hours at Singapore’s Botanic Gardens.  This is a great free attraction in Singapore and is relatively easy to get to using the MRT.  There are several kilometers of trails within the botanic gardens. I recommend just taking your time and leisurely strolling through random trails.  Personally, I liked Swan Lake the Rainforest Loop, and walking the boardwalks at Pulai Marsh.  Arab Street After visiting Singapore’s Botanic Gardens, we went back to the hotel to clean up and relax before heading to Arab Street.  Arab Street was recommended to us by our food tour guide. It’s a unique district in Singapore with decent shops, restaurants, and the Sultan Mosque.  First things first, we walked to the Golden Mile Food Centre for lunch. This Hawker Centre was a few blocks from Arab Street and offered several floors of local vendors.  Back at Arab Street, we had amazing Gelato at a place called Gelato Garden. It was pricey, but worth it.  Wander Around the City Depending on if you are dining at Arab Street or not, it doesn’t take to long to explore so I recommend taking the MRT back to the city center or Chinatown area of Singapore. Without a plan, we just walked around, paying attention to building architecture and enjoying the city sites. Hawker Centre One of my biggest recommendations for visiting Singapore is to eat at Hawker Centres. For cheap and local meals, Hawker Centres are a must.  Maxwell Food Centre and Lau Pa Sat are great Hawker Centres in Singapore and are typically easy to navigate. I found the food to be amazing at every stall I tried.  Hawker Centres have a wide range of food options, so you can find anything you are craving here. For more information on Hawker Centres, including how to order, saving a table, and whether or not they accept credit card, I have a whole guide to Singapore’s Hawker Centres. Day 3 S.E.A. Aquarium Rated as one of the largest and best aquariums in the world, S.E.A. Aquarium is located on Sentosa Island, Singapore.  To get here, we took the MRT to Harbour front Station and walked across the Sentosa Boardwalk. It was about a 15 – 20 minute walk from the MRT station to the aquarium. We ended up doing the S.E.A Aquarium in the morning because I’ve heard good things about the aquarium and it was a rainy morning.  I found the entrance prices to be quite steep for the aquarium, at SGD 33. But since many other attractions in Singapore were free, I didn’t mind. The aquarium was nice, outside of the loud and obnoxious tourists. I saw some marine wildlife I never knew existed, like sea dragons. The aquarium had a large tank with rays and other large species, there was also a shark tank toward the end.  After the aquarium we took the MRT back to the city center. Others might stay on Sentosa Island to check out Universal Studios Singapore or do other attractions.  Gardens by the Bay Gardens by the Bay is another one of Singapore’s most famous attractions and is a must. No Singapore itinerary is complete without a visit to Gardens by the Bay. You could spend an entire day here, there is so much to see to include the OCBC Skyway, Observation Decks, gardens, Flower Dome, Cloud Forest, and kilometers of walking trails.  If short on time, I recommend doing the Super tree Glove. That iconic attraction in Singapore with the vertical towers that look like futuristic trees. I’d also recommend visiting one of the indoor gardens afterwards and taking in the beautiful nature while walking from one attraction to the next. Marina Bay Sands Singapore Although, I can’t afford to stay a night at the Marina Bay Sans Resort in Singapore, I do recommend walking the boardwalk on the outside to get photos of it, especially at night.  There is also a high end mall at the base of Marina Bay Sands Singapore. If anything, it’s a great place to wander in to and take advantage of the air condition.  Merlion Fountain The most iconic fountain in Singapore and one of the most photographed spots is the Merlion Fountain. With the head of a lion and a body of a fish, the Merlion is Singapore’s official mascot.  The Merlion Fountain is located in Merlion Park at Marina Bay. People crowd the area for photos and selfies.  Beer and Food at Brewerkz If you are looking to try some good craft beer in Singapore, I recommend trying Brewerkz. This brewery/restaurant is just a few steps away from the Merlion Fountain. Be warned, Alcohol in Singapore is expensive so be prepared to pay a pretty penny for a pint of delicious beer.  I tried their 4AM Double IPA and Circuit Breaker New England IPA and was pleasantly surprised. Had I known how good their beers were, I would have visited a day before to sample more.  Another Hawker Centre On the final day, why not sample some more food and try yet another Hawker Centre. From the Merlion Fountain, the Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre is not far away.  This Victorian-style building is fascinating and the vendors and food served here is even better. We tried a wide range of dishes here.  If you come here in the evening, try various styles of Satay on Satay Street. You can read more about this in my Hawker Centres

Is Singapore expensive to visit? My simple answer to that is Singapore can be as expensive or as cheap as you would like. In general and compared to other Southeast Asian countries, Singapore is known to be more expensive. I’ve heard people comparing Singapore prices to that of cities in the United States or Europe, but is that really true? Is dining in Singapore expensive? Are attractions outrageously pricey? Can I afford lodging in Singapore? In this post I’ll dive into answering all those questions so you can make your own judgements on whether or not Singapore is as cheap or as expensive as you think. I can already tell you, that Singapore is not as expensive as you might think.  ** This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links or widgets throughout the page, whether it be Viator, Booking.com, Agoda, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support! Planning a Trip to Singapore and Worried about Costs? If traveling to Singapore, you probably already paid for the most expensive cost, the airfare.  Rest assured, Singapore really is not as expensive as you might think. Then again, Singapore can be as expensive or as cheap as you make it out to be. Sure you can go to the fancy clubs and fine dining restaurants. Of course, you will pay an arm and a leg. But it doesn’t have to be like that.  I’ll be honest, one thing that I found to be quite expensive was alcohol. As a guy who loves trying craft beer from different countries, it was hard to pay around $16 for a pint of beer.  On the other hand, there were many free attractions, transportation was cheap, and Hawker Centres provide amazing dishes for a very reasonable price.  So is Singapore expensive to visit? Below is my on the ground report of how I fared in Singapore with my budget.  Keep in mind, I don’t seek out luxurious stuff. I just want to stay in decent places, eat local food, and see interesting attractions. My travels to Singapore are more on the budget – friendly side, so just keep in mind that this is based on my personal experiences and likes.  Accommodations in Singapore Singapore’s most iconic building is the Marina Bay Sands. This is a well known resort that in my opinion is probably worth staying at, at least for one night. Unfortunately, the Marina Bay Sands can cost hundreds of dollars a night. Is it worth it? Maybe for one night or maybe spending $700 a night is flat out crazy.  Not all hotels in Singapore are luxurious resorts or expensive hotels. We stayed at the Paradox Singapore Merchant Court right by Clarke Quay and we were very satisfied with our stay.  The Paradox Singapore Merchant Court was under $250, but it was a resort with an awesome pool, extensive breakfast buffet, and everything else you can think of when it comes to a resort.  If you look on Agoda, there are nice hotels that will cost you $70 or less a night. You can even find hostels with dorm rooms for $25 a night.  Attractions and Things to do in Singapore There are so many fun and free attractions in Singapore.  I was surprised that many of Singapore’s top attractions are free. We visited Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in the northern part of the country near the border of Malaysia. Outside of taking a Grab to get here, the park itself was free for visitors.  Singapore Botanic Gardens was also a free attraction, we spent a half day here. The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a UNESCO site, usually anything that has that UNESCO label is automatically a paid attraction.  Of course, you can walkaround the Gardens by the Bay, although some of the attractions within the park charge a fee, it’s relatively low.  One thing I found to be on the expensive side was the S.E.A Aquarium. Tickets were SGD 44 which is about $32. I just found that for what it was it was a bit heavy on the entrance price. Cost of Transportation For tourists, transportation in Singapore was cheap. I highly recommend using either Grab to get around or use the MRT.  We decided to get the EZ-Link cards. These are prepaid cards that can be used on the MRT. We purchased them at a country within the metro station.  To get from Point A to Point B varied but it was only a dollar or two.  When traveling around SE Asia, I recommend using Grab. We’ve used this in Vietnam, Malaysia, The Philippines, and it’s always been the cheapest mode of transportation. Grab is easy, safe, and cheap.  Dining and Food Options The best way to eat like a local in Singapore is to visit one of the many Hawker Centres. When visiting Singapore, especially if it is only for a few days, there is no other place you need to try then a Hawker Centre. Hawker Centres are found throughout Singapore and are basically clean and organized food markets. You’ll find a wide range of vendors at Hawker Centres from famous Chicken and Rice to vendors selling Shawarma.  At the Hawker Centres, each vendor is different so prices vary. But I found everything to be very reasonably price, dishes range anywhere from $2 – $10.  Honestly, I don’t see why anyone would go to a restaurant in Singapore especially with the abundance of Hawker Centres.  So if you truly want to eat like a local in Singapore and are looking for local cuisine that won’t break the bank, visit a Hawker Centre.  I wrote a post on more about Hawker Centres, First Timer’s Guide to Singapore’s Hawker Centres. My Recommended Tips for Saving Money when Visiting Singapore Dine like a local and eat cheaply at a Hawker Centre Use Grab instead of Taxis Rely on the MRT and purchase an EZ-Link Card Visit free attractions like the Botanical Gardens or Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Limit spending on alcohol, as alcohol taxes in Singapore are not cheap Conclusion So, is Singapore Expensive to Visit? I still think Singapore can be as expensive or as cheap as you make it out to be. I know many people splurge when they go on vacation. But if you are budget minded like me or go on multiple trips a year and don’t have that kind of money to spend, then Singapore can be a very cheap destination. Many attractions in Singapore are free and some of the best cuisine can be found at the Hawker Centres. Besides the occasional beer I just had to have that was at least in my opinion very expensive, I found Singapore to be cheap. So, if you are the type of person that likes to go out and buy drinks and try high end restaurants or if you prefer to visit places the locals go to for cheap, Singapore is a great destination to visit no matter what your budget is.  Enjoying my photos and want to see more? Check out my Picfair Store. 📸   Plan Your Trip: 🗺️✈️ 🇸🇬 Booking Accommodations ⛺️🛖  For booking recommendations on the best deals and locations, check out Agoda or Booking.com Activities and Tours  🏖️🚁  Find fun activities and things to do through Tripadvisor. If you are looking for tours and day trips, Viator and Get Your Guide have a lot of great options.  In need of a car rental? 🚗🚘  I recommend checking with Rental Cars.