3-Day Singapore Itinerary: The Ultimate Guide to the Lion City

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!

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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 post.

Singapore Changi Airport

Singapore Changi Airport is an attraction in itself. Honestly, I recommend spending time here whether it be on a long layover or coming earlier on the day of your flight.

I’ve been to Singapore Changi Airport a few times now. I spent a few 8 hour layovers here and had the opportunity to walk the gardens, browse shops, and relax.

Our last trip to Singapore, we came about 6 hours prior to our departure and booked activities at Jewel. We had fun bouncing on the newts, walking the mazes, and viewing the Vortex waterfall.

Interested in seeing what else is at Singapore Changi Airport? I have a post on how to spend a long layover at Changi Airport.

Conclusion

You could spend several more days or even weeks exploring Singapore. But for most people that simply is not achievable. Many travelers come to Singapore on a long layover or spend two to three days here. I feel like three days in Singapore is enough time to scratch the surface and see many of the main attractions and sites. I like to mix a little bit of nature in my trips, so I tended to spend the mornings at nature reserves or the botanical gardens before venturing into the city. I hope my 3-day Singapore itinerary provides you with enough options for your trip to Singapore and you fall in love with the Lion City as I did.

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Plan Your Trip: 🗺️✈️ 🇸🇬

Booking Accommodations ⛺️🛖

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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? 🚗🚘

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