Top 5 places to visit on your next Singapore vacation

Singapore is a destination that truly captivates with its picture-perfect skyline, towering skyscrapers, and futuristic cityscape. As the second most frequently visited city in the Asia-Pacific region, this sovereign city-state and island country has something for everyone. From incredible shopping experiences to family-friendly attractions, Singapore offers a diverse range of options. Choosing just five top places to visit in Singapore is a challenging task, but we’ll attempt to do so. To ensure you make the most of your visit and explore the best that Singapore has to offer, consider booking one of the curated Singapore tour packages available. These packages provide comprehensive itineraries that include the must-visit attractions, giving you a memorable and hassle-free experience in Singapore. Let’s uncover the top five places to visit in this remarkable city-state.

Singapore has some of the best public transport in the world and will charge you a $1000 fine for chewing gum. Who knew, right?

Singapore is a group of 63 offshore islands. The main island is where you’ll likely be staying in as most of the hotels are here. And the main island is surrounded by 62 other smaller islands. A lot of travellers do island hopping to explore these islands. It’s a superb way to steer clear of the crowd, but some of the top attractions in Singapore are crowded for a reason. Here’s our curated list of Top places to visit in Singapore.

Top places to visit in Singapore

1. Merlion Park

The iconic lion statue in Singapore is not just there for show but represents the country’s history. Modern-day Singapore gets its name from the Malay name – “Singapura” or the lion city. Free access to an attraction is quite rare in Singapore, and you’ll get just that here. Access to the Merlion Park and its outstanding views are free. Don’t forget to click that goofy selfie with the water sprouting out of the lion’s mouth in the background 🙂

Did you know?

• Today’s Merlion Park is actually a newer park which was constructed in 2002. The Merlion statue which had a different home was relocated to this one.
• Merlion, the official mascot of Singapore was struck by lightning in 2009. It was partially damaged, however, officials fixed it and made it lightning proof.
• There’s a smaller 2-meter statue behind the merlion also called the “Merlion cub”. Haven’t seen it in a lot of pictures, have you? You should go visit the Merlion park yourself to see this small wonder.

Timings: Open 24 hours, but officially can be visited from 10 am to 10 pm
Entrance Fee: FREE
When to visit: Sunday to Thursday witness the spectacular light show at 8 pm and 9 pm.

2. Universal Studios Singapore

Any visit to Singapore is incomplete if you haven’t visited Universal Studios. This theme park has something for everybody. Thrill-seekers can go on the world’s tallest duelling roller coasters, kids can speak to their favourite minions in Minionese (yup, that’s the language they speak). There are lots of other rides, live shows, live performances while you’re roaming around the park, both casual and fine dining and loads and loads of shopping. Most folks spend one full day in the Universal Studios and choose to go there early in the day when the park opens.

? Did you know?

• If you or anyone from your group are celebrating a birthday on your visit to Universal Studios, you should let the folks at the Guest services know and they’ll give you a small gift. And to make things even more exciting, you could let the staff at one of the live shows know that it’s your birthday and you might get a shout out too 🙂
• One of the most popular rides in Universal Studios, Singapore is only 53 seconds long. Yup, you read that right.

Timings: Open 10 am to 5 pm all through the year
Entrance Fee:
– Adults (SGD 81) and Children (SGD 61)
– Universal Express pass costs an additional SGD 40 or SGD 70 per person.
When to visit: Avoid visiting on weekends as the queues could be really long. Best to avoid on public holidays too.

3. Gardens by the Bay

Apart from the Merlion Park, if there was one place you shouldn’t miss, it’s the magical world of Gardens by the Bay. This is the coolest garden you’ll visit in your lifetime unless another country figures out a way to beat its grandeur. Along with several outdoor floral gardens, lakes and art sculptures, Gardens by the Bay is known for the Supertree grove. The supertrees measure anywhere between 25 meters to 50 meters. The large canopies which provide shade in the day come alive in the night when the solar energy stored all day powers the supertrees. Nights here are truly magical when you’re surrounded by lights and sound.

? Did you know?

• Gardens by the Bay is home to over 7,00,000 natural plant species.
• The tallest supertree in the Gardens by the Bay is as tall as a 16-storey building, towering at 50 meters.
• There’s a dome which has a much higher roof than the flower dome. Reason – it has a waterfall and an actual mountain inside 🙂

Timings: Open 5 am to 2 am all through the year
Entrance Fee: SGD 23 to SGD 30
When to visit: Evenings after 7.30 pm for the lights and sound show. Avoid visiting on weekends as the queues are long.

4. Singapore Wildlife Parks

Singapore is known for it’s affinity to nature. And it has some of the best wildlife parks. They are Jurong Bird Park, River Safari, Night Safari and Singapore Zoo. Any vacation to Singapore is incomplete without visiting them.

The Singapore Zoo which is a must-visit is known for caring and housing over 300 different animal species. The zoo attracts more than 2 million visitors annually making it the No. 1 wildlife park in Asia. At dusk, the Singapore zoo stays open to visitors for the nocturnal experience. As part of the night safari, there are also a few trails where visitors can walk and explore some of the endangered animals.

The Jurong Bird park yet another must-visit wildlife park in Singapore has over 5000 birds from 400 species. The Waterfall Aviary which is one of the world’s largest walk-in aviary is home to more than 600 birds. The waterfall aviary also has a waterfall in it as the name would suggest. There’s a lot to do in the park from feeding the birds to camping overnight.

Timings: Open 5 am to 2 am all through the year
Entrance Fee: Adults (SGD 85) and Children (SGD 63)
When to visit: Visit with the Parkhopper Plus card for an additional SGD 10, you can get the Parkhopper plus which comes with tram rides and much more. As any other attraction, avoid visiting these parks on weekends and public holidays.

5. Singapore Flyer

Asia’s largest observation wheel, the Singapore Flyer is one attraction everyone must visit – even the ones who have a fear of heights. The 360-degree panoramic views of the city from here are great. On a clear day, you can also see some parts of Malaysia and Indonesia from your observation pod. Along with the views, you can treat yourself to a sky dining experience. It comes with a four-course menu, wine pairing options and butler service.

Did you know?

• The Singapore Flyer is high on Feng-Shui. There are a total of 28 observation capsules as 2 and 8 are lucky numbers. The wheel’s rotation was changed from counterclockwise to clockwise for the same reason.
• During the attraction’s grand opening from 11th to 13th Feb, tickets were sold for a whopping SGD 8,888 per person. Yup, you read that right. The prices are much lesser today though 🙂

Timings: Open 3 pm to 9 pm all through the year. Last admission is at 8.30 pm.
Entrance Fee: Adults (SGD 33) and Children (SGD 21)
When to visit: The prettiest time to take a ride on the Singapore Flyer is during dusk. The sunset covers all the skyscrapers in a golden glow which is worth a sight.

So there you go. These are our top places to visit in Singapore and we’re sure they will make it on most of the Singapore itineraries. Do you have some other plans to go along with these? Great! We’d love to help craft your Singapore tour package. Reach out to our travel consultants at Pickyourtrail and we’d love to personalize your trip.