Five days in Singapore sounds generous — until you start mapping out everything you want to do. Singapore is compact (roughly the size of Greater London) but extraordinarily dense in world-class attractions. This itinerary is built around the four most common questions: What’s actually worth the time? How much does each day cost? How do I get between things? And what hawker stall should I not miss?
Pre-Trip Practicalities
Getting to Singapore: Changi Airport is one of the world’s best-connected hubs. The MRT into the city from Changi takes 30-40 minutes to City Hall, costs SGD 1.70-2.50 per person, and requires an EZ-Link card (buy at the airport MRT station, SGD 12 including credit). Skip the overpriced airport taxis unless you have very heavy luggage.
Transport: Singapore’s MRT is excellent. Buy an EZ-Link card on arrival and use it for everything — MRT, buses, even some taxis. A typical cross-city MRT ride costs SGD 1.50-2.50. Grab (ride-hailing) is useful for trips without convenient MRT access.
Budget: Singapore is not a budget destination by Southeast Asian standards. A realistic daily budget: SGD 80-120 for backpackers (hostel dormitory, hawker meals, free attractions), SGD 200-350 for mid-range travelers (3-star hotel, mix of hawker and restaurant meals, major paid attractions), SGD 500+ for the luxury experience.
EZ-Link card: Get one immediately at the airport MRT. It works on all public transport and simplifies everything.
Day 1: Marina Bay and the City Waterfront
Morning: Arrive at your hotel. If checking in early, drop bags and start exploring. The Marina Bay waterfront is a non-stop sequence of extraordinary architecture — the Helix Bridge, the ArtScience Museum, the Marina Bay Financial Centre towers, and the Esplanade Theatres.
10:00am — Gardens by the Bay: Start at Cloud Forest and Flower Dome before midday when temperatures peak. Buy combo tickets online (SGD 28 per adult). Spend 2-3 hours in the cool conservatories — Cloud Forest’s 35-metre waterfall and Flower Dome’s rotating seasonal display are both outstanding.
1:00pm — Lunch at Satay by the Bay: The hawker centre within Gardens by the Bay. The satay stalls are excellent and the waterfront setting is hard to beat. Budget SGD 12-20 per person.
3:00pm — Marina Bay Sands SkyPark: Take the lift to the 57th floor observation deck for Singapore’s most iconic cityscape view. Book online (SGD 32). Better in late afternoon when the light is warm.
8:00pm — Spectra Light Show (free): The nightly water-and-light show on the MBS Event Plaza waterfront is one of the world’s best free urban experiences. Be early for a spot on the promenade.
Dinner: Lau Pa Sat Victorian hawker centre on Robinson Road — chilli crab, chicken rice, and the famous Boon Tat Street outdoor satay from 7pm onward. Budget SGD 20-30 per person.
Day 1 estimated cost: SGD 80-140 per person (including hotel not counted).
Day 2: Sentosa Island
Full day on Sentosa. Arrive by 9:30am via Sentosa Express from VivoCity MRT.
Universal Studios Singapore (9:30am-5:00pm): Hit Battlestar Galactica coasters and Transformers The Ride first thing before the queues build. The seven zones cover enough ground to easily fill a full day. SGD 83 per adult — book online.
Beach time (5:00-7:00pm): Palawan Beach after Universal Studios closes for the day. Cross the suspension bridge to the southernmost point, take the photos, cool off.
Wings of Time show (8:40pm): Nightly beach show on Siloso Beach. 20 minutes of fireworks and lasers. SGD 23 per person — book online.
Day 2 estimated cost: SGD 120-160 per person.
Day 3: Chinatown and Little India
Singapore’s two most atmospheric heritage neighbourhoods in one day.
9:00am — Chinatown: Start at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple on South Bridge Road (free). The fourth-floor relic chamber and rooftop garden make it worth 45 minutes.
11:00am — Maxwell Food Centre: Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, Stall 10. Go before 11:30am to avoid the worst queue. SGD 5-8 per plate.
1:30pm — Little India MRT: Two-stop MRT ride from Chinatown to Little India (NE4→NE7).
2:00pm — Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple: Free. The gopuram (tower) covered in painted deities is extraordinary. Remove shoes before entering.
3:00pm — Tekka Centre: The wet market and hawker centre is a sensory experience unlike anything else in Singapore. The ground floor produce market is outstanding for photography and spice shopping.
4:30pm — Serangoon Road shophouses: Browse the sari shops, goldsmith stalls, and Indian sweet shops.
7:00pm — Banana leaf curry dinner: Race Course Road restaurants (Banana Leaf Apolo, Komala Vilas). SGD 15-25 per person. Mix the rice and curry with your right hand — it’s the right way.
Day 3 estimated cost: SGD 50-90 per person (one of the cheaper days — mostly hawker food and free temples).
Day 4: Gardens by the Bay Evening + Kampong Glam
Morning: Sleep in. This is a strategic recharge day.
2:00pm — Orchard Road: Browse the malls. ION Orchard level 56 observation deck is free with registration — views comparable to SkyPark Marina Bay but less crowded.
4:30pm — Singapore Botanic Gardens: The UNESCO World Heritage gardens are free. The National Orchid Garden inside costs SGD 15 but is worth it for the 1,000+ orchid species.
7:45pm — OCBC Garden Rhapsody (free): Back to Gardens by the Bay for the nightly Supertree light show. This is the best free thing in Singapore. Stand on the lawn below the Supertrees and look up.
Dinner — Kampong Glam: Grab to Arab Quarter. Dinner on Bussorah Street with Sultan Mosque lit up behind you — this is the most atmospheric dining setting in Singapore. Murtabak at Zam Zam (est. 1908) is the local order.
Day 4 estimated cost: SGD 60-120 per person.
Day 5: Changi Village and Pulau Ubin
This day is Singapore at its most un-touristy — and most memorable.
9:00am — Changi Village Hawker Centre: Nasi lemak breakfast. Budget SGD 5-7. Take bus 2 or 29 from Tanah Merah MRT to Changi Village.
10:30am — Bumboat to Pulau Ubin (SGD 3): Rent a bicycle at the jetty (SGD 5-12). Spend the day exploring Singapore’s last kampung island. The bike ride to Chek Jawa Wetlands takes about 30 minutes.
1:00pm — Chek Jawa Wetlands: Walk the boardwalk through mangroves and over the seagrass lagoon. At low tide, sea stars and horseshoe crabs are visible. Genuinely wild, genuinely quiet.
4:30pm — Bumboat back to Changi: Return to the mainland and Grab to East Coast Park.
6:00pm — East Coast Park cycling: Sunset cycle along the waterfront path. Bicycle hire from SGD 5/hr.
7:30pm — Chilli crab farewell dinner: East Coast Seafood Centre. Long Beach Seafood or No Signboard Seafood. One whole crab per two people plus mantou buns. Budget SGD 80-120 per person. This is the meal to remember.
Day 5 estimated cost: SGD 100-150 per person.
Budget Summary
| Day | Budget Traveller | Mid-Range |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1: Marina Bay | SGD 80 | SGD 140 |
| Day 2: Sentosa | SGD 120 | SGD 160 |
| Day 3: Chinatown + Little India | SGD 50 | SGD 90 |
| Day 4: Gardens + Kampong Glam | SGD 60 | SGD 120 |
| Day 5: Changi + East Coast | SGD 100 | SGD 150 |
| Total (5 days, activities + food) | SGD 410 | SGD 660 |
Hotel costs not included above. Budget hostel dormitories start at SGD 25-35/night. Mid-range hotels run SGD 120-250/night. Marina Bay Sands starts at SGD 450/night.
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