Stories · Singapore
5 days in Singapore
Not a list: a thread to follow, at your own pace.
You don’t visit Singapore; it takes you in. Here is how I’d spend 5 days there without rushing, leaving room for the things you can’t plan.
Day 1 · Fresh air
To start, head to Marina Bay Sands Singapore. This is the breath of the trip. Even one hour changes the day. Everyone goes; everyone is right. 4.7 out of 5 across 65,000 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: how to get there · travellers’ reviews.
Then, I make my way to Universal Studios Singapore. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Unmissable, and for good reason. Travellers give it 4.6 out of 5 (112,000 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise go through Tiqets.
Lunch without a plan: the first noisy room you pass is often the right one.
After lunch, meet me at Jewel Changi Airport. My advice: a pause on a terrace at the hour when locals leave work. You understand everything. Unmissable, and for good reason. 4.8 out of 5 across 100,000 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Getting there: the public-transport route. To get a feel for it: what visitors say.
Keep the evening free. Singapore is a city that tells itself better at night.
Day 2 · Fresh air
In the morning, it’s Gardens by the Bay. Go late in the afternoon: the heat drops, the light softens and the photos take themselves. Everyone goes; everyone is right. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5 (159,340 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or compare on Tiqets.
Late morning, head to Supertree Grove. Bring water, shoes that hold, and no watch. Unmissable, and for good reason. 4.7 out of 5 across 54,988 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or also check Tiqets.
For lunch, trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
Later, meet me at Supertree Observatory. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. 4.5 out of 5 across 944 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise go through Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Singapore does the rest.
Day 3 · Day trip
Early in the morning, meet me at Butterfly Garden. This is the breath of the trip. Even one hour changes the day. Travellers give it 4.6 out of 5 (13,842 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or also check Tiqets.
Day 4 · The icons
In the morning, I make my way to Singapore Flyer. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. Unmissable, and for good reason. 4.6 out of 5 across 24,472 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
Around noon, meet me at The Helix Bridge. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. 4.7 out of 5 across 5,399 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
For lunch, Marina Bay Sands is full of options: trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
In the afternoon, meet me at SkyPark Observation Deck. Go late in the afternoon: the heat drops, the light softens and the photos take themselves. Unmissable, and for good reason. 4.6 out of 5 across 13,995 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Keep the evening free. Singapore is a city that tells itself better at night.
Day 5 · The icons
In the morning, I make my way to Merlion Park. This is the breath of the trip. Even one hour changes the day. Everyone goes; everyone is right. 4.6 out of 5 across 77,058 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or compare on Tiqets.
Late morning, I make my way to Jubilee Bridge. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5 (478 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise also check Tiqets.
For lunch, trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
Later, it’s Raffles' Landing Site. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or compare on Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Singapore does the rest.
If you’re still hungry
Other places I wish I could have fitted in: Singapore Zoo, Cloud Forest, Flower Dome, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Southern Ridges and Singapore Discovery Centre. Slip them in wherever a day feels light.
My advice
Walk. Then take public transport: that is where you see the city live.
Book the busiest places the day before: queues have ruined more than one morning.
Keep a little local cash: the best addresses are often the least equipped.
And if you go, tell me what you loved. Singapore changes, and so do I.
A Triovol story · written by someone who would go back tomorrow
Opening hours, prices and closures change: a quick look at the venue’s website before you go avoids bad surprises.