Status: Updated 2019-08-23
I have been to Singapore now quite often and I have never spent a long time there. That enables me to provide you with a perfect program for 24 hours. I always have to organize, plan and juggle my agenda around meetings to add some cool new places every time I go. Even more important though is that I am still constantly going to Singapore which means that this mini-guide is under continous revision. All information is up-to-date.
The good thing about the program is that it not only features the places you find in all travel guides but also some small hints on places in between the "must-sees". Don't get me wrong, this list is not intended to compete with any travel guide (since it does not contain detailed background information on the sites) it's more to be considered as a guideline on how to plan your stay.
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| Certainly THE highlight in Singapore, Marina Bay Sands - © Christian Grzona |
Singapore is a very safe, clean and convenient city for tourists. Basically the whole program can be explored walking with short metro rides (SMRT) in between. Let's assume you arrived on a late afternoon flight or evening flight and you start your program early the next morning. Of course the different milestones of the program can be combined according to your individual preferences but the goal was to create an agenda that contains also restaurants and places that are dependent on the time of the day. If you would like to have a proper print-out version of the program with less pictures, just drop me an email.
OK. Let's start. Are you excited? Good :)
Depending on your hotel location you need to arrange transport to the starting point on your own. When you are staying in Fullerton Hotel or the Marina Bay Sands hotel you are lucky because you do not have a tight budget ;) and because the tour starts in between them.
Merlion Park / Marina Bay Sands:
#merlionpark #merlion #marinabaysands #casino #shopping
If you are not in walking distance; take the East West Line (EW14) or the North South Line (NS26) to "Raffles Place". Attention: You can top-up your SMRT ticket 5 times and do not need to buy a new one every time. Bring change (2 SGD and 5 SGD banknotes) for the vending machine. In some places there might be some nasty queues in front of the machine.
Come early to avoid the masses :). I recommend starting your program not later than 09:00 AM. The place around the Merlion offers the first stunning view on the Marina Bay Sands hotel and the Marina Bay itself. The Merlion is the personified symbol of national personification (half lion/half fish). You can't miss the statue spit water into the Marina Bay.
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| "Merlion" spitting water - © Christian Grzona |
After you took a couple of selfies walk straight South along the Marina Bay and pass by the high-end restaurants and the Fullerton Bay Hotel (the little brother to the famous Fullerton Hotel) and make your way along the marina to the other side and the "Marina Bay" shopping mall and Casino complex. If you love to gamble, make sure to bring your passport for entry admission. There is no real alternative to walking from the Merlion Park to the Marina Bay Shopping Centre.
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| Under the giant "Water Tornado" - © Christian Grzona |
If you are into shopping the Marina Bay shopping mall might be a place that you like. For me it is more about the architecture and the fact that this building (including the hotel) is still one of the most expensive buildings ever built. Make sure to walk down to the actual Marina Bay platform to contemplate the surrounding. On your right you will find the impressive "ArtScience Musuem" (shaped like a blossom) and in the background the pedestrian "Helix Bridge" but you will most likely not have the time to look at them in detail. Ready for a coffee? Take the escalators down to the lowest level and get a coffee + cup cake from High Society. Alternatively you find some other snacks around in the Food Court. Stall the thought of going to the casino since if you follow this agenda you end up here later today again.
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| Salted Caramel cup cake, my favorite (High Society) - © Christian Grzona |
After the refreshment go back to the central hall where the gondoliers are and the Water Tornado comes down into the central pool. Take the escalator up and follow the "Gardens by the Bay" signs. Now your need to go up to the roof top level of the shopping mall since there is a pedestrian bridge going through the Marina Bay Sands hotel to the other side. If you are interested in architecture a walk on the rooftop of the shopping mall is worth spending a couple of minutes and it gives you quite a good view over the Marina Bay (for free).
Little Detour:
As an alternative you can take the lift down from the pedestrian bridge and enter the Marina Bay Sands hotel. If you are not in the lucky position to actually stay in the hotel you cann't access the world famous infinity pool area on top of the hotel but you can enter an observation deck "Sands SkyPark Observation Deck" (~26 SGD) which I always skip (...guess I want to keep the dream alive).
Gardens by the Bay:
#gardensbythebay #cloudforest #flowerdome #supertrees
You need to consider the Gardens by the Bay as one giant artificial botanical garden supplemented with high tech constructions. Yes: It is impressive! Once you made your way over the pedestrian bridge going through the Marina Bay Sands hotel (do not come here on a different way; do not miss the first glance) take a landscape picture of the whole park. Follow the signs and make your way to the super trees. Depending on weather, budget and mood go up the "Skyway". When done proceed to the Cloud Forest Dome and the Flower Dome (there is a combo-ticket for all three attractions).
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| Gardens by the Bay - © Christian Grzona |
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| Artificial "Supertrees" at Gardens by the Bay - © Christian Grzona |
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| Inside the Cloud Forest Dome at Gardens by the Bay - © Christian Grzona |
Allow around 2hrs for the two biospheres. Check-out my photo blog for some inspiration when you are interested in photography. After you are through with Gardens by the Bay you need to walk back to Marina Bay Sands.
Now an important decision: Walk the ~1km to the next stop or take the SMRT (one stop). The reason why I almost always walk are the queues in front of the ticket machines at Marina Bay Sands. If you take the metro take Downtown Line (DT16) from "Bayfront" station to Downtown Line (DT17) "Downtown" station. Exit to Central Blvd and walk about 400m to find the next location on the left.
If you walk you might want to stop-by a new landmark in the Marina Bay area which is a architectural landmark. The new mixed development building is called "Marina One" and has a very unconventional design. The building is just behind a complex called "Marina Bay Link Mall". If you are in need of another coffee it is absolutely worthwhile taking a little detour to a bar called LeVeL33 with one of the best views over the Marina Bar area. It's located on (what you might have guessed) on level 33 of the MBFC Tower 1.
Now an important decision: Walk the ~1km to the next stop or take the SMRT (one stop). The reason why I almost always walk are the queues in front of the ticket machines at Marina Bay Sands. If you take the metro take Downtown Line (DT16) from "Bayfront" station to Downtown Line (DT17) "Downtown" station. Exit to Central Blvd and walk about 400m to find the next location on the left.
If you walk you might want to stop-by a new landmark in the Marina Bay area which is a architectural landmark. The new mixed development building is called "Marina One" and has a very unconventional design. The building is just behind a complex called "Marina Bay Link Mall". If you are in need of another coffee it is absolutely worthwhile taking a little detour to a bar called LeVeL33 with one of the best views over the Marina Bar area. It's located on (what you might have guessed) on level 33 of the MBFC Tower 1.
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| Marina One - © Christian Grzona |
Lau Pa Sat:
#laupasat #hawkercentre #food
Hawker centres are famous in Singapore and one of the most popular place for people of all classes and occupation to eat. Come here during lunch time (12:00-01:00 PM) and it might be difficult to find a place. Watch out. A package of tissues or a cell phone lying on the table means "reserved" :). Nevertheless Lau Pa Sat is awesome and you will find all sorts of Asian food. As vegetarian I prefer the Indian restaurants scattered around the place.
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| Lau Pa Sat - © Christian Grzona |
Go to Downtown Line (DT18) "Telok Ayer" station and take the SMRT to Downtown Line (DT19) "Chinatown Station". Remain in the station and change to North East Line (NE4). Exit at North East Line (NE6) "Dhoby Gaut" station.
Orchard Road:
#orchard #shopping
The exit of the "Dhoby Gaut" station is right under the Plaza Singapura shopping mall. This landmark mall is also the beginning of Orchard Rd For those of you who love to shop this might be the place you were dreaming of. 2.2km from Plaza Singapura to Tangling Shopping Centre on the other end of the road are packed with shopping malls of all sizes, shapes and theme. Even if you are not into shopping I recommend walking down all the way to the end.
Singapore Botanic Gardens:
#singaporebotanicgardens #flowers #tranquility
I am a big fan of botanical gardens and urban gardens. Whenever I visit a large city I build in the major park as one of the primary targets. I am always very curious on how big cities manage to balance their "concrete/green ratio". Especially in South East Asia you find countless cities that seem to have forgotten this during their massive expansion over the past few decades. Singapore however seems to have made this part of their rationale. The city itself is extremely green and Singapore Botanic Gardens are as the Gardens by the Bay the prime example (both admission free).
At this point of the program I hope that you still have the energy to walk since it is again about 2km to walk through the gardens to the other end.
Go to Downtown Line (DT19) "Botanic Gardens" station and take the SMRT to Downtown Line (DT14) "Bugis". Remain in the station and change to East West Line (EW). Exit at East West Line (EW13) "City Hall" station. Walk through the park of the "St. Andrew's Cathedral" to find the National Gallery on the other side.
National Gallery:
#nationalgallery #oldsupremecourt #oldcityhall #architecture #funanmall #shopping
I must confess I discovered this building by chance. From the outside (Supreme Court Ln) you might not even register the building when passing by. Nevertheless, the architecture of the National Gallery is remarkable. Just take the time to walk in and go all the way up to the rooftop terrace. No it's time to enjoy a sunset walk back to where we started the day and enjoy the light & water show. Right around the corner you find one of the most state-of-the-art shopping malls in the world called Funan DigitaLife Mall which is definetely worth a visit.
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| View from "National Gallery" - © Christian Grzona |
#lightshow #musicalfountain
8 PM every day. Check the official website for more information and for the actual timetable: SPECTRA (Light & Water Show).
Dinner Option 1: Arab St
#arabst #streetfood #mosque #halal
From the Merlion Park take East West Line (EW14) at "Raffles Place" to East West Line (EW12) to "Bugis" station.
Hungry? Sure you are. Singapore is probably the most diverse city on the planet. What many metropoles want to achieve is a perfect harmony of different world religions and cultural ethnicities; Singapore has it. That results in the fact that you could attend a hindu ceremony in the morning and go to a proper halal food restaurant around the corner afterwards. A bit artificial looking but still nice is the quarter around Arab St. In the area around Sultan Mosque you find a couple of straight forward streetfood options.
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| Sultan Mosque - © Christian Grzona |
Dinner Option 2: Little India
#littleindia
The name is program. Suddenly you find yourself in the heart of India and in the heart of plenty of options to eat pretty original Indian cuisine. Your camera will love the little fresh food stalls and colors in this neighborhood. My personal favorite so far is Khansama Tandoori (which claims to be "probably" the best Indian Restaurant in Singapore).
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| Fresh food stall in Little India - © Christian Grzona |
#barrouge #1altitude #clarkequay
If you still have energy it's time to grab a couple of drinks. Depending on what you prefer I have three recommendations. If you are looking for a cold beer in a bar street atmosphere just head down to Clarke Quay. Exit at North East Line (NE6) "Clarke Quay" station and walk over the pedestrian bridge.
If you are more the club type of person try out one of the following options:
Recently opened Bar Rouge at the top of the Swissôtel The Stamfor (enter through hotel lobby). Exit at East West Line (EW13) or the North South Line (NS25) at "City Hall". It's an upper class bar environment (Attention: There are semi-naked pole dancers on stage every hour). You get a good view but unfortunately there is no outside area.
If you want to try something completely different check out if there is a Singapore Pub Crawl on on the night you are there. I did it once and it was big fun.
As an alternative you could go to 1-Altitude. Exit at East West Line (EW14) or the North South Line (NS26) at "Raffles Place". The bar promotes itself with being the highest roof top bar in the world. The admission fee can go up to 60 SGD during Formula 1 but the view is worth the price.
Singapore Changi International Airport (SIN) + Jewel:
Recently one of Singapore's new masterpieces opened and it's just in the heart of the airport (which makes it even accesible if you are here only for a short stop-over than 24hrs). The new mall called Jewel connects Terminal 1, 2 and 3 and features a large indoor waterfall shaped like a tornado/vortex. It's directly connected to the arrival area of T1. T2 and T3 are about 10 minutes walk away. If you arrive or leave from T4 you need to take a bus.
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| The "Jewel" on an early morning - © Christian Grzona |
Notes and FAQ:
Q: Is Singapore safe and can I walk around during night time?
A: I have been to many places on the planet; Singapore is the safest place I've been to. I haven't experienced any situation that comes close to being unsafe.
Q: Shall I plan Sentosa Island as part of my 24 hour stopover agenda?
A: No. Sentosa Island could be an interesting addition to your agenda when you are staying more than 24 hours.
Hotels:
I am quite picky with regard to hotels and I still haven't found the perfect place to stay in Singapore. The following hotels though come pretty close to it (I stayed in all hotels listed so the info is first-hand):
Middle Class:
YOTEL Singapore (100€+ - very good location for shopping / very central for all activities). I stood here the last two times I was in Singapore.
Upper Class:
Swissôtel The Stamford (150€+ - very good location / proximity to Marina Bay and start of this program)
Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong and Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy (120€+ / proximity to the airport; basically half-way between CBD and airport)
Hotel Fort Canning (200€+ very good location / proximity to Orchard Rd and Clarke Quay)
AMOY Hotel Singapore (150€+ very good location / proximity to Telok Ayer MRT)
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