Singapore

CurrencySingapore Dollar (SGD)

LanguageEnglish, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil

Best SeasonYear-round

Daily Budget$70 – $500

VisaUS passport holders: visa-free for up to 90 days.

About Singapore

Singapore punches absurdly above its weight. A city-state smaller than New York City contains one of the world's great food cultures, architectural marvels both futuristic and colonial, rainforest reserves within earshot of highway traffic, and a cultural blend of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Peranakan traditions that manifests most deliciously in its hawker centers.

Those hawker centers are the heart of Singapore. At Maxwell Food Centre, Tian Tian's Hainanese chicken rice draws hour-long queues for silky poached chicken over fragrant jasmine rice. At Old Airport Road, a hundred stalls serve char kway teow, laksa, roti prata, and carrot cake (the savory radish kind). Two hawker stalls hold Michelin stars — the most affordable starred meals on the planet. Singapore takes food so seriously that hawker culture is UNESCO-listed.

The city's green credentials are genuine. The Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay lights up nightly in a vertical-garden sound-and-light show. The Botanic Gardens — another UNESCO site — are a lush Victorian-era creation with the world's largest orchid collection. MacRitchie Reservoir's treetop walk offers canopy-level views of primary rainforest. Singapore proves that density and nature can coexist.

Top 10 Experiences

Gardens by the Bay

City

The Supertree Grove, Cloud Forest dome, and Flower Dome create a futuristic botanical wonderland on reclaimed land beside Marina Bay Sands.

~$25

Hawker Center Food Tour

Food Wine

Eat your way through Maxwell, Old Airport Road, or Lau Pa Sat: chicken rice, laksa, satay, char kway teow, and ice kachang for under $3 per dish.

~$15

Marina Bay Sands SkyPark

City

The observation deck atop the iconic triple-tower hotel offers panoramic views of the city skyline, the Straits, and the Gardens below.

~$26

Chinatown Heritage Walk

Culture

Explore the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple, shophouses selling traditional Chinese medicine, and Chinatown Food Street.

Free

Singapore Botanic Gardens

City

A UNESCO World Heritage Site: 82 hectares of tropical greenery, the National Orchid Garden (1,000+ species), and Swan Lake at dawn.

~$5

Little India Walking Tour

Culture

Tekka Centre's wet market, flower garland sellers on Buffalo Road, the ornate Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, and the best biryani in Southeast Asia.

Free

Sentosa Island

Family

Resort island with Universal Studios, S.E.A. Aquarium, beaches, zip lines, and the new Resorts World Sentosa waterfront.

~$60

Night Safari

Family

The world's first nocturnal zoo: tram through habitats of 900 animals from 100 species, active and visible under moonlight.

~$45

Kampong Glam & Haji Lane

Culture

The Malay-Arab quarter: the golden-domed Sultan Mosque, indie boutiques on Haji Lane, and perfume shops selling traditional oud.

Free

MacRitchie TreeTop Walk

Adventure

A 250-meter suspension bridge through the canopy of central catchment rainforest, reached via a 7-kilometer hiking trail.

Free

Dining Highlights

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

Singaporean hawker · $

Maxwell Food Centre's most famous stall: silky poached chicken, fragrant rice cooked in chicken fat, and chili-ginger condiments. Under $4.

Burnt Ends

Modern barbecue · $$$$

Chef Dave Pynt's counter-dining concept built around custom wood-fired grills. The pulled-pork bun and bone marrow are legendary. Asia's 50 Best.

Jumbo Seafood

Singaporean seafood · $$$

The definitive chili crab experience: Sri Lankan crabs in a sweet-spicy tomato sauce, mopped up with fried mantou buns, at Clarke Quay.

Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken

Hawker · $

The world's cheapest Michelin-starred meal: glazed soy-sauce chicken and char siu over rice at Chinatown Complex for $2.50.

The Coconut Club

Malay · $$

Nasi lemak elevated to an art form: freshly pressed coconut milk rice, sambal from scratch, fried chicken, and ikan bilis in a stylish Ann Siang Hill setting.

Neighborhoods

Chinatown

Shophouse-lined streets, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, traditional medicine halls, and some of the city's best hawker centers and cocktail bars.

Tiong Bahru

Singapore's first public housing estate, now a cafe-culture hotspot: art deco flats, independent bookshops, and the legendary Tiong Bahru Market.

Little India

A sensory explosion of color: flower garlands, spice shops, Hindi temple gopurams, Tekka Centre's food stalls, and Mustafa Centre's 24-hour emporium.

Kampong Glam

The Malay-Arab heritage quarter: Sultan Mosque, Haji Lane's street art and boutiques, Middle Eastern restaurants, and perfumeries.

Weather

MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

High30°31°32°32°32°31°31°31°31°32°31°30°

Low24°24°24°25°25°25°25°24°24°24°24°24°

Rain234mm160mm185mm179mm172mm162mm159mm176mm170mm194mm255mm269mm

Travel Advisories

Visa Information

US passport holders: visa-free for up to 90 days.

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