Choosing where to spend your time
Most first visits to Singapore last three to five days, and the island is small enough that you can sleep in one place and explore everywhere. The real choice is how to group your days so you are not criss crossing the city in the midday heat.
The five areas we cover
Marina Bay is the postcard: Gardens by the Bay, the Supertrees, the Merlion, the great museums of the Civic District and the free evening light shows. It is where most people spend their first evening.
Chinatown is the city's most rewarding food district, with Maxwell and Chinatown Complex hawker centres, temples of three faiths on a single road and the art deco estate of Tiong Bahru a short walk away.
Kampong Glam and Little India are side by side heritage quarters: the golden domed Sultan Mosque, Haji Lane's murals, banana leaf curries, flower garland stalls and the all night Mustafa Centre.
Sentosa is the island resort just off the south coast, with Universal Studios, the aquarium, beaches and family attractions.
The East Coast and Pulau Ubin shows the relaxed side of Singapore: seaside cycling, Peranakan shophouses in Katong and Joo Chiat, seafood dinners and a bumboat to a village island of mangroves and old wooden houses.
How to combine them
A classic four day plan gives one day each to Marina Bay, Chinatown with Tiong Bahru, and Kampong Glam with Little India, then a fourth day for Sentosa or the east. Add a fifth day for the zoo, the Botanic Gardens or the rainforest reserves. Use the free trip planner to shape it around your interests, or browse our places to visit list for food and sights in each area.