Last update: Oct 19, 2026
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Singapore Summary
These place ratings give you a quick overview of how well a destination matches different types of trips.
"Best for" scores:
The specific interest scores show where this place really shines – whether it's ideal for hiking, food & drink experiences, museums or other activities. These highlights help you understand what makes the destination special at a glance.
"Your personal" scores:
This reflects how well a place matches your personal preferences. You can adjust the importances of travel topics or other personal requirements categories in your account settings.
"Suited for" badges:
These give you a quick overview of how well a destination suits specific types of travelers, to help you find the places that match your lifestyle, preferences or travel situation.
Suited for
Singapore – Quick facts
| Power Grid: |
230 V, 50 Hz Plug: Type G
Type G:
 Read about power adapters |
|---|---|
| Currency: |
Singapore Dollar (SGD) $1 ≈ SGD 1.28 |
| Cashless info: |
Rating 5/5
Cashless payments are widely accepted in Singapore, and many establishments prefer cashless transactions.
Save with a travel credit card |
| eSIM providers: |
Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison |
| Tipping: | Tipping is not common in Singapore, as service charges are usually included in the bill. However, small tips for excellent service are appreciated. |
|---|---|
| Public drinking: | Public drinking is allowed in designated areas, though it is prohibited in certain public spaces after 10:30 PM. |
| Public smoking: | Smoking is prohibited in indoor public spaces and many outdoor areas, but designated smoking zones are available. |
| National Day (August 9) |
Celebrates Singapore's independence |
|---|---|
| Christmas (December 25) |
A festive season of celebrations |
| Emergency contact: | Emergency Numbers: 999 (Police), 995 (Fire, Ambulance) |
|---|---|
| Taxi apps: | Grab, Gojek |
| Other: | Singapore is known for its cleanliness, modernity, and diverse cultural scene. It offers a mix of natural beauty and urban attractions. |
Best times to travel
The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.
Background colors of the months:
The color shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the color is shows the travel season: full color means high season, soft color means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.
Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.
Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.
Additional notes:
The gray info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.
for Singapore, Singapore
Hot and humid year-round; wettest November to January, driest February to early March
Haze from regional forest fires possible August to October, can disrupt outdoor plans
Singapore Grand Prix late September to early October: hotels booked out, roads closed around Marina Bay
Don't miss
- 🌆 Admire the futuristic skyline from Marina Bay Sands SkyPark
- 🌳 Visit Gardens by the Bay and its iconic Supertree Grove
- 🏮 Wander through Chinatown’s temples and traditional shophouses
- 🍜 Explore the diverse food stalls of Maxwell Hawker Centre
- 🐅 Take a night safari at Singapore Zoo to spot nocturnal wildlife
- 🎡 Ride the Singapore Flyer for sweeping harbor views
You've been here?
Log in to manage your own bucket list! Why travel to Singapore?
Hawker centers across the island serve Hainanese chicken rice, laksa, char kway teow and satay from individual stalls at low prices. The Chinese, Malay and Indian cooking behind them is still easy to spot on the menus. UNESCO added Singapore's hawker culture to its intangible heritage list in 2020. Gardens by the Bay has tree-shaped towers that light up in the evening and two glass conservatories next to them with a cloud forest and a flower dome. The Singapore Botanic Gardens became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015 and the grounds are free to enter apart from the National Orchid Garden. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve has rainforest trails inside the city limits and Pulau Ubin, a small island off the northeast coast, has bike paths past old village houses. In the older districts Chinatown has Chinese temples and shophouses, Little India has the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple and Kampong Glam has the Sultan Mosque. Three to five days covers the main areas. Singapore also works as a stopover on the way to Malaysia, Indonesia or Australia because Changi Airport has so many connections. Johor Bahru, Batam and Bintan are close enough for a short side trip. If you like building a trip around eating and walking through neighborhoods, it suits you well. If you want wild scenery, combine it with somewhere else in Southeast Asia.
🏯Places worth seeing
🎡Places for activities
🏞️Natural landmarks
🛍️Shopping
🎈Events
-
Singapore Grand Prix (Formula 1 Night Race)
-
Chinese New Year Celebrations
-
Deepavali Festival of Lights
-
Hari Raya Puasa
-
National Day Parade
-
Singapore Food Festival
-
Thaipusam
-
Lantern Festival at Gardens by the Bay
-
Christmas Wonderland at Marina Bay
-
ZoukOut Music Festival
Knowledge before you go
- Submit the free SG Arrival Card online before you land.
- In hawker centers a tissue packet on a table means someone has claimed the seat.
- Bringing e-cigarettes or vapes into Singapore is illegal and can lead to fines, so leave them at home.
- Afternoon storms are common. Covered walkways and underground links join many MRT stations to malls, so you can stay dry.
How to travel to Singapore
Most visitors arrive by air at Changi Airport (SIN), about 10.5 mi northeast of downtown, which has direct flights from many cities across Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. The MRT station is in the basement of Terminals 2 and 3. Trains run to Tanah Merah, where you change to the East West Line toward the city. The ride to central stations like City Hall takes about 35 to 45 minutes. Trains start early in the morning and the last one leaves around 11:00 PM. A taxi or ride-hailing car takes about 30 minutes plus an airport surcharge. By land, buses and cars cross from Johor Bahru in Malaysia over the Causeway to Woodlands or the Second Link to Tuas. Queues at the checkpoints can be long on weekends and holidays. Kuala Lumpur is roughly 4 to 5 hours away by road without border delays. Ferries from HarbourFront and Tanah Merah run to Batam and Bintan in Indonesia and take about 45 minutes to an hour. Cruise ships dock at Marina Bay or HarbourFront.
Access summary
- Fly into Changi Airport (SIN) from global hubs; MRT, taxis into city.
- From Malaysia: buses, trains and cars via Johor-Singapore Causeway or Second Link.
- Singapore Airlines hub at Changi; Star Alliance member with extensive worldwide network.
Check your route from anywhere
Where to stay in Singapore
Singapore has everything from hostels and capsule hotels to large luxury hotels and resort-style stays. Most areas are well connected by MRT, so the choice mostly depends on the kind of trip. Marina Bay and the Downtown area have the big hotels close to Gardens by the Bay. Orchard Road is central and good for shopping. Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar have boutique hotels in restored shophouses within walking distance of hawker centers. Little India, Bugis and Kampong Glam are lively at night and have many of the cheaper guesthouses and hostels. Sentosa has resort hotels with beaches and theme parks nearby. Staying near Changi Airport makes sense for very early or late flights since the terminals link to Jewel and the MRT. Rooms tend to be small and prices high by Southeast Asian standards. They rise further during big events such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend and around the year end, so book early for those dates.
Hotel recommendations
*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.
How to get around Singapore
Public transport is the main way to get around Singapore. The MRT and LRT trains cover most of the island and buses fill the gaps. Central areas such as Orchard Road and Marina Bay are good for walking, though the heat and humidity make long stretches tiring.
Trains and buses:
You can tap a contactless bank card or a phone wallet at the gates and on buses instead of buying a ticket or a stored-value card. Trains run from early morning until around midnight.
Taxis and ride-hailing:
Taxis and ride-hailing apps such as Grab are widely used. Taxis add surcharges at peak times and at night. Trips from the airport cost extra.
Islands:
Sentosa can be reached by monorail from the VivoCity mall or on foot over a boardwalk. Pulau Ubin is a short bumboat ride from Changi Point.
Car:
A rental car isn't worth it for most visits because the trains are fast and parking and road charges in the center add up.
Food in Singapore
Hawker centers are where most eating happens, open-air halls with dozens of stalls that each cook a few dishes. Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan traditions all show up on the menus.
Dishes worth looking for include Hainanese chicken rice, laksa (a spicy coconut noodle soup), char kway teow (stir-fried flat noodles) and roti prata (a flaky flatbread served with curry). Kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs is a common breakfast. Chili crab is a well-known seafood dish and is usually eaten at sit-down seafood restaurants where it costs more.
You can also eat well at food courts inside malls, at neighborhood coffee shops called kopitiams and at supermarkets and convenience stores. Halal and vegetarian options are easy to find since many stalls are Muslim-owned or serve Buddhist and Indian vegetarian food.
Budget snapshot
Costs compared to home
We calculate the average costs when traveling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.
To customize this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.
Daily expenses in Singapore are around 10% lower than the average across United States. That means you'll spend less on meals and getting around.
Exchange rate trend
The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.
Your exchange rate (USD to SGD) is 5% worse than in recent years. That means traveling now costs around the same compared to the past.
Travel costs
To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when traveling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.
Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.
Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.
To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when traveling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.
Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.
Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.
Daily cost summary
Travel style categories explained:
Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.
Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.
Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.
Travel style categories explained:
Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.
Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.
Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.
| Backpacker | Mid-range | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation | |||
| 🏨 Accommodation per night, per person | |||
| 🍝 Food per day | |||
| 🚕 Transportation per day |
Food & Drink
| 🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person | |
|---|---|
| 🍛 Lunch Set, per person | |
| 🍟 Fast food combo | |
| 🍝 Preparing your own food, per day | |
| ☕ Cappuccino | |
| 🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l / 16 oz |
Transportation
| 🚌 Public transport ticket | |
|---|---|
| 🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi | |
| ⛽ Gas, 1 l / ¼ gal |
Other
| 🎞️ Movie ticket | |
|---|---|
| 👩⚕️ Doctor's consult | |
| 🤧 Cold medication | |
| 💇 Basic haircut |
Safety information overview
General safety
Singapore has low violent crime and is very safe for travelers, including at night. Petty theft is rare but possible in crowds. Scams, mostly online or by phone, are the more common problem. Penalties for drugs, vaping and vandalism are strict and apply to visitors.
Health & Medical
Healthcare is excellent, with modern public and private hospitals and plenty of clinics and pharmacies. Visitors usually pay unsubsidized rates, so travel insurance is worth having. Dengue is present year-round, so repellent helps. Haze from regional fires sometimes affects air quality in the dry months.
Accessibility
Singapore is one of the easier Asian cities for wheelchair users and older travelers, with lifts at MRT stations, wheelchair-accessible buses and curb ramps at most crossings. Heat and humidity tire people quickly and older shophouse streets can have uneven covered walkways.
Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink straight from the faucet with no filtering or boiling needed. It's within WHO guidelines and comes from four sources, including NEWater, a highly purified recycled supply. Bottled water is sold everywhere and many parks have refill points.
Packing recommendations for Singapore
Log in to add this place to a travel list and get a summary of all recommended items for your whole trip.
📷
Camera
👟
Comfortable walking shoes
🌞
Sunscreen
👕
Light, breathable clothing
🧥
Rain jacket
🕶️
Sunglasses
☂️
Folding umbrella
🔋
Power bank
🩹
Basic first aid kit
📃
Travel insurance
🪪
Copies of passport and important documents
📱
Travel eSIM
🔌
Universal power adapter
type G plug
🩺
Prescription medication
💳
Credit card with no foreign transaction fees
🛂
Passport
Related articles & guides for Singapore
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