Singapore Luxury Experience
Singapore rewards a slower look: the Supertrees lit up at night, hawker stalls with Michelin recognition, Peranakan shophouses, a rainforest waterfall inside the airport, and Sentosa's beaches for the children.
- Best time to go
- Year-round, 25 to 32°C. February to April is driest; November to January brings heavier afternoon rain. June and July have the Great Singapore Sale.
- Flying from India
- 4 to 5½ hours non-stop from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and several other cities.
- Visa for Indian passports
- Visa required for Indian passports, applied through an authorised agent (we handle it), plus the free SG Arrival Card within three days of landing.
- Currency
- Singapore dollar (SGD). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere, including most hawker stalls.
Singapore at a glance
Singapore is small enough to cross in 30 minutes, so where you stay shapes the trip. Marina Bay puts the skyline, the Gardens and the evening light shows at your door. Orchard Road is for shoppers. Sentosa, linked by a short monorail, is for beaches and theme parks with children.
The city's character is in its neighbourhoods and its food. Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam are walkable and very different from each other, and hawker centres such as Lau Pa Sat, Maxwell and Old Airport Road serve dishes for a few dollars that locals queue for. Changi Airport is worth arriving early for: Jewel's 40-metre indoor waterfall is the tallest in the world.
Must-see
- Gardens by the Bay and the Supertree Grove
- Jewel Changi's Rain Vortex
- Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam
- Sentosa and Universal Studios
- Singapore Zoo and Night Safari
Food to try
- Hainanese chicken rice
- Chilli crab and black pepper crab
- Laksa
- Char kway teow
- Kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs
Where to shop
- Orchard Road (ION Orchard, Paragon)
- The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
- Haji Lane and Arab Street
- Mustafa Centre, Little India
- Chinatown Street Market
Where to Stay
Areas and styles of stay we book most often. We shortlist specific hotels once we know your dates and budget.
Marina Bay
Skyline hotels on the bay
Hotels around the bay with views of the Gardens and the Spectra light show over the water. Rooftop pools, the Merlion and the Esplanade are a short walk away.
Orchard Road
Shopping-street hotels
For travellers who want the malls on their doorstep: 2 km of department stores and luxury boutiques, with the Botanic Gardens a ten-minute ride away.
Sentosa
Island resorts
Resorts among the trees on Sentosa, close to Palawan and Siloso beaches, Universal Studios and the S.E.A. Aquarium. Quieter evenings, 15 minutes from the city.
Signature Experiences
Moments we build Singapore journeys around
Garden Rhapsody at the Supertree Grove
The 15-minute light and music show runs at 7.45 and 8.45 pm nightly. Watch from the lawn beneath the Supertrees, or book the OCBC Skyway walkway 22 m up.
Hawker centre food trail
An evening with a food guide through Lau Pa Sat's satay street, Maxwell's chicken rice and a laksa stall, tasting six or seven dishes and learning how to order like a local.
Jewel and the Changi Skytrain
Arrive three hours before your flight: walk the Canopy Park, watch the Rain Vortex light show after dark, and ride the free Skytrain between terminals.
Universal Studios on Sentosa
Seven themed zones and rides for all ages. We book Express passes in the school holidays so you skip the longest queues.
Singapore Zoo and Night Safari
Open-concept enclosures by day, then a tram ride through the world's first nocturnal zoo, opened in 1994. Combine both with dinner in between.
Little India and Kampong Glam
Morning at Tekka Centre's market and the Sri Veeramakaliamman temple, then Arab Street's textile shops, Haji Lane and lunch near Sultan Mosque.
Planning Your Journey
Timing, routing and what our specialists tell every Singapore traveller
When to visit
February to April
Least rain and comfortable evenings. Chinese New Year (late January or February) brings lights in Chinatown but some stalls close.
June to August
Indian school holidays and the Great Singapore Sale; book hotels and Universal Studios passes early.
November to January
Wetter, with Christmas lights on Orchard Road and Deepavali in Little India in October or November.
Getting there and around
Arrival
Changi Airport is 20 to 25 minutes from Marina Bay by car. Immigration is automated for most visitors once you have filed the SG Arrival Card.
Getting around
MRT trains, taxis and ride-hailing apps are cheap and quick. Sentosa is reached by monorail, cable car or a short drive.
Insider notes
Use the MRT and your card
Tap any contactless card or phone at the gate; there is no need to buy a travel card. Most sights are within ten minutes of a station.
Book Gardens tickets for the domes, not the grove
The Supertree Grove and the evening show are free. You pay only for the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and the Skyway.
Hawker etiquette
A packet of tissues on a table means it is reserved. Order at the stall, note your table number, and return trays to the stations.
Fines are real
Eating on the MRT, jaywalking and littering carry fines. Chewing gum cannot be sold or brought in for sale.
Singapore: Common Questions
Four nights covers the Gardens, a heritage walk, a hawker trail, Sentosa and the zoo or Night Safari. Add a night if you want two full days at Universal Studios and the beaches.
Plan your Singapore journey
Speak to a specialist.
Share a few details and one of our Singapore specialists will get in touch, usually within a working day.
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Ready to plan Singapore?
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We reply with a costed, day-by-day plan you can change as much as you like.