Singapore Tour Packages

Singapore may be the easiest country in Asia to travel in. It is spotlessly clean, extremely safe, everything runs on time, and almost everyone speaks English. The only real learning curve is the food — and the rules.

Getting around

• The MRT is superb: clean, fast, air-conditioned and cheap, and it reaches virtually everywhere you will want to go. Tap in with a contactless bank card or an EZ-Link card.
• Grab (ride-hailing) and metered taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced.
• Walk where you can, but plan for the heat — routes through malls and underground links are gloriously air-conditioned, and locals use them constantly.
• Changi Airport is a destination in its own right. If you have a long layover, go and see Jewel and its indoor waterfall — you can do it without clearing immigration.

Money

The currency is the Singapore Dollar (SGD). Cards and contactless work everywhere, though some older hawker stalls still prefer cash or PayNow. Singapore is expensive for hotels and alcohol — but food, if you eat like a local, is astonishingly cheap.

Practical tips

• Every traveller must submit the SG Arrival Card online before arriving — see the Visa section.
• Tap water is safe to drink. Refill your bottle; you will need it.
• Tipping is not expected — a 10% service charge is usually already on the bill.
• Dress for humidity: light, breathable clothing, plus a layer for aggressively air-conditioned interiors.
• Carry tissues. Locals "chope" (reserve) a hawker table by leaving a packet of tissues on it. It is a real system, and it is respected.
• Return your tray after eating at a hawker centre. This is now the law, and there are fines.
• Power is 230V, with UK-style three-pin plugs (Type G).

Singapore is a city, an island and a country all at once — a diamond-shaped island at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, sitting just one degree north of the equator.

It covers only about 735 square kilometres, making it one of the world's smallest nations — and one of the most densely populated. Remarkably, the island keeps growing: decades of land reclamation have expanded it by more than 20% since independence.

The lie of the land

• The main island, plus around 60 smaller ones — including Sentosa (the resort island), rustic Pulau Ubin, and the Southern Islands.
• Neighbours within sight — Malaysia lies just across the Johor Strait, linked by the Causeway; Indonesia's Riau Islands are a short ferry ride south.
• Famously flat — the highest point, Bukit Timah Hill, is a modest 163 metres.
• A city in a garden — despite the density, roughly half the island is under green cover. Rainforest survives at Bukit Timah, mangroves at Sungei Buloh, and the whole city is stitched together with park connectors.

Sitting almost on the equator, Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate — which in practice means it is hot, humid and green all year round. There is no cool season, and no true dry season.

Temperatures barely move: expect 25°C to 32°C every single day, with humidity around 80%. It rains throughout the year, usually in short, spectacular downpours that clear quickly.

The two monsoons

• Northeast monsoon (December to early March) — the wettest stretch, with more prolonged rain, especially December and January. Slightly cooler and cloudier.
• Southwest monsoon (June to September) — hot, with sudden pre-dawn "Sumatra squalls" and afternoon thunderstorms.
• Inter-monsoon periods (April–May, October–November) — the hottest and most humid, with dramatic afternoon thunderstorms.

February to April is generally the driest and sunniest window. But honestly: bring an umbrella, plan indoor options for the afternoon, and Singapore works beautifully in any month.

Singapore's defining feature is that it is many cultures at once, living side by side and remarkably at ease with it. The population is majority Chinese, with substantial Malay and Indian communities and a Eurasian minority — and this is not a historical footnote but the living texture of the city.

There are four official languages — English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil. English is the language of business and daily life, though what you will actually hear is Singlish, a wonderfully efficient local creole. (Can lah.)

What you will notice

• Religious harmony, visibly — a Buddhist temple, a mosque, a Hindu temple and a church can share a single street, and often do.
• Hawker culture — recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Eating together, cheaply, in an open-air food centre is the great social leveller here.
• Order and cleanliness — famously so. Rules are followed, queues are respected, and it works.
• Peranakan heritage — the Straits Chinese culture of Baba-Nyonya, with its beautiful shophouses, beadwork and superb cuisine. Katong and Joo Chiat are the places to see it.
• Kiasu — the affectionate national self-description: the fear of missing out. It explains a lot of queues.

Singapore has engineered itself into one of the world's great city destinations: effortless to navigate, exceptionally safe, packed with world-class attractions, and blessed with what may be the best-value food on the planet.

It is also home to a genuine UNESCO World Heritage Site — the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the only tropical botanic garden on the list — and to Changi Airport, repeatedly voted the world's best.

The headline acts

• Gardens by the Bay — the Supertrees, the Cloud Forest and its indoor waterfall, and the Flower Dome.
• Marina Bay Sands — the ship-on-three-towers, its SkyPark and the famous infinity pool.
• Sentosa — Universal Studios Singapore, S.E.A. Aquarium, beaches and cable cars.
• Mandai Wildlife Reserve — the outstanding Singapore Zoo, the pioneering Night Safari, River Wonders and Bird Paradise.
• The heritage quarters — Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam, each vivid and utterly distinct.
• Jewel Changi — the Rain Vortex, the tallest indoor waterfall in the world.

The perfect stopover

Singapore is one of the world's great aviation hubs, and it makes an outstanding 2–4 night stopover en route to Australia, Bali or elsewhere in Asia. We build a lot of itineraries exactly this way.

Singapore is compact, which means you can do a great deal in a short time. These are the experiences our travellers rate most highly.

• Watch the Garden Rhapsody light show beneath the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay. It runs nightly and it is free.
• Walk the Cloud Forest and stand beside its 35-metre indoor waterfall.
• Go up Marina Bay Sands SkyPark at dusk for the definitive Singapore skyline.
• Do a hawker centre crawl — Maxwell, Lau Pa Sat, Old Airport Road, Tiong Bahru. This is the real Singapore.
• Take the Night Safari — the world's first nocturnal zoo, and genuinely magical.
• Spend a day on Sentosa — Universal Studios, the aquarium, the beaches and the cable car.
• Explore the three quarters: Chinatown's Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Little India's Sri Veeramakaliamman and Mustafa Centre, Kampong Glam's Sultan Mosque and the murals of Haji Lane.
• Drink a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar in Raffles, and throw the peanut shells on the floor.
• Wander the Botanic Gardens and its National Orchid Garden.
• Walk the Southern Ridges, over the wave-like Henderson Waves bridge.
• See Peranakan Katong — pastel shophouses, and a bowl of Katong laksa.
• Cycle Pulau Ubin — the last piece of old kampong Singapore, a ten-minute bumboat ride away.
• Catch the Spectra light and water show at Marina Bay — also free.

Singapore is a true year-round destination — the temperature barely changes, and most of its best attractions are indoors, covered or open in the evening. There is no bad month, only wetter ones.

February to April — the driest window

Generally the sunniest and least rainy stretch of the year, and our pick if you want to be outdoors as much as possible.

May to September

Hot and humid, with sudden thunderstorms. This is a lively period: the Great Singapore Sale, the Singapore Food Festival, and National Day on 9 August. Occasional regional haze can occur between roughly June and September.

October to January — the wettest

The northeast monsoon brings the heaviest and most persistent rain, particularly in November, December and January. It rarely rains all day — but it is the season to plan indoor options. It is also the most festive: Deepavali lights in Little India, spectacular Christmas displays on Orchard Road, and Chinese New Year.

Events worth planning around

• Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix — September/October. A night race through the streets; the city is electric, and hotels are booked solid.
• Chinese New Year — January or February. Chinatown is magnificent, but some businesses close for a few days.

Singapore is small enough to see properly in three or four days. These are the areas we build itineraries around.

• Marina Bay — Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, the ArtScience Museum, the Merlion and the Singapore Flyer. The heart of modern Singapore.
• Sentosa — Universal Studios, S.E.A. Aquarium, Skyline Luge, beaches and resorts.
• Chinatown — the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Sri Mariamman Temple, heritage shophouses and Maxwell Food Centre.
• Little India — Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, the Tekka Centre, and the wonderfully chaotic 24-hour Mustafa Centre.
• Kampong Glam — the golden-domed Sultan Mosque, Arab Street's textiles, and the bars and street art of Haji Lane.
• Orchard Road — the great shopping boulevard, spectacular at Christmas.
• Singapore Botanic Gardens — UNESCO-listed, and free (except the Orchid Garden).
• Mandai — the Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders and Bird Paradise.
• Clarke Quay & the Singapore River — bumboat cruises, riverside dining and nightlife.
• Katong & Joo Chiat — Peranakan shophouses and the best laksa in the city.
• Tiong Bahru — art deco estate, indie bookshops, cafés and a legendary market.
• Pulau Ubin — bicycles, jungle and a glimpse of Singapore as it once was.

Singapore may be the single greatest eating city in the world for the money. Its hawker culture is UNESCO-recognised, several hawker stalls have held Michelin stars, and you can eat superbly for a few dollars. Come hungry.

What to eat

• Hainanese chicken rice — the national dish: poached chicken, fragrant rice cooked in the stock, chilli and ginger on the side. Deceptively simple, endlessly argued about.
• Chilli crab (and black pepper crab) — messy, sweet, spicy, magnificent. Order the fried mantou buns to mop up.
• Laksa — coconut curry noodle soup. Katong laksa is the local classic.
• Char kway teow — smoky wok-fried flat noodles.
• Hokkien mee — prawn-and-pork noodles, with a squeeze of lime.
• Bak kut teh — peppery pork rib soup, a breakfast of champions.
• Satay — charcoal-grilled skewers with peanut sauce, best at Lau Pa Sat in the evening.
• Roti prata & teh tarik — flaky flatbread with curry, and "pulled" milk tea.
• Kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs and kopi — the classic Singaporean breakfast.
• Nasi lemak, fish head curry, rojak, chendol — and, if you dare, durian, the king of fruits. (Just not on the MRT — it is banned.)

Where to eat

Eat at hawker centres — Maxwell, Lau Pa Sat, Old Airport Road, Tiong Bahru, Chinatown Complex and Newton. Look for the longest queue; that is your answer. Then, if you like, go to the other extreme: Singapore has a superb fine-dining scene and plenty of Michelin stars. We are happy to arrange food tours, hawker crawls and cooking classes.

With four major cultures sharing one small island, Singapore celebrates almost constantly — and everyone is invited.

• Chinese New Year — January or February. Chinatown blazes with lights, the River Hongbao carnival takes over Marina Bay, and the flamboyant Chingay Parade fills the streets.
• Thaipusam — January or February. A striking and moving Hindu procession, with devotees carrying ornate kavadi from Little India.
• Hari Raya Puasa — marking the end of Ramadan, with the wonderful Geylang Serai bazaar in the weeks beforehand.
• Vesak Day — May, marking the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death.
• National Day — 9 August. A huge national celebration with a spectacular parade and fireworks over Marina Bay.
• Mid-Autumn Festival — September/October. Lanterns and mooncakes, best seen in Chinatown and the Gardens.
• Deepavali — October/November. Little India is transformed by lights and street markets.
• Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix — September/October. The world's original night race, run through the city streets, with huge concerts alongside.
• Christmas on Orchard Road — November to early January. One of Asia's most extravagant light displays.

Tell us when you plan to travel and we will build the right festivals into your itinerary.

Singapore is straightforward to enter, but there is one requirement that applies to absolutely everyone.

The SG Arrival Card (compulsory for all travellers)

Every visitor must submit an SG Arrival Card (SGAC) online — including a short health declaration — within three days before arrival. It is free and takes a few minutes on the official ICA website or app. Do not pay a third-party site for this. It is the single most common thing travellers overlook.

Visa-free entry

Citizens of many countries — including the UK, USA, most of Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan — can enter Singapore without a visa for tourism, usually for up to 90 days. ASEAN nationals also generally enjoy visa-free entry.

If you need a visa

Nationals of a number of countries, including India, require a visa before travelling. Singapore visas are typically arranged as an e-Visa through an authorised visa agent, a local sponsor, or a Singapore Overseas Mission — you generally cannot apply directly as an individual walk-in. They are usually issued for 30 days, single or multiple entry. We can arrange this for you as part of your booking.

What you will need

• A passport valid for at least six months from your date of entry.
• Confirmed return or onward tickets and accommodation.
• Proof of sufficient funds for your stay.
• Your completed SG Arrival Card.

Important: immigration rules change. Always check the official Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) website before you travel. If you book with us, we will confirm exactly what you need and, where a visa is required, handle the application.

Singapore is famously safe and orderly — and that is because the rules are real and they are enforced. None of this is difficult, but visitors are genuinely fined every day for things they assumed were harmless.

Do

• Return your tray at hawker centres and food courts. It is now legally required.
• Queue. Properly, and without complaint. Singaporeans are exceptional at it.
• Dress modestly at temples and mosques — shoulders and knees covered, shoes off. Robes are usually provided.
• Drink the tap water. It is perfectly safe and excellent.
• Use the MRT. It is the fastest, cheapest way around.
• Try the hawker centres. Skip them and you have not really been to Singapore.
• Respect the racial and religious harmony that this country works hard to maintain. Inflammatory remarks about race or religion are a criminal matter here, not merely bad manners.

Don't

• Don't bring chewing gum. Its import and sale are banned.
• Don't bring e-cigarettes or vapes. They are illegal in Singapore — possession and use carry serious fines, and they will be seized at the airport. This catches out an enormous number of visitors.
• Don't eat or drink on the MRT (yes, even water), and never carry durian onto public transport.
• Don't litter, spit or jaywalk. All are fined.
• Don't smoke outside designated areas.
• Don't even think about drugs. Singapore has among the harshest drug laws in the world, including the death penalty for trafficking, and they apply fully to foreigners. Note that you can be prosecuted for drug use even if you consumed them abroad.
• Don't vandalise anything. Caning remains a sentence for vandalism.
• Don't tip — a service charge is already included.