Financial district skyscrapers at the mouth of the Singapore River at dusk
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Singapore in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 6.2 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days let you go at an unhurried pace: one for the colonial centre and its retreats, one for Kampong Glam, Little India and the gardens, and a third with a market, conservatories and a Chinatown evening. It suits anyone who prefers short walks, long breaks and trying every dish on the list.

Day 1Colonial river and green hill

In the morning, “From Colonial River to Futuristic Bay: the Best of Singapore”, from Raffles Hotel to the Merlion and Marina Bay Sands. Have Hainanese chicken rice at Maxwell Food Centre and keep the afternoon for the Asian Civilisations Museum, cool and quiet, and for Fort Canning Park, where you can climb in the shade. Dinner is open: Chinatown is a few minutes from the hill and lively at night.

  1. Morning

    From Colonial River to Futuristic Bay: the Best of Singapore

    Mixed · 3.1 km · 2 h 10 min

    1. Raffles HotelAsia's most famous colonial hotel, birthplace of the Singapore Sling and scene of the tiger story.
    2. The Padang and National GalleryA green field and two columned palaces where the war ended and self-government began.
    3. Raffles' Landing SiteThe white statue that marks where, according to tradition, British Singapore began.
    4. Cavenagh Bridge and the Fullerton BuildingSingapore's oldest bridge, made in Glasgow, still bans cattle and horses from crossing.
    5. The MerlionHalf lion, half fish: a symbol invented in 1964 for a 14th-century legend.
    6. Marina Bay Sands and the BayA 340-metre ship perched on three towers, on land that was sea fifty years ago.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Hainanese chicken rice at Maxwell Food Centre (Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice). 1 Kadayanallur Street

  3. Afternoon

    Asian Civilisations Museum

    A museum with collections from China, Southeast Asia, India and the Islamic world, in a nineteenth-century colonial building on the river. It is a good air-conditioned refuge in the hottest hours; pick two or three galleries rather than trying to see everything.

    Directions

    Fort Canning Park

    The hill beside the centre, where tradition says the old Malay kings were buried and where Raffles built himself a residence. Today it is a park with trails, a spice garden and a Second World War bunker. From here, Chinatown is an easy walk downhill.

    Directions

Day 2Indian quarters and tropical garden

Start with “Sultans, Merchants and Gods: from Kampong Glam to Little India”, with Sultan Mosque and the temples of Little India. Have satay at Lau Pa Sat and ride the metro to Orchard Road, the great shopping boulevard. From there, the Botanic Gardens are a walk or a few stops away: the best place to end the day among trees and shade.

  1. Morning

    Sultans, Merchants and Gods: from Kampong Glam to Little India

    History · 2 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Hajjah Fatimah MosqueThe mosque a businesswoman built on the spot where robbers had burned down her house.
    2. Istana Kampong GelamThe palace of the sultan who signed the deal with Raffles that gave birth to modern Singapore.
    3. Sultan Mosque (Masjid Sultan)Golden domes whose bases are said to be ringed with bottle ends donated by the poorest worshippers.
    4. Abdul Gafoor MosqueA sunburst of twenty-five rays bearing the names of the prophets crowns the door of this Little India mosque.
    5. Sri Veeramakaliamman TempleThe temple of Kali, the goddess with the necklace of skulls, which sheltered local people during the air raids.
    6. House of Tan Teng NiahLittle India's last Chinese villa, painted in every colour of the rainbow.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Satay at Lau Pa Sat (Satay Street). 18 Raffles Quay y Boon Tat Street

  3. Afternoon

    Orchard Road

    Singapore's great shopping boulevard, lined with multi-storey malls linked to one another. Even if you buy nothing, it shows you the modern city and gives you a cool, air-conditioned break before you head on to the Botanic Gardens.

    Directions

    Singapore Botanic Gardens

    A tropical garden founded in 1859 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with lakes, rainforest and themed gardens. Entry is free; the National Orchid Garden inside is ticketed. Bring an umbrella and mosquito repellent.

    Directions

Day 3Market, bay and Chinatown legends

Get up early for Tiong Bahru and its market, then head to Gardens by the Bay, where the conservatories are a refuge. Have kaya toast and coffee at Ya Kun, in Far East Square. At sunset, “Opium, Fire and Sea Goddesses”: only 1.1 km between Pagoda Street, Sri Mariamman and Thian Hock Keng. End the trip with a murtabak at Zam Zam, in Kampong Glam.

  1. Morning

    Tiong Bahru

    One of the city's first public-housing neighbourhoods, with 1930s Art Deco blocks, cafés, bookshops and a market with a hawker centre. You can walk it in an hour, and it feels like a breath of air after all the temples and skyscrapers.

    Directions

    Gardens by the Bay

    The futuristic gardens next to Marina Bay Sands, with the Supertree Grove and the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest conservatories. Strolling the outdoor grounds is free; the conservatories and the skyway are ticketed. Go at dusk, when the Supertrees light up.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Kaya toast and coffee at Ya Kun Kaya Toast (Far East Square). 18 China Street

  3. Early evening

    Opium, Fire and Sea Goddesses: the Secrets of Chinatown

    Mysteries & legends · 1.1 km · 1 h 30 min

    1. Pagoda StreetBehind the souvenir stalls there were once opium dens and a market in labourers.
    2. Sri Mariamman TempleSingapore's oldest Hindu temple, where every year devotees walk across burning coals.
    3. Buddha Tooth Relic TempleA new temple, a sacred tooth in doubt and a lane the Chinese called "the street of the dead".
    4. Ann Siang HillTelok Ayer's last hill: nutmeg plantations, letters home to China and a millionaires' club.
    5. Thian Hock Keng TempleWhere Chinese sailors thanked Mazu, goddess of the sea, as soon as they set foot on dry land.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Dinner

    Try Murtabak at Zam Zam. 697-699 North Bridge Road

The map

Singapore in 3 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Singapore in 3 days

  • Spread the effort: the first day has the longest route, 3.1 km. If energy runs short, drop an afternoon extra before shortening the route.
  • Noon to 3 pm is the hottest stretch: save museums, conservatories and air-conditioned malls for those hours.
  • At the Botanic Gardens, bring comfortable shoes, water and repellent. The park is large and shaded, but you walk more than the map suggests.

Questions

Singapore in 3 days: your questions

Is it worth staying 3 days in Singapore?

Yes, if you like to stroll: three days let you see the neighbourhoods, a museum, the Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the Bay without speeding up. The city is compact and well connected, so you can add long breaks without losing the essentials.

How far do you walk in 3 days?

The routes add up to about 6.2 km, split like this: 3.1 km on day one, 2 km on day two and 1.1 km on day three. The extras add walks through parks and neighbourhoods, but the pace is gentle and there is plenty of metro.

What order works best?

The one in this plan: the colonial centre first, then Kampong Glam and Little India with the Botanic Gardens, and last Tiong Bahru, the bay and Chinatown at night. You finish on the city's most spectacular view.

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