Singapore may be small, but there’s an incredible amount to discover from futuristic gardens and world-class wildlife attractions to historic temples, vibrant neighbourhoods, and a skyline that feels straight out of the future. If you’re searching for the best things to do in Singapore, these ten attractions showcase the city’s diverse highlights, covering everything from nature and culture to architecture and nightlife. Whether it’s your first visit or your fifth, these are some of the places worth adding to your itinerary.
After living in Singapore for the past two years and exploring the city along the way, these are my personal picks of the places I’ve enjoyed most.
For each attraction, you’ll find practical details such as opening hours, ticket prices, the best time to visit, and how to get there, along with a little history and context to make the experience more meaningful.
Quick Overview
| # | Attraction | Entry Fee | Nearest MRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cloud Forest | ~S$35 (with Flower Dome) | Bayfront |
| 2 | Supertree Grove | Free / OCBC Skyway ~S$14 | Bayfront |
| 3 | Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck | ~S$23 to 35 | Bayfront |
| 4 | Merlion Park | Free | Raffles Place |
| 5 | Universal Studios Singapore | ~S$62 to 86 | HarbourFront, then Sentosa Express |
| 6 | Singapore Oceanarium | ~S$23 to 50 | HarbourFront, then Sentosa Express |
| 7 | Singapore Zoo & Night Safari | Varies (book combos) | Khatib, then Shuttle |
| 8 | Botanic Gardens & Orchid Garden | Free / S$5 (orchid garden) | Botanic Gardens |
| 9 | Jewel Changi Airport | Free (Rain Vortex) / Paid Canopy Park | Changi Airport |
| 10 | Clarke Quay | Free (promenade) | Clarke Quay |
1. Cloud Forest
Cloud Forest is one of the two climate-controlled conservatories at Gardens by the Bay and arguably the more impressive of the two. Inside, a 35-metre mist-covered mountain rises around what is billed as the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. Winding walkways take you through the mountain, where cool, misty environments are filled with orchids, pitcher plants, ferns, and other plants typically found in tropical highlands around the world—many of which would otherwise require a multi-day trek to encounter in their natural habitats.
Alongside its permanent plant collections, Cloud Forest also features rotating special exhibitions and immersive experiences. It has hosted popular Jurassic World and Avatar-themed experiences in recent years, with new displays regularly introduced. This means there’s often something different to discover, even if you’ve visited before.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Hours | Daily, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (last admission around 8:00 PM) |
| Open days | Every day, though the conservatory closes for a few hours on select maintenance dates each month, listed on the official site |
| Tickets | Combined Flower Dome + Cloud Forest tickets start around S$35 for adults; prices rise for combo passes that add Floral Fantasy, OCBC Skyway, or the Supertree Observatory |
| Best time | Weekday mornings right after opening are quietest. It’s fully air-conditioned, so it also makes a good midday escape from the heat |
| Nearest MRT | Bayfront (CE1/DT16), Exit B, then the underground linkway to Gardens by the Bay (about a 10 minute walk) |
| Where to book | Official site: gardensbythebay.com.sg. Also sold through Klook, GetYourGuide, and Trip.com, which sometimes run cheaper bundle deals |
Set aside at least 1.5 hours to properly walk the mountain’s walkways and take in both the waterfall and the higher-altitude plant displays. Cloud Forest sits within Gardens by the Bay’s wider grounds, which are worth exploring further, especially the neighboring Supertree Grove, covered in its own entry just below.
2. Supertree Grove
The Supertrees are the single most photographed feature inside Gardens by the Bay, and honestly, they deserve their own entry on this list. There are 18 of them in total, standing between 25 and 50 metres tall, built as vertical gardens rather than as decoration. Each “trunk” is planted with over 150,000 ferns, orchids, and flowering climbers, and several of the tallest ones do real work behind the scenes: some hold solar panels that power part of the light show, and others act as air exhaust vents for the nearby Flower Dome and Cloud Forest conservatories, effectively functioning as the park’s cooling system.
Walking among the Supertrees at ground level is free at any hour, for a different perspective, you can head up to the OCBC Skyway, a suspended walkway 22 metres above the ground that connects two of the tallest Supertrees and offers sweeping views of Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay. The Supertree Observatory, located at the top of the tallest 50-metre Supertree, provides another panoramic viewpoint from an enclosed deck.Both are optional. If you only pick one, most visitors find the Skyway the more memorable of the two.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Hours | Supertree Grove (ground level): 5:00 AM to 2:00 AM daily, as part of the outdoor gardens. OCBC Skyway & Supertree Observatory: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM |
| Open days | Every day |
| Tickets | Walking through the Grove is free. OCBC Skyway and Supertree Observatory are each ~S$14 for adults and ~S$10 for children, sold separately or bundled with conservatory tickets |
| Don’t miss | The free Garden Rhapsody light-and-sound show, nightly at 7:45 PM and 8:45 PM, best watched lying on the grass looking straight up |
| Best time | Early evening, so you catch the trees in daylight, then stay for sunset and the light show right after. Arrive at least 30 minutes early on weekdays and up to an hour early on weekends to get a good spot |
| Nearest MRT | Bayfront (CE1/DT16), Exit B, then the underground linkway to Dragonfly or Meadow Bridge (about 10 minutes’ walk to the Grove) |
| Where to book | Official site: gardensbythebay.com.sg, under OCBC Skyway or Supertree Observatory. Also available via Klook and GetYourGuide |
Skip the Skyway or Observatory entirely if you’re on a tight budget. Neither is essential, and the view of the Supertrees from ground level at night, lit up during the show, is arguably the better photo anyway.
3. Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck
For the single best panoramic view of the city, head up to the 57th floor of the Marina Bay Sands hotel, right across the water from Gardens by the Bay. The building itself is a feat worth knowing about: designed by architect Moshe Safdie and completed in 2010 after a construction cost of roughly US$5.7 billion, it was one of the most expensive standalone buildings ever built at the time. The three towers deliberately lean outward so that no single wall blocks the view of the sea, and the SkyPark connecting them is the world’s largest public cantilevered platform, extending 67 metres beyond the edge of the north tower.
From the Observation Deck you get an unobstructed sweep of the skyline, the Supertrees below, and the harbor stretching toward the Singapore Strait. It’s a favorite spot for sunset, when the Spectra light show at the Event Plaza and the Garden Rhapsody show at Gardens by the Bay are both visible from up top.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Hours | Roughly 9:30 AM to 10 PM (Mon to Thu), 9:30 AM to 11 PM (Fri to Sun); timed entry required after 4 to 5 PM |
| Open days | Every day |
| Tickets | ~S$23 to 35 depending on time slot (non-peak vs. sunset pricing); combos available with Gardens by the Bay or the ArtScience Museum |
| Best time | Late afternoon into sunset for the classic golden-hour shot (also the busiest window), or before 4 PM for a clearer, quieter daytime view |
| Nearest MRT | Bayfront (CE1/DT16), Exit B, about a 6 to 10 minute walk along the hotel exterior to Tower 3 |
| Where to book | Official site: marinabaysands.com, also sold via Klook, Traveloka, and GetYourGuide |
Note that the famous infinity pool you’ve probably seen in photos is for hotel guests only. The Observation Deck is a separate, publicly ticketed area on the same floor.
4. Merlion Park
This is the spot most people’s Singapore photos come from, and it’s consistently ranked among the top attractions in Singapore for a reason: the 8.6-metre, half-lion, half-fish Merlion statue spouting water into Marina Bay. The design fuses two halves of the country’s origin story. The lion’s head recalls the legend of Sang Nila Utama, a 14th-century prince who supposedly spotted a lion on the island and named it Singapura, meaning “Lion City.” The fish tail nods to Temasek, the earlier fishing village Singapore grew from. The statue was unveiled in 1972 by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and moved to its current waterfront spot in 2002.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Open days | Every day |
| Tickets | Free |
| Best time | 7 to 8 AM for soft light and almost no crowds, or just after sunset for the illuminated skyline and the free Spectra light-and-water show visible across the bay |
| Nearest MRT | Raffles Place (EW14/NS26), Exit H, about a 5 to 10 minute walk along Fullerton Road |
It pairs naturally with a longer Marina Bay walk. From here it’s about a 15 to 20 minute stroll to Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay, making it easy to combine several places to explore in Singapore into one afternoon.
5. Universal Studios Singapore (Sentosa)
Southeast Asia’s only Universal theme park sits inside Resorts World Sentosa, one of the two integrated resorts Singapore approved back in 2005 when it legalized casino gambling after decades of prohibition. It’s one of the most fun places to go in SG for families and thrill-seekers alike, and it’s compact enough to see in a single day, with themed zones ranging from Minion Land and Far Far Away to Jurassic Park and the Battlestar Galactica dueling roller coasters.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Hours | Generally 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, extended to 9 PM on public holidays and during special events like Halloween Horror Nights |
| Open days | Daily, though the park closes on select weekdays through the year, so check the official calendar before booking |
| Tickets | Adults ~S$83 (off-peak) to S$86 (peak); children (4 to 12) from ~S$62; infants under 4 free. Online booking is cheaper than gate prices |
| Best time | Arrive by 9:30 AM to beat the queues at the headline rides; weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends |
| Nearest MRT | HarbourFront (NE1/CC29), then walk through VivoCity Mall to Level 3 and board the Sentosa Express monorail to Resorts World Station |
| Where to book | Official site: rwsentosa.com, under Universal Studios Singapore. Also sold via Klook, KKday, Trip.com, and GetYourGuide, often at a discount off gate price |
If you’d rather skip the monorail, the Sentosa Boardwalk is a scenic 10 to 15 minute walk from VivoCity across the water.
6. Singapore Oceanarium (formerly S.E.A. Aquarium)
The much-loved S.E.A. Aquarium closed in 2025 and reopened as the Singapore Oceanarium: three times larger, with 22 themed zones and over 100,000 marine animals across more than 1,000 species. The centerpiece is still the giant Open Ocean viewing panel, now joined by new deep-sea galleries and a stronger conservation focus, including a research partnership with the National University of Singapore. Being fully indoor, it also doubles as a great escape from Singapore’s heat or sudden downpours, and it’s an easy add-on if you’re already planning a day of must do things in Singapore on Sentosa.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Hours | Generally 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, though some days run shorter hours. Confirm the day’s schedule before visiting |
| Open days | Most days; occasional weekday closures |
| Tickets | Adults ~S$43 to 50; children ~S$23 to 36; under-4s free. Combo tickets with Universal Studios offer better value if doing both |
| Best time | Weekday mornings right after opening, when it’s quietest |
| Nearest MRT | HarbourFront (NE1/CC29), then Sentosa Express to Resorts World Station, or the RWS8 shuttle bus (~S$1) |
| Where to book | Official site: rwsentosa.com, under Singapore Oceanarium, or directly at singaporeoceanarium.com. Also sold via Klook and Trip.com |
7. Singapore Zoo & Night Safari (Mandai)
These two sit side by side at Mandai Wildlife Reserve and work well as a single, long day out. The Singapore Zoo is known for its “open concept” enclosures, where moats and natural barriers replace cages, so orangutans swing freely overhead and you can hand-feed a giraffe. As the sun sets, the Night Safari takes over: opened in 1994 as the world’s first nocturnal wildlife park, it uses a guided tram and four walking trails to bring visitors close to free-roaming tapirs, lions, and over 900 nocturnal creatures, lit only by moonlight-mimicking lamps designed not to disturb the animals. It’s genuinely one of the more interesting places in SG for anyone who’s done the usual city sightseeing and wants something different.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Hours | Zoo: 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM (last entry 5:00 PM). Night Safari: 6:00/7:15 PM to 12:00 AM (last entry 11:15 PM) |
| Open days | Every day, year-round |
| Tickets | Book online for up to 15% off gate prices; combo passes covering the Zoo, Night Safari, and River Wonders offer the best value for a full day |
| Best time | Visit the Zoo in the morning when animals are most active, grab dinner nearby, then join Night Safari’s 7:15 PM tram slot to catch the early animal presentations |
| Nearest MRT | Khatib (NS14), then the Mandai Khatib Shuttle bus (~S$1, runs every 10 to 15 minutes, about a 15 minute ride) |
| Where to book | Official site: mandai.com, which covers the Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders, and Bird Paradise together. Also sold via Klook and Trip.com |
8. Singapore Botanic Gardens & National Orchid Garden
Singapore’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site is also one of its most relaxing places worth visiting in Singapore: 82 hectares of tropical greenery that’s completely free to wander. Its orchid legacy dates back to the late 1800s, when botanist Henry Ridley (better known for pioneering the region’s rubber industry) helped grow a modest orchid house into a dedicated nursery by 1899. That collection eventually became the National Orchid Garden, which opened in 1995 and now holds one of the largest orchid collections in the world, including hybrids named after visiting heads of state and celebrities.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Hours | Main gardens: 5:00 AM to midnight daily (free). National Orchid Garden: 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM (last entry 6:00 PM) |
| Open days | Every day of the year |
| Tickets | Main gardens free; Orchid Garden ~S$5 for adults, ~S$1 for students/seniors, free for children under 12 |
| Best time | Weekday mornings, 8:30 to 10:00 AM, before the heat builds on the hill. Peak orchid bloom runs March to May |
| Nearest MRT | Botanic Gardens Station (Circle Line & Downtown Line), Exit B, leading directly toward the National Orchid Garden entrance |
| Where to book | Main gardens need no ticket. National Orchid Garden tickets are sold at the entrance gate, or in advance via the official sbg.nparks.gov.sg site |
Set aside at least two hours for the Orchid Garden alone, and closer to three if you want to properly explore the wider Botanic Gardens too.
9. Jewel Changi Airport
You don’t need a flight to justify visiting Jewel, and it’s often overlooked as an interesting place in SG simply because it sits inside the airport. This glass-domed complex, designed by architect Moshe Safdie (the same architect behind Marina Bay Sands) and opened in 2019, houses the HSBC Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, cascading seven storeys down through a terraced indoor forest of over 2,000 trees. It’s free to view, open to the public and not just travelers, and connects directly to the MRT and all three main terminals by covered walkway.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Hours | Building: open 24 hours. Rain Vortex: ~10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Canopy Park: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM weekdays, until 11:00 PM weekends/holidays |
| Open days | Every day, year-round |
| Tickets | Rain Vortex and Forest Valley are free. Canopy Park requires a paid ticket (~S$5 to 10 base entry), with attractions like the Sky Nets, Canopy Bridge, and Mirror Maze charged as add-ons |
| Best time | Late afternoon into evening, to see the waterfall in daylight and then catch the free evening light-and-music show (typically 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30 PM) |
| Nearest MRT | Changi Airport Station, connecting directly to Jewel via covered walkway, no outdoor walking required |
| Where to book | Rain Vortex needs no ticket. Canopy Park tickets are sold at the venue or in advance via the official jewelchangiairport.com site, and also through Klook |
10. Clarke Quay
Named after Sir Andrew Clarke, Singapore’s second colonial governor, this stretch of the Singapore River was once a working dock lined with godowns (warehouses) where bumboats unloaded cargo from ships anchored offshore. When port activity moved to Keppel Harbour in the mid-1900s, the area fell quiet, until it was designated a heritage conservation zone in 1989 and redeveloped into the entertainment district it is today. The old shophouses and warehouses were restored rather than demolished, which is why the buildings still carry their 19th-century character even though the inside is now bars, clubs, and restaurants.
By day it’s a pleasant, mostly free riverside walk with river cruises departing regularly. By night it turns into one of Singapore’s busiest nightlife districts, and one of the more fun places to go in SG if you’re after live music, dancing, or just a drink by the water.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Hours | Promenade: open 24/7. Bars and restaurants generally open from late afternoon and run until 3 to 4 AM |
| Open days | Every day, though the district is liveliest Wednesday through Saturday nights |
| Tickets | Free to walk the promenade; river cruise ~S$25 to 35; dinner and drinks typically S$50 to 80 per person |
| Best time | 6:00 PM to midnight for the full lights-and-music atmosphere; daytime for a quieter riverside walk |
| Nearest MRT | Clarke Quay Station (NE5), with most bars and restaurants within a 2 to 5 minute walk of the exit |
| Where to book | The promenade itself needs no ticket. If you want the Singapore River cruise, it can be booked at the Clarke Quay jetty on the day or in advance via Klook or the operator’s own site |
Last trains stop running around midnight on weekdays and 1 AM on weekends, so plan a Grab or taxi if you’re staying out later.
Quick Planning Tips
- Book ahead for timed-entry spots. Flower Dome, Cloud Forest, MBS SkyPark (after 4 PM), and Universal Studios all sell out on weekends and public holidays.
- Cluster your visits. Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands are a 10 minute walk apart; Universal Studios and the Oceanarium are 4 minutes apart on Sentosa; the Zoo and Night Safari share the same shuttle stop.
- Beat the heat. Save outdoor spots (Gardens by the Bay, Botanic Gardens, Merlion Park) for morning or evening, and save indoor, air-conditioned spots (Oceanarium, Jewel Changi) for the hottest part of the afternoon.
- Get an EZ-Link card or use tap-to-pay. It’s by far the cheapest and easiest way to move between all ten of these attractions.
Whichever of these singapore top attractions you prioritize, hours, prices, and operating days change fairly often for seasonal exhibitions, maintenance closures, and public holidays, so it’s worth double-checking each attraction’s official website a day or two before your visit.