Top 25 Attractions in Singapore

Marina Bay Sands: This iconic resort is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Singapore. Its unique design, reminiscent of a ship atop three towers, makes it a marvel of modern architecture. The luxury hotel has over 2,500 rooms, a massive shopping mall, a casino, and multiple dining options. The SkyPark Observation Deck offers breathtaking views of the city's skyline. Marina Bay Sands also houses the ArtScience Museum, a lotus-shaped structure hosting a constantly changing lineup of exhibitions that marry art, science, and technology.

Gardens by the Bay: A magnificent feat of design and engineering, Gardens by the Bay is a must-see on any Singapore itinerary. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South, Bay East, and Bay Central. The highlight is the Supertree Grove, where you'll find a cluster of tree-like structures providing shade during the day and a stunning light show at night. The two conservatories, the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, replicate cool-moist and cool-dry climates, respectively, and house plants from all over the world.

Sentosa Island: A dedicated island resort off Singapore’s southern coast, Sentosa Island hosts a range of leisure and entertainment facilities. Universal Studios Singapore, Adventure Cove Waterpark, and S.E.A. Aquarium are among the island's top attractions. You can also relax on one of the sandy beaches, play a round of golf, or even try indoor skydiving. To reach Sentosa, you can take the Sentosa Express, a cable car, or simply walk via the Sentosa Boardwalk.

Chinatown: A vibrant and bustling district, Chinatown in Singapore offers a blend of traditional shops, markets, and eateries alongside trendy boutiques and cafes. Here, you'll find temples, mosques, and family-run goldsmiths and medicinal halls. The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is a significant cultural monument in this area, where you'll often see locals offering their prayers. Chinatown is also known for its food – try local dishes at hawker centers such as Maxwell Road Food Centre and Chinatown Complex Food Centre.

Little India: An area that captures the vibrant spirit of the Indian community in Singapore, Little India is filled with traditional Indian restaurants, street food vendors, and shops selling everything from spices and sarees to Bollywood music. The district’s main attraction is the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, one of the oldest and most important Hindu temples in Singapore. During the annual festival of Deepavali, the streets of Little India are beautifully decorated and illuminated.

Clarke Quay: Once a center of commerce along the Singapore River, Clarke Quay is today a labyrinth of restaurants, concept bars, retail stores, and recreation outlets. It's known for its stunning riverside setting and vibrant nightlife. You can also hop on a river cruise here for a scenic tour of the city's landmarks.

Orchard Road: Named after the fruit orchards that the road led to in the mid-1800s, Orchard Road is now a famous shopping street bustling with activity. It's flanked by malls, department stores, boutiques, restaurants, and hotels. Whether you're looking for luxury brands, high street fashion, or discount buys, you'll find it all here.

Raffles Hotel: Opened in 1887, Raffles Hotel is a colonial-style luxury hotel named after Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles. Its classical architecture and tropical gardens evoke the romance of the city's colonial era. The hotel is also famous for inventing the Singapore Sling cocktail. Even if you're not staying there, you can have high tea at the Tiffin Room or a cocktail at the Long Bar.

Merlion Park: This is the home of the Merlion statue, a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish that's seen as a symbol of Singapore. The statue stands at a height of 8.6 meters and is a popular photo spot for tourists. The park offers stunning views of Marina Bay.

Singapore Flyer: At a height of 165 meters, the Singapore Flyer was the world's tallest Ferris wheel when it opened in 2008 (a title now held by the Ain Dubai as of 2021). A ride on the Flyer offers panoramic views of the city, and on a clear day, you can even see parts of Malaysia and Indonesia. Each of the 28 air-conditioned capsules can carry up to 28 passengers, and a complete rotation takes approximately 30 minutes.

East Coast Park: This is the largest park in Singapore, stretching over 15 km along the city's southeastern coast. It's a popular spot for family outings, picnics, cycling, and various water sports. With barbecue pits, chalets, food and beverage outlets, and a hawker centre, you can easily spend an entire day here. It's also a great place to try local dishes like satay and seafood at the East Coast Food Lagoon.

Botanic Gardens: The Singapore Botanic Gardens are a testament to the city's dedication to preserving nature. Spread over 82 hectares, this park offers a rich variety of flora and fauna. Highlights include the National Orchid Garden, which houses the world’s largest orchid display, and the Rainforest, a 6-hectare nature reserve. It's also Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sultan Mosque: Known locally as Masjid Sultan, this is one of the most important mosques in Singapore. It was built in 1824 for Sultan Hussein Shah, the first sultan of Singapore. The mosque's design is a blend of Islamic and Indo-Saracenic styles. It's especially beautiful at night when it's lit up. Non-Muslims are welcome to visit outside prayer times, provided they adhere to the dress code.

Fort Canning Park: Fort Canning is a small hill in the southeast portion of Singapore that's full of historical significance. It has been the site of many of Singapore's historical milestones, dating back to the 14th century when it was known as Bukit Larangan or Forbidden Hill. The park includes Spice Garden, an archaeological dig site, and former British underground command centers from World War II.

National Museum of Singapore: As Singapore's oldest museum, this is the place to learn about the city's history and culture. Its galleries adopt cutting-edge and varied ways of presenting history to redefine conventional museum experience. Highlights include the Singapore History Gallery, which tells the story of Singapore from its earliest days to the present, and the Life in Singapore Galleries, which showcase the everyday life of Singaporeans in different periods.

Jurong Bird Park: Operated by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Jurong Bird Park is Asia's largest bird park, home to over 5,000 birds of 400 species. Visitors can enjoy close-up interactions with the birds during feeding sessions, and enjoy various shows and performances. The park also boasts the world's largest walk-in aviary with the tallest man-made waterfall.

Night Safari: The world's first nocturnal zoo, the Night Safari provides a unique opportunity to observe the nocturnal activities of animals. You can explore the park via tram or on foot, and there are a variety of special shows and performances, including a fire show and a nocturnal animal presentation.

Singapore Zoo: Known for its open and naturalistic habitats, Singapore Zoo houses over 2,800 animals from 300 species. Its "open" captivity design means that many animals are kept in large enclosures that are landscaped to resemble their natural habitats. This promotes their natural behavior and allows visitors to observe the animals as if they were in the wild.

River Safari: As Asia's first and only river-themed wildlife park, the River Safari houses animals from various freshwater habitats around the world. It features the world's largest freshwater aquarium and a panda exhibit, which are two of its most popular attractions. The boat ride through a "flooded forest" is another unique experience that the park offers.

MacRitchie Reservoir: MacRitchie Reservoir is a haven for nature and fitness enthusiasts. The 11-km nature trail loop, known as the MacRitchie Trails, is popular with runners and hikers. Along the trail, there's a TreeTop Walk, a 250-meter aerial free-standing suspension bridge that provides a panoramic view of the forest canopy. If you're lucky, you may spot long-tailed macaque monkeys, squirrels, or monitor lizards. But be sure not to feed them, as they are wild animals. The reservoir also offers canoeing and kayaking facilities.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum: This impressive five-storey temple and museum complex is based on the Tang dynasty architectural style and built to house the tooth relic of the historical Buddha. The relic can be viewed in the temple's Sacred Light Hall. The complex also includes a museum detailing the history of Buddhism, a library, and a vegetarian dining hall.

Asian Civilisations Museum: This museum specialises in the material history of China, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia, from which the diverse ethnic groups of Singapore trace their ancestry. The museum's collection encompasses a wide range of cultural artefacts, reflecting the cultural breadth and depth of Singapore's immigrant history.

Pulau Ubin: Pulau Ubin is an island off eastern Singapore and often considered the last 'kampung' (village) in Singapore. A stroll through Ubin takes you back to Singapore in the 1960's with the simpler pleasures of life. The island is home to Singapore's last villages or "kampungs", and there's also a rich ecosystem teeming with wildlife. The Chek Jawa Wetlands, with its boardwalk skirting the coast and passing mangrove and coastal forests, is one of the island's highlights.

Haw Par Villa: This theme park contains over 1,000 statues and 150 dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology, folklore, legends, and history. It's perhaps best known for its Ten Courts of Hell exhibit, a representation of the Buddhist concept of hell that's definitely not for the faint of heart. The park was built in 1937 by the Burmese-Chinese brothers who invented Tiger Balm as a venue for teaching traditional Chinese values.

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay: Known locally as "the Durian" for its spiky architectural design that resembles the tropical fruit, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is a waterside building located on six hectares of waterfront land alongside Marina Bay near the mouth of the Singapore River, purpose-built to be the centre for performing arts for the island nation of Singapore. It includes a concert hall which seats about 1,600 and a theatre with a capacity of about 2,000 for the performing arts.