Singapore Travel Guide | Everything You Should Know Before Visiting Singapore
Here’s an ultimate Singapore Travel Guide featuring travel tips, top attractions, recommended accommodations for all budgets, entry requirements and more. Experience the best of the city!
Singapore Travel Guide – Singapore is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Asia. The amazing skyscrapers, fascinating gardens, beautiful islands, cultural blend, well developed infrastructure, boosting corporate sector and interesting shopping arenas has made this Lion City a very prominent part of Asia. If you are planning to visit Singapore or considering it as one of the destinations you would want to visit, here’s an ultimate Singapore Travel Guide which will provide you all the useful insights that you must know before traveling to this wonderful city.
Singapore Travel Guide 2019
Best Time To Visit Singapore
You can visit Singapore anytime throughout the year. It’s summer all year round with consistent temperature of about 25 Degree Celsius to 35 Degree Celsius and it’s also generally humid. I would still recommend you to visit during the year end between September and December, it might rain in these months but its also comparatively cooler than the other months.
Singapore hosts the Grand Prix event for Formula 1 motor race every year in the month of September.
Entry Requirements For Singapore
Travelers who are citizens of Europe, United States, Australia, Norway, South Korea and Switzerland can visit Singapore without a visa and stay up to 90 days. The Singapore Immigration Authorities have two lists of nationals Assessment I and Assessment II. If your country is not a part of these lists you can travel to Singapore visa free. The ones on this list will have to apply for an e-visa or contact an authorized visa agent to get their visas processed. You can check out these lists on the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority website https://www.ica.gov.sg/ .
Where To Stay In Singapore
Singapore has various options for accommodations ranging from high-end luxury hotels, exotic boutique hotels to budget friendly hotels. Since Singapore is well connected by the MRT Rail system, it’s very easy to commute within the city from whichever area you are staying. If you are on a budget you should be looking for hotels in Little India, Bugis or China Town. These areas are very lively, close to many eateries and budget shopping stores.
Here are some of the most recommended accommodations in Singapore that are located near all the major tourist spots;
Hostel: The Bohemian
Budget: Royal Lodge
Boutique Hotel: Quincy Hotel
Mid Range: Pan Pacific
Luxury: Marina Bay Sands
If you want to explore more hotel options in Singapore, you can find the best deals by booking your perfect hotel from the box below;
Booking.com
Language
Language in not a barrier in Singapore. English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil are the official languages in Singapore. Most locals in Singapore are fluent in English and may also be well versed in Mandarin, Malay or Tamil.
Currency
Singaporean Dollar (SGD) is the currency used in Singapore and according to the current official exchange rate 1 USD is 1.35 SGD. You can get your currency exchanged at any money exchange outlets or bank. However, the banks may charge a flat fee of SGD 3 per transaction.
List of Top Attractions to Visit in Singapore – Singapore Travel Guide
Here’s a list of the must visit places in Singapore;
- Marina Bay Sands Skypark
- Universal Studios
- Sentosa Island
- Gardens By The Bay
- Merlion Park
- Singapore Botanic Gardens
- China Town
- Clarke Quay
- Singapore Flyer
- Sri Mariamman Temple
Read more about all these wonderful attractions in Singapore here and add them to your itineraries accordingly.
Food / Where to eat in Singapore
It’s not a hidden fact that Singapore is a foodie’s paradise. You will find a variety of Asian cuisines at every nook and corner of this beautiful city. Little India and Chinatown are the top spots where you can find lip smacking variables of food. through various hawker stalls and restaurants. These places are very budget and vegan friendly too. Don’t miss out trying Chilli Crab, Satay, Hokkien Mee (Egg Noodles), Dumplings, Chicken Rice and Durian during your food trails in Singapore.
Public Transportation in Singapore – Singapore Travel Guide
Singapore offers several modes of public transportation that interlink all the major attractions within the city efficiently and are very easily reachable.
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Rail System
The MRT Rail System is the fastest and the most efficient way to commute within Singapore. All the major attractions are located at a short walking distance to the respective MRT stations as per the localities. You can also buy an EZ-Link Card at any MRT station, which you can re-fill with money to make your transportation more easier and cheaper. The trains and stations are accessible for wheel chair users and for families carrying strollers.
Public Bus
The public bus system is another economical way to reach various attractions in Singapore. You can pay by cash or the EZ- Link Card while you are commuting by bus. If you are using the EZ- Link card, you will have to tap the card on the fare validator on entering as well as exiting the bus. The buses are very comfortable and air conditioned.
Taxi
Hiring a taxi or cab is quite expensive in Singapore. You may also be charged an extra surcharge during peak hours. The Taxis have meters installed in them and make sure you ask for receipt before leaving it.
Where To Shop – Singapore Travel Guide
In Singapore you are going to find all kinds of shopping areas whether you are looking for high end brands, brand outlets, budget stores or flea markets. If you want to check out luxury brands, then you should be heading to Orchard Road or the Marina Bay Sands shopping center. If you are on a budget, you can find some great stuff at good bargain prices in Singapore too, just head to Little India or Chinatown marketplaces and enjoy some inexpensive shopping of goods.
Don’t Miss : The Best Attractions At Sentosa Island, Singapore;
Tipping In Singapore
Giving tips to the service staff is not compulsory in Singapore. Mostly all the restaurants and cafes will add a 10% service charge on top of your total invoice. Hawker stalls or less formal restaurants do not apply the service charges. Leaving tips is not illegal in Singapore, you can leave some tip on the bill, if you wish to.
Safety In Singapore
Singapore has very stringent rules and regulations making it one of the safest cities in the world to travel to. It’s of course not crime free so you must be taking care of your belongings while visiting crowded places and avoid getting into brawls.
Nightlife In Singapore
Singapore has a fantastic and entertaining nightlife which makes visiting Singapore more fun. You will have to head out to Clarke Quay which has various nightclubs, pubs and bars. Just make sure that you reach there early or make a prior reservation because these nightclubs get filled very quickly specially during the weekends.
Check Out The Best Tours In Singapore – Singapore Travel Guide
Well, I hope my Singapore travel guide must have answered all your questions and considerations you might be having before visiting this amazing destination. You can find more about it by reading my posts on Singapore to get ideas and recommendations for your own travel adventures there.
Have you been to Singapore before? Let me know about your favorite places in this beautiful city. If you have any queries, drop a comment below, I would be happy to help.
If you are traveling alone to this wonderful city, here’s a solo traveler’s guide to Singapore to help you plan your visit.
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