Two Days in Singapore: Things To Do, See & Eat
— Updated in May 2024 —
Singapore is a diverse melting pot of Chinese, Malay and Indian culture. On top of the British colonial past, it has a fascinating history. It is definitely one of my favourite cities in the world and I keep coming back whenever I am in Asia.
People always say to me that they find Singapore a small city, but I think for a small city, there’s quite a lot to do and see!
I’ve been to Singapore several times now and each time I see something new. So here are some top things to do and sights to see, as well as places to eat when you find yourself for two days in Singapore.
Quicklinks:
Things To Do & See
Chinatown
Chinatown, ironically, is home to the oldest and most famous Hindu temple in Singapore, Sri Mariamman. The building is gorgeous, heavily decorated, and it is dedicated to the goddess Mariamman. The belief is that this goddess has power to cure illnesses.
Just around the corner from Sri Mariamman there is the Buddha Tooth Relic temple, where we’ve witnessed some sort of ceremony with many people chanting together. We were surprised to find out the temple has been built only 10 years ago, in 2007.
It’s nice to stroll around China town and have a look at all the Chinese shops. There is also free wifi in the area, which is always good to know!
Gardens By The Bay
When in Singapore, you can’t miss the beautiful Gardens by the Bay, where you can watch the light show at the Skytree Garden. It’s quite a big park, and I would recommend going during the day as well, as there is loads to see and it’s just really nice to roam around. The Light show takes place every day at 7.45PM and 8.45PM and it’s for free. Definitely make sure to check it out. It lasts for about 30 minutes and some choreographies are brilliant.
From the Gardens you can take the escalator and go up to the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel. You don’t actually enter the hotel via this way, but you pass through it and enter the big Mall called The Shoppes. Inside the mall, there is even a small river and you can even take a ride on a Gondola…!
You can also visit the Flower Dome that is within the Gardens by the Bay. It’s an indoor lush garden with many tropical plants and flowers and a waterfall. Definitely worth going. Check out the tickets here.
Marina Bay & The Merlion
A must do in Singapore is strolling around the Marina Bay area, to see the Merlion, which is a mythical creature, half lion and half shrimp, the mascot of the city. It’s a bit of a touristy area, but it’s nice to have a view of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel building across the water. In the evening there’s also a light show on the water.
Haji Lane
Haji Lane is a hipster street with lots of little boutiques and cool street art. You will find lots of eclectic fashion stores as well as cute cafes, and it’s nice to just stroll around as well and take some Instagram pictures of the cute houses and street art. Haji Lane is also close to the Middle Easter Quarter, and you can find a big Mosque in this area as well.
Tiong Bahru
Tiong Bahru is a neighbourhood located in the west part of the city. It is quite a hipster area with lots of cafes and brunch places serving specialty coffee, as well as some cute boutiques. I really like strolling around this area because it’s pretty quiet and it feels more residential somehow. Also make sure to visit the Cat Socrates gift shop, which sells all kinds of cute gifts and Singapore souvenirs.
Stroll around the Duxton Hill area
One of my favourite spots in Singapore is the area around Duxton Park. You can walk up Ann Siang Hill and see the contrast between the sprawling high-rise buildings and the old, Singaporean traditional shop houses.
📲 Check out my Instagram reel on Ann Siang Hill and see why it’s one of my favourite spots in Singapore
Shopping
Of course, when in Singapore you can’t miss out on some shopping with all the malls available. Some of my favourite malls in Singapore are:
VivoCity (which is also how you get to Sentosa island) - a big mall with loads of street fashion stores
Raffles City - A big mall with a mix of luxury stores and contemporary stores. There’s also a big food court at the lower level.
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands - more luxury and upscale mall, that features an indoor river with gondola’s!
Funan Mall - kind of a quirkier mall experience that features loads of interesting shops and restaurants.
Botanical Gardens
The Botanic Gardens have an enormous variety of lush plants, trees, flowers and other botanical wonders, and it’s a beautiful park to wander around. Especially in the morning, this 158-year old garden is a serene place, with people practicing Tai Chi and early morning joggers. I also love the Orchid Garden, which has an entrance fee, but it’s so worth it to see all the beautiful orchids!
Sentosa Island
This man-made island just off the coast of Singapore is literally an island of fun, with lots of beaches, resorts, amusement and water parks. You can easily get there by metro and spend the day on the beach. While you’re there, you can also visit Fort Siloso, which is a restored World War II fort, which also includes a museum.
Having a Cocktail on a Rooftop bar
Such as at Mr. Stork, which is a rooftop bar in Singapore at the Andaz hotel. You have an incredible view over Singapore whilst enjoying some pretty classy and delicious cocktails.
Southern Ridges Trail
The Southern Ridges trail is a 9 km long track that connects the parks in the south of Singapore. It looked really cool as you cross beautiful bridges along the trail, which you can do either by foot or by bike. But this is definitely something to do in the early morning and not in the blistering afternoon sun. If you love hiking and nature, definitely put this on your to-do list.
Where To Eat
Hawker centres
Of course you can’t miss going to the famous hawker centres in Singapore where you can get delicious local food and snacks for super affordable prices. Just make sure to bring some cash with you when you go!
Here are a few of my favourites (so far):
Old Airport Road Food Centre - Even though it’s a bit father out from the city, it’s one of the more ‘local’ hawker spots and the food you can find there is really quite good. There are countless food stalls with all kinds of different foods, including Singaporean delicacies such as Black Pepper Crab, Bak Chor Mee (Minced Meat Noodle), Hokkien Prawn Bee (Prawn Noodles), Satay and Tau Huay (Tofu dessert) and many other foods. You will find a mix of Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian and Indian food stalls. Definitely try also the famous Sugarcane juice and some Iced Lemon Tea! Mark Wiens, one of my favourite food YouTuber made a great video showing what sort of food you can expect from this gem.
Maxwell Food Centre - The Maxwell Food Centre is located in Chinatown and is one of the most popular hawkers in the city. You’ll find everything from dim sum to chicken rice to satay. Make sure to arrive well before 8pm as it closes at that time.
Little India Tekka Centre - The hawker stalls in Little India’s Tekka Centre have a wide range of Indian delicacies and you will find a lot of locals eating here (mostly Indian of course). We tried some butter chicken curry with some garlic naan bread and it was very tasty!
Tiong Bahru Market - This hawker centre is located on the top floor of a market and features a wide range of different foods. I think it is mostly Chinese food, but you can also find some Malay and Indian stalls. It’s quite popular with locals as well.
🍜 For more Hawker spots, check out my blog post on best Hawker centres in Singapore!
Another way to discover the hawkers and street food in Singapore is to do a food tour, such as this one on GetYourGuide.
Restaurants
Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant, Dim Sum - This place is located near Little India and it’s is a simple and very Chinese eatery, and the dim sum they serve is good and at a very reasonable price also.
Cherry Garden at the Mandarin Oriental, Dim Sum- This one is a more fancy dim sum place but definitely worth going.
Cultivate Cafe, Vegan - Even though I haven’t been myself yet, it’s high on my list as I’ve heard some great things about this vegan restaurant. The dishes are supposedly beautifully crafted and it’s all vegan.
Coffee & Brunch
Nylon Coffee, Specialty Coffee - Our favourite coffee place in Singapore is this cute cafe located close to Tanjong Pagar.
Butler Koffee, Specialty Coffee - Another fantastic specialty coffee place close to China town and Clarke Quay.
Dough, Bakery and coffee - I found this place in the Chijmes building, and I had a delicious breakfast there. You can choose from a variety of amazing pastries and the coffee is also excellent.
Glasshouse, Brunch and coffee - A lovely brunch place in Duxton (near Outram Park metro) that also serves great specialty coffee. Do watch out because the portions are quite big.
Common Man Coffee Roasters, Brunch and coffee - This is a brunch spot with several locations and they serve some amazing brunch dishes as well as very good specialty coffee. It can get pretty crowded during the weekend, so make sure you arrive early enough.
Baker’s Bench Bakery, Pastries and coffee - This is kind of a hidden gem I found while staying near Duxton Plain Park. They have amazing bread and pastries and the coffee is excellent too. Definitely recommend this place is you like baked goods.
☕You can also check out my blog post on best specialty coffee places in Singapore!
Dessert & Sweets
Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique, Ice cream - This is a fancy ice cream parlour with lots of interesting flavours such as Butterfly pea and Early Grey tea!
High tea at Rose Veranda at the Shangri-La Hotel - Singapore is also famous for it’s high tea! One of the ones we tried was at the Shangri-La hotel. They not only have cakes and sweets but also a lot of savoury stuff. After having this fantastic high tea buffet, you definitely don’t need a dinner anymore!
Creamier Handcrafted Ice Cream and Coffee (Tiong Bahru) , Ice cream- A cute ice cream shop in Tiong Bahru that sells amazing ice cream as well as coffee.
Where To Stay
A cozy living room at KeSa house
Singapore is not the cheapest city of course, but there are definitely hotel options with different price ranges. I’ve been to Singapore a few times now and tried different hotels, at different price ranges.
Here are a few of my favourites that I have stayed at in the past:
Lyf Hotel Farrer Park - this is a new-ish hotel brand from the Ascott Hotel chain and it’s more geared towards the millennials traveling. They have smaller rooms but have big community spaces such as co-living area where you can work, and amenities like a gym, a shared kitchen and laundry facilities. I think for the price it’s really good value for money. They also have a lyf in Funan, which is a bit more central, but therefore also a bit more expensive. View & book the hotel here.
KeSa House - This is a more boutique hotel that is located in Tanjong Pagar area, which is right next to China town. I thought this little hotel was very cute. The rooms are quite small but designed in a way that optimises space. For one person I think it’s fine; for two it might be a little too small. What I liked about it was the communal living area and there’s also a shared kitchen. The location is the biggest plus as you’re very close to 3 different metro lines, as well as a bus stop and there are tons of cafes and restaurants in the area. View & book the hotel here.
InterContinental Hotel, Robertson Quay - For a more luxurious stay, the Intercontinental is a good choice. You can read my full hotel review here. I really loved this hotel, the rooms were beautiful, the pool super refreshing and the staff very friendly. Location wise it’s not a good as the other two hotels above I think, as the metro stop is still a 10-15 min walk. View & book the hotel here.
Neighbourhoods
In terms of neighbourhoods, I really liked staying in the Tanjong Pagar area, which is close to Chinatown and Outram Park. Because you’re so close to the different metro lines, it’s super convenient to get anywhere in Singapore.
I also liked staying in the Little India area, close to the Farrer Park metro, as it’s not too far from the city centre and there are loads of food options around.
When To Go
Singapore has tropical, hot and wet weather all year round basically so in terms of weather, there’s not really a ‘best’ time to go. There is still a rainy season, so if you want to be sure to have mostly dry weather you should go between June and September.
In terms if prices, Singapore is a bit more expensive during the month December. It seems to be the cheapest in the month of May.
How To Get Around
While accommodation in Singapore may be expensive, public transportation is affordable and efficient. You can take the metro or the bus, both of which you can use your credit card for, so you don’t even need to buy a separate card.
Taxis are also affordable and you can use apps like Zig to easily call a taxi from anywhere. If you can endure the heat, Singapore is also a pretty walkable city, although you will probably be drenched in sweat after walking for 10 minutes 😅.
How To Get There
Singapore is a major hub in South East Asia and there are so many flights from all over the world flying directly to Singapore.
The main airport is the world famous Changi Airport, which is very well connected with the city via the Green metro line. Alternatively, it’s also pretty affordable to get a taxi, which would be around 20-40SG$ (about 15 to 30 euros).
Check out flights from your city to Singapore here:
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