Suggested itinerary
Hello,
We are coming to Singapore in a few days. I would be so grateful if someone could look at our itinerary and see if we have missed anything or if we could make it better!
We have chosen not to do any other zoo attractions and we are not particularly interested in Sentosa Island other than perhaps the cable car which I haven’t put on. We have left most morning free for leisurely breakfast but can switch things round.
Looking forward to any expert opinions and suggestions! Thank you.
Day 1
Arrive in Singapore at 7am
Dinner at Hawker Bazaar
Day 2
PM - pre-organised Walking Tour
Evening - Dinner at Clarke Quay
Day 3
PM - Gardens by the Bay/ OCBC Skyway/ Cloud Forest
Evening - Light show at Marina Bay
Days 4 - 8
Travelling elsewhere
Day 8
Visit RAF Seletar
Dinner in Little India
Day 9
Singapore Zoo
Day 10
AM - National Museum
PM - Raffles for a Singapore Sling
Evening - River Cruise tour
Day 11
AM - Plane spotting at Changi Airport
PM - Singapore Flyer
Evening - Dinner in China Town
Day 12
Check out of hotel
Lunchtime - visit Marina Bay Sands for the view only
PM - Late lunch at Level 33
Evening - Changi Airport for the Waterfall Gardens, Butterfly Gardens
Flight check in at around 11pm.
Day 1
"Arrive in Singapore at 7am
Dinner at Hawker Bazaar"
You will get to your hotel by 8:20am and so can ask for early check in, but be prepared that this is not available. Leave your luggage and then go to get breakfast and do something on that day before the official time of check in.
Where is your hotel ? if you state that people can give suggestions of where to go for a nearby breakfast and what you might do nearby on that first day.
This first day might be a better time to do the Singapore River Cruise as it is a good introduction to Singapore and takes you past many of the landmarks of this important River area, whilst giving you an interesting commentary of the history and allowing time for you to take many pictures.
Do you mean a Hawker Centre for the evening ? - Lau Pa Sat is a good one for the first night.
"Day 2
PM - pre-organised Walking Tour
Evening - Dinner at Clarke Quay"
Consider Boat Quay as an alternative - there are nice restaurants by the riverside with views over to the civic district and with early evening happy hours it is a lovely place to relax and watch the boats go by.
Day 3
"PM - Gardens by the Bay/ OCBC Skyway/ Cloud Forest
Evening - Light show at Marina Bay"
Cloud Forest tickets tend to get put in a 'bundle' with Flower Dome, so it is more economical to see both. Do check the scheduled maintenance days, on the official website before you go, to make sure you plan your visit when maintenance is not happening.
The two domes will take approx 3-3.5 hours and we have always had a lunch break between them. The Jurassic Food Court at the Gardens on the Bay is a suggestion for a nearby lunch. You could instead visit Satay by the Bay.
The Gardens Rhapsody show and the Spectra show can be seen on the same night - 7.45pm at the Gardens and then walk over to see the 9pm Spectra Show.
Edited: 12:45 pm, October 18, 2025This is great Ali. Thank you.
Day 1: Do you intend to rest during the day? This will make jetlag worse.
You don’t have to get to the hotel at check in time. Drop off your luggage and then go out somewhere, returning to the hotel early evening, to enjoy a long night’s sleep.
By keeping going during the day, you’ll find it easier to overcome jetlag. Normally try to do something which doesn’t require too much concentration, and is in bright light (not a cinema), I prefer to stay outdoors, ideally with a breeze so it doesn’t seem too hot Often we’d head for Sentosa, enjoy the beaches, and perhaps Fort Siloso, and the nature trail.
Day 11: I don’t find planespotting much fun these days. And you’ll waste a lot of time travelling to/from the airport. The Singapore Flyer only lasts an hour or so, you’ll have plenty of time for other things that day.
Agree with @HeatSeeker there - keep going on that first day and then go to bed reasonably early. Lau Pa Sat is a 24 hour place. Satay street gets going at 7pm (they close a road at 7pm - when a busy road, quickly transforms).
"Day 10
AM - National Museum
PM - Raffles for a Singapore Sling
Evening - River Cruise tour"
If you did change the River Cruise to the first day, as per my suggestion - you could use the early evening time to visit the Kampong Glam area, including the area around the Sultan Mosque, the street art around Haji Lane/ wander the small shops there and then get a dinner in that area.
"Day 11
AM - Plane spotting at Changi Airport
PM - Singapore Flyer
Evening - Dinner in China Town"
The Singapore Flyer as noted before does not take very long. This will allow you time to get over to Chinatown to wander around places like the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, the street markets and see the street art etc. You could visit Maxwell Hawker Centre for a dinner.
"Day 12
Check out of hotel
Lunchtime - visit Marina Bay Sands for the view only
PM - Late lunch at Level 33"
You can join as a Sands member for 30% off entry to the MBS Observation Deck if thats the view you mean? Or were you wanting to just walk outside the MBS Shoppes to see the views over to the CBD, Merlion Park, the Fullerton (impressive views and photo opportunities) and of the waterfront area there?
As you will be at MBS Shoppes on your way to Level 33, you could stop by to see the Rain Oculas - get there 5/10 mins before the hour mark, to secure a good viewing spot.
Level 33 is around a 15 mins walk from Shoppes. Do you already have a reservation?
Edited: 11:02 am, October 19, 2025**see if we have missed anything or if we could make it better!**
YOu are going to miss a lot - simply the nature of the length of time you have in Singapore - with only 5 full days plus the assorted days of arrival and departure which have limits, you are by definition going to miss a lot.
The question is can you add more things to the trip or not
The one thing that would have made it better is if the days elsewhere had been entirely at one end of the trip or the other - thus reducing the number of travel days and so losing less time but Im assuming things are too late for that sort of juggling.
**We have left most morning free for leisurely breakfast **
I get up and have what Id consider a leisurely breakfast - typically going out for it rather than eating in the hotel - but Im still going early enough to get a few hours before lunch in.
Not doing anything in the morning is going to seriously clamp down on what you can do and seeing enough was a criteria for you.
**Day 1 Arrive in Singapore at 7am Dinner at Hawker Bazaar**
OK so you need more than that for the first day. With a 7am flight in you need to be going for the day. So you have an extra day of visiting to plan -however the restrictions that kick in due to the flight timing in mean you want to aim at something casual in terms of visit style - maybe not something that costs a lot.
You don't want to let jetlag bite here as it can easily wipe out a number of days.
**Day 2 PM - pre-organised Walking Tour; Evening - Dinner at Clarke Quay**
So as with several days - there is time to do things in the morning. The Peranakan museum only require a few hours so would easily be fit in a morning. Maybe a walk round Fort Canning.
**Day 3 PM - Gardens by the Bay/ OCBC Skyway/ Cloud Forest Evening - Light show at Marina Bay**
OK so I couldnt fit that in the time. The Cloud Forest takes me 2hrs on its own. If you get the standard combined ticket for Cloud Forest and Flower dome then there is more time - and thats without considering the outside gardens. GBTB is for a a whole day trip and I normally do the lightshows at GBTB and MBS on a separate night just for ease of scheduling.
**Day 8 Visit RAF Seletar; Dinner in Little India**
So RAF Seletar doesnt exist anymore. The bulk of it is now part of or under Seletar airport which is a secure zone. There is the RAF Seletar Memorial nearby but other than that this is not a place you can just visit as an active airport. You would be able to do some plane spotting since that is on the list but Im not sure if they have a suitable gallery there like there is at Changi.
**Day 9 Singapore Zoo**
Standard but bear in mind this can easily be a full day. I have visited the zoo more times than I can conveniently count in my life and a visit is still arrive at opening time (around 8:15) and leave around 4:30 - thats without getting to any of the shows and maybe only one keeper talk if its on as we pass - and nothing in the kids zoo area either. Its large, dense with enclosures to spend time at and you need to go a lot slower than you expect to not tire
This leaves the evening free to plan as well.
**Day 10 AM - National Museum; PM - Raffles for a Singapore Sling; Evening - River Cruise tour**
SO these fit but there is only so long you can spend on the sling - given you are doing the river cruise it makes sense to go from Raffles to walk the Civic District area and its monuments and sights and segue neatly into the River Cruise.
**Day 11 AM - Plane spotting at Changi Airport; PM - Singapore Flyer; Evening - Dinner in China Town**
Given you have alate flight the next day it seems the plane spotting could be done on the day of departure. freeing this time up for something else. Once you take the plane spotting out the Flyer is an hour plus however long you spend in the museum section more than a quick pass through. So there is time here to add things into.
**Day 12 Check out of hotel; Lunchtime - visit Marina Bay Sands for the view only; PM - Late lunch at Level 33
Evening - Changi Airport for the Waterfall Gardens, Butterfly Gardens
Flight check in at around 11pm.**
So the Butterfly garden is airside - you arent going to see it unless you have early checkin and can go airside before it gets dark. Same for some of the other gardens.
You need to plan what you intend t see at Changi and where the things are - who are you flying with as early checkin gives alot more flex here.
