If you are going to spend some time in transit at the Singapore airport, you may as well set foot outside of the airport and explore the country. Even if this is not your first time, there is no dearth of newer things to do in Singapore and additions to the list of tourist places to visit every few months.
However most people often wonder - Can I go outside the Changi Airport while in transit? Am I allowed to leave the airport during a layover?
If you are travelling to South East Asia, the Far East or Oceania with a stopover in Singapore on an Indian passport with an active visa of any one of USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand and a few other countries that you can check on the official immigration website (as the rules keep changing), you can get out of the airport in Singapore for up to 96 hours as long as you have a ticket for your onward journey. This is one way to save on the cost of your Singapore visa and still include it as part of your itinerary.
In case you do not have any valid visas of the above mentioned countries then you will have to apply for a Tourist Visa for Singapore (and incur that additional cost) before your planned travel to be able to venture out of the airport.
While it is a tiny country, there are still a number of things to do in Singapore if it is your first visit. We recommend dedicating a one week trip to this tropical beauty. However, if it is not your first time or you are visiting Singapore after a gap of a few years, chances are there are a bunch of new experiences for you to enjoy. We recently made the most of our 12 hour long Singapore stopover before boarding our onward flight to Fiji.
The Layover Guide to Singapore
Pro tip on Singapore currency: Try to use an international credit card during your layover in Singapore as while they will accept USD in cash at the airport at duty free or at cafes, the change that you may receive will be in their local currency - Singapore dollars. So if you are heading to another country you may have a lot of currency to manage. Also, choose the payment currency as SGD (Singapore Dollars) at the point of sale to avoid additional foreign exchange charges on your card.
Things to do in Singapore in 12 hours
Sunflower Garden, Changi Airport
While each terminal at the Changi Airport flaunts a variety of flora, the sunflower garden is surely one of the most vibrant spaces at Terminal 2 with gramworthy corners and happy faces. It is also open round the clock, so even if you are confined to the airport on an overnight layover, you can surely pay it a visit.
Butterfly Garden, Changi Airport
One of the most noteworthy attractions that highlights the rich fauna of the tropics is the Butterfly Garden at Terminal 3 of the Changi Airport. It has a kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering and you also have the opportunity to geek out on the butterfly breeding process from a caterpillar to a cocoon to probably the only loved insect in the world.
Jewel Changi Airport
Before you even have the chance to visit the buzzing downtown in Singapore, you will be acquainted with the Singapore mall culture right outside the airport at the Jewel Changi Airport which is a retail hub and houses multiple brands along with an Apple Store. You will need to pass immigration to be able to visit Jewel Changi Airport. The main highlight of this place is the Rain Vortex which is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall right at the centre of the building and amid an indoor tropical forest.
Gardens by the Bay, Marina Gardens Dr
If visiting botanical gardens, lush green forests and greenhouses is your thing then you cannot miss out on the Gardens by the Bay. One of the biggest complaints most tourists have in tropical countries is that it is simply too warm during the day to squeeze in a bunch of things to do in their itinerary as the sun simply saps out all the energy from their bodies. Gardens by the Bay solves for this as it is a cooled conservatory in an indoor environment that still does not compromise on the authenticity of your experience. Even though the air conditioning is doing its job at its best, you may feel that the cool air is on account of the spray from a nearby indoor waterfall.
Grab lunch at Shake Shack, Marina Gardens Dr
After all the walking around at Gardens by the Bay, you can grab a quick bite at Shake Shack which is in the same premises. If you have been to the USA and have been craving their curly fries and salted caramel shake in India then this is the closest you can get to it. If you are a vegetarian then opt for their Shroom Burger to make it a meal.
Marina Bay Street Circuit, Marina Bay
If you watch Formula1, then you definitely want to take a pit stop at the Marina Bay Street Circuit which is the site of the Singapore Grand Prix. This is walkable from Gardens by the Bay.
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Singapore has an unparalleled shopping scene right from budget buys to local boutique stores to global brands and after all the nature inspired experiences, you need to stimulate your senses further by visiting one of the best malls in Singapore - The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. You can simply window shop if you are not to keen on going on a shopping spree or sit at one of their open air cafes and make mental notes inspired by the fashion and styling sense of the Singaporeans.
Grab an early dinner at Angelina, Marina Bay
If you have been to Paris and have fallen in love with the luscious hot chocolate at Angelina, you can now sip on it closer to home at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands where you will spot an Angelina. Even more than their hot chocolate we were gushing over their vegetarian spaghetti with a tomato based pasta sauce which we drizzled over our al dente spaghetti. This was easily the best spaghetti we have ever had!
Things to do in Singapore in 24 hours
Stay at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore
If you are staying the night in Singapore (after spending the first half of the day in the city) and want to ditch the transit hotel and treat yourself to a luxurious room with a view of the Singapore skyline, then consider spending your hard earned money at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore. With limited time in hand, you must enjoy some key highlights of the hotel which are their infinity pools and grabbing a drink at their rooftop bar on the 57th floor. We were here on Christmas eve with the hotel lobbies lined with decorated and lit up Christmas trees. However, this was not the best time to visit Singapore as the hotel was fully occupied, all the restaurants were booked and the entry to the rooftops were restricted.
Gardens by the Bay in the evening all lit up
While you may have explored Gardens by the Bay from the inside, your visit is incomplete without seeing the supertree grove lit up after sunset, even if it means paying a special visit to the Central Business District just for this illuminated spectacle.
Things to do in Singapore in 48 hours
Pick between Sentosa Island or Universal Studios
If you have an additional day to spend (after undertaking all the activities listed above on your first day) in Singapore before continuing with your onward journey then the beach loving romantics can take a cable car to Sentosa Island and the adventure junkies can pick Universal Studios.
Perfume Making Workshop at Scentopia, Sentosa
If you have already buried your toes in sand at the beaches of Sentosa, done the Luge rides and viewed the evening Wings of Time water show and want to try something offbeat, then you could visit Scentopia. You could book yourself a perfume making workshop and explore the world of fragrances unique to Singapore’s wide variety of orchids and the essential oils extracted from each type of orchid. With this sensorial experience, you need not go all the way to France to immerse yourself in a perfume making experience.
Last Word
Any time of the year is the best time to visit Singapore as the weather is pretty much the same around the year with sunny mornings, late afternoon showers and cooler evenings. So if you do get a chance to stopover in the country with a minimum of 6 hours to explore, do grab the opportunity and definitely step out of the airport and turn your layover into a mini vacation in itself.
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