Singapore
Singapore
Three nights is exactly right. Long enough for the Gardens, Chinatown and one proper hawker crawl. Short enough that it stays a treat rather than an expense.
The short version
The best stopover in Asia, and worth a stay
Singapore is where almost every route to Australia, New Zealand and Bali breaks. Three nights on the way out costs surprisingly little and turns a brutal flight into two manageable ones. It's also small enough to see properly in that time, which is more than you can say for most stopover cities.
The centre
Marina Bay, and the walk round it
The whole bay is a two-hour loop on foot, and it's the best introduction to the city. Start at the Merlion, cross the Helix bridge at dusk, and finish under the Supertrees for the light show at quarter to eight. It's free, it's genuinely spectacular, and it costs you one evening.
Gardens by the Bay
Pay for the domes, not just the trees
The Supertree Grove and the light show are free. The Cloud Forest and Flower Dome cost, and the Cloud Forest — a seven-storey indoor waterfall inside a glass mountain — is the one thing in Singapore we'd tell you not to skip. Go at opening, before the tour groups.
Pick your base
Where to stay for three nights
The postcard address, and the infinity pool. Expensive, and you're paying for the view rather than the room.
Museums, the river and the colonial quarter. Walkable to everything and quieter at night.
Cheapest of the four, best food within walking distance, and two stops from the bay on the MRT.
Shopping, big reliable hotels and good family rooms. Less atmospheric, better value.
When to go
Any month works, some are wetter
Singapore sits on the equator, so it's 31°C and humid all year. There is no bad season, only wetter afternoons. The rain arrives hard and stops after an hour, and everything indoors is air-conditioned to the point of chilly.
February to April is the driest stretch. August and September can bring haze drifting in from regional fires — usually mild, occasionally enough to spoil the views.
Worth the early start
What we'd actually book
The free light show, 7.45 and 8.45 nightly. Lie on the grass under the trees rather than standing on the walkway.
The walkway between the Supertrees. A few pounds, and worth doing at dusk rather than dark.
Maxwell, Lau Pa Sat or Old Airport Road. Michelin-starred food for a fiver, and the real reason to come.
Genuinely one of the best in the world, and the Night Safari next door is a separate ticket worth having.
Before you book
Three things worth knowing
It is expensive. Hotels cost roughly what London costs. Food doesn't — a hawker centre meal is a few pounds, and it's the best eating in the city. Budget accordingly and you'll be fine.
Changi is worth arriving early for. The Jewel waterfall, the gardens and the cinema are landside, before security. If you have a long connection, that's a genuinely pleasant few hours rather than a departure lounge.
The rules are real. No chewing gum sales, fines for eating on the MRT, and vaping is illegal to bring in at all. Nothing that affects a normal trip, but the vape one catches people out.
Next step
Tell us your dates and we'll build it in
Whether it's three nights on its own or a stopover on the way somewhere else, we'll come back with live availability, a price from your airport, and the payment plan in full.
Practical
Singapore dollar. Effectively cashless — cards and phones work everywhere.
No visa required for UK passports for short stays.
The MRT is fast, clean and cheap, and reaches almost everything. Drives on the left.
7 hours ahead of the UK.
Singapore packages
Flights, accommodation and transfers as one package. Every one can be reshaped — different dates, different board, a different airport, or a stopover on the way.
3 nights in Singapore
- Return flights and private transfers
- Bed & breakfast throughout
- Financial protection confirmed in writing before you pay
4 nights in Singapore
- Return flights and private transfers
- Bed & breakfast throughout
- The extra nights cost proportionally less — fixed costs don't change
7 nights in Singapore
- Return flights and private transfers
- Bed & breakfast throughout
- Best value per night, and worth it on a longer flight
Guide prices, per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, accommodation and transfers. They indicate what a holiday of this type has typically cost and are not an offer or a quotation. Your price depends on dates, party, board basis, departure airport and availability, and is confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.
Packages that include Singapore
Ready-built itineraries with flights, transfers and internal hops booked as one package, ATOL protected. Every one can be reshaped around your dates.
12 Night Singapore & Bali
12 nights · Apr–Oct · from £1,749pp
13 Night Bangkok, Chiang Mai & Krabi
13 nights · Nov–Mar · from £1,649pp
13 Night Vietnam & Cambodia
13 nights · Nov–Mar · from £2,099pp
13 Night KL, Langkawi & Penang
13 nights · Dec–Mar · from £1,599pp
14 Night Singapore, KL & Bali
14 nights · Apr–Oct · from £1,849pp
15 Night Thailand & Bali
15 nights · Apr–Oct · from £2,199pp
14 Night Japan & Singapore
14 nights · Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov · from £2,999pp
12 Night Dubai & Thailand
12 nights · Nov–Mar · from £1,849pp
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