Make The Most Of: 3 days Itinerary In Singapore

Country of Colours

We decided to head over to Singapore for the first time for 3 days, and of course I had to research the best itinerary to see everything très chic in Singapore. I’m not about gatekeeping, so I thought I’d share it with you (as well as all of our stunning photos). We arrived around dinner time on Saturday after an eight hour flight from Melbourne. We were pretty exhausted but we did head out for dinner and a quick walk around. Our plan was to have an early night, so we could make the most of the three full days we had. We would be leaving on Tuesday night.

What you will find here:

Here you will find a tried and tested 3 days itinerary in Singapore. We spent three full days in Singapore. Is three days enough time to see everything in Singapore? No, but it is enough for a first-time traveller who wants to get a taste of the main attractions. This itinerary is for people who are excited who are looking for photo-walk ideas in Singapore, as well as a good balance between exploring and relaxing. We do not have children, so this is a great child-free itinerary for Singapore as we have no interest in places like Universal Studio. If you’re interested in more Singapore favs, head to my post The Most Instagrammable Locations for Fabulous Photos in Singapore.

Day 1: 

Singapore Botanic Gardens

Get up early and head over to the Botanic Gardens to escape the crowd and the heat. We went at 7am so we had time to explore the gardens before heading into the National Orchid Garden when it opens at 8.30am. This is the best time to get photos under the gorgeous arches. 

Make Sure You Visit:

• Singapore Botanic Gardens Bandstand
• National Orchid Garden
• Forest Discovery Centre (Atbara)
• Botanical Art Gallery (Inverturret)
• Swan Lake

✨Travel Tip: Wake up early and make the most of the empty streets while the weather is cooler. Temperatures get really high during the day in Singapore so you want to be indoors (or sitting by the pool, sipping an icy cocktail) between 1pm-4pm.

Chinatown

After you’ve enjoyed the morning at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, head over to Chinatown for lunch and a wander around some of the most beautiful temples. The food in this area was my favourite, and there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Afterwards, we headed back to our hotel for a rest and a swim in the pool before going out for dinner.

Make Sure You Visit:

• Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
• Sri Mariamman Temple
• Thian Hock Keng Temple
• Eight Treasures Vegetarian Restaurant (vegan options available and allergens marked)
• Maxwell Food Centre (not great for vegan options but perfect for a cold coconut or sugar cane juice while you take in the hustle and bustle)

Day 2:

Little India & Arab Quarter

On day 2, we got up early and headed out to the Eastern side of the city. Again, we were up early to beat the heat (the humidity is real). This day we would be doing quite a bit of walking around. We would start in the Arab Quarter before heading to Little India on foot (15 mins). After Little India, you can head over to Fort Canning Park (15 mins). On the way, there is plenty to see. We made sure to stop at Selegie Arts Centre (a cute, colourful building) and Herbivore is a great cafe to stop at for lunch. After exploring Fort Canning Park, head over to Raffles Hotel (10 mins) for a cocktail to cool down (and make sure you visit Chijmes on the way over).

Make Sure You Visit:

Arab Quarter

• Sultan Mosque
• Kampong Glam
• Arab St
• Haji Ln

Little India

• Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
• Little India

Other hotspots

• Herbivore
• Selegie Arts Centre
• National Museum of Singapore
• Fort Canning Tree Tunnel
• Fort Canning Park
• CHIJMES
• Raffles Hotel

Gardens by the Bay

In the afternoon, I recommend heading over to Gardens by the Bay. Honestly, this area is a huge tourist trap in a lot of ways. However, there are some really special spots here. If you haven’t guessed from my 3 days itinerary in Singapore so far, I’m a park person (if I was Gen Z, my style would be parkcore). I highly recommend spending sunset over at the Water Lily Pond as it is a fabulous quiet spot to enjoy the view of Marina Bay Sands. If you want to visit one of the event spaces, I recommend Cloud Forest (it requires a ticket for entry). 

Make Sure You Visit: 

• Water Lily Pond
• Cloud Forest

Day 3:

Sentosa

For our last day in Sentosa we stayed the night at The Outpost Hotel (a fantastic adults-only hotel). For a 3 days itinerary in Singapore I highly recommend spending a day in Sentosa. Sentosa is only a short car ride away from the city or the airport so it is easy to get to. Our plan was to spend this last day relaxing, so we really only checked out the beach. On Monday night, we watched the Wings of Time (a nightly fireworks show) from the rooftop bar. We spent the majority of Tuesday sitting by the pool and Tuesday night we headed to the airport and said goodbye to Singapore!

Make Sure You Visit:

• Palawan Beach
• Palawan Viewing Tower
• Wings of Time

What are the best hotels to stay in when visiting Singapore?

Below you can use this interactive map to find all the available accommodation for Singapore: