How To Make The Most Of Your Layover In Singapore

So you’re transiting through Singapore and wondering what to do during your layover. Since you’ve just gotten off one flight, and you’ll be getting on another one very soon, sitting around and reading or playing on your phone does not sound very appealing (although Changi does have free wifi). So keep reading because Culture Trip has put together a guide for how to spend your layover at Changi Airport based on how much time you need to kill.

Less than two hours

With this short of a layover, the best thing to do is stay in Changi Airport. Between clearing customs and making the trip into the city, you would spend more time waiting and travelling than seeing anything. However, don’t despair! Changi was voted the best airport in the world for the past several years, and with good reason. The list of fun things to do at Changi is too long to go into here, but some favourites are the cactus garden (T1), the world’s tallest slide in an airport (T3), the movie theatres in each terminal and, of course, all the great food options!

If your layover exceeds two hours, you’ll have time to go into the city, but it is definitely worth planning your excursions in advance. Depending on if it’s your first time in Singapore, the weather and how much hand luggage you’re carrying around, you should start with the Marina Bay district. Use Google Maps to check the traffic; if you’re leaving the airport during the busy rush hour periods, it is faster to take the MRT into the city versus a taxi. If you’re looking for a bite to eat, swing by Makansutra Gluttons Bay in front of the Esplanade Theatres. You can tuck into some reasonably priced chilli crab and enjoy spectacular views of the Singapore skyline.

More than six hours

The world (or at least Singapore) is your oyster! For the easiest option, join one of the Free Singapore Tours organised by Changi Airport. Choose between the Heritage Tour, which takes you through Singapore’s three main cultural enclaves – Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam – or the City Sights Tour, which visits many of Singapore’s iconic landmarks including Marina Bay Sands, the Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay. If you’d rather plan your own tour, Culture Trip recommends Haw Par Villa, a bizarre sculpture park unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, Haji Lane or Tiong Bahru for café-hopping and Clarke Quay or Club Street if you fancy a cocktail or two.

Chinese mythology diorama at Haw Par Villa

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.