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This day will be dedicated to a lot of walking, so have a hearty breakfast (I would recommend you to try out Singapore’s famous kaya toast and coffee!) and remember to carry some fluids with you always. Comfortable shoes/sandals, an umbrella, and change of clothes may also be good, as Singapore often experiences unpredictable showers of rain and hot, humid weather.
Located a short walk away from Dhoby Ghaut MRT, Singapore’s Colonial District area is packed with stunning grand colonial buildings, a relaxing park, and several awesome museums. It is the perfect area to explore on foot as everything is within a rather small geographical area.
Here is the route I took (based on attractions):
Fort Canning Park
River Valley Road, Singapore 179037
Opening Hours: 24 hours daily
No ticket needed
Fort Canning Park
River Valley Road, Singapore 179037
Opening Hours: 24 hours daily
No ticket needed
National Museum of Singapore
93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897
Opening Hours: 10.30am to 7pm
Ticket: $15/250,000 VND (adults), $10/170,000 VND (students and seniors above 60)
Peranakan Museum
39 Armenian Street, Singapore 179941
Opening Hours: 10am – 7pm (Monday – Thursday; Saturday – Sunday); 10am – 9pm (Friday)
Ticket: $10/170,000 VND (adults), $6/100,000 VND (students and seniors above 60), half-priced ticket on Friday night between 7pm – 9pm
National Gallery Singapore
1 St Andrew’s Road, Singapore 178957
Opening Hours: 10am – 7pm daily
Ticket: $20/340,000 VND (adults), $15/ 250,000 VND (children aged 7-12; seniors above 60)
Asian Civilisations Museum
1 Empress Pl, Singapore 179555
Opening Hours: 10am – 7pm (Monday – Thursday; Saturday – Sunday); 10am – 9pm (Friday)
Ticket: $8/130,000 VND (adults), $4/70,000 VND (students and seniors above 60)
Visiting all of these museums will take a long time. If you have limited time, I suggest you visit the National Museum and the National Gallery.
After lunch, it is time to head towards the waterfront for another walking tour through the Marina Bay district and the Quays district.
This part of Singapore is filled with modern architectural masterpieces which are world famous, some spectacular light-and-music shows, and lively restaurants and bars by the river.
Merlion: Singapore’s national symbol
From where you were, around the colonial district, it is easy to find your way to the Merlion Park. If you get confused, just follow this map below.
Cross the Esplanade Bridge to the Merlion Park where you find the famous Merlion statue – the official mascot of Singapore.
The Merlion is a statue of a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. It was created as a PR-stunt by the tourism board back in the 1980s, and one way or another, it soon became the icon of Singapore.
Enjoy the view of Marina Bay with the iconic Marina Bay Sands and the glittering Esplanade Theatres on the Bay. You can also jump on a boat cruise to get a full guided tour of Marina Bay and the Singapore River.
Merlion Park
1 Fullerton Road, Singapore 049213
Opening Hours: 24 hours daily
Ticket: No need for a ticket
Head north along the Esplanade Bridge towards Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, and continue to walk east along Marina Promenade to the Helix Bridge.
When you get to the Marina Bay Sands side, take a left and walk over to Gardens by the Bay. This major landmark is unmissable and just so otherworldly that it is almost unbelievable! Created in 2012 as part of Singapore’s government strategy of making Singapore into a “City In A Garden”, this landmark cost $1 billion SGD to build and is truly like nothing I have ever seen!
I spent at least a couple of hours wandering around the Gardens by the Bay. If you have enough budget, don’t miss the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest Dome and Supertree Grove with its OCBC Skyway (a 22 m high walkway between the Skytrees) as they are awesome! If you are tight on budget, rest assured, the main Gardens by the Bay park is free entry, and is enough awesomeness by itself.
Here are the attractions in Gardens by the Bay:
The most defining feature of the Gardens, these alien-looking trees look like they were taken straight out of the movie Avatar! There are eighteen Supertrees in Gardens by the bay in total, where twelve of them are put together making a cluster of trees called the Supertree Grove. The trees are of different heights ranging from 25 to 50 meters tall.
You can also see the daily light-and-music show Garden Rhapsody at 7:45pm and 8:45pm, when the Supertrees come alive in a spectacular colorful light show. Really stunning, world class entertainment for free.
The 22 meters high and 128-meter long canopy called the OCBC is another one of the highlights of the Gardens by the bay.
The canopy connects six of the Supertrees in the Supertree Grove so you can get close to the trees and its plants. It is the perfect place to get a stunning view of the skyline of Marina Bay. This is not free – you have to buy an extra ticket to get up to the OCBC Skyway.
Gardens by the Bay has two cooled conservatories (or Domes); the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest Dome, each with a unique interior layout and containing different plants and exhibitions.
The giant glass “egg” Gardens by the Bay Flower Dome is packed with beautiful flowers and plants, divided into seven different gardens each with its theme. The flower display changes frequently to reflect the seasonal changes and festivals.
The Flower Dome in Singapore is the world´s largest glass greenhouse! The air is kept cool (23-25 C) and dry (60-80% humidity) like the Mediterranean climate. These are the perfect growing conditions for exotic plants from Australia, South America, and South Africa.
The Flower Dome is nice, but for me, the Cloud Forest Dome was the one that was most impressive! When entering this dome, it feels like stepping into a dense, steamy and humid tropical jungle.
The temperature inside the Cloud Forest Dome is between 23 and 25 C, and the humidity is 80-90%, which is the same as the tropical mountain climate found between 1500 and 3000 meters above sea level. It is the perfect environment for plant life from tropical mountain areas in Southeast Asia, Central and South America.
As you follow the walking path called the Cloud Walk, you go around and up the big green mountain “Cloud Mountain” giving you a great view over the Cloud Forest. I loved the Cloud Walk at the top of the mountain where you walk on an airy path on the outside of the mountaintop, taking you to the plateau below. The view from this walk is spectacular!
From here on, you can visit a few other excellent attractions inside the Cloud Forest Dome – the Lost World (showcases cloud forest vegetation found 2000 meters above sea level); the Crystal Mountain Cave (display of real stalactites and stalagmites, and geological history); the Cloud Forest Theater (nature-themed films); and the Secret Garden (limestone forests and caves covered by more than 7000 plants of more than 135 species).
I spent at least a couple of hours wandering around the Gardens by the Bay. If you have enough budget, don’t miss the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest Dome and Supertree Grove with its OCBC Skyway (a 22 m high walkway between the Skytrees) as they are awesome! If you are tight on budget, rest assured, the main Gardens by the Bay park is free entry, and is enough awesomeness by itself.
If you want to avoid the long ticket queue and save money, consider buying your tickets online from websites like Klook. The tickets are flexible, so you can book them now and use them any time within the next 180 days.
Gardens by the Bay
18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953
Opening hours: 5am – 2am daily, the Domes and OCBC Skyway is open 9am – 9pm daily (last ticket sale is 8pm)
Ticket: Free
Ticket for Flower Dome + Cloud Forest Dome: $28 (adult), $15 (children 3-12 years old)
Ticket for OCBC Skyway: $8 (adult), $5 (children 8-12 years old)
