chloedickensonLast Updated on 15th December 2023
This post about the perfect 5 day Singapore itinerary contains affiliate links and mentions of previously gifted experiences.
Are you planning to spend 5 days in Singapore but you’re not sure where to start when it comes to putting an itinerary together? This ultimate guide about what to do in Singapore for 5 days has got you covered!
Singapore had been at the top of my travel bucket list for many years; it’s a place that I’d seen friends and family visit over the years and every time they returned from the Lion City, it left me with a longing desperation to see what all the fuss was about for myself.
In December 2019, Matt and I spent Christmas and New Year in Singapore, which marked our first (of many!) festive season away from our families.
While our accommodation was arguably the worst place I’ve ever stayed (and I won’t bore you with the details of that right now), the city itself was absolutely phenomenal and I can’t wait to share the perfect 5 day Singapore itinerary with you in this ultimate guide!
Read more: YOTEL Singapore Orchard Road Hotel Review
Planning your Singapore itinerary last minute?
Check out the top tours and attractions to experience in Singapore below!
- Gardens by the Bay admission ticket
- Universal Studios Singapore admission ticket
- Singapore Flyer & Gardens by the Bay ticket bundle
- ArtScience Museum entry ticket
- Chinatown and Little India guided walking tour
Let’s get into the ultimate Singapore itinerary for 5 days, including where to go, what to see, where to eat and more!
1. Marina Bay – 5 days in Singapore itinerary
Marina Bay is undoubtedly one of the most iconic places in the city and is a place where you could spend hours exploring and admiring the beautiful views and towering skyscrapers surrounding the Bay.
Marina Bay is also the place where the annual famous New Year’s Eve firework display is held and we were incredibly lucky enough to experience it in 2019.
The Bay is such a beautiful and peaceful area and even though it’s usually swarming with tourists, it never really felt overwhelmingly busy.
It’s home to the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel (see below), as well as the Shoppes, the ArtScience Museum, and the Singapore Flyer and is also surrounded by the Financial District too.
There’s also a plethora of luxury hotels and designer shopping malls within Marina Bay too and it’s simply oozing luxury wherever you go!
2. Marina Bay Sands
The Marina Bay Sands Hotel is one of the most iconic hotels in the world and while I knew that I wanted to visit it while we were in the city, I never expected it to blow me away quite like it did!
It’s also much taller in real life than I expected at a whopping 679ft tall. Marina Bay Sands is home to 57 floors, 2,560 rooms, the SkyPark, numerous restaurants and dining facilities plus a casino, theatres and even a museum!
The entire complex is such an impressive sight to see and as you can see from the pictures above, it looks spectacular at any time of day or night.
There are also several other features and facilities that you can take advantage of while at Marina Bay Sands, so regardless of whether you’re staying at the lavish complex or not, you can still enjoy visiting one of the greatest hotels in the world!
3. Spectra Light Show
Spectra is a light and water show that is on display every night just outside Marina Bay Sands on the water.
It’s a free-to-watch 15-minute spectacle that can be viewed from many places in and around the Bay but is arguably best seen from just outside the hotel, on the front steps of the Bay.
Timings: Sun – Thu: 8 pm & 9 pm, Fri & Sat: 8 pm, 9 pm & 10 pm
4. Casino
The Marina Bay Sands Casino is an absolutely giant complex located within Marina Bay Sands.
Matt and I paid it a visit while we were there, although we didn’t gamble anything as most tables have a minimum spend and we couldn’t quite justify the cost (some tables have a minimum of $800SGD to play!) 😱
The Casino is spread out across four levels, with 350 tables and 20 games played at the main playing tables, as well as more than 200 other games available throughout various other areas of the Casino.
You’ll need your passport to be allowed inside the Casino and you’ll also have to check your bag in free of charge.
Even if you don’t intend on spending a dime inside the Casino, it’s still well worth a little look while you’re at Marina Bay Sands.
5. LAVO Restaurant
LAVO is an Italian restaurant and is located on the 57th floor of Tower 1 of Marina Bay Sands.
It offers great views of Gardens by the Bay and parts of the Marina but it is pretty pricey.
However, you can actually just head up there and admire the views without eating, although you should try and be discreet about it as I think the staff would much rather you come in and eat 😉 .
6. SkyPark
Located on the 56th floor of Tower 3, the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark is an observation deck that offers panoramic views of the Bay and the city for miles around.
We didn’t actually go to the SkyPark as we’d already planned to head up to a rooftop bar instead, but I’ve heard great things about it and the views from the top do look phenomenal!
Opening hours: Mon – Thu: 9.30 am – 10 pm, Fri – Sun: 9.30 am – 11 pm
Buy your tickets to the Marina Bay SkyPark here! (It’s actually $6 cheaper if you buy online!).
7. The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
There are hundreds of designer shops and stores at the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.
We weren’t really in the spendy mood while we were in Singapore as we were trying to travel on an affordable luxury budget where possible but it was still good fun having a mooch around all the lavish shops!
Inside the Shoppes, there’s also a giant chandelier, Gondola rides and even little boats that will take you around the column of water!
It almost felt like a miniature Venice city and it definitely feels incredibly luxurious inside!
8. Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay is another one of the most iconic and popular attractions in Singapore and it also turned out to be one of my favourite places in the city too.
Home to the spectacular Supertree Grove, thousands of plants inside the two conservatories; the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, plus many other things to see and do around the Gardens, it truly is a lovely place in the city.
We visited Gardens by the Bay on Christmas Eve and the Garden Rhapsody light show was made even more magical thanks to the festive element to it.
The Supertree Grove is free to visit and wander around, but you do have to pay entry to the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and the OCBC SkyWay.
I’ve actually written an entire guide to Gardens by the Bay here which includes more information about the attractions, opening times and entry costs!
It’s certainly one of the best things to do in Singapore and I’d put it on my list as one of the top three things to do in the city!
9. Universal Studios – 5 day Singapore itinerary
Apart from two short trips to Disneyland Paris when I was three and six years old, and the odd annual trip to Alton Towers or Flamingo Land, I’d never really experienced a proper thrilling theme park before.
However, as Matt and I so very gratefully received some money from our families for Christmas while we were there, we thought we’d give Universal Studios Singapore a whirl and I’m so glad we did!
The theme park is home to 28 rides, numerous shows and many different dining options and eateries.
You’ll definitely need an entire day at Universal Studios in order to explore everything and fully appreciate all the rides so I’d recommend only visiting Universal if you’re in Singapore for more than a couple of days.
Our personal favourite ride and attraction within the whole park was without a doubt The Transformers ride.
It’s kind of hard to explain why it’s so brilliant but I’ve honestly never experienced anything like it in my entire life! It’s more of an interactive, immersive ride than a rollercoaster and you’re strapped into a car which whizzes around inside a huge room.
You’ll also be wearing 3-D glasses which make the whole experience feel so realistic and it’s honestly one of the best things I’ve ever done! I really can’t rave about it enough haha!
Some more of our favourite rides include Revenge of the Mummy, Battlestar Galactica, as well as the Shrek 4-D Adventure show and the WaterWorld show (this was also absolutely unbelievable!).
10. Singapore Flyer
The Singapore Flyer was actually closed when we visited so we didn’t get the chance to ride it but it’s pretty much the exact same concept as the London Eye.
Situated within Marina Bay, the Flyer is Asia’s largest observation wheel at a staggering 165m tall.
You can see panoramic views of the entire Marina, as well as all the way into the city.
11. LeVeL33 Rooftop Bar – 5 days in Singapore itinerary
Before we even went to Singapore, Matt and I knew that we wanted to go up a rooftop bar while we were there and after a brief bit of research, as well as some recommendations from our friends, we decided on LeVeL33 Rooftop Bar.
And I’m so glad we did!
It might have been one of the most expensive glasses of wine I’ve ever had at an astonishing price of $18 SGD (£10), but it was well worth it for those incredible views alone.
You can see all across Marina Bay and you also get a great view of Marina Bay Sands from a high vantage point too!
LeVeL33 is also home to the world’s highest urban microbrewery; a fact that didn’t impress me too much considering I have very little interest in that sort of thing, but it was still an incredible place to visit in the city regardless!
If you can justify the extortionate alcohol prices, I’d definitely recommend heading up to LeVeL33 to check out the views!
12. ArtScience Museum
The ArtScience Museum is a giant art complex located just next to Marina Bay Sands and is a weird and wonderfully eclectic collection of all things art and science.
It’s also renowned for its cool light display which actually belongs to the Future World exhibit.
There are numerous exhibits that are showcased intermittently at the ArtScience Museum and we paid a visit to 2219: Futures Imagined exhibit as well as the Future World: Where Art Meets Science exhibit too.
I’m not really much of a history or museum buff usually but I was intrigued to visit the ArtScience Museum as I’d heard lots of great things about it.
While I wouldn’t say that I didn’t enjoy it as such, I did feel that it’s quite overhyped.
The Futures Imagined exhibit was very interesting to see as it showed what scientists and artists have predicted the world (and in particular, Singapore) to look like in 200 years’ time. It was actually pretty harrowing to see and it really hits home the importance of climate change and the negative impacts that humans can have on the world.
The Future World exhibit, on the other hand, is more of an interactive installation that showcases art, science and “magic” through a series of lights, art displays and colourful collections.
The Space element of the exhibition is pretty cool and that’s where you’ll find those famous “Instagrammable” lights!
13. Clarke Quay – 5 day Singapore itinerary
Clarke Quay was another one of my favourite areas in the city and is also one of the top places to see in Singapore.
It’s home to a plethora of shops, restaurants, bars and quirky cafes and it’s a lovely place to spend a couple of hours while you’re in the city.
We went to a couple of bars in Clarke Quay including a “cashless” bar called Get Juiced where you buy your drinks at an arcade-looking machine. The drinks here were pretty cheap and we managed to get vodka lemonades for $5 SGD (£2.82) each.
However, there are still plenty of other things to do in Clarke Quay, even if you don’t want a drink or a bite to eat.
You could enjoy a leisurely stroll along the river, watch the boats glide past or enjoy a slow mooch around the shopping malls.
14. Jewel Changi Airport
Arguably one of the most extravagant airports in the world, Jewel Changi Airport is home to hundreds of shops, dining facilities and a 40-metre-tall indoor waterfall!
You don’t even have to be flying in or out of the airport to visit this incredible complex and while it might seem odd to include an airport in a list of best things to do in a city, Singapore really does go that bit further when it comes to luxe and style!
You have to pay to walk around the Canopy Park ($5 SGD – £2.82) and Canopy Bridge ($8 SGD – £4.50) but you can just look at the waterfall and wander around all the shops without paying as well.
15. Chinatown – 5 days in Singapore itinerary
We’ve now been lucky enough to explore the Chinatown areas of Kuala Lumpur, George Town and now Singapore on our travels around the world and Singapore’s offering was a beautiful place to hang out in the city.
Chinatown is home to a myriad of shops, restaurants and temples but the most notable are the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and the Sri Mariamman Temple.
We didn’t actually go inside these temples as the day we were in Chinatown, the Sri Mariamman Temple was closed due to a private ceremony and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple was incredibly busy.
We did have a wander around the outside of them, however, and they’re definitely worth a visit if you make it to Chinatown.
16. Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
I’ve actually written an entire guide to getting around Singapore on a Hop on Hop off bus, but I wanted to include it in this post as well.
A Hop on Hop off bus tour is a great way to see the city and tick off numerous sights that you might not have seen otherwise.
You can buy full-day tickets, or even multiple-day passes so that you can ride around on the open-top bus and take in all the best sights in Singapore.
Buy your Hop on Hop off Bus Tour tickets here!
17. Orchard Road
Singapore is home to more than 103 malls which is pretty impressive considering it’s a relatively small place; it actually became sort of a running joke between Matt and me while we were there as we tried to see how many we could spot in one day!
Orchard Road is incidentally home to quite a few of those malls and is one of the most popular places in the city to do some shopping and eat lots of yummy food.
You’ll find every store under the sun along Orchard Road, including top designer brands such as Tiffany & Co, Prada and Gucci, as well as more high-street brands such as Zara and Topshop.
18. Merlion Park – 5 day Singapore itinerary
The Merlion is actually the national mascot and a symbol of personification of Singapore and is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a mermaid.
Merlion Park is home to the Merlion statue which stands at 8.6 metres tall and weighs approximately 70 tonnes.
Despite it being regarded as a national treasure and one of the greatest monuments in the city, I was actually somewhat disappointed with the statue but it’s still a good thing to see regardless.
The Merlion statue is located on the opposite side of the Bay to Marina Bay Sands and is just a stone’s throw away from the Central Business District.
19. Arab Street & Haji Lane
Arab Street and Haji Lane are one of the most vibrant and colourful areas of the city and they’re great places to enjoy all the artwork, sip an overpriced coffee or generally just soak up the hipster-esque atmosphere.
We didn’t spend an awful lot of time in the area but it was still fun to see everything anyway; especially all the quirky street art that was all over the walls down the street.
You’ll also find Masjid Sultan near Haji Lane which is a beautiful mosque and is actually a national monument within the city.
We didn’t manage to go inside while we were there as we weren’t dressed appropriately (you need to have your shoulders and legs covered) but it was still a pleasure to see it from the outside.
I was also a huge fan of all the graffiti and street art throughout Arab Street and Haji Lane and I think the artwork alone is enough of a reason to visit the area!
20. Southern Ridges
The Southern Ridges is a 10-kilometre-long walking trail along the southern ridge of Singapore that connects multiple parks together.
We didn’t complete the whole 10 kilometres but we weren’t too far off and even though I was feeling a little unwell at the time, upon reflection, the Southern Ridges was actually one of my favourite places in Singapore.
We began in Kent Ridge Park, then made our way along the Canopy Walk, into HortPark, along the Floral Walk, across the Forest Walk and Hilltop Walk, along Henderson Waves Bridge and then into Mount Faber Park.
Along the route, you can see some truly beautiful parts of the city that you would never get to see otherwise.
Amongst all the skyscrapers and busy buildings and streets below, you’ll be walking through stunning stretches of natural scenery and it’s such a lovely place to spend a couple of hours getting some exercise in while immersing yourself in the beauty of nature.
21. Henderson Waves – 5 days in Singapore itinerary
Henderson Waves Bridge is technically part of the Southern Ridges but it’s also a top thing to see in Singapore on its own.
Unfortunately, when we were there, the bridge was undergoing construction so it didn’t look nearly as cool as we were expecting but I imagine it looks pretty awesome when it’s not covered in building work.
22. National Stadium
The National Stadium is a multi-purpose event and sports centre and even though we didn’t actually go inside or watch a sporting event while we were there, it turned out to be just a lovely place to wander around.
There’s a running track that runs around the circumference of the National Stadium and while you can rest assured that I didn’t partake in any rigorous activities while we were there, I did still thoroughly enjoy the area around the Stadium.
We were also lucky enough to watch a gorgeous sunset from the grounds of the Stadium which made it even more special.
23. Little India – 5 day Singapore itinerary
Little India is located just around the corner from Haji Lane and Arab Street so it’s a great place to visit if you’re in that area anyway.
We had a delicious Indian curry while we were in Little India and we enjoyed wandering around the markets, inhaling all the intense spices and admiring the many clothes and jewellery stalls.
Bonus best things to do in Singapore in 5 days
If the list above isn’t quite enough to sate your cultural and explorative appetite while in Singapore, check out these bonus things to do while you’re there too!
- Sentosa Cable Car
- Singapore Zoo
- The Esplanade
- Sentosa Island
- Singapore Botanical Gardens
Singapore really is as amazing as everyone says it is and I already can’t wait to head back one day.
As you can see from this very extensive post, there’s so much to see and do there; you’ll truly be spoiled for choice!
Where to stay in Singapore
On our second visit to Singapore in December 2023, we spent a couple of nights staying at YOTEL Orchard Road which was a fantastic place to base ourselves thanks to its incredibly convenient location on one of the best and busiest shopping streets in Singapore!
Related posts:
- Hop on Hop off Bus Tour Singapore
- Gardens By The Bay Singapore – Supertree Grove, Flower Dome & Cloud Forest
- The Best Places To Eat & Drink In Singapore
- How To Spend Christmas & New Year In Singapore
- 6 Month Southeast Asia Itinerary & Backpacking Route
Pin for later – 5 day Singapore itinerary
What are you most excited to see in Singapore? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter at @imjustagirl_16.
*Prices in this post are accurate as of the currency exchange rate in February 2020.
