Singapore is a popular destination and stands out as the easiest country to visit in Southeast Asia due to its many English speakers and robust transportation system. Changi airport, Singapore’s main airport, also serves as a gateway to the rest of Asia. Because of this, people have a tendency to transit through the city. So let’s say you’re transiting through Singapore for a day. How would you spend 24 hours in Singapore? Well, that’s where this post comes in handy. In this itinerary we’re going to break down where you should go if you only have 24 hours in Singapore.
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Introduction
While I wouldn’t normally recommend spending just a day in Singapore, it’s still possible to do some of the highlights of the country in 24 hours. Singapore is tiny enough that you can reach the main sites to see from the airport via a quick taxi or Grab ride.
As robust as Singapore’s transport system is, I’d recommend you take a taxi or Grab to get from the airport to the city. Since you’re already on limited time, you need to get to the city as quickly as possible. However, the first place I recommend you visit isn’t in the city. In fact, it’s at the airport.
Gaze at the Jewel Changi
The Jewel is an extension of Changi airport that, in my opinion, makes it the best airport in the world. Home to the tallest indoor waterfall in the world, the Jewel is a marvelous feat of design and engineering. The Rain Vortex anchors the entire complex, with vertical pathways encircling it that lead to the upper floors of the structure. But if you don’t want to climb up these paths, there are a bunch of escalators and elevators located on the outskirts of the building, together with a plethora of shops and restaurants.
This is the perfect beginning to your 24 hours in Singapore because it introduces one of Singapore’s major goals for its self-improvement. Singapore aims to become a “city within a garden”, and you’ll encounter another one of their other efforts towards this goal later on in this itinerary, with the Jewel being one example of this. The way it seamlessly integrates the environment with modern engineering is a sight to behold and one that you should not miss.
The other reason I want you to come here is because this place offers baggage storage in the basement floor. Since you don’t want to be carrying around your bags all day long, I suggest using the baggage storage located here and just picking it up once your 24 hours in Singapore are up.
After you’ve admired the waterfall, jump into a Grab and head to your next destination: Chinatown.
Get Lost in Chinatown
Once you arrive in Chinatown, head for Ya Kun Kaya Toast. I recommend dining at their location near the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. Kaya Toast is a simple Singaporean breakfast that is composed of two slices of toast, a soft boiled egg, butter, and coconut jam or kaya. It’s a classic breakfast that will give you a taste (pun intended) of local life here in Singapore.
Once that’s done, it’s time to start exploring. But first, some background on Chinatown. The neighborhood was first settled by Chinese immigrants over 150 years ago, but it was formally designated as Chinatown by Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern day Singapore, who passed a decree designating specific areas of the island to certain ethnic groups.
With your limited time here, I’d recommend you check out the three major temples that call this area home: Sri Mariamman, Thian Hock Keng, and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. The former is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore and is dedicated to Mariamman, a god who can cure illnesses.
Then you have the two temples which are traditional “Chinese” temples. Thian Hock Keng is the older of the two and is dedicated to Mazu, goddess of the sea. Seafarers would often visit the temple to present offerings while praying for safe journeys. Don’t forget to take a look at the amazing mural displayed on the outer wall of the temple. The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is a newer addition to Chinatown, being completed in 2007 and costing S$75 million to construct. It supposedly holds the left canine tooth of Buddha, encased in a golden stupa. The temple also has a peaceful rooftop garden and a museum.
Once you’ve toured the temples, it’s time for lunch! I recommend eating at the Chinatown Complex, also known as Singapore’s first Hawker Center. This wouldn’t be a complete 24 hours in Singapore itinerary if I didn’t recommend you eat here. Choose from any of the stalls in the complex, but pay close attention to which stalls are commanding long lines as lines indicate that a stall is probably good. Remember to reserve a table with a packet of tissues so you have somewhere to sit while you line up for food.
After a scrumptious meal, it’s time to head to the main attraction for the day! Any guesses where this 24 hours in Singapore itinerary is going to take you?
Marvel at the Awe-Inspiring Gardens by the Bay
If you guessed the Gardens by the Bay, you were right! Either take the MRT or hop on a Grab and make your way to the Gardens. You’ll know you’re near them when you start seeing the tall and imposing SuperTrees. These vertical gardens stretch to over 15 storeys above the ground and house over 160,000 plants of over 200 species. This is the other attraction I was hinting at earlier in the itinerary as being part of Singapore’s “City in a Garden” goal.
The two standouts of this area though are the large twin conservatories: the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome. The Cloud Forest, featuring flora and fauna that thrive in high altitudes, and featuring the world’s second largest indoor waterfall, was my personal favorite of the two. I still remember entering the greenhouse and seeing that huge waterfall. I instantly fell in love with it, and the entire dome took 2 hours to go through, starting at the bottom then taking an elevator up to the top then slowly making your way back down through a variety of walkways and pathways.
The Flower Dome on the other hand is the largest conservatory in the world by floor area. This greenhouse has plants from all over the world such as the African Savannah and the Australian Outback. While I prefer the Cloud Forest, the Flower Dome is still worth visiting together with the Cloud Forest, and Gardens by the Bay has a ticket that gives you access to both greenhouses.
Once you’re done, walk towards the Marina Bay Sands to continue this 24 hours in Singapore itinerary.
Traipse Around Marina Bay and Merlion Park
Walking away from Gardens by the Bay, it should be around sunset (or near sunset) at this time, which means it’s time to admire the sunset from Marina Bay! To do this, I recommend you take a bus from Marina Bay Sands and head for Merlion Park.
This wouldn’t be a proper 24 hours in Singapore itinerary if I didn’t include a visit to Singapore’s mascot. The merlion is a half-fish and half-lion hybrid, with the fish part of the statue being a nod to Singapore’s start as a fishing village, while the lion half references Singapore’s original name “Singapura” also known as the Lion City.
When you get here, you’ll notice a walkway that goes to the front of the statue. From here you can take selfies or pictures doing the iconic “swallowing the water” pose. I like to joke that you haven’t been to Singapore until you take this iconic picture. But whether or not you take it, this is a great place to watch the sunset from. So as the sun sets on your 24 hours in Singapore, really take a moment to appreciate the view and the fact that you’re in one of the most dynamic cities in the world.
Your last stop for the day is another hawker center for dinner!
Delight in the Varied Cuisines Found in Lau Pa Sat
Lau Pa Sat is the hawker center where I found the largest variety of food. There was even a Filipino food stall, which I would have ordered from but decided to get some Satay from Satay Street, which was located adjacent to the hawker center. I also had some Hainanese chicken, which was also excellent. This is the perfect way to end your 24 hours in Singapore.
Conclusion
Hop back in a Grab and make your way back to the Jewel. Grab your bags and head to your terminal. I hope this 24 Hours in Singapore itinerary helped you get a small sense of what this country has to offer. I also hope you’re able to return for a longer visit soon! This country has so many highlights that it can take you a week to see everything. So if you need recommendations for longer itineraries, or just need general information for your Singapore trip, consult my other posts below. Happy traveling!
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