Tips I Wish I Knew Before Coming to Singapore

Singapore is one of the most captivating cities in the world. From old world charm to new world spectacle, the country is at the forefront of development and millions of tourists flock to its shores every year. This multicultural city has a lot to offer, and you won’t regret visiting (even though it’s one of the most expensive destinations in the world). While I did enjoy my visit to Asia’s Little Red Dot, there were some things I wish I knew before visiting Singapore. And that is what this post is about! Whether it’s tips I wish I was given at the time or advice I wish someone had told me beforehand, here are my Singapore tips that I wish I knew before visiting the country.

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Table of Contents

Stay a Week

Singapore is a small country. As such, it would be logical to assume that there wouldn’t be many things to do that would merit you staying in the country for a week. But as I quickly found out after spending 6 days in the country, Singapore has so many tourist attractions that you could easily spend more than 7 days there and still not see everything.

From hawker centers to countless museums, there’s something for everyone in Singapore. If you want to have the most complete experience and see as much of it as you can, I would recommend spending 7 days in the country. Singapore is very much an “on-the-go” destination that rewards exploration over relaxation. So spend as long as you can in the country and soak it all in.

Buy Tickets for Attractions in Advance

You should take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt, as this piece of advice doesn’t always ring true for every tourist attraction, but I’ve found that with Singapore attractions, it pays to pay in advance. I remember paying about 5-10 dollars more for tickets I bought onsite than for tickets I bought in advance, which isn’t necessarily a lot, but when you’re visiting 15 tourist sites with entry fees during your trip, those extra dollars add up.

I’d stick with Klook for booking Singapore attractions as they usually have discounted tickets and even offer additional add-ons that you can tack onto your ticket. I have some deals from Klook linked down below. This is especially beneficial when you’re booking museum tickets as I noticed that that’s the kind of tourist attraction that Klook offers larger discounts for.

Bring Cash

Singapore is one of the most advanced countries in Asia, so I wouldn’t fault anyone who thinks that they can travel to the city-state with just a credit card on hand. The reality is, however, that some parts of Singapore still operate on a cash-only basis. Most notably, the stalls at Hawker Centers for the most part only accept cash. Since Hawker Centers are, in my opinion, a top 5 Singaporean attraction, you should definitely have SGD on hand so you can try their world-class food options.

Based on my research, if you can’t get cash at the airport or before your trip, the best place to exchange for cash is at the money exchange location at the Mustafa Center in Little India, although it would be best to exchange before your trip begins. Remember to carry around smaller bills as some establishments won’t accept larger bills.

Winter is Still Scorching

I’m from Southeast Asia. I’m used to the heat. But I have to say Singapore is on another level of hot. I went in December and not only was it hot but it was incredibly humid. It felt like a wall of heat was enveloping me, and the sun made it even worse.

If you plan on going to Singapore in the summer months, make sure you are well prepared. Have cooling towels or portable fans, take as many indoor air conditioned breaks as you can, and wear sunscreen. Bring an umbrella to shield yourself from the sun, and wear clothing that is light and breathable.

Eat at Hawker Centers (and Bring Something to “Reserve” a Table)

Hawker Centers are the best places to eat in Singapore, yes even more than those five star restaurants. If you want an authentically Singaporean experience, there’s nothing that comes close to eating at one of these street food-esque markets. You can get a variety of tasty dishes and most of them are incredibly affordable (and believe me, it’s hard to find something affordable in this city). A Singapore trip would not be complete without a trip to one of these places.

Another tip I have for Hawker Centers is something I noticed whenever I visited one. If you plan on dining in any Hawker Center during the busy lunch or dinner hours, you’ll probably have a hard time getting a table. When you do spot one, though, you need to find a way to “save” or “reserve” the table, especially if you’re a solo traveler. My recommendation is to do what the locals do: have a packet of tissues or something small that you can place on the table to “save” it for yourself.

I know it may sound a bit silly, but when you’re at a hawker center you will undoubtedly see some tables with something on top of them, which means that table was claimed. This is what Singaporeans have been doing for a very long time, so you’d be wise to follow them.

Don’t Buy the Singapore Tourist Pass

The Singapore Tourist Pass is a card that gives you unlimited travel on all MRT and Bus lines. It costs $17 SGD for one day, $24 SGD for two days, and $ 29 SGD for 3 days. But the thing is, unless you’re gonna be criss-crossing the entire country over and over again, you’re probably going to use Public Transportation around 5 or 6 times per day. Given that the cost of one way travel on a bus or on the MRT is around $1.5 SGD to $2.5 SGD, it doesn’t make any sense in the long run to pay that high an amount for unlimited travel when in reality you won’t be spending anything close to that.

Add to the fact that Singapore is such a walkable city that you won’t be taking a lot of public transportation anyway. Once you’re in a specific area like Chinatown, you can get to everywhere you want to go within that area pretty easily. So you would just be taking public transport from one area to the next, which wouldn’t be that frequent anyway since the districts are all close to one another that you could theoretically walk between them. I’d recommend just getting a normal public transportation card from any MRT station and just topping it up when you need to.

And those are my Singapore tips! What Singapore tips do you have that I didn’t mention? Comment down below!

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