Traveling between Indonesia and Malaysia, I wanted to stop by Singapore but I didn’t want to stay overnight – my plan was to get the longest possible layover during the day while still avoiding spending money on a hotel in Singapore.
I had an amazing time without being overwhelmed or rushing. I didn’t see everything and I would love to come back, but for the first time it was more than enough experiences.
I also didn’t get the city tour at the airport. I wanted to explore things on my own. Of course, city tour is a fantastic offer and if you have time and don’t want to plan anything, sign up. I will share how to do it below.
So if you are travelling with Scoot or Singapore airlines or have a DIY route from North America, Europe or between Asian countries and want a low-effort +1 to your visited countries list, here is everything you need to know to plan your layover in Singapore.
Table of Contents
Key Points Upfront
- If you have 90-minute layover, do not plan anything. You will have enough time until your next flight to get from one terminal to another, use a bathroom or get a drink to go, but you will NOT have enough time to explore the whole airport, do any activities or get into the city.
- If you have a 2-4 hour layover do not plan anything outside the airport, it may be risky.
- If you have 6-19 hours, you can leave the airport to explore. Within 6-8 hour layover you will only be able to do a couple of things, so pre-book everything to avoid queues and opt for airport tour to be on the safe side. With 12 to 19 hours to spare, you can build your own layover itinerary.
- You most likely don’t need a visa to enter or transit (and layover is a transit). You will have to fill in the free electronic arrival card, clear immigration, go. The immigration at Changi Airport is one of the quickest and smoothest I have ever experienced, I have never seen a line there (been in and out about 4 times).
- Changi Airport has four terminals and every terminal has 24/7 baggage storage but they will not store your laptop or valuables; cost is around SGD 10+ / 8 USD depending on bag size. Jewel is at Terminal 1. Getting between terminals is super easy and quick with Skytrain, however it is closed from 2 am to 5 am. Getting from terminal 3 to terminal 2 takes 10-15 minutes and you get to see the Jewel. Otherwise there is an airside walking path connecting T1 and T3 and it take 45 min to 1 hour to walk it.
- How to get around: MRT if have enough time, Grab – if in a rush. Taxi ~20 min / SGD 20–30 (15-23 USD), MRT ~30–60 min / a couple SGD. Metered taxi are more expensive than Grab.
- The iShopChangi transit rewards are always changing but you can see them here. It can be a discount or some privileges.
- If you land late, city attractions and Jewel are closed, so I would not pick an overnight layover as there is not much to do while you will have to spend money on a hotel.
Short Layover At The Changi Airport (Singapore)
Changi Airport is world famous for its waterfall from the roof and an incredible airport with shopping, park, and entertainment.
Many activities are paid, but just as many are free, and you can see the Jewel (where the waterfall is) for free, and enjoy the gardens there while waiting for your flight.
If you have a short layover, under 4-5 hours, you will have time to explore it. If you have long layover, I would recommend leaving Changi Jewel till last stop, after you explore the city, for 2 reasons:
- it is very easy to get “lost” here for hours and you will not have enough time in the city.
- after a day in the hot and humid Singapore you will be happy to stroll in AC-ed mall at Changi before your flight. You will be tired for sure and you may as well be like me – I just sat down and almost napped 🤣 You don’t want to be all sweaty and tired rushing to pick up your luggage and check-in or find your gate.
Rain Vortex indoor waterfall also has a light show, but I personally didn’t catch it. Make sure to double check that the waterfall is not closed for maintenance when you plan to visit! It happened to a friend of mine and she was heartbroken.
Changi Airport Layover: What To Do (by Terminal)
Terminal 1 (T1 Changi Airport)
T1 is where the multi-level mall with dozens of shops is and the iconic Jewel Vortex waterfall plaza.
In the shopping mall, there are stores from LV to 7-Eleven and it can take hours to just see them all. And in the center, there is a grand entrance to Jewel and…more shops!
For connecting flights: train from T1 to T3 is on the right end of the terminal (right from the facing the Jewel), and train from T1 to T2 is on the left side.
Things to do at T1 Changi Airport:
- Jewel waterfall + chilling in the gardens surrounding it (they are called Forest Valley). The gardens are multi-level so you can easily find a quite corner. FREE
- Shopping luxury and duty free.
- Discovery Garden. Level 2. FREE. Supertrees (artificial trees), greenery, and skywalk. It isn’t very large.
- Kids playgrounds, there are two. One in departure area by iShop and one public on Level 3. FREE.
- Water Lily Garden. Level 2. Small ponds with water lillies under clear roof. A spot to chill at the airport behind Victoria Secret and Swarowski stores. FREE.
- Cactus Garden at Level 3 is an open sky real garden with 100 sorts of cacti! FREE
- Most VIP lounges are on the 3rd level, too. PAID
- Watch sports or movies at TV lounge with big screen. Level 3. FREE
- Swimming pool with jaccuzi and bar on the rooftop + gym at Aerotel, level 3. It is open during the day only, PAID entry, 25 SGD per person/20 USD.
- You can buy tickets for Jewel activities within Changi at their official site. Hack: a valid boarding pass will get you 10% off! You can get a ticket to the walking net, 25 meters above the gardens, green maze, and more. They are located at Level 5 within Canopy Park (entry for adults is about 13,90 SGD/11 USD)
T2
At Terminal 2 in Changi Airport, you wil find more shops in both arrival and departure zones (for people who are already in Terminal 2 transit zone!) and a few crowd-favorite attractions:
- Sunflower Garden, Level 3, is an actual sunflower field on the rooftop! How cool is that!?
- Enchanted Garden with fern canopy, sculptures, orchids and space to relax. Level 2, FREE
- Dreamscape is a beautiful indoor garden with natural and digital elements, koi fish, hanging greenery from the ceiling, and digital skies with occasional shows. Level 2, FREE.
- Watch sports or movies at TV lounge with big screen. Level 2. FREE
- Fun Zone for kids AND adults to play and chill. FREE.Level 3.
- Karaoke Rooms and American Pool, Level 3M, inside Changi Airport Recreation Club. PAID
T3
- ST3PS is a free communal space at the B2 level with spaces to chill, movies (think cool movies like Avengers), live performances, and even yoga or pilates classes. You can find the themes and schedule here.
- The most famous landmark in Terminal 3 is for sure THE slide. It is really the world’s tallest airport slide (12 meters!) and anyone who is 7+ years old can ride it! FREE but you need to redeem the free ride through the app.
- Butterfly Garden with about a thousand of stunning butterflies and a waterfall is a true hidden gem at Changi. level 3. FREE for people who travel to/from T3.
- Movie theater with all-day long screenings. Seats are limited (only 50). Movie selection is mostly family-friendly movies. FREE.
- There are also koi fish ponds on both sides of the departure hall of this terminal.
T4
Terminal 4 sits a bit outside and I have never flown in or out this terminal. I don’t think it has any attractions to note.
Art at Changi Airport
I LOVE arts in airports, I loved Doha airport for that and Changi also has a few installations tucked away. All are free to view.
I won’t spoil WHAT they are, just where to find them 🙂
- Terminal 1, Kinetic rain. You will see it when you go up the escalator to the departure zone (Level 2)
- Terminal 2, Flap Pix, Level 3. For people who like IT and code and old-school airport displays.
- Terminal 3,Level 1. Rhythm of Nature. The whole wall is art, you will see!
- Terminal 4, Immersive Wall, Steel in Bloom, Les Oiseaux (level 1), and Petalclouds at level 2. Petalclouds and Steel in Bloom are more impressive in my humble opinion. There is also a sculpture Hey, Ah Chek! depicting a daily scene from Singapore in the 1950s. Singapore Rojak is a wall art at the basement level at T4.
What To Do In Singapore On a Long Layover (8+ hours)
My suggested itinerary for Singapore layover was like this and is based on my 12-hour layover timeline. My map for actual layover looked like this (I have more on my wishlist but these are places I actually went to!)
I took the public transport from and to the airport, walked, and used Grab.
My full map + Singapore layover itinerary:
Hour 1
The immigration clearance goes really fast at the airport, but I don’t know about luggage as I have never had to claim it there. I travel with carry-on.
Everything was smooth, but I would still allocate about an hour for getting off the plane, using bathroom, getting through customs, etc.
What you do next is up to you:
- do you want art scene? Visit art museum, have lunch, and explore street art. Finish with Gardens show and go back to the airport.
- do you want nature? Go on exploring botanical garden (maybe you will be lucky to meet otters!), or huge park Central Catchment Nature Reserve, or Marina Bay Gardens. Both are huge and you won’t have time to do anything else and probably not even everything in the parks.
- do you want to learn about Singapore? Marina bay, guided river cruises, museums, or airport city tour.
- A mix of both? You are like me. My Singapore layover itinerary was: art museum, walking to see some street art and hawker food, botanical garden (small trail), river cruise, and Garden Rhapsody show.
So once I got cleared at immigration I went to the train station, withdrew some money on my way, and headed towards the City Hall station for my first stop – National Gallery.
National Gallery of Singapore
I love to call myself a self-taught artist sometimes so I naturally visit art museums in cities I visit. I love abstract and modern art! Singapore museum is beautiful, located in a historical building of the Supreme court and city hall which are a piece of colonial art on their own!
A ticket with admission to all permanent and temporary exhibitions is about 23 USD.
I loved the exhibitions: you can access two buildings and stroll through centuries of art and history.
The absolute highlight is the library! It has different opening hours than the gallery but I was lucky to sneak in. You can actually sit down and read there.
Besides the national gallery, there is also a massive Art Museum, ArtScience museum, and Asian Civilizations museum, but it would be impossible to visit them all during a layover. Pick one.
I picked the gallery because it is a walking distance from Chinatown and Maxwell Hawker Mall, as well as Marina Bay, so I could stay within the area and not waste time.
In front of the National Gallery you will also find absolutely stunning all-white St Andrew’s Cathedral:
Chinatown + Little India + Kampong Glam
The most popular cultural-neighborhood clusters are Chinatown, Kampong Glam, and Little India. Singapore is a multicultural country thanks to centruries of trade and Chinese, Indian, and Malay form the majority of its population. So you can expect all the vibrancy of these cultures: food, languages, traditions, and art. Absolutely amazing!
Again, to make sure I make the most of my time and itinerary I picked one: Chinatown.
So from National Gallery I strolled towards Chinatown, eyes wide open to see how the city center runs: streets, hotels, cars, and as you get into Chinatown, street art, of course!
Around there you will also spot one of the most beautiful Hindu temples (Sri Mariamman Temple) I’ve ever seen! In the center of Chinatown, a massive Chinese temple with traditional roofing (Buddha Tooth Relic Temple) is also a picture-worthy stop:
It was surreal to see both worlds: colonial and Chinatown and modern skyscrappers in the same photo and I think the two live harmoniously in Singapore:
Hawker Food
I have to be honest, I came unprepared in terms of food, I didn’t do proper research I was planning on showing up at one of the hawker malls my friends recommended and just try what looked tasty!
Chicken rice, laksa, chilli crab, kaya toast are all worth trying! Most popular hawker centres are Maxwell, Lau Pa Sat, Chinatown Complex.
I went to Chinatown complex, it is right behind the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. There is SO MUCH food there, it is overwhelming but lots of locals which means food is good. Prices are also much better than at a cafe or restaurant.
I walked around and picked up a snack from a Michelin-guide stall Ann Chin Popiah. They sell popiah, which are a type of srping rolls if you will.
Then I wanted to try something else from a different place, something I have never had before so I went for the cute looking bites with sauce – Chee Cheong Fun. These are breakfast rolled rice noodles, very traditional for Malayisia and Singapore, but I wasn’t a fan hah.
I spent less than 5 USD and was full!
Shopping
Singapore may have some unique items worth buying.
For example, I was hunting for a specific needle and cartridge for my father’s vinyl record player, and I discovered that Singapore had a whole 5-level mall specifically for Hi-Fi systems and vinyl lovers.
So I wouldn’t be surprised if other hobbies get the same level of attention.
Singapore Botanic Gardens
This is where I messed up! I took a Grab taxi to go from Chinatown to Botanical Gardens but I didn’t account for the Orchids garden to be already closed. I had a geat time in the park, but I would go earlier in the day, maybe right after airport to recharge here and admire more than 1500 beautiful orchid species.
Singapore Botanic Gardens are free to visit UNESCO heritage site, and you will see many people jogging and laying on the grass here. It is also an iconic spot to see otters and enjoy forest bathing after a long flight.
The park is free but the orchid garden is not! You will need to get a ticket (about 15 SGD/12 USD for adults).
It was getting dark, which means it is time to go to Gardens by the Bay to enjoy the show! Again, I took a Grab to save time.
Gardens By The Bay
If you time it right, you will make on time for one of the 2 daily shows in the Gardens, Garden Rhapsody, when towering artificial Supertree Grove lights up and classic or modern music accompanies the light show.
The show starts at 7:45 PM and 8:45 PM and is only about 10 minutes, and they do start on time. So if you’re going to be late, don’t bother.
I was JUST in time. I arrived and it started the same minute!
It was quite crowded, but everyone had somewhere to sit or stand and it felt comfortable. You can also watch it from the OCBC Skyway in the park, but I think watching it from the ground just gives it a wow effect.
Music and lights are incredible and impressive, I really loved it and it is free!
I didn’t go to Cloud Forest/Flower Dome domes as I didn’t have time but they are a great indoor activities if it rains or if you have kids and need to hide from the heat. The park itself looks stunning, but, again, not enough time to see other places + the whole park in one day.
River Cruise From Clarke Quay
I don’t really like the touristy spots and activities, but I think the evening river cruise (they call it night river cruise) departing from the Clarke Quay is worth it. The night city skyline with lights and Marina Bay are simply stunning and, in my opinion are so much more impressive at night!
The Clarke Quay itself is a destination with restaurants, shops and it is a natural extension of the Singapore river promenade along the whole bay (it is very long to fit in a short layover on foot).
You can book a ticket online, then you need to exchange it at the ticket booth by the pier, or you can simply buy your ticket at that same booth. I bought it right there.
Then you wait in line for a little bit before you get on a boat. Get in line as soon as possible so you can get a seat at the back of the boat, not inside the boat. And get in the right line! There is a line for people who bought tickets online and offline.
My tour was about 9 PM. The whole tour doesn’t cover a long distance, but it goes slow and you have plenty of time to take amazing photos. It is about an hour; it has info in English.
You will pass by some of the most iconic landmarks in Singapore: national symbol Merlion, Marina Bay and its fountains, First Generation statue with boys jumping in the river (next to Cavenagh Bridge), neo classical style Fullerton Hotel, skyscrappers of the business district, and massive buildings of ArtScience Museum and Bay Theater.
More Things To Do In Singapore During Your Layover
There are so many things to do and see in Singapore so I want to come back! Here are more ideas to substitute museums or parks on my itinerary:
Marina Bay Sands
SkyPark observation deck is a panoramic viewpoint in Marina Bay, but it isn’t free.
I didn’t go there but I still enjoyed the Marina Bay views from the water. By taking an evening river cruise you get to see many things at once, from Merlion to Marina Bay without running around town or spending money on grab. I highly recommend that!
Wellness & Beauty
Singapore has amazing bathhouses and spas.
If you don’t want to run around town sweating and don’t mind the price, Nowhere Baths in Dempsey Hill (thermal pools, sauna, ice plunge), and the Madison House / Mett Hotel wellness centre with cryotherapy and a Longevity Suite are great options to relax after a long flight.
Explore More Dining
- Dempsey Hill as a dining enclave — Candlenut (Michelin Peranakan), Burnt Ends, Jumbo Seafood for chilli crab.
- Fura on Amoy Street — sustainability cocktail bar (gin martini infused with invasive jellyfish).
- The 1950s Coffee — Singapore’s only Michelin-listed breakfast stall, with the “how to order kopi like a local” mini-guide (kopi-O, kopi-C, kopi gu you).
- Raffles Hotel Long Bar Singapore Sling — including the quirk that it’s the one place you’re allowed to throw peanut shells on the floor. I didn’t do it as I am not that much into drinking to spend THIS Money on a drink, but I know the place is very popular and you may even end up waiting in line.
Exploring More Of The City
Koon Seng Road as 1920s colourful Peranakan terrace houses make a great photo stop on the way back to the airport.
Also would be nice to visit less-hyped neighbourhoods like Tiong Bahru (food centre + trendy district) and Haji Lane (indie boutiques).
Singapore Free Tours From The Airport
If you don’t want to research and plan your day, you can easily book a spot on one of the 3 free tours available at the airport.
The free Changi/Singapore Airlines tours are all about 2.5 hours long, iin English, and the main requirements are to be a transit passenger and to have at least a 5.5-hour layover.
Terminals 2E and 3A have a booth in the arrival area (do not exit to the city if you want to get the tour!) to book one and they will help you with everything.
All tours are free but each has a paid add-on for those who have more than 2.5 hours of free time and want to explore more.
- City Sights is the most popular tour for first timers. Covers all the bases. Runs at 12 and 6 PM.
- Heritage Tour is for you in you want to learn about culture, different traditions, architecture, and history. Only once a day at 10.30 AM.
- Singapore River + Marina Bay at 1 and 4 PM. It does NOT include a river cruise for free, but you can upgrade.
- Sentosa Day Tour – Singapore’s iconic destination with golf courses, Universal Studios park, and beaches. Runs at 3 and 7 PM
My Observations About Singapore & Some Travel Tips
- I was there in May. During the day, it was absolutely scorching hot. You will need water (buying constantly is not ideal) and an umbrella or hat if you are sun sensitive. Sunscreen, too, of course.
- Everyone will speak impeccable English as it is one of the official languages of the state.
- It is as pricey as everyone says. Singapore is expensive but hawker food is cheap; cards accepted almost everywhere and there are many things to do for free.
- Changi Stopovers / Singapore Stopover Holiday packages aka paid bundles with hotel + SIM + transfers + attraction admission may be worth it if you are allergic to planning. I think they are excessive.
- How to know which hawker stall to eat at? Look for the longest queue or where most of the locals are. If the owner doesn’t speak any English – you hit a jackpot.
- Singapore is called the “fine city” and it is not a joke. They have fines for jaywalking, eating on the MRT, chewing gum, and so on.
- The airport is open 24/7 so you can find a corner to relax, but the airport is really big and the free quiet areas where you can really lie down or take a nap are scarce and often already all the spots are taken. Plus, security (police) may wake you up to check your ID. They won’t bother you for no reason, though.
FAQs
Can I leave Singapore airport during my layover?
Sure, if you don’t need a visa (or you have one) and your layover is more than 5.5 hours, you can safely leave the airport to explore the city.
Do I need a visa for a 12 hour layover in Singapore?
Most nationalities do not need a visa for layover, transit, or visiting Singapore. There are a few countries (33-35) from Middle East and Eurasia that need visas or have agreements on allowed layovers.
Does Singapore Airlines pay for overnight layover?
No, if your flight through Singapore falls on night hours, you will not be paid any extra for accomodation (or provide it for free), taxi, or food. You will have to either sleep at the airport or find a hotel nearby.
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