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The undulating Henderson Waves footbridge above the rainforest canopy on the Southern Ridges

Sample journey · 5–7 days

Singapore up close: hawker halls, gardens and neighbourhoods

Chinatown, Tiong Bahru, Kampong Glam, Little India, the Botanic Gardens, the Southern Ridges, Katong & Pulau Ubin

Photo: Felix / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Singapore often gets a single night on the way to Bali or Australia. This route gives it a full week, and it turns out that is what it needs. Each day belongs to one layer of the city: the temples of Chinatown and the Art Deco streets of Tiong Bahru, the markets of Kampong Glam and Little India, the gardens and trails above the rainforest, Peranakan Katong and, to finish, Pulau Ubin, where something of the old village Singapore survives. Food runs through all of it, from kaya toast at breakfast to a late supper at a hawker centre.

The journey is designed for couples, families and first-time travellers to Asia: distances are short, the metro is easy and the daily rhythm is simple, outside early and late, with conservatories, galleries or the pool for the hottest hours. One base, or perhaps two: a restored shophouse in an old neighbourhood and a hotel with a garden or a view of the bay. How many days the city gets, and where you go next — Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand — would be shaped around you.

The route

The journey

  1. Changi Airport
  2. Chinatown & Tiong Bahru
  3. Kampong Glam & Little India
  4. Botanic Gardens, Southern Ridges & Gardens by the Bay
  5. Joo Chiat & Katong
  6. Pulau Ubin or MacRitchie
  7. Onward: Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand
  1. An old-school drinks stall hung with red lanterns at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, near Chinatown

    01Days 1–2 · Chinatown & Tiong Bahru

    Incense, arcades and a first laksa

    From Changi Airport it's about half an hour into the city. On the first evening, a short walk through Chinatown and dinner at Maxwell or Chinatown Complex, where Hainanese chicken rice is the dish to try. Next morning, Thian Hock Keng temple, built by sailors giving thanks for a safe passage, and Sri Mariamman, the city's oldest Hindu temple, only a few streets away. In the afternoon, Tiong Bahru: 1930s Art Deco flats with rounded balconies, bakeries, independent bookshops and a wet market with one of the most loved local hawker centres upstairs.

  2. A narrow, mural-covered lane strung with colourful bunting in Kampong Glam

    02Day 3 · Kampong Glam & Little India

    From a golden dome to flower garlands

    Morning in Kampong Glam, the historic Malay and Arab quarter around the Sultan Mosque: textile and perfume shops, narrow mural-lined lanes, and breakfast of roti prata or nasi padang. Outside prayer times visitors are usually welcome in the mosque if modestly dressed. The heat of the afternoon can be spent in a café or the shops beneath the arcades, then Little India is a walk or a single metro stop away: the stalls of Tekka Centre, garland makers, Sri Veeramakaliamman temple and the vividly painted House of Tan Teng Niah. For dinner, a banana-leaf meal or fish-head curry.

  3. The white, shell-shaped Symphony Stage beside a lily-covered lake in the Singapore Botanic Gardens

    03Day 4 · The gardens & the Southern Ridges

    A city that grows among the treetops

    Early in the morning, while it's still cool, the Singapore Botanic Gardens: lily-covered lakes, the rainforest trail and the National Orchid Garden. Then the Southern Ridges: trails linking Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill and Kent Ridge Park by bridges and walkways above the canopy, with the undulating Henderson Waves bridge as their high point. The whole route takes a few hours, or you can walk a shorter section. In the afternoon, the cool conservatories of Gardens by the Bay, the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest with its indoor waterfall, and after dark the Supertree Grove and dinner around Marina Bay.

  4. A row of pastel Peranakan terraced houses with ornate plasterwork in Joo Chiat, with a few passers-by in front

    04Day 5 · Joo Chiat & Katong

    Tiles, pastels and nyonya cooking

    In the east of the city, Joo Chiat and Katong, the home of the Peranakan community. A guided walk among terraced houses with ceramic tiles and plasterwork, Peranakan shops selling beaded slippers and porcelain, and Katong laksa and nyonya kueh for breakfast or lunch. In the afternoon, families often choose bicycles or a walk along the sea in East Coast Park, others the Peranakan Museum back in the centre. For dinner, nyonya cooking: ayam buah keluak, babi pongteh or itek tim.

  5. Forest reflected in a still, flooded quarry on Pulau Ubin

    05Days 6–7 · Pulau Ubin or MacRitchie

    The old village Singapore

    The last full day is spent beyond the city. From Changi Point ferry terminal, a small wooden bumboat crosses in a few minutes to Pulau Ubin, an island of village houses, coconut palms and old granite quarries filled with green water. Bicycles can be hired on the island, and the Chek Jawa boardwalk leads through the mangroves to the shore. For those who would rather stay closer to the centre, there are the forest trails of MacRitchie Reservoir and a suspension bridge above the canopy. The last evening at your favourite hawker centre, and next day a flight home or onward to Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Evenings at the hawker centres

    A different centre each evening, and a few dishes from different stalls shared on one table.

  2. 02

    Four cultures within a few streets

    A Taoist temple, a Hindu gopuram, the Sultan Mosque and Peranakan houses, only a few kilometres apart.

  3. 03

    A morning above the canopy

    The calm of the Botanic Gardens and the Southern Ridges trails while the city is still waking up.

  4. 04

    A day on Pulau Ubin

    A wooden bumboat, a bicycle and village lanes: an entirely different Singapore a few minutes offshore.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Shorter, as a longer stopover

    On the way further into Asia or on to Australia, three or four days can cover Chinatown, Kampong Glam, the gardens and Katong, leaving Pulau Ubin for another time.

  • On into Malaysia

    Overland from Singapore to old Malacca, then Kuala Lumpur and George Town on Penang, or a short flight to the rainforests of Borneo.

  • With islands in Indonesia or Thailand

    A ferry to Bintan, or a short flight to Bali, Lombok or Thailand's Andaman coast, for slow days by the sea after the city.

  • With children

    Less walking in the heat and more of the Cloud Forest, the children's garden at Gardens by the Bay, bicycles in East Coast Park and afternoons by the pool.

Practical considerations

  • Singapore is hot and humid all year, and heavy afternoon downpours are common, especially from around November to January. We plan the days so you're outside early and late.
  • Many hawker stalls close one day a week, and centres shut for cleaning a few times a year; we check opening days for your favourite places before you travel.
  • Bumboats to Pulau Ubin usually leave once enough passengers have gathered, so there may be a wait off-peak; weather and sea conditions can occasionally interrupt crossings.
  • Temples and mosques expect modest dress, and shoes often come off at the door; the Sultan Mosque is closed to visitors during prayers.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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