From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Arrival day
Before Day 1. Singapore is hot and humid all year, so keep the first evening small and let the heat set the pace.Details
From the airport
Changi is linked to the city by the train line, by taxi and by ride-hailing, and the ride into town is short. Even a late landing leaves you able to eat something nearby before bed.
Where to stay
Chinatown, Tanjong Pagar and the streets near Kampong Glam put many meals on foot from the door. Choose a room you will want to return to in the middle of the day, because a rest and a cool shower are part of the plan.
Eating the local way
At a hawker centre find a table first; a packet of tissues on it means the seat is taken. Then order and carry the food over. Peanuts, shrimp paste, shellfish and egg turn up in many sauces, so tell the stall holder about any allergy and ask again, as an answer is never a promise.
First evening
Walk, eat something light and sleep early. Day 1 starts in Chinatown, where the morning is the coolest part of the day.
Day 1. Katong and the east and Marina Bay and the river
5 stops · 21.6 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth the time
Geylang Serai Market
A Malay market and food centre in the east, with fresh produce, spices and cakes on the lower floor and stalls of rice and noodle dishes above. A local place for a breakfast away from the center.
Go whenMorning, when the stalls are fresh.
Local tip Look for the kueh and rice dishes. Ask about coconut and nuts if you avoid them.
The golden-domed mosque at the heart of Kampong Glam, the old Malay quarter. The building and its street are the draw, and visitors are welcome outside the times of prayer. Dress modestly, and check ahead for the visiting rules.
Go whenAfternoon, once the heat of the day has eased.
Local tip Walk the street of Arab shops and cafes beside it. Visitors are asked to dress modestly, so cover your shoulders and knees.
A street in the east of the city, lined with pastel Peranakan shophouses and small shops that sell kueh, laksa and cakes. A neighborhood to wander slowly and eat in.
Go whenAfternoon, then a late meal.
Local tip The painted terrace houses of Koon Seng Road are a short walk away, and they are private homes, so keep your voice low.
A park of lawns, lakes and giant tree-shaped structures covered in plants, beside the bay. Walk it after dark, when the heat drops and the trees are lit. The big glass conservatories are cool and a good wet-weather choice, and some need a ticket, so check ahead.
Go whenEvening, after sunset (about 7:16 PM), when the heat drops and the trees are lit.
Local tip Take the walkway between the tall trees at a slow pace. Check ahead for any evening show and for which glass conservatories are open.
If it rains. Geylang Serai Market is covered, so keep it. Move Sultan Mosque, Joo Chiat Road, Gardens by the Bay and East Coast Park to a dry day if you can.
Day 2. Marina Bay and the river and Little India
5 stops · 13.7 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from East Coast ParkAbout 21 min by car or transit8.4 km
Where Day 1 ended.
1
MorningWorth the time
Tekka Centre
A busy building in Little India with a market below and a hawker centre above. Indian and Malay stalls cook breads, curries and rice dishes, and the market hall smells of fresh spice. Go early and eat while the stalls are fresh.
Go whenMorning, for a first breakfast of breads and curry.
Local tip Eat at the hawker centre upstairs and walk through the market below afterward to see the spices and the fresh produce.
About 3 min walk0.3 km
2
MorningWorth a short visit
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
A Hindu temple to the goddess Kali, with a tall gateway of bright carved figures facing the busy street. Step inside for the quiet and the scent of flowers and incense. Dress modestly and take your shoes off at the door.
Go whenMorning, once the first heat arrives, as a cool pause.
Local tip Cover your shoulders and knees, and take your shoes off at the door. The street outside is busy, so the quiet inside feels larger.
A south Indian meal served on a banana leaf: rice, a few vegetable curries, a pickle, a crisp papad and a choice of fish or meat. The staff come round and refill the dishes until you wave them off. Little India has many places that serve it.
Local tip Fold the leaf toward you when you finish to show you enjoyed the meal. Curries often use nuts and dairy, so ask about the ones you avoid.
A large art museum of Singapore and Southeast Asia, set in two grand old buildings that once held the city hall and the court. Cool, quiet rooms for a hot or wet afternoon.
Go whenAfternoon, in the heat of the day.
Local tip Choose one wing and stay there rather than walking the whole building. Check ahead for exhibitions and for what needs a ticket.
The statue of the Merlion, half lion and half fish, spouting water into the bay, with the towers of the business district across the water. A short stop for the view and the photograph.
Go whenEvening, as the towers light up.
Local tip It is a small park and busy at sunset, so come for a quick look and then walk on along the bay.
If it rains. Tekka Centre and National Gallery Singapore are covered, so keep them. Move Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Haji Lane and Merlion Park to a dry day if you can.
Day 3. Marina Bay and the river and Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar
5 stops · 3.2 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth the time
Fort Canning Hill
A hill park in the middle of the city, with old gates, shaded paths and a spice garden. A cool, green walk before the day warms up.
Go whenMorning, before the heat builds.
Local tip Wear shoes with a grip, since the paths and steps can be slippery after rain.
A small, rich museum of the Peranakans, descendants of early Chinese settlers who blended Chinese, Malay and other ways of life into their own cooking, clothes and craft. The food and the beadwork are the best part, and it is a cool room in the heat of the day. Check ahead before you go.
Go whenMidday, in the shade of the hottest hours.
Local tip Look for the beadwork slippers and the embroidered wedding rooms, then go and taste the food the museum describes. Check ahead for any closure.
A Hokkien temple to the sea goddess Mazu, built when the waves reached the foot of this street, before the shore was moved by land reclamation. Carved beams, painted doors and a quiet courtyard make it a calm stop on a hot afternoon.
Go whenAfternoon, as a quiet pause between a long lunch and the evening.
Local tip Walk slowly through the courtyards and look at the roofs and the painted doors. The street outside, Telok Ayer, has other old temples and shophouses to wander past.
A graceful Victorian market hall of cast iron and an eight-sided roof, now a food centre in the middle of the business district. In the evening, satay stalls set up outdoors beside it and the smoke carries down the street.
Go whenEvening, around sunset (about 7:16 PM), when the satay stalls light their fires.
Local tip Order satay by the skewer in a mix of chicken, beef and mutton, and eat it with the sweet peanut sauce. Ask about peanuts if you avoid them, and check ahead on how the outdoor stalls run.
Restored riverside warehouses along the old trading river, now lined with restaurants, bars and a walkway at the water. A lively place for a drink or a late supper.
Go whenEvening, around sunset (about 7:16 PM), when the lights come on at the water.
Local tip Walk the whole quay first and choose a table by the river rather than the first one you see.
If it rains. Peranakan Museum and Lau Pa Sat are covered, so keep them. Move Fort Canning Hill, Thian Hock Keng and Clarke Quay to a dry day if you can.
Day 4. Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar and Dempsey Hill and the Botanic Gardens
5 stops · 5.5 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth a short visit
Sri Mariamman Temple
The oldest Hindu temple in the city, with a tall gateway covered in colorful carved figures. It stands in the middle of Chinatown, so the temple, the incense and the market lanes sit side by side. Dress modestly and take your shoes off at the door.
Go whenMorning, when Chinatown is quiet and the air is cooler.
Local tip Cover your shoulders and knees, and take your shoes off at the door. Look up at the gateway, where every level is crowded with carved figures.
A large temple in the Tang style, in the middle of Chinatown, said to hold a relic tooth of the Buddha. Its halls are cool and calm, and a good pause from the heat of the street. Dress modestly.
Go whenMorning, before the street fills.
Local tip Cover your shoulders and knees. The temple is close to Sri Mariamman Temple, so the two pair well on foot.
Poached chicken with rice cooked in the broth, with chili sauce, ginger paste and a bowl of soup. Plain on the surface and deeply satisfying, it is the dish most people call the national plate.
Local tip Sauces are part of the dish. Ask what is in them if you avoid peanuts or shellfish, and share a second plate so you can compare stalls.
A big, roofed hawker centre at the edge of Chinatown, with rows of small stalls that each cook a few dishes and little else. It is a good first lesson in how Singapore eats: pick a table, wander the stalls and carry back whatever looks best.
Go whenLate morning, a little before the lunch rush fills the tables.
Local tip Find a seat first, then order. If you avoid an ingredient, tell the stall holder before you pay. Stalls are busy, so ask again if you are not sure.
A lively open-air hawker centre known for grilled seafood, satay and sweet cold desserts, busy from early evening. A fitting last supper: share a few dishes and stay until the plates are clean.
Go whenEvening, as the tables fill after dark.
Local tip Stalls grill seafood by weight, so ask what you are being charged for before they cook. Tell the stall holder about any shellfish or peanut allergy before ordering.
The famous crab in a thick, sweet and spicy tomato and chili sauce, with fried buns for mopping it up. Add grilled stingray with a sambal paste and share it all. It is messy, and that is part of the pleasure.
Local tip Crab is shellfish, and the sauce contains egg. Tell the stall holder about any allergy before you order, and do not take a reassurance as a promise.
If it rains. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, Baba House, Maxwell Food Centre and Newton Food Centre are covered, so keep them. Move Sri Mariamman Temple to a dry day if you can.
Day 5. Dempsey Hill and the Botanic Gardens and Tiong Bahru
5 stops · 8.8 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth the time
Tiong Bahru
One of the oldest housing estates in the city, with curved white blocks from the 1930s, a wet market, a hawker centre and a few bakeries and bookshops. It is a calm neighborhood to walk and eat in, away from the main sights.
Go whenMorning, with breakfast at the market.
Local tip Walk the curved blocks to see the 1930s design, then look for the bakeries and the wet market. Be gentle with the residents, because people live in these flats.
A garden inside the Botanic Gardens given to orchids, with thousands of plants and named hybrids in arbors and cool houses. A gentle walk among flowers.
Go whenMorning, when it is coolest.
Local tip This part of the gardens has its own entry, so check ahead before you plan the visit.
A sit-down lunch in one of the old barracks buildings, with the trees outside the window. Choose a table you like and give the afternoon a slow start.
Local tip Book ahead at weekends. Tell the staff about any allergy at the start, and again when you order.
About 16 min walk1.3 km
3
MiddayWorth the time
Dempsey Hill
A cluster of old military barracks among tall trees, now home to restaurants, cafes and galleries. A good place for a long lunch in the shade, with room to sit as long as you like.
Go whenMidday, for a long lunch in the shade.
Local tip The old barracks are spread through the trees, so walk to a corner that looks calm. Book ahead for a table at a weekend lunch.
A very large garden of lawns, lakes and old trees, with a patch of real rainforest inside it. It is a World Heritage Site and a place to walk slowly, find a bench and sit. Go in the afternoon, when the shade is long.
Go whenAfternoon, near sunset (about 7:16 PM), when the light is gold and the paths are cooler.
Local tip Take the rainforest path for a cool walk under tall trees, then end at a lake with a bench. Bring water, and expect a short shower at any time of year.
If it rains. Dempsey Hill and Orchard Road are covered, so keep them. Move Tiong Bahru, National Orchid Garden and Singapore Botanic Gardens to a dry day if you can.
Departure day
After the last day. Give the airport a calm run and eat well before you go.Details
Check-out
Many hotels will hold your bags if you ask, so a late breakfast and a last stroll cost you nothing. Leave the room with the day still ahead of you.
To the airport
The way back is the same train line or a short taxi ride, and the road is usually clear outside the busiest hours. Allow extra time on a weekday evening.
If you have a few hours
Changi Airport is a place to eat and wander in its own right, with food courts and gardens inside the terminals. A last bowl of laksa or a cold sweet is an easy way to say goodbye.
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Singapore?
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, January to March and June to October are the most comfortable months for walking around Singapore. This plan is built for early March, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 5 days in Singapore, planned for early March. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
Each day has about 3.2 to 21.6 kilometers between its stops, and 44.4 kilometers in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.