In 2017, I traveled to Singapore for the first time after ending my student exchange program in Hong Kong. At that time, my sister was living in Singapore too because her husband was doing a three-month work rotation there, so I decided it was a great opportunity to visit! Little did I know, that the moment I landed in Singapore, I would be welcomed online by so many of my YouTuber viewers, and I even had the chance to meet a few of them in person. That one trip made me fall in love with Singapore and the warm community I had built there, and I found myself solo traveling there again the year after. This itinerary is built on a compilation of both trips from 2017 and 2018. Feel free to pick and choose what you'd like to do!
Transportation:
The moment you land at the airport, be sure to purchase an EZ-link card to ride the MRT and buses. Public transportation is insanely convenient in Singapore!
Accommodation:
I stayed in a clean and cozy Airbnb near Bugis/Dhoby/Orchard which are all great areas for tourists. It costed around $100 a night, and included a private room key, wi-fi, and laundry machine. Overall, the Airbnb was really comfortable and convenient, and I would book again!
Note: Originally I was looking at Airbnbs around $50/night (because I found really good places in Japan/Taiwan for that amount), but tbh they all looked really sketch to me LOL. Eventually, I learned from my friend that it's expected to spend $90-$100/night due to the high cost of living. Although this was higher than my intended budget, this is something that I accepted - especially if I wanted to live comfortably during my stay.
Special offer: Sign up to Airbnb with my code & get up to $95 off your first trip!
Flight:
I flew from Taiwan (TPE) to Singapore (SIN) with China Airlines. My ticket was around $415 for a round trip.
Money ($1 CAD = $1.04 SG):
The Canadian and Singaporean dollar are almost equal in terms of value. For this trip, I budgeted around $100CAD/day. It was mostly spent on public transportation, food, and ticket fees. I didn't really shop (although Bugis does have a lot of things to buy)!
Emerald Hill
4 DAYS IN SINGAPORE ITINERARY: AT A GLANCE
This is my 2018 itinerary after visiting Singapore once already.
Day 1: Hawker Centre, Clarke Quay, Kaya Toast, Haji Lane, Bugis, Bugis Junction, Level Up
Day 2: S.E.A. Aquarium, Wings of Time Light Show
Day 3: Sim Lim Square, Helix Bridge, The Art & Science Museum
Day 4: Vivo City, KOI Bubble Tea, Mount Faber Peak, Bells of Happiness, Sentosa Beach, Marina Bay Sands
Here's a list of other activities that I enjoyed during my first trip in Singapore:
- Observation deck at ION Sky, Emerald Hill, Shopping at Orchard and DAISO
- Chinatown, Singapore City Gallery, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Sri Mariamman
- Fountain of Wealth at Suntec City, Alive Museum, Dinner at Bak Kut Teh
- Singapore Botanic Gardens, Merlion Statue, Gardens by the Bay
- Universal Studios Singapore
DAY ONE:
PURCHASE AN EZ-LINK CARD @ THE AIRPORT
Once you land at the airport in Singapore, follow the signs to the MTR where you can buy an EZ-Link card to ride the subway. This will be your main form of transportation throughout Singapore.
EAT AT A HAWKER CENTRE
Singapore is known for its hawker centres. It's basically an outdoor food court filled with delicious local dishes at an insanely affordable price. You can literally buy a full meal for $2.00-$5.00 here, which can save you a lot of money when budgeting for your trip. Here's a link to the 5 best hawker centres in Singapore if you're interested in learning more.
RELAX @ CLARKE QUAY
Sit at the steps of Clarke Quay and enjoy the serene scenery.
TRY KAYA TOAST
This is a famous Singaporean breakfast dish, and can also be eaten as a yummy snack!
EXPLORE HAJI LANE
Haji Lane is a really cute area filled with independent fashion boutiques, food, and souvenirs. It's a cool place where young people like to hang out! During my visit here in 2017, I bought a drink from Selfie Coffee and had the best Hokkaido Ice Cream Puffs, but unfortunately those shops have now closed down. Within walking steps to Haji Lane is also a beautiful mosque! The architecture in Singapore is actually one of my favourite things to see.
SHOP AROUND BUGIS + BUGIS JUNCTION
Bugis has tons of cute clothes to buy around here! Definitely increase your budget if you're looking to shop in Singapore.
ENJOY GARDENS BY THE BAY
Mark this on your list because this is a must-see in Singapore! I went here during my first visit to Singapore, and bought tickets to the Flower Dome. I don't remember the details, but feel free to visit their site for more information!
PLAY BEER PONG & ARCADE GAMES @ LEVEL UP
Located in Clarke Quay, Level Up is a fun arcade that you can visit with friends for a night time activity. There's beer pong, pool, foosball, arcade games, and food and drinks if you become hungry or thirsty.
Address: 3A River Valley Rd, #02-04 Block A, Singapore 179020
Hours: Mon. to Thurs. 5:00pm-2:00am (closes at 3:00am on Friday & Saturday) | Sunday (4:00pm-1:00am)
DAY TWO:
BUY SOME TECH GEAR @ SIM LIM SQUARE
Sim Lim Square is a great place to visit if you're looking to level up your tech gear! The prices are also really affordable. During my time here, I came with my friends who were looking to purchase new gear for their streaming and gaming set-up.
HAVE FUN AT THE FUTURE WORLD EXHIBIT @ THE ART & SCIENCE MUSEUM
This digital art museum was one of my favourite places to visit in Singapore, and super instagrammable! A really fun place to experience. Book tickets online.
DAY THREE:
VISIT THE S.E.A. AQUARIUM
This aquarium was really beautiful! I had fun walking around, seeing different types of fish, and my friend and I joked about RGB jellyfish here because they kept changing colours haha.
WATCH THE WINGS OF TIME LIGHT SHOW
This show was really fun and engaging to watch! They built a whole story and used the lights to portray it.
DAY FOUR:
A lot of my Singaporean YouTube viewers were interested in attending a Meet & Greet, and so I organized this day specifically to chill & get to know them personally! I love making friends around the world, and it was such a funny experience because I was basically their tour guide LOL. Almost everyone that came out had never heard of the attractions I brought them to.
BUY MILK TEA KIT KATS @ GIANT SUPERMARKET IN VIVO CITY
First things first, my mission in Singapore was to buy milk tea kit kats! I discovered them on Facebook when I was back in Canada, and knew I had to buy packs of them to bring back home. I also shared a pack with my new Singapore friends because they hadn't even tried them before!
DRINK BUBBLE TEA @ KOI
It honestly boggles my mind whenever I see bubble tea being sold for $2 in Asia because it's $5-$6+ in Canada... LOL cheap bubble tea is legit one of the #1 reasons why I love traveling to Asia, and everyone knows it too hahah. I tried the Honey Milk Tea here, and enjoyed it lots!
HIKE UP MOUNT FABER PARK
From Vivo City, the hike to Mount Faber Peak was around 15-20 minutes. It was a little humid (actually, Singapore is always humid LOL), but it was a really nice bonding activity. Walking is also the most affordable way to get to the peak because you can choose to take a cable car there (for around $30).
RING THE BELL OF HAPPINESS @ MOUNT FABER PEAK
At the top of Mount Faber Peak, there's a giant "Bell of Hapiness" that you can ring, and I honestly thought it was the cutest activity ever LOL. You can also buy mini bells in the souvenir shop (two for $4.90) where you can write your own wish, and tie it onto the fence. The idea is similar to the lock locks!
TAKE A SCENIC WALK @ SENTOSA BEACH
There's just something about listening to the sound of the waves and staring at the sun's reflection in the water that gets you. It always reminds me of how beautiful the world is and how life can be so simple.
ENJOY A FREE LIGHT SHOW @ MARINA BAY SANDS
Every night at 8:00pm, you can enjoy a beautiful 15 minute light show outdoors accompanied by an immersive orchestral soundtrack. Find a day that works for you, and watch it alongside a crowd!
