Entry into Singapore
If you're transiting through Singapore and hold a
ticket to a third country, you can enter on a transit visa, which is
valid for up to 96 hours. This visa applies under the third-country
rule, meaning your travel route must be something like Indonesia –
Malaysia – Singapore – Indonesia. A direct round-trip such as Indonesia
– Singapore – Indonesia does not qualify for a transit visa.
Upon arrival at immigration, you'll need to
complete an entry form. There is a stand with a QR code near the
customs control area to access the form. The process is straightforward and
includes a few basic questions.
If you're visiting Singapore as a tourist, you’ll
need a tourist visa, usually valid for one month, and it must be
applied for in advance.
BaliLive
recommends the agency LegalIndonesia for handling visa applications to
Singapore. Processing can be as fast as two working days, and the
service starts from 1,900,000 IDR. Costs and timelines may vary
depending on your nationality.
Accommodation in Singapore
Airbnb is illegal in Singapore. Tourists are only allowed to stay in hotels. Hotel
prices have risen recently, with the average nightly rate in the city center
around $160 USD.
For more budget-friendly options, consider ethnic
neighborhoods like Chinatown, which is well-developed and popular
among travelers.
Here are some example hotel prices per night:
- Hotel Clover The Arts – $180
- Rest Chinatown Hotel – $223
- Concorde Hotel Singapore – $294
- Carlton City Hotel – $358
- Hotel Traveltine – $252
- PARKROYAL on Beach Road – $285
Three-Day Itinerary
Day 1
Morning:
Cultural Start at the National Gallery
Begin your day at the National Gallery Singapore,
where the 2nd and 3rd floors feature a fantastic permanent collection of
Southeast Asian art.
Take a stroll through the ground floor—you'll find a cozy café, a kids’
play area, and a gift shop with unique souvenirs.
When you exit the gallery, turn right and
walk along the building toward the waterfront.
Pass by The Arts House, and you’ll arrive near the Statue of Sir
Stamford Raffles, regarded as the founder of modern Singapore.
Just across the water is Boat Quay, lined
with charming old shophouses and some of the city’s best seafood restaurants.
From here, walk toward the Fullerton Hotel,
cross the bridge, then the road, and make your way to the iconic Merlion
statue, a symbol of Singapore.
Afternoon:
Choose Your Adventure
Option 1: Explore Chinatown
Visit Singapore’s most vibrant ethnic district:
- Sri Mariamman Temple – Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple.
- Buddha Tooth Relic Temple – The most magnificent Buddhist temple in the city. Stroll through the colorful streets, grab souvenirs, and try the infamous durian fruit at street stalls. Enjoy lunch at one of Chinatown’s many cafes and hawker stalls.
Option 2: Visit the Fountain of Wealth
Head to Suntec City, home to the Fountain of Wealth, built in
1995 and once the largest fountain in the world (according to the Guinness Book
of Records).
Visitors often walk around the base of the fountain to make a wish for
prosperity.
Grab lunch at the nearby food court, offering plenty of affordable local
options.
Evening:
Gardens by the Bay & Marina Bay Sands
In the late afternoon, head to the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) area and explore Gardens by the Bay, one of Singapore's
top attractions.
Don’t miss:
- Supertree Grove – Futuristic, tree-like vertical gardens.
- Flower Dome – Rotating floral exhibits and rare plants.
- Cloud Forest – A misty dome with the world’s tallest indoor waterfall (35 meters).
💡 Tickets for the Flower Dome + Cloud Forest cost
around $53. You can buy online or on-site.
💡Optional: visit the smaller but
beautiful Floral Fantasy within the park.
Night:
Shows, Dinner & Rooftop Bars
Catch one or both evening light shows:
- 7:45 PM – Garden Rhapsody at Supertree Grove (light + music show)
- 9:00 PM – Spectra, a fountain and light show at the Marina Bay waterfront, near the entrance of Marina Bay Sands Shopping Mall
You can also take a ride on the iconic Singapore Flyer, one of the tallest observation wheels in the world, offering breathtaking views of the city skyline.
Dinner Options:
- Casual – Try Supertree Dining cafe (next to Supertree Grove) or the basement food court inside Marina Bay Sands (average meal ~$10).
- Upscale – Dine at open-air restaurants along the waterfront, such as Yardbird Southern Table and Bar or Da Paolo Gastronomia.
End your night with a view:
- 🥂 Ce La Vi – Rooftop bar atop MBS with a buzzing vibe and panoramic skyline views.
- 🍻 Level 33 – A craft brewery and bar on the 33rd floor with great Marina Bay views.
- 🌿 Mr. Stork – Located on the 39th floor of the Andaz Hotel, with a relaxed rooftop garden atmosphere.
Day 2
Morning — Singapore Zoo
Start your day with a visit to the Singapore Zoo,
a vast wildlife park and national reserve where animals live in habitats
designed to closely resemble their natural environment.
Getting there:
- The easiest option is by taxi.
- Alternatively, take the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit). Board the red line to Ang Mo Kio station. From there, walk to the Bus Interchange and take bus number 138 (not 38) to the last stop. The entire journey from the MRT takes about one hour.
The zoo is part of a larger complex that also
includes the Night Safari, River Safari, and, since 2023, the Bird
Park.
- Opening hours: 8:30 AM
- Tickets: Can be purchased on-site or online. Combo tickets for all parks are available on the official website.
Afternoon — ArtScience Museum
If you’re not staying for the Night Safari or visiting the Bird Park, head back
to the city center in the late afternoon and explore the ArtScience
Museum, located next to Marina Bay Sands.
The museum is known for its iconic lotus-shaped
design and impressive exhibitions on robotics, space, modern technology,
and its permanent installation, Future World.
- Opening hours: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM (last ticket entry at 6:00 PM)
- Ticket prices: Range from $15 to $21, depending on the exhibition
Day 3
Sentosa Island
Getting There:
To reach the entertainment island of Sentosa, you can take either a taxi
or the MRT with a transfer to the Sentosa Express Monorail.
Take the MRT to HarbourFront Station.
- If you have a Singapore Tourist Pass or EZ-Link card, you can use it to access the monorail.
- If you’re using single-trip tickets or haven't used the MRT previously, you'll need to purchase a monorail ticket at the ticket counter on the third floor of VivoCity mall.
Monorail
Stops on Sentosa:
This is the stop for Universal Studios Singapore and the island’s
main entertainment zone.
If you're only visiting the theme park or nearby attractions, there's no
need to go further.
Operating hours: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Last ticket entry: 5:45 PM
Tip:
Buy tickets online to avoid queues. Express passes are available to skip
regular lines, as wait times can be long.
You can also buy tickets online
for the S.E.A. Aquarium, located nearby.
Imbiah Station (optional intermediate stop)
Beach Station (final stop)
If you’d like to explore more of the island, continue to Beach Station,
where you’ll find:
- Palawan Beach – visit the southernmost point of Continental Asia by crossing a suspension bridge to a viewing platform with wooden huts.
- Tanjong Beach – a quieter spot perfect for relaxation.
- Siloso Beach – the liveliest area with seaside cafes, water sports, and fun activities. There is also a cable car station nearby.
Evening
Activity — Wings of Time Show
At 7:40 PM, near Beach Station, enjoy the
spectacular Wings of Time show — a combination of water, lights, lasers,
and music set against the ocean backdrop.
- Tickets: $16
- Available: Online or at the ticket counter near the entrance
In our opinion, there's no point in spending money, or even just visiting zoos, Universal Studios, water parks, aquariums, etc. Such attractions aren't unique to Singapore, and many places, even in Russia, have better options. It's worth simply enjoying the city itself in Singapore, an experience you won't find anywhere else; two days are quite enough, and on the third day, we ended up partially revisiting the same spots.
Transport: If you don't want to bother much, get a tourist pass, with or without a deposit, it's up to you. If you have a bank card or NFC, you can use that too. A tourist pass might save you money if you plan to thoroughly explore all of Singapore, but that's unlikely to be interesting.
Customs: We flew from Denpasar (Bali), and everything went smoothly at the check-in counter; they only glanced at our return tickets from Singapore to Vietnam. However, when leaving Singapore for Vietnam, they made us buy return tickets (a reservation was sufficient); otherwise, they didn’t want to check us in. I understand the rules, but as some might know, in Vietnam, they don't ask for return tickets or hotel bookings. It took us just a minute to pass customs in Vietnam, and everyone in the chat says nobody asks for anything. Fortunately, we managed to buy the ticket, and the staff were kind enough to share their Wi-Fi. We completed everything 10 minutes before the check-in closed. I've written a lot, hope this helps someone.