Singapore – 16 lucruri pe care trebuie sa le stii despre Singapore (+ itinerar de 1, 2, 3 sau 4 zile)

A metropolis the size of a country, a spectacular cityscape, a mix of innovative technology and Asian culture and an incredible range of recreational activities – this is Singapore, the place that no traveler should miss.

Whether you choose Singapore as your main holiday destination, or it is just a stopover on your way to other gorgeous locations in Asia, you will certainly not regret choosing to explore this incredible city!

In this article you will find all the information you need to organize your visit here: from accommodation, transport, food, tourist attractions, to entry requirements into the country or useful apps.

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What you need to know about Singapore

What you need to know about Singapore

1. About Singapore

Singapore is an island city-state in Southeast Asia, surrounded by Malaysia to the north and Indonesia to the south, located 137 km from the Equator.

Singapore was declared a sovereign state quite recently, declaring its independence in 1965. It is a former British colony, which has greatly influenced the culture of the place: English is one of the official languages of the country, cars have steering wheels on the right side (like in the UK), sockets are British style (with 3 pins).

With a population of almost 6 million inhabitants, Singapore is the second most densely populated country in the world after Monaco.

Singapore is, moreover, a country with rich cultural diversity, here various ethnic groups live in harmony, such as Chinese (majority), Malays or Indians. Diversity is also felt in the atmosphere on the streets of Singapore, there is that frenzy specific to an Asian city, especially in the historical districts, such as Chinatown or Indian Quarter.

Singapore is a true economic force, a prosperous country and one of the most developed and innovative states. It is also a safe place, where the rules are strictly respected.

You will find below a list of answers to possible questions you may have about Singapore:

2. When to go to Singapore

Singapore is a destination that can be visited throughout the year, the temperature is constant, around 30 degrees, but what can make a difference is the level of precipitation, with December and January being considered the rainiest.

In fact, the climate in Singapore is very humid, it rains often, and the humidity level is quite high, which also increases the degree of discomfort felt.

But even so, Singapore is a city prepared for high temperatures or consistent precipitation: there are many covered passages where you can walk so that you are protected from rain or sun, including in malls or metro stations, well equipped with air conditioning.

3. Entry requirements in Singapore

EU citizens do not need a visa to enter Singapore, for stays of up to 90 days.

However, it is mandatory to complete the Singapore Arrival Card (SGAC), which you can find here: https://www.ica.gov.sg/enter-transit-depart/entering-singapore/sg-arrival-card.

4. Currency and prices in Singapore

The official currency of Singapore is the Singapore dollar. At the time of writing this article (January 2025), 1 Singapore dollar = 0.71 euros, 1 euro = 1.41 Singapore dollars.

Singapore has a highly developed economy and a high standard of living, and this is also reflected in the prices on the market.

A holiday in Singapore can be expensive, when it comes to accommodation prices or entrance fees to tourist attractions, especially compared to the rest of the countries in Southeast Asia, which are considered much cheaper.

For example, for accommodation, we paid 120 euros/night, and it was one of the cheapest good accommodations (above the 8 rating on Booking.com) that we could find in September: lyf Farrer Park Singapore.

And for entrance fees to important tourist attractions, the prices were around 20 euros/ticket:

Gardens By the Bay: Cloud Forest & Flower Dome: 41 euro
Marina Bay Sands Skypark Observation Deck Ticket: 21 euro
Sentosa Cable Car Day Pass: 22 euro
ArtScience Museum: 20 euro

Instead, it is cheap if you choose to eat in food courts, called hawkers. They are the places chosen by locals for their daily meal, where you have a wide variety of Asian dishes available. It is worth mentioning that, if you want to eat in malls, the food prices are equivalent to those in our country.

5. How to get to Singapore

Singapore is a true transport hub, and often the main gateway to Asia!

In fact, Singapore Changi International Airport is one of the largest airports in the world, an important air transport hub, but also a tourist attraction in itself, being recognized for its facilities, innovative architecture, interesting design and unique experience offered to passengers.

If you want to look for plane tickets from Europe, some of the airlines you can fly with are Turkish Airlines, Qatar, KLM, Lufthansa or Air France. You can search on kiwi.com or Google Flights for different flight options.

We flew from Cluj-Napoca to Singapore with Turkish Airlines, with a stopover in Istanbul, and the round-trip ticket, for a trip in September 2024, cost 750 euros.

And if you are on an extended trip through Asia, you can use local airlines to travel to other destinations, such as AirAsia. We flew from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, with Air Asia, and then returned to Singapore from Bali, also with Air Asia. The price of such a ticket on short routes starts at 50 euros.

6. How to get from the airport to Singapore

Changi Airport is located about 20 kilometers from the center of Singapore, Marina Bay area.

You can get from the airport directly with a Grab, as we did (we paid about 20 euros from the airport to our accommodation in Little India lyf Farrer Park Singapore), or by metro. Search on Google Maps which metros you need to take or change to get to the desired place. Metro tickets are cheap and you can pay for them directly with your card, at the entrance.

7. Where to stay in Singapore

When planning your trip to Singapore, it's a good idea to expect high prices. Especially if you compare it to other regional capitals, where prices are much lower than in Europe.

In Singapore, good accommodations generally exceed 100 euros/night.

Singapore is a very safe city, so wherever you choose to stay, you will be completely safe! But it's better to stay as close as possible to the metro stations, to have easy access to the important places to visit in the city.

And if you want to stay in a livelier area, with lots of shops or restaurants, then look for accommodation in the area of the historical districts: Little India, Chinatown or Arab Quarter.

Below, we have prepared a list of accommodations in Singapore, for all budgets, with different ratings on Booking. In this case, the high degree of good reviews can also directly influence the price of a night's accommodation.

Good and decent accommodation in Singapore (8+ rating)

The following accommodation options are within a medium budget and offer good conditions. They are not luxurious, but they are suitable for travelers who want decent accommodation, with full facilities, at a reasonable price. All have a score of over 8 on Booking.com:

lyf Farrer Park Singapore 4* – from 130 euros/night – This is the accommodation we chose, and we recommend it further. A small but modern room, located in a 4-star hotel in the Little India district, close to the metro station. It took about 10 minutes by Grab or 20 minutes by metro to reach the Marina Bay Sands area.

lyf Funan Singapore 4* – from 125 euros/night

Holiday Inn Express Singapore Katong 4* – from 115 euros/night

Superior accommodation in Singapore (9+ rating)

The following accommodation options are of a higher category, with higher prices, but which offer excellent conditions. These are ideal for those looking for greater comfort, and have over a 9 rating on Booking.com:

Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong 5* - from 180 euros/night

The Clan Hotel Singapore by Far East Hospitality 5* – from 240 euros/night

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore 5* – from 290 euros/night

And if you want to have the ultimate experience in Singapore, then a stay in the famous Marina Bay Sands is what you need! With its three towers and its boat-shaped architecture, the Marina Bay Sands hotel is an iconic, unique and representative building for Singapore. It is, therefore, a luxury hotel, where the price of a room starts from approximately 800 euros / night (the higher the room is located, the more the price increases).

Affordable accommodation in Singapore (7+ rating)

The accommodations below are more affordable, and offer essential amenities and conditions, suitable for those looking for more budget-friendly options. They have a score of over 7 on Booking.com:

ibis budget Singapore Emerald 2* - from 65 euros / night

ibis budget Singapore Ruby 2* - from 65 euros / night

Capsule accommodation in Singapore

If you want to experience a different type of accommodation, you also have the option of sleeping in a hotel or hostel with capsule beds, such as these:

Galaxy Pods Capsule Hotel Boat Quay – from 60 euros/night

CUBE Boutique Capsule Hotel at Chinatown 2* – from 70 euros/night

7 Wonders Hostel @ Boat Quay 2* – from 60 euros/night

8. Internet in Singapore

The first thing you should do when you arrive in a foreign country is to connect to the Internet.

The easiest way to connect to the internet is to install an eSim on your phone, if your device allows it. There are different options to choose from: for a week, for a month, from 1 GB to 40+ GB.

The application that I recommend in this case is MobiMatter, here we found the most convenient options for the price. And if you want to combine your visit to Singapore with a trip to other neighboring countries, such as Malaysia or Indonesia, there are data packages for several countries, combined. For example, we bought an eSim worth 9 dollars, 15 GB, for the countries of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, together.

If your personal phone does not allow the installation of an eSim, then you are left with the classic SIM card option, which you can purchase directly from the airport.

9. Useful apps in Singapore

Here are some useful apps that we used in Singapore:

Klook and GetYourGuide for entrance tickets (for example to Gardens By the Bay or Marina Bay Sands)

MobiMatter or Airalo for internet

Grab for ride sharing

Google Maps for the map – also install the offline version of the Singapore map, in case you are left without internet

10. How to get around in Singapore

Singapore has an extremely well-developed infrastructure, and the main way to get around the city is by public transport. They are clean, cheap, fast, run frequently and are all equipped with air conditioning.

When planning a trip to the city, check Google Maps for the best route alternative (install the offline version of the map, in case you don't have internet access).

The good part is that you can pay for the transport ticket directly with your card, and the amount paid will depend on the number of stations traveled. Don't forget to scan your card both when entering and exiting! If you don't scan it when exiting, the total amount up to the last station of the respective metro line will be withdrawn from your card.

11. What to visit in Singapore

And now, let's move on to the beautiful things about the city of Singapore, namely the multitude of tourist attractions and activities you can do here. Below, we have prepared a list of the most important points of interest in Singapore.

To see the map legend below, slide the menu in the upper left corner.

Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade

1. Marina Bay Sands – Marina Bay Sands Skypark Observation Deck

2. Merlion Statue

3. Helix Bridge

4. ArtScience Museum

5. Spectra – A Light & Water Show

6. Singapore Flyer

7. Boat ride in Singapore

Gardens By The Bay

8. Gardens By the Bay

9. Supertree Grove

10. OCBC Skyway

11. The Garden Rapsody

12. The Cloud Forest

13. Flower Dome

Historic districts

14. Kampong Glam – Arab Quarter

15. Chinatown – Chinese Quarter

16. Little India – Indian Quarter

Sentosa Island

17. Sentosa island

18. Sentosa Beaches: Palawan, Siloso, Tanjong

19. Universal Studios Singapore

20. S.E.A Aquarium

Changi Airport

21. Jewel Changi Airport

Parks

22. Fort Canning Park

23. Singapore Botanical Garden

Shopping

24. Clarke Quay

25. Orchard Road

Hawkers

26. LAU PA SAT

27. Chinatown Complex Food Centre

We have written more about each of these tourist attractions here: What to do in Singapore – TOP 26 places to visit in Singapore. Don't forget to read this article to find out all the information about the main attractions in Singapore.

12. What to eat in Singapore

Welcome to Asia! The place where you can delight yourself with all kinds of Asian delicacies: noodles, rice, seafood, sweet tastes and spicy aromas. Asia is a gastronomic paradise, and Singapore is the place that combines different culinary experiences of the region, thanks to the diversity and cultural mix of this country.

The dish considered local and traditional for Singaporeans is quite simple: it is chicken rice, boiled chicken breast, with rice and ginger and chili sauce.

But you will find a lot of dishes with different influences: Chinese, Thai, Indian, Malaysian: satay (meat skewers served with peanut sauce), Pad Thai, Nasi Lemak, or the famous Malaysian drinks: Kopi coffee or The Tarik tea.

And speaking of drinks, you should also know that Singaporeans are used to drinking their teas, coffees and lemonades extremely sweet!

Centre hawker

There is a whole culture of street food or hawker centres in Singapore. It is where locals eat, at low prices, and it is one of the activities that you should not miss if you come to Singapore.

Here is a list of the most famous hawker centers:

LAU PA SAT – this is the most famous hawker in Singapore, and also the most touristy, being located near the tourist center – the Marina Bay area

Tiong Bahru Market
Newton Food Centre
Chinatown Complex Food Centre – here you'll find most Michelin-starred restaurants

An interesting thing about Singapore is that here you can find the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurants, which are simply food stalls in hawker centres. Some of these restaurants are:

Hawker Chan (Chan Hon Meng) – 1 Michelin star, in Chinatown Complex Food Centre
Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodles – 1 stea Michelin, din Chinatown Complex Food Centre
Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodles – 1 Michelin star, in Chinatown Complex Food Centre

13. Rules in Singapore

It is very important to know about Singapore that it is a country known for its order and discipline, where laws and rules are strictly respected! If you do not follow local laws completely, the punishments are very harsh, the fines received are huge, and what is more, you can even end up in prison.

Here is a list of rules that you are not allowed to break in Singapore:

Chewing gum is prohibited in Singapore! You are not allowed to chew gum on the street, including bringing it with you into the country.
It is forbidden to consume drinks and food on public transport!
Do not leave behind waste and do not throw garbage on the street!
In hawkers or food courts, pick up the leftovers after you (take the food tray to the designated places)
If you are a smoker, you are only allowed to smoke in specially marked places on the street. At the same time, you are allowed to enter the country with a maximum of one pack of cigarettes!
You should not cross the street in places that are not allowed!

Singapore is, therefore, a country with many rules, some might say that they feel followed at every step, especially since the city seems to be covered in video cameras everywhere. But it is enough to just follow these common sense rules and everything will be fine!

14. Safety in Singapore

And precisely because there are so many laws that must be respected, safety is also a chapter in which Singapore excels.

Singapore is considered one of the safest countries in the world, and we felt that too. And the most "shocking" images that we noticed were those in which people left their phones, laptops or bags unattended on the table, in order to occupy the table, and went to order their food. I wonder what it would be like to witness such scenes in our country?

15. How much did our holiday in Singapore cost

Singapore was one of the cities visited in our extended trip to Southeast Asia. That is why, to the total amount of expenses, we will not add the transportation from Europe to Singapore. As for the other costs, we have gathered them all below:

Flight 750 euros/person round trip, with Turkish Airlines, flight Cluj – Istanbul – Singapore

Accommodation: 3 nights at lyf Farrer Park Singapore 4*: 360 euros (180 euros / person)

Transport:
- Between airport and city, round trip: 40 euros / 2 people
- Travel by metro or Grab: 20 euros

Bilete intrare:
- Cloud Forest + Flower Dome 41 euro / person
- Supertree Grove + OCBC Skywalk: 18 euro / person
- Marina Bay Sands Skypark Observation Deck: 22 euro / person
- ArtScience Museum: 20 euro / person
- Singapore Cable Car Sky Pass: 22 euro / person
- S.E.A Aquarium: 30 euro / person

If you eat street food, in hawker centers, the food is quite cheap here.

But, without food and other additional expenses, and without the cost of plane tickets, because those are included in the total amount of the entire 3-week vacation in Asia, for 4 days in Singapore we paid 373 euros/person, that is, almost 750 euros for a couple.

16. What to do in Singapore – Itinerary by days

And now that I have showed you all the necessary information about Singapore, I will help you with itinerary ideas for one, two, three or four days in Singapore, depending on how we divided our days, or how we would divide them again, if we were to return to this wonderful city. We stayed 4 days in Singapore, which allowed us to visit enough beautiful places.