Getting into Singapore and pre-trip planning
Flying into Singapore
Flying into Singapore is incredibly easy. Singapore’s international airport, Changi Airport (SIN) is one of the most globally renowned airports worldwide, bagging the most prestigious Skytrax World Airport Awards 7 times in the past decade, including 2025.
You are able to fly directly into Changi Airport easily through international passenger airlines from almost every part of the world, especially cities located geographically nearby Singapore. Singapore also has direct flights to all major business districts worldwide, including New York, London, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Sydney.
Singapore is also home to our flagship carrier, Singapore Airlines, which is one of the best airlines worldwide, constantly placing top 3 or even the top for international awards worldwide. I would highly recommend flying Singapore Airlines into Singapore as it is a fuss-free way to fly into Singapore direct from many destinations while being able to experience first-class comfort.
For bookings for Singapore Airlines, you may visit their website at singaporeair.com. I would typically recommend booking directly with the airlines (whether through 3rd party sites like Google Flights or Skyscanner) as it is typically easier to communicate and make changes to your flight itinerary if necessary.
Some things to bear in mind before flying into Singapore are the strict laws governing drugs (including vaping and contraband items). The laws of Singapore are heavily enforced and they will not hesitate to arrest you if you bring any sort of illegal goods or contrabands into the country.
For Visa requirements, although there are countries with Visa-free travel into Singapore, please check the Immigration Checkpoints Authority website here to see if you would need a valid visa to enter the country. Please be reminded that visa application cannot be done at the immigration counters. Further, all travelers (including returning Singapore citizens from overseas) are required to fill in a digital arrival card before clearing immigration back in Singapore.
Budget Carriers and other options
If flying Singapore Airlines and other international carriers is out of your budget – Fret not, because you can also fly budget carriers into Singapore. Scoot and AirAsia are just some of the names of the carriers that you can take. However, bear in mind that these carriers are budget-friendly for a reason, and their fees usually do not including checked-in baggage or any food. Therefore, you may have to plan around these - be it downloading your own Netflix shows to watch on board or eating before your flight.
Should I opt for Free and Easy or Tour?
To be honest, as a local staying here all my life, I will always recommend the free & easy option unless you have issues with mobility or problems waking up during holidays. Singapore offers a great and affordable transport system which is easy to navigate (see Transport page here), and I personally do not like to be bound by fixed schedules and timelines.
Further, due to the abundance of local food around and my recommendation for you to try hawker fare, most tours do not typically provide such an experience (or limited ones).
If the concern is to get to a harder to reach destination like the Mandai Zoo or certain hiking routes – please do not worry as there is a wide network of trains and buses that can take you there (just use Google Maps or see the other Singapore specific applications that I recommend before your trip here). If you want the fastest option, there is always taxis and private hire vehicles that can take you to the destination without breaking the bank.
On top of these, you can always look out for walking tours that are conducted by our locals and see which of them fit the holiday vibe you want to experience. Some of these tours include tours of cultural sectors and food that is famous in Singapore.
Peak Seasons and Seasons to avoid
Unlike countries with temperate climates, Singapore does not have 4 seasons in a year, with temperatures ranging between 25 degrees to 36 degrees daily. Locals typically describe the weather as only being 2 types, hot and rainy.
Despite the description above, Singapore is your typical island destination where you do not have to worry about heavy and bulky winter clothing. Also, be prepared to sweat a lot due to the heat and humidity. Do not worry though, because most of Singapore is air-conditioned and sheltered and you usually do not have to walk for long distances without any form of air-conditioning.
That being said, you may want to avoid travelling to Singapore during its monsoon season (i.e. rainy weather that may disrupt your plans if you intend on doing more outdoorsy things) which occurs between December to March and June to September. Besides the rain and occasionally thunderstorms with strong winds, Singapore does not experience any natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes and hurricanes.
Lastly, do bear in mind that Singapore sees an occasional surge in tourism during its annual Formula One night race, which is usually between late September to early October. I would not recommend coming to Singapore during this period as accommodation prices will be much higher than usual and the crowds around the race area will make it a less fun experience and trip.
Festivals and other public holidays
You may refer to the list of public holidays found on the Singapore Ministry of Manpower website here. Bigger public holidays such as Chinese New Year might see closures of shops and attractions, so please bear in mind these dates while planning your trip as there might be issues with finding food and attractions to visit during these periods.
Some of these festivals might also see crowds around the town area for viewing of fireworks. Some of the bigger fireworks display around the bay area will take place during New Years Day (1 January) and National Day (9 August). Please bear in mind that due to the crowd situation during these periods, it might lead to road closures and disruptions getting from place to place.
Getting to the city from Changi Airport
As Singapore is a small country in terms of area, it is pretty simple to head into the city from Changi Airport. There are many signs around the airport that should direct you towards the relevant ways to get into the city. For comprehensiveness, I will be covering the 4 main modes of transport.
MRT
The MRT is our national train system and it has a station right at the airport. You will just need to find your way to the Changi Airport Station (CG2) and sit the train towards Tanah Merah (EW4) before getting off and heading towards the direction of Tuas Link if your destination is towards the town area (which has most of the accommodation and attractions).
The train has sufficient space for baggage but please bear in mind that the trains can get crowded during peak hours (~9am and 6pm). This is the most budget-friendly option and is fairly convenient compared to the bus.
A ride to the city should cost you about 2 Singapore Dollars (~US$1.6). The most convenient way of tapping through the MRT gantry is through your credit card or your phone / digital watch credit card wallet NFC such as Apple Pay / Google Pay.
Do also bear in mind the train operating hours which are between about 5.30am Singapore Time to 11.30pm Singapore Time. For detailed information, please refer to the SMRT Journey Planner. Depending on where you alight, the MRT ride should take you about an hour.
Although using cash to pay for your ticket is possible, I would recommend you either use your credit card or purchase an EZ-Link card as you will be using it throughout your trip anyway (unless you are willing to hail a cab / vehicle the entire holiday). You can purchase an ez-link card at the local convenience stores or at the airport.
Bus
There are a couple of bus terminals at the different terminals located around Changi Airport. While the bus network is pretty wide, the issue with the public buses is that it is not really catered for travelers (i.e. no dedicated luggage parking space and many seats have no space for luggage). If you are travelling light this mode of transport can be considered but if you are lugging around big pieces of luggage I would not recommend unless the bus can take you directly to your place of accommodation.
Similar to the train, a ride to the city should cost you about 2 Singapore Dollars (~US$1.6). You may also tap onto the bus through your credit card or your phone / digital watch credit card wallet NFC such as Apple Pay / Google Pay. Please bear in mind that you should tap out of the bus when you exit the bus as not doing so would incur the highest amount of fare possible every trip.
Taxi
By far the most expensive option to get from the airport to the city is by getting a taxi. A taxi to the city will set you back at least 20 Singapore Dollars (~US$12) through meter pricing and will take you about 30 minutes. However, if you have multiple pieces of bulky luggage and passengers, this would be the recommended option. Please also bear in mind that taxis have an additional surcharge for airport pick up and for peak hour and post-midnight rides.
You will be able to use most forms of payment types including credit cards and cash when you ride the taxi.
Private Hire Vehicle
A convenient alternative to taxis in Singapore is the Private Hire Vehicles (PHV) which are equivalent to the Uber / Lyft / Didi found in other countries. Although the fares for the ride would vary between the different applications, my personal experience is that they tend to be more expensive during peak hours or inclement weather and cheaper during regular timings.
If you would like to download the application for PHV, please go to my recommended applications page here to see which applications to download for your trip. For your own sake, I would recommend linking your credit card details before arrival so that your trip will be fuss-free.
Airport Concierge
If you are travelling in a group and you want a larger vehicle, you can also book an Airport Concierge vehicle to any destination in Singapore for a flat fee. For a 4 seater, it will cost 55 Singapore Dollars (~US$42) and a 6 seater will cost 60 Singapore Dollars (~US$46).
Things to do at Changi Airport
As mentioned previously, Changi Airport is one of the best airports in the world, and that means there are a ton of things for travelers to do in Changi. Besides the many airport lounges that you can spend your time at and get a quick bite, there are eateries that serve various cuisines, comfortable seats that you can rest on, movie screenings, shower rooms, butterfly and cactus gardens, transit hotels and many other facilities within the transit area. Best of all, most of such facilities are free!
Furthermore, if you are within the transit area, you are not limited to the facilities within one terminal and you can sit the internal skytrain to other terminals to experience their facilities as well.
A non-exhaustive list of the facilities and attractions at Changi Airport can be found here!
If you are outside the transit area and you have time to spend before you check in, you may want to visit the Jewel as well, the Jewel complex is essentially a mega shopping mall with various shops and attractions located near Terminal 1 of Changi Airport. It also houses the largest indoor waterfall and has a light and musical showcase daily in the evenings at 7.30pm, 8.00pm, 9.00pm and 10.00pm Singapore time. If you have nothing to do before your flight and have enough time, I would highly recommend paying Jewel a visit! Do bear in mind that the Jewel basically operates during regular shopping mall hours (10.00am to 10.00pm daily).
Free Tours of Singapore (Short) for long layovers (recommend 7 hours and above)
For transit or transfer passengers at Changi Airport, you can enter and exit Singapore once during your layover. If your layover duration is between 5.5 hours to 24 hours and there is sufficient time. You can qualify for one of the free tours conducted by Changi Airport. Please ensure that your checked-in baggage is checked to your end destination. Please bear in mind the timings of the different tours available (as some are for mornings while some are at night) and the registration requirements as well as the fact that these tours are 2.5 hours each. Depending on the type of traveler you are, you will be able to enjoy cultural sights or famous landmarks of Singapore (including Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands) Please find all the details here!
Trips to neighbouring islands
If you have more than enough time planned in Singapore, do consider day-trips to Sentosa, Pulau Ubin, St John’s Island and even across borders to Batam (Indonesia) and Johor Bahru (Malaysia). You can find more information on these destinations on their respective pages. Do be reminded that you will need to dedicate travelling time and may need to apply for visa as a foreign visitor to Malaysia and Indonesia if you choose to travel there.
Some of these destinations are catered for different purposes like cheaper shopping and massages (Johor), nature lovers for people who want a more untouched vibe (Pulau Ubin / St John’s Island) and more resort vibes (Batam). However, I would recommend these side-trips only if you have planned enough time to visit Singapore or the trip might be too rushed.
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