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Your self-guided journey through Singapore just became smoother with a meticulously outlined itinerary from Mytour.
Solo Adventure in Singapore: A 4-Day Discovery Itinerary
Tips for Snagging Affordable Tickets to Singapore
The cost of your Singapore trip—budget or splurge—depends on flight and accommodation expenses. To secure budget-friendly airfare, plan at least 3 months ahead and book early for optimal rates. Keep an eye out for weekend promotions from budget airlines like Jetstar, Vietjet Air, Tiger Air, and more.
Hotel Accommodations
Hotels in Singapore are not budget-friendly, and the average price can be over 100 USD per night. If you're planning a trip to Singapore, consider looking for hotels outside the city center as they tend to be more affordable. Booking in advance will also get you lower room rates compared to walk-in prices. Additionally, the Lion City is a backpacker-friendly destination. Travelers can rent a bed in a dormitory for less than 20 USD per night, inclusive of a complimentary breakfast.
Transportation in Singapore
The bus and MRT (subway) system in Singapore are top-notch, making it easy to reach all the popular tourist spots in the Lion City. The modes of transportation in Singapore are:
1. MRT meets 90% of the transportation needs: Singapore has 3 main lines: the red line (North South), purple line (North East), and green line (East West), named after the direction of the trains.
For the most convenient travel, consider getting an EZ Link card, allowing you to use it multiple times. The initial cost of the card is 12 SGD, with 7 SGD as loaded value and 5 SGD as non-refundable money. You can purchase a new card or top up (minimum 10 SGD each time) at the top-up machines at MRT stations, card counters at MRT stations, and 7-Eleven stores. Upon leaving the country, you can get back the 5 SGD by returning the card at the counter.
Apart from the EZ Link card, there is the Singapore Tourist Pass designed for tourists, offering unlimited MRT and bus rides. The Singapore Tourist Pass comes in 3 denominations: 10 SGD (1 day), 16 SGD (2 days), and 20 SGD (3 days). Additionally, you need to pay an extra 10 SGD and get this deposit back when returning the card. These cards can be purchased at ticket counters at major MRT stations, including MRT Changi, Orchard, Chinatown, City Hall, Raffles Place, Ang Mo Kio, Harbourfront, Bugis, and Lavender.
2. Bus: Operating from 6:00 AM until late at night. Ticket prices range from 1 – 1.5 S$ for non-air-conditioned buses and 1 – 1.8 S$ for air-conditioned ones. Be prepared with coins or an Ezlink card as bus drivers won't give change.
3. Taxi: The fare for the first kilometer is 2.8 S$, and then it's 0.2 S$ for every 330 meters thereafter. Even for the same route at different times, the fare varies. After midnight, taxis charge an additional 50% fare. Hailing a taxi in Singapore can be challenging. You need to find Taxi Stands to wait or call in advance to book.
Suggested Itinerary
Day 1: Little India, Little Arabia, Chinatown, and Clarke Quay Riverside
12:30 PM: Arriving in Singapore from Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi on a morning flight. Singapore is one hour ahead of Vietnam, so upon arrival at the airport, adjust your watch to the local time to avoid missing your return flight.
After completing Singapore immigration, follow the Skytrain T2 signs to the subway station to head into the city center. Purchase an EZ Link card at the customer service counter. This card can be used for the subway, overhead train, buses, admission to Sentosa entertainment area, or shopping at convenience stores.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Move to the city center by subway.
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Check-in at the hotel.
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Explore the diverse neighborhoods of Little India, Haji Lane, Little Arabia, and Chinatown.
Exiting the Little India subway station (MRT), you'll enter the Little India district. Stroll along both sides of Serangoon Road to admire the surroundings or shop at stores offering Indian-style clothing, shoes, watches, jewelry, and jasmine flower garlands.
Haji Lane is a small colorful street with painted houses, located in the Arab Quarter and about a 15-minute walk from Bugis MRT station. The Arab Quarter is adorned with Middle Eastern and traditional Islamic influences, attracting locals and tourists for daily visits. You can choose unique and renowned handmade products on the Lion City island.
Exiting the Chinatown MRT station, you'll face the Chinese Heritage Center with restored ancient houses, displaying artifacts from the early Chinese residents, depicting life in this historic district. Along the night market, you'll find items such as scarves and souvenirs priced at 10 SGD for three pieces (approximately 170,000 VND).
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Indulge in a delightful dinner at the Chinatown Food Street on Smith Street.
The Chinatown Food Street features an automatic cooling system and glass canopies, hosting 24 affordable food stalls and 6 large restaurants. Here, you can savor dishes like Fujian noodles from Cheng Kee, Wanton dumpling noodles, and grilled chicken wings from Chomp Chomp... Open from 11 AM to 11 PM.
8:30 PM – 10:00 PM: Admire the Singapore River scenery and enjoy a refreshing smoothie at Clarke Quay Riverside.
10:30 PM: Return to the hotel for relaxation.
Day 2: Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Marina Bay Sands, and Gardens by the Bay
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Explore the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, also known as the Xá Lợi Răng Phật Temple.
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is a sacred temple located in Chinatown, regularly hosting art exhibitions on the religious culture of Singaporeans. The temple is designed in the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty and the Mandala of Buddhism, featuring a tower made of 320 kg of gold. Visiting the temple, you immerse yourself in a serene setting, admiring a collection of artifacts depicting the life of Buddha and the relic of Buddha's enlightenment— the crystallized remains after the cremation of Buddha's ashes and the high monks.
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Have lunch at the delicious and affordable Maxwell Food Center, just across from the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Marvel at the beauty of Marina Bay Sands.
From the Chinatown MRT station, it takes about an hour to reach the Bayfront station. Here, facing each other are Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay.
Marina Bay Sands is a complex comprising a hotel, casino, and high-end shopping center. In front of the main entrance is a glass-made funnel-shaped pond for tossing lucky coins. In the middle of the building is a long waterway designed like the Venice river. Renting a small boat, you can float along the watercourse inside the building, enjoying the view of various shops.
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Explore the gardens by the bay area.
Gardens by the Bay stretches along the Marina Bay with three gardens named: Bay South, Bay East, and Bay Central. Exploring the outer loop is free, but entering the two domed conservatories requires a fee of 28 SGD (450,000 VND). In the garden, you have the chance to marvel at the towering 'supertrees,' reaching heights of 25 – 30 meters, designed to harness solar energy and illuminate the night. Entering the two conservatories, Flower Dome (flower garden) and Cloud Forest, will take hours to stroll through, take souvenir photos, and admire the beauty of temperate zone flowers.
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM: Enjoy the specialty dish of Singaporean frog porridge on Geylang Lorong 9 (near Kallang MRT station). Easily recognizable with a sign in Vietnamese saying 'Famous Frog Porridge.
Day 3: Merlion Park, Esplanade Theatre, Helix Bridge, Suntec City Feng Shui City
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Pose with the iconic symbol of Singapore, the legendary Merlion. The Merlion statue stands at 8.6 meters, weighs 70 tons, featuring the head of a lion and the body of a fish riding on waves.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Explore the Esplanade Theatre with its unique architecture resembling a durian. This is the most magnificent arts performance center on the island. Not far away is the Helix Bridge – the longest pedestrian bridge in Singapore (280 meters), with the world's first double-helix structure.
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Visit the Feng Shui City Suntec City and have lunch at the food courts within the shopping center.
4:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Explore Suntec City and the prosperity symbol, the Fountain of Wealth.
Located in the Feng Shui City Suntec City, the Fountain of Wealth entered the Guinness World Records in 1998 as the world's largest fountain with an inverted hand symbolizing wealth, abundance, and longevity.
While dining, enjoying tea, or coffee by the glass windows surrounding the fountain, visitors can watch musical fountain performances. You can also walk around the fountain and toss a few coins for good luck. In the evening, the fountain dazzles with enchanting multicolored lights.
Day 4: Singapore Plaza Shopping District and Sentosa Entertainment Island
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Stroll, shop, and have lunch at Singapore Plaza (located near the Dhoby Ghaut interchange MRT station). Singapore Plaza is a shopping center with affordable shops and dining options, making it a bustling hub for office workers and visitors alike.
4:00 PM – 8:30 PM: At the HarbourFront MRT station, exit and head to VivoCity shopping mall. The top floor houses the train station that transports passengers to Sentosa.
Sentosa is a natural island seamlessly integrated with popular entertainment attractions such as the expansive statue of the Merlion standing at 37 meters, a cinema, an aquarium, maritime museum, and a dolphin circus. Visitors can enjoy sunbathing at the Palawan and Siloso beaches. As the day concludes, indulge in the spectacular water and music show, Wings of Time, on the island.
By San San (Compiled)
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourDecember 15, 2015
