5 Things To Do In Singapore For A Long Weekend

Singapore is an amazing city and is a short flight from our Northern cities and still within easy reach for a long weekend or week away for those in the East of Australia.

Singapore is a thriving city, that's soaked in sun and warm weather year round, making it a perfect destination or stopover for all the family. There's theme parks, water parks, luxury shopping, world famous markets, stunning hotels and lot's of nature and adventure activities.

Boasting some of the most expensive hotels in Asia, you can stay in ultimate luxury, such as the Marina Bay Sands complex or the Mandarin Oriental. Wherever you decide to stay, there's plenty of things to do in Singapore should you visit. 

  • Population: 5.6 Million
  • Currency: Singapore Dollar
  • When To Go: Year Round 

1. Visit Universal Studios Singapore (USS)

Located at the heart of Resort World Sentosa, USS is the only Universal Studios in South East Asia. Consisting of 28 fun and thrilling rides like Revenge Of The Mummy, Battlestar Galactica and Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase - Universal Studios Singapore promises an exciting day full of surprises.

Visitors can enjoy daily performances and attractions based on films and television shows like Waterworld. In Far Far Away Castle, be amazed on the Shrek 4D Ride, where you can join Princess Fiona and Shrek on their hilarious honeymoon adventures. Universal Studios Singapore is open daily from 10 am to 7 pm.


2. Visit Gardens By The Bay

One of the most popular crowd-pleasers in Singapore is Gardens By The Bay. The array of colourful plants are displayed beautifully throughout the 101 hectares garden.

The garden is comprised of three different gardens - Bay East Garden, Bay South Garden and Bay Central Garden. This mesmerising oasis of lush greenery has been awarded multiple recognitions since 2012.

This includes awards for the Best Attraction in the Asia Pacific and Best Attraction Experience. A captivating 114-foot indoor waterfall exudes charm to the place. Another thing you don't want to miss is the majestic views of The Supertree Grove and Cloud Forest.

Related: Things to do in Dubai


3. National Orchid Garden

This enchanted heaven is located in the centre of Singapore Botanical Gardens and exhibits the gorgeous orchid collections in the world. This garden first opened for the public in 1995.

Although rare and wild orchids have always been a part of Singapore Botanical Gardens since it was discovered in 1859. Home to more than 60,000 lively orchids from 1000 different unique species and 2,000 cross-breeds, it's a sight to behold for visitors.

Admission is free for kids below 12 years of age and S$5 for adults. 


4. Selfie At Merlion Statue

A trip to Singapore will not be complete if you skip Merlion Statue, the iconic attraction of Singapore Park. The park overlooks Marina Bay and has two statues of the prominent Merlion.

The statue continuously spouts water from its mouth and represents the mythical structure of a lion head with a body of a fish. It stands proud at 8.6 meters and weighs 70 tonnes. There is a smaller statue called 'Merlion cub' which is also located in Merlion Park.

From here, you can explore other popular attractions by taking a river cruise on a restored bump boat along the Singapore River.


5. Shop at Orchard Road

If shopping is your thing, then you'll have a lot of fun at Orchard Road. This 2.2-kilometre long road is the major shopping district in Singapore and a popular tourist attraction.

You can find a variety of internationally famous brands, restaurants and five-star hotels. It is a significant transformation because back in the 1830s, the road was full of fruit orchards, pepper farms and nutmeg plantations.

The first department store that opened in 1958 was House of TANGS set up by C.K Tang, the local merchant. If shopping is not your forte, you can still have a great time at Orchard Road by visiting other attractions like Fort Canning Park or Rooftop Garden at Orchard Central. 


How To Get To Singapore?

Getting to Singapore is really easy with direct flights available on airlines such as Qantas and Singapore Airlines. Budget airlines also operate this route including Scoot and Jetstar. 

Flights can be had for as low as $150 each way on budget airlines, plus any extras such as baggage, seats or food. It can be cheaper and more cost effective to fly Singapore Airlines or Qantas when they regularly offer return flights for $600. 

You can also fly indirect with airlines such as Air Asia via Kuala Lumpur and Thai Airways via Thailand. Other options include Philippine Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Malindo Air, Royal Brunei.


Kirsty Scott