Things to do in Singapore

The Marina Bay Sands provides much more than luxurious accommodation and a 15,000m2 casino. With its incredible rooftop area and iconic architecture, it's also one of the most beautiful places in Singapore. Experience breathtaking views from the top, spend hours browsing high-end brands in The Shoppes, or just stay cool and relax in the Infinity Pool.

Sentosa Island provides an entire buffet of attractions including Universal Studios Singapore, Tiger Sky Tower, Madame Tussauds Singapore, three beaches, an adventure park, a water adventure park, an aquarium, night shows, the Trick Eye Museum, and even a K-pop (Korean pop) hologram theatre. No wonder this island is called the fun capital of Singapore! If you're not staying on Sentosa Island, you can get here via cable car or monorail from VivoCity.

Comprised of seven distinct zones, Universal Studios Singapore is a magical place full of rides and shows based on your favourite movies and TV shows. Feel like a star walking through the Hollywood zone, have pizza for lunch in New York, then hang out with Shrek, Fiona and Donkey in Far Far Away. Prefer a different genre? Then meet dinosaurs in the Lost World zone, and jump aboard futuristic rides in Sci-Fi City.

Combined with the Night Safari and River Safari parks, Singapore Zoo offers the ultimate wildlife encounter. Watch cheeky chimpanzees climb through the zoo's treetops, meet some adorable red pandas, and see other animals from every corner of the world. Then come back to see what they get up to after dark (when it's also not so hot!).

Since 2008, this 165m Ferris wheel has been providing visitors with an incomparable bird's-eye view of Singapore. Walk through a brief museum about the wheel's history before hopping aboard the Singapore Flyer itself. The wheel rotates so slowly you'll barely realise it's moving and each 28-person capsule is air-conditioned and fully enclosed. Some are even equipped as dining cabins, but you'll need to book ahead for this special experience.

Take a trip to the Downtown Core and visit the National Gallery Singapore. With more than 8,000 pieces, this is the largest public display of contemporary Southeast Asian artworks in the world. Singapore has a rich, unique identity, and the National Gallery showcases the most visual representation of it. Exhibitions change frequently, so check the gallery's website to see what's on or just show up and let yourself be surprised.

Take a trip to the Downtown Core and visit the National Gallery Singapore. With more than 8,000 pieces, this is the largest public display of contemporary Southeast Asian artworks in the world. Singapore has a rich, unique identity, and the National Gallery showcases the most visual representation of it. Exhibitions change frequently, so check the gallery's website to see what's on or just show up and let yourself be surprised.

The first thing you'll inevitably notice about the ArtScience Museum is its extraordinary exterior. The building's design has earned it the moniker ‘The Welcoming Hand of Singapore'. The museum itself is indeed welcoming, especially if you come with a curious mind. Exhibitions rotate regularly, but they frequently touch on themes including the ancient world, nature, photography and art, and predicting what the future might hold.

What better place is there to get some insight into how Singapore came to be the thriving multicultural metropolis it is today? Dating back to 1849, this is the city's oldest museum. The Renaissance and Palladian architectures of the National Museum of Singapore are interesting in their own right. However, it's really the History Gallery, the ‘We Built A Nation' exhibition and other displays that will captivate you for hours.

Find this four-storey Buddhist temple is in the heart of Singapore's Chinatown. From the ornate Mountain Gate entrance with its fierce guardian statue to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda on the roof, there are several sacred items to discover. Meanwhile, the museum provides excellent information on the culture and history of Buddhism.

Fort Canning Hill, which is now a park popularly used for events and festivals, has played an important role in the history of Singapore. You can take a tour of the ‘Battle Box', where the momentous decision was made to surrender Singapore to the Japanese during World War II. Other key sites include the Sally Port (a secret door into the fort) and the fort's wall and gate.

This is the ideal museum for immersing yourself in the culture of Singapore and Southeast Asia. Among the permanent exhibitions, you'll find sculptures illustrating ancient religions, contemporary art, remarkable ceramics recovered from a shipwreck, and more. Highlights of the Asian Civilisation Museum's collection include an ornately decorated octagonal cup, a spiritually enlightened Jina statuette, and a luminous tortoiseshell cabinet.