Prisca Vaniyapilly in Travel

Top 13 free things to do in Singapore

With Singapore forever being considered one of the most expensive places to visit, we thought we’d set the record straight by offering you top attractions that you can visit, absolutely free. From galleries and museums to parks, walks, markets and more – if you know where to look, you can keep yourself busy while leaving your wallet at home. In fact, by simply walking along the city streets, you will already be impressed by the many beautiful sights that you’ll come across,

What makes it even better is that Singapore has so much to offer in the free department. If you’re traveling on a budget and are wondering what are some of the things you can do for free while in Singapore, we have zeroed down on the freebies. Yes, you don’t have to spend a fortune to have fun, enjoy the city and create great memories. You just need to enjoy the simplest things and what life brings to you. There is no happiness greater than contentment. Whether you’re a history nerd, a lover of arts and culture or an urban explorer, Singapore has something to offer you.

Here are some tips on how to enjoy one of the most-visited cities in the world without emptying your bank account.

1. Marina Bay Sands Light Show

Marina Bay Sands offers Light and Water Show every night at 8pm and 9pm which is free-to-public. Spectra the Light & Water Show reflects Singapore’s journey to becoming the cosmopolitan city of today. The impressive Spectra Show will surely captivate the audiences with its alluring symphony of music, colorful LED lights that use 500 watts LED fixtures, choreographed fountain jets and visual projectors. There is an open area on the wide wooden deck right in front of the fountains for the visitors’ convenience. This free 15-minute show mesmerizes visitors with its dancing water fountains, colorful visual arts, inspiring orchestral soundtrack and special lighting effects.

Marina Bay Sands Light Show

2. Sentosa Island

Sentosa Island is an absolute adventure playground of theme parks, water parks, natural attractions, and resorts for visitors of all ages. This popular island resort is visited by over 20 million people every year. You can spend whole day exploring the island for FREE. This island offers entertainment, adventure rides, beach relaxation all at one place. Once you are in Sentosa Island, you can take the easily available bus, tram or train to move around the island. These transport services within the island are free of cost and will be extremely convenient to commute during your Sentosa Island tour.

Some of the free attractions in Sentosa include a picturesque trek 11-storeys high along Fort Siloso Skywalk, Light and Water Crane Dance Show with fireworks, a walk through the jungle at Sentosa Nature Discovery, visit to Sentosa’s three beaches; Palawan Beach, Tanjong Beach and Siloso Beach and even guided tours to see original cannons and guns at historic Fort Siloso.

Sentosa Island

3. Merlion Park

Merlion Park hosts one of Singapore’s most recognizable monuments. The Merlion statue is the national icon of Singapore and is placed at the mouth of the Singapore River, in the Central Business District. Your holiday would not be complete unless you don’t click a picture with the Merlion Statue in the background. The head of Merlion represents Singapura, the city’s first name, which means ‘lion city’ in Malay. The fish tail and body symbolizes Singapore’s old days as a small fishing town. The park is free to visit at any time of the day (though we recommend visiting at night).

Merlion Park

4. Singapore’s Last Kampung

Want to experience what Singapore was like 100 years ago, visit Kampung Lorong Buangkok. Deep in the heartlands, this is the last of mainland Singapore’s traditional Kampungs (villages). Established in 1956, this little village was once home to more than 40 families, now around 20 households remain. The area has an eclectic blend of history, culture and a super-trendy lifestyle scene. Although far from the word “glamor” attached to Singapore’s identity in the eyes of the world, this village actually keeps a portrait of the other side that is rarely found in the modern era of Singapore.

Singapore Kampung Lorong Buangkok

5. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Buddha Tooth Relic, is one of Singapore’s main attractions, and probably the largest landmark in Chinatown. The Temple and Museum (BTRTM) is a religious and cultural institution, which houses a relic said to be a tooth from Buddha. The Buddha Tooth Relic is a huge Tang style building that combines a temple and a museum and was founded in 2007 only. So it’s both a place of worship and a cultural centre with outstanding exhibitions. Guided tours last about 2 hours and are free of charge!

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

6. Light Show at the Supertree Grove of Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay is one of Singapore’s largest tourist attractions and is known for its wonderful nightly light shows. Sprawling across 101 hectares of reclaimed land in the centre of the island, it’s an award-winning horticultural development. One of the highlights is the Supertree Grove. Measuring between 25 and 50 metres tall, these cyborg-looking ‘Supertrees’ are designed with large canopies that provide shade in the day and come alive with an exhilarating display of lights and sounds at night. Once darkness falls, they are lit up, and a light show takes place at 7.45pm and 8.45pm daily for 15 minutes. It’s all free. Please note: Entrance fees apply for admission to Cloud Forest and Flower Dome.

Supertree Grove of Gardens by the Bay

7. Singapore Botanic Gardens

The Botanical Gardens of Singapore house an array of beautiful botanical and horticultural attractions located in Central Singapore, only a five-minute-long drive from the famous Orchard Road. With 74 hectares of space and free admission, the garden features more than 10,000 varieties of trees, plants, flowers; including the region’s most notable collection of palms, orchids, cycads and gingers, beautiful lakes, animals, and much more. The sprawling gardens are varied, well sign posted and have ample shade and rest areas. The Gardens have strategic three cores. The first is Tanglin, which is also known as the heritage core, which showcases the historic charms of the old gardens; the central core is also known as the tourist belt; and the last core is called Bukit Timah, which is the educational and discovery zone.

Singapore Botanic Gardens

8. Bukit Batok Town Park

Bukit Batok Town Park is a nature park located in the precinct of Guilin in the town of Bukit Batok, Singapore. The park was created from a disused granite quarry. As such, it has a resemblance to the granite rock formations in Guilin, China. Hence it is also known as Little Guilin or Xiao Guilin among the Chinese. The view of the granite formation is splendid, while the lake is serene. The town park is a hot favourite with couples taking their wedding pictures, as well as nature lovers and residents in seek of a momentary respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. Pro-tip: visit at sunset to get the most breathtaking views!

Bukit Batok Town Park

9. Singapore Ethnic Quarters

Singapore is known for its vibrant history and diverse Ethnic Quarters. In fact the Ethnic Quarters offer the exact picture of the cultural diversity that goes to make up the distinctive character of Singapore. Little India is an intriguing area of shops selling everything from saris to freshly ground spices. Chinatown has antiquated shops selling ethnic products, and every corner has the distinctive architecture of decorated temples and buildings. A range of exotic textiles is available in Arab Street, the heart of the Malay quarter, including batiks from Indonesia, silks, sarongs, and shirts.

Singapore Ethnic Quarters

10. Sri Mariamman Temple

Founded in 1827, Sri Mariamman Temple (which was popularly known earlier as Kling Street Temple), is the oldest Hindu Temple in Chinatown. Dedicated to Goddess Mariamman, this Temple is known for the amazing power of the goddess in curing infectious diseases. The significance of the Sri Mariamman Temple is very high, because it is not only a place of worship for the Hindus in Singapore, but it also serves as a temporary shelter for the immigrants. The temple allows the immigrants to stay in the temple until they can find a stable job and a stable place to live. The place also offers Hindu marriages, cultural and social services are being offered to the public as well.

Sri Mariamman Temple

11. Concert at the Esplanade

Esplanade is a performing arts center which is an iconic part of Singapore. Located on the edge of Marina Bay, it is designed with an attractive architectural design. The durian-shaped Esplanade has been a prickly part of Singapore since 2002, welcoming locals and tourists alike to its public tours that reveal the history and architecture of the local landmark. Esplanade Singapore has a 1,600-seat Concert Hall, a 2,000-seat Theater, various rehearsal studios, a recital studio, an outdoor Theatre, a library, Visual Arts Space, and much more, including a roof terrace, where visitors are encouraged to play music or show their talents to others. The philosophy of this place is that people should be able to enjoy art for free from time to time, which is why they organize free concerts and various exhibitions frequently.

Esplanade Singapore

12. Library@Orchard

A popular sightseeing spot in Singapore, Library@Orchard is a chic, cosy space that would look right at home in the pages of a trendy magazine or book on design. It opened in October 2014 and presents a new concept on lifestyle, design and the applied arts. Located on the third and fourth floors of the Orchard Gateway shopping mall in the popular Orchard Road shopping district, the library has a collection of around 100,000 publications. The collection of books and magazines also stands out from those at other public library branches with its focus on design, including fashion, graphic and interior design – which caters to a fashion-conscious crowd. If you’re visiting Orchard Road, make this place your #1 spot. Even if you’re not a book lover, the library is worth a visit.

Library@Orchard

13. And Lastly Just Explore

It’s easy to go looking for something to do whilst in Singapore, but in actual fact, the absolute gems are usually found just by wondering about. Try to explore at all times of day: sunrise, throughout daylight hours, sunset and after-dark; you’ll be amazed by what you can find, see and capture.

We hope you’ve enjoyed all the freebies Singapore has to offer and that it has inspired you to plan a trip to the Lion City soon.

No matter the pennies in your pocket, you can see the city in all its glory and beauty! To save even more money, book our all-inclusive Singapore tour packages for an unforgettable experience.

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" Prisca Vaniyapilly : ."