Free, budget, and splurge-worthy activities in Southeast Asia’s safe, clean, and stellar city-nation
A clean, safe city that’s easy to get around is just the beginning. Whether a night’s stay during a flight stopover, or a longer visit to one of the world’s most vibrant cities, things to do in Singapore are easy to come by at all budgets. And if you’re visiting with kids, it’s also especially easy to find fun activities for families.
As of this guide, our family of four has visited Singapore twice, in 2023 and 2025. The Southeast Asian city-nation is an amazing place to go, especially with kids. We travel on a modest family budget. The activities below help us balance out Singapore’s inherently higher costs for food and lodging.
Note: Prices are always subject to change, so we don’t list them. Check the attraction’s site or ticketing page for current pricing.
Splurge
Let’s start with an important understanding: Singapore is not a cheap destination.
You can find affordable things to do, but your baseline for costs will be higher. Think of budgeting for Singapore as more akin to New York or Paris, as opposed to Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.
Singapore also has splurge-worthy activities that are worth budgeting for. Any or all of the 3 below deserve a spot on your Singapore itinerary.
Cool down indoors at the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome
Two of Singapore’s most iconic destinations are the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome. While next to one another and visited via separate entrances, one combo ticket covers both attractions (no separate tickets available).
In the seaside Gardens by the Bay park area near the southern tip of Singapore, these enclosed destinations take you into vibrant worlds of color and life.
Flower Dome
Flower Dome’s 9 zones are a world tour of botanical regions, including Baobabs, Flower Field, and Mediterranean Garden. Also keep an eye out for art installations, such as dinosaurs, birds, and other animals woven from branches. The dragon and eagle were highlights during our 2023 visit. Wandering through the flowers, trees, and other plant life delights the senses—and can be a setup for scavenger hunt opportunities with kids.
Cloud Forest
Cloud Forest replicates a tropical montane, or mountain, region. Especially after the heat and humidity outside, the cooler temperatures here (typically 23-25ºC, or 73–77ºF) are especially welcome (not to mention a light misting that happens on the even hours between 10am and 8pm). A spiral path leads you past 35m-tall (115 ft) indoor waterfall, lush greenery, and activity zones. Regular special exhibits might tie in with films, such as Avatar: The Way of Water, or Jurassic World.
Schedule in advance, or keep in your back pocket for a bad-weather indoor activity
On days when the sun and heat are especially strong, or when a huge monsoonal rain hits the city, the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome also make for excellent indoor alternatives. They certainly did for us: During our family’s 2023 visit to Singapore, while the rain bucketed down on the glass domes, we spent a lovely afternoon wandering both attractions, especially delighting in the carnivorous plants we found closer to the top of the Cloud Forest path.
Hint: We prefer visiting Cloud Forest first. There’s more to see, and a spiral path goes upward around a central structure. After a meal or snack, Flower Dome is a relaxing followup that’s like strolling through a serene garden.
Romp during a day at Sentosa Island
Easily reachable via monorail, Sentosa Island is a combination of theme parks, tourist attractions, and history. During our 2025 visit, we especially enjoyed a post-sundown evening visit to the island (which we’ll talk more about later in this piece).
Here are some things you could check out on Sentosa:
- Universal Studios Singapore
- Singapore Oceanarium Aquarium
- Fort Siloso War Museum
- Beach resorts, such as Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa, or Raffles Sentosa Singapore
- Serapong Golf Course
- KidZania Singapore Children’s Amusement Center
Whether one attraction or a combo, Sentosa is a compact space where you can easily build out the day you want.
Enjoy Singapore from the water on a luxury dinner cruise
Regular dinner cruises allow you to spend an evening enjoying a view of Singapore from the water, such as the Singapore River. It’s a relaxing way to wind down the day with drinks, food, and often live entertainment.
Budget-friendly
Singapore is a fascinating confluence of geography and cultures. Here are some ways you can get more understanding of Singapore, its history, and a taste of how regular Singaporeans take their lunch break.
Live the immigrant experience at Little India’s Indian Heritage Centre (IHC)
Singapore’s population includes not only Malay and Chinese people. Immigrants from South Asian nations such as India moved to Singapore, seeking opportunity and a different way of life.
During our 2023 visit, we found the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) an interactive, engaging museum, especially with our kids.
We’re from the USA, so an understanding of historical and modern immigration experiences is integral to our own identity. Learning about the immigration experiences of others gave us a broader perspective on the possibilities and challenges immigrants face, not to mention how much they do to build up a growing nation.
Hint: The IHC is another great option when you need an indoor activity. During our 2023 visit, an intensely rainy day forced us to change plans, and we spent hours wandering the IHC. Fortunately, during our 2025 visit, we came back to Little India on a sunny morning, and we finally got to wander the incredible stalls, shops, and walkable streets. From colorful displays to aromatic spices and foods, this area took me back to my time traveling in India. There are also plenty of delicious restaurants to choose from near the IHC, so it’s easy to tie in a meal or snack while here.
Understand Singapore’s life, history, and culture better with a tour or class
Singapore has only been its own independent nation since 1965 (Singapore was originally part of Malaysia when it became independent of British colonial rule in 1957). In that time, it has developed into an organized, safe, industrious, technical, clean country, all the while striving to maintain harmony between its three primary cultural groups of Malays, Chinese, and Indians.
The history and culture here run deep. We find that taking a half-day class or tour is an excellent way for visitors to deepen their understanding of Singapore, especially when visiting with kids.
During our 2025 visit, we especially wanted to learn more about the Indian, especially Tamil (from Southern India) roots that run deep in Singapore. A half-day tour gave us insights into history, why Indians migrated here, and the stories behind local landmarks big and small. The tour finished at a local hawker market, where we got to sample fresh food and drink from multiple stalls.
Our Little India tour is just one example of the amazing activities you can do to get more out of your time in Singapore.
Hint: Singapore’s tropical sunshine, heat, and humidity are no joke. Hats, sunscreen, and hydrating beverages are a must when you’re out and about.
Enjoy a moveable feast at Singapore’s hawker markets
Speaking of hawker markets, if there is only one thing you did in Singapore, it would be to get each meal for a day from one of the city’s hawker centers. And in case you’re wondering, Singapore has some of the highest food quality and inspection standards on the planet.
These enclosed buildings contain dozens of food vendors, some of which are Michelin-listed. As of 2025, Singapore has 123 markets and hawker centers. We’ve visited some throughout Singapore, and each time have delighted in the options—not to mention the cost for a family.
What’s on offer will differ by where you are in the city. Hawker markets universally have so many options, there should be something for everyone in your family or group. We’ve found that our family of four can often enjoy a meal at the hawker markets for US$20–30.
Even better? These markets are where everyday Singaporeans eat. They’re where we’ve had more conversations and interactions with locals than anywhere else in the city so far.
Hint: During busy times, seating can be scarce, but you’ll find something. Have one of your party sit at the table and hold your spots. And when you’re done, take your trays and dishes to one of the designated drop-off zones. If you don’t, Singapore has enforcement officers who will warn you that you’re breaking the law—and if it’s a second offense, authorities can fine you over US$200.
Free activities in Singapore
Singapore can be a very expensive place to visit (especially when finding a place to stay). However, you can balance out higher costs with the free activities, attractions, and destinations available all over Singapore.
Hint: Singapore is similar in size to the Los Angeles metropolitan area, but nearly half of Singapore is green space, much of it free and open to the public as parks and gardens.
Delight in the sensory displays on Sentosa Island’s SensoryScape
Sentosa Island has many splurge-worthy activities, as we noted above with things like Universal Studios. But the island itself is a delight to wander.
Even better?
It has free public green space and art installations, such as SensoryScape. Here, free and engaging displays draw in visitors with light, sound, water, color, and more.
Hint: Singapore in the evening is still hot, but it cools down since the sun isn’t beating down on you any longer. Taking the monorail to Imbiah Station takes you to SensoryScape, and we find it especially enjoyable at night, when the darkness gives the displays new vibrancy.
Take in the seaside promenades of Gardens by the Bay… and marvel at the nightly Supertree sound and light show
While the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome above are a decent family splurge, the surrounding Gardens by the Bay area itself is a free park. Throughout the day and night, you’ll find people here out for a walk, jog, or bike ride, posing for photos, and enjoying the seaside air.
Gardens by the Bay is also home to Singapore’s 18 iconic Supertrees. Each is about 50 meters tall (164 feet, or about the height of a 16-story building). With a look that combines organic and futuristic, each Supertree is a vertical garden and power plant, growing 162,900 plants from over 200 species, collecting rainwater, and harvesting solar energy.
Even better?
Every night, the Garden Rhapsody light and sound show is a free public event that you can enjoy at 7:45pm and 8:45pm.
Wander through the plants, animal life, and serenity of the Singapore Botanic Gardens
The first and only tropical botanic garden on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the Singapore Botanic Gardens is free, open every day, and offers everything from quiet paths to otter dens. Locals and visitors alike come for a stroll, pack a picnic, or a chance to savor nature. It’s easy to reach via public transportation too.
Hint: The Herb and Spice section is a must-visit, especially when visiting with kids. Many of the plants here are aromatic, such as lemongrass, so it’s a great chance to take in some smells that may not be available at home.
Enjoy things to do in Singapore as a family
Singapore offers unique attractions that deserve a family splurge, but free and budget-friendly activities abound too. Our family’s own visits have given us experiences, deep learning, memorable meals, and the sheer delight of a Supertree show, a wander in the botanic gardens, and the cool lushness of the Cloud Forest.
You and your group can find so many things to do in Singapore that are right for you, your family, and your budget too.
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