Seven days in Singapore: Family edition

1 Singapore Duck Tours

Morning and afternoon

Spend your first day in Singapore sampling all that our city has to offer with Singapore DuckTours and its hop-on and hop-off bus rides. The City Sightseeing package allows you to move at your own pace for the entire day—highlights include Little India, Orchard Road, Chinatown and Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Next, make your way to the Asian Civilisations Museum, home to a trove of relics and knowledge from around the region. You’ll be enchanted by stories of trade during the Tang Dynasty, uncover knowledge about ancient religions like Jainism and discover the world of Islamic Art.

If you’re visiting on a Saturday, be sure to check out the gallery’s range of family-themed activities. These include retellings of Chinese literary epics like Journey to the West and craft sessions that’ll have your little ones building their own miniature treasure ship.

2 Singapore River

Evening

In the evening, make your way down the historic Singapore River aboard a traditional bumboat with the Singapore River Cruise. Let your guide engage the whole family in a captivating tale of Singapore’s two famous quays—Boat Quay and Clarke Quay—and take in the scenic views of the Marina Bay area as the boat cruises by.

3 Sentosa Island

All day

Dubbed the “State of Fun”, Sentosa is a huge playground for the whole family. There’s something for everyone on this popular island resort, located south of the main island.

Begin with a visit to Universal Studios Singapore. The movie-themed entertainment park is peppered with thrilling rides based on blockbuster flicks like Transformers and Jurassic Park. Wander around the seven zones and get a family portrait taken with iconic characters like the adorable Minions from Despicable Me.

For lunch, hit up Tanjong Beach Club for delicious bites like lobster buns and fish and chips for the kids. After that, laze around by the pool’s daybeds or check out the Adventure Cove Waterpark™ for thrilling slides and encounters with marine life. For an even more adrenaline-pumping option, try the Skyline Luge, a part go-cart, part-toboggan action ride that’s great for all ages. Visitors are strongly encouraged to book tickets in advance to secure a slot.

Come dinner time, take a bus to Quayside Isle over at Sentosa Cove for a dizzying array of dining options. Top picks include Greek food from Mykonos On The Bay, Italian pizzas from SolePomodoro and seafood creations from Greenwood Fish Market.

4 National Gallery Singapore

Morning

Start your visit at the National Gallery Singapore with over 8,000 Singaporean and Southeast Asian artworks. Let the kids spend time in the Keppel Centre for Art Education, a 1,000-square-metre facility that comprises four art zones, such as the Art Playscape, where children can follow trails to solve mysteries and discover fantastical new characters.

5 ArtScience Museum™

Afternoon

After a morning of fun, head to the ArtScience Museum™ at the Marina Bay Sands^®. Pro tip: visit on a Friday as up to four children under the age of 12 get to enter the museum for free with every adult ticket purchased.

Aside from the main exhibitions, which change regularly, you can sign up for interactive guided tours of features such as Future World. These provide fun, hands-on learning experiences for the whole family—click here to find out the details of upcoming tours.

6 Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Evening

Finally, wrap up your day with a stopover at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. You’ll be able to catch mesmerising performances at this iconic space’s many stages, or take a stroll along the waterfront as the sun sets.

The establishment regularly holds a whole range of family-themed activities— such as childrens’ theatre series like Playtime and stamping workshops like Home Made—so be sure to check out their calendar.

Be sure to make a beeline for the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre for the chance to catch free music performances. If you’re feeling peckish, drop by Glutton’s Bay for local delicacies like chicken rice and satay (grilled meat skewers).

7 Singapore Botanic Gardens

Morning

Get the family to spend time in nature and split your day between the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the Bay—two world-class green spaces, each with something different to offer (and plenty of dining options as well so the kids won’t go hungry).

In the morning, take a stroll around the over-150-year-old Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Check out highlights like the Swan Lake; the National Orchid Garden, which is home to the world’s largest display of orchids; and the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, where the kids can learn about all things green.

Have lunch at Casa Verde, a kid-friendly restaurant serving up affordable pastas and wood-fired thin crust pizzas, alongside some local favourites like nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk, served with an array of side dishes) and Hokkien prawn mee (fried prawn noodles). If the weather is nice, you can rent a picnic basket set from the restaurant as the kids run around on the lawn by Symphony Lake.

8 Gardens by the Bay

Afternoon and evening

Gardens by the Bay is a futuristic-looking green area featuring vertical gardens called Supertrees, which reach up to 50-metres tall. Don’t miss other attractions like the Flower Dome—the largest glass greenhouse in the world—and the Cloud Forest, which houses a magnificent indoor waterfall.

For dinner, there is a wide variety of eateries and restaurants to whet your appetite. They include Pollen—a French-Mediterranean cuisine restaurant that offers a panoramic view of the Marina Bay waterfront—and Majestic Bay Seafood Restaurant, a Chinese seafood restaurant (perfect for Singaporean classics like Chilli Crab and Black Pepper Crab).

9 Science Centre Singapore

Morning

It’s going to be a captivating time of learning and education for the first half of the day. Take the family to Science Centre Singapore for mind-blowing facts and more than a thousand interactive exhibits.

There are myriad shows and demonstrations to catch—you could watch the creation of a fire tornado or learn more about the fascinating transformation of butterflies across its life stages at Butterflies Up Close. Head to the Omni-Theatre—Singapore's only IMAX dome theatre—for an immersive cinematic experience unlike any other.

10 Singapore Discovery Centre

Afternoon and evening

Spend the rest of the day at the Singapore Discovery Centre. This venue focuses on the history and future of Singapore as a nation, and not-to-be-missed exhibits and attractions including the SAFTI BUS TOUR—which gives visitors a glimpse of the nation's military academy—and 'Battlefield Command', Singapore's first immersive third generation Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) game designed for the public.

11 River Wonders

Morning

Start your day at River Wonders - Asia’s first and only river-themed wildlife park. The iconic river habitats are home to over 7,500 aquatic and land animals representing close to 240 species.

Explore the various zones such as the Amazon Flooded Forest, Congo River, or Mekong River to get a glimpse of the wildlife who have made these watery habitats their homes.

Be awed by Manatees and Arapaimas at the world’s largest freshwater aquarium, or sign up for the Manatee Mania tour to get up close to these gentle Sea Cows. Embark on an unforgettable boat adventure on the Amazon River Quest boat to spot other well-camouflaged and elusive Amazonian wildlife such as Jaguars and Giant Anteaters.

Catch the latest animal presentation – Once Upon a River, to witness the talents of Giant Pelicans, Capybaras and more. You can even linger on after to enjoy a photo encounter with your favourite animal stars. Don’t forget to visit the giant pandas, Kai Kai and Jia Jia, in the region’s largest giant panda habitat before you leave.

12 Singapore Zoo

Afternoon

As afternoon approaches, head next door to Singapore Zoo for more fun. Start off with some authentic local fare at the Ah Meng Restaurant to fuel up for a wild afternoon.

Observe animals in their natural habitats with the zoo’s unique open zoo setting. Enter the Fragile Forest and journey alongside free-roaming animals like the mousedeer, or spot the orangutan family swinging right above your heads in the world’s first free-ranging orangutan habitat. You can also get up-close and feed your favourite animals like the giraffes, elephants, or rhinoceros.

Let the little ones get wild at Rainforest Kidzworld, where they can enjoy close interactions with pint-sized furry friends such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and hedgehogs. Or give them a splashing good time in the Wet Play Area, a water wonderland dotted with colourful sprayers, climbers, slides and tubes. For the older kids, head over to Houbii Spot next to Ah Meng memorial to challenge this action-packed rope course amidst the calming reservoir view.

Awarded the Top 3 Zoos in the World by TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award 2018, Singapore Zoo houses more than 2,400 animals across 300 species. With an exciting array of photo opportunities, exhilarating shows and rides, there’s never-ending fun for everyone in the family.

13 Night Safari

Evening

As night approaches, it’s the perfect time to explore the award-winning world’s first nocturnal wildlife park, Night Safari. But first, experience the wide array of Asian delicacies at Ulu Ulu Safari Restaurant to fuel up for your adventure.

Home to almost 900 nocturnal animals of 100 species, the best way to catch a glimpse of them is onboard the Guided Tram Ride, which journeys through six of the world’s geographical regions. Try spotting the Malayan Tapirs, Asian Elephants, Cape Buffalos and more along the way.

There are also four walking trails to bring you closer to nocturnal wildlife. Start your trek down the Leopard Trail for a chance to catch big cats such as Asiatic Lions in action during feeding sessions at the Lion Lookout point. Continue down the East Lodge Trail to visit Spotted Hyaenas and Malayan Tigers.

Complete your night by heading to the new Explorer Outpost along Fishing Cat Trail to meet the newest creature of the night – the Southern Three-banded Armadillo. Catch the Creatures of the Night Show before you leave, where you can watch the animal stars such as Asian Otters and Capybaras in action.

14 Orchard Road

Morning and afternoon

Shopping can be a great pastime for the whole family, but only if you know where to go.

Head over to Orchard Road to spend the morning and afternoon in the world-famous shopping district. The area is home to two kid-friendly shopping malls: Paragon and Forum, both of which have play areas to keep the kids occupied while you shop at stores like BOSS and Calvin Klein.

15 Vivo City

Evening

Come evening, visit fashion stores like Benjamin Barker and ALDO at VivoCity. The kids can have a lovely time in the open-air playground on the second level, as well as the water-based Sky Park on the third.

With this thorough itinerary featuring recommendations on things to do, shop and eat as a family, you’ll be making the best of your seven days in Singapore! For more family romps and kid-friendly activities, check out this page.