After my 4th visit to Singapore last year I think I can say I do know the city a little bit. Despite having a reputation of being ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES in the world there are still lots of things to do and places to visit if you are traveling LOW BUDGET. For me, it is a great city worth visiting even if you are not up to spending a fortune. In this post I put together a list of activities, attractions and places in the city that are ABSOLUTELY FREE.

1. HIT THE BEACH & PARKS ON SENTOSA ISLAND

Home to endless theme parks, golf courses, posh hotels and museums – there are lots of ACTIVITIES on Sentosa island, but most of them require an entry fee. Nonetheless there is NO ENTRANCE FEE for the island itself and a visit to the BEACH IS FREE. Check out the sandy beaches called SILOSO, PALAWAN and TANJONG BEACH. There are also wonderful CHILDREN´S PLAYGROUNDS and PARKS to run around free which make Sentosa a nice place to get away from the city skyscrapers.

2. COOL DOWN IN SINGAPORE BOTANICAL GARDENS

The gardens in FORT CANNING PARK are another great place to cool down on a hot day in the city. ENTRANCE IS FREE and there are occasional FREE GUIDED TOURS as well – check on their website for the schedule. It is a lovely place for a walk in the greens, even if you are not so much interested in botanic. Amongst open green areas and THREE BIGGER LAKES there is an ORCHID GARDEN, LEARNING FOREST, SUN GARDEN, CURTAIN OF ROOTS, PALM VALLEY LAWN, HEALING GARDEN, SPICE GARDEN and much more. There is a fun CHILDREN´S PLAYGROUND, called JACOB BALLAS CHILDREN GARDEN as well as a couple of restaurants.

3. TAKE A PHOTO OF MERLION STATUE

This statue of a MYTHICAL CREATURE with a LION´S HEAD and a BODY OF A FISH is the official MASCOT OF SINGAPORE. It is situated in the Merlion park, with a nice view over the bay on the Marina Bay hotel. And of course, a photo with the famous Merlion is free.

4. WATCH THE WONDER FULL LIGHT SHOW

Every day at 20:00 and 21:00 (plus at 23:00 Fri & Sat) you can enjoy watching this AMAZING FREE LIGHTSHOW, called the WONDER FULL SHOW, which lasts 15 minutes and consists of WATER, LIGHTS, LASER AND AUDIO EFFECTS. You can watch it either from THE SHOPPES at Marina Bay Sands Hotel or from the other side of the bay.

5. ADMIRE THE SUPERTREE GROVE IN GARDENS BY THE BAY

Located at the GARDENS BY THE BAY, this amazing ARTIFICIAL TREES with LARGE CANOPIES are one of a kind. Of a total of 18 SUPERTREES, 12 are here in the SUPERTREE GROVE. You can visit the place for FREE, but if you want to walk on the 22m high and 128m long OCBC SKYWALK as well you will have to pay 8$. This is one of my favorite parts of the city.

6. WATCH THE GARDEN RHAPSODY LIGHT SHOW

Another great light show, happening at GARDENS BY THE BAY. Its starts at 7:45 and 8:45 pm every day at the SUPERTREE GROVE. There is plenty of space for watching but be there a bit earlier to secure a nice spot.

7. REFRESH YOURSELVES AT THE FAR EAST ORGANISATION CHILDREN´S PARK

Also, in the beautiful GARDENS BY THE BAY, this has to be one of the best places to take your kids to and have fun yourselves. With the climate being so humid and hot in Singapore this WATER PLAYGROUND (at the park mentioned above) is the perfect way to refresh yourselves. There are lockers to store your belongings and a little café for snacks and drinks. Access to the playground is FREE.

8. THE SHOPPES AT  MARINA BAY SANDS

This enormous posh SHOPPING COMPLEX connected to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel is just amazing to walk around. Even if you do not buy anything in those shiny shops, the cool air inside is a pleasant compared to the outside heat. Plus, there is a FOOD COURT where you can grab a cheaper bite to eat.

9. EAST COAST PARK

In the city´s south-eastern part, along the coast there is this super long (about 15km) STRETCH OF BEACH where you can take a swim, work out and let your kids play. Parts of the park are connected via a nice WALKING and CYCLING WAY with many spots to make a PICNIC in the shade of trees. It is also not so far from the airport which makes it a good place to relax before the next flight.

10. WALK AROUND SINGAPORE´S ETHNIC ENCLAVES

To get a better sense of how MULTICULTURAL Singapore is, go stroll on the streets of CHINATOWN, LITTLE INDIA and KAMPONG GLAM (Arab quarter). They are all easily accessible with the MRT trains, they all have their own MARKETS, SHOPS, RESTAURANTS and that distinctive VIBE.

11. VISIT SINGAPORE´S TEMPLES, MOSQUES, CHURCHES

As mentioned above, Singapore is very CULTURALY DIVERSE. You can visit the city´s largest mosque, called SULTAN MOSQUE in the Arab district called Kampong Glam, entrance is FREE. Outside prayer times of course, you have to take shoes off and wear a robe provided at the main entrance. The oldest and smallest CHURCH is ARMENIAN CHURCH, city´s largest one is St. ANDREW´S CATHEDRAL. Strangely there is a HINDU TEMPLE IN CHINATOWN. This amazing colorful SRI MARIAMMAN TEMPLE is the oldest Hindu temple in the city, worthy of your time. The oldest CHINESE TEMPLE in Singapore, THIAN HOCK KENG features also a wonderful 44m HERITAGE MURAL worth visiting.

12. FREE STUFF AT THE SRRFM MARKET

This is one of the most awesome UNIQUE MARKETS. Because on this market everything is FREE. Yup. It is called SINGAPORE´S REALLY REALLY FREE MARKET and it functions as a FLEA MARKET without price tags, where everyone can GIVE AWAY things, they don´t need anymore. From clothes to old records, art, furniture, you name it. There is a Facebook page announcing the dates.

13. MACRITCHIE NATURE TRAIL & RESERVOIR PARK

Taking this NATURE TRAIL most definitely doesn´t feel as if you would still be so close to a city as big as Singapore. Besides walking, you can also RENT A CANOE or a KAYAK. It is a very popular spot for the locals to spend a Saturday. There is a great TREETOP WALKWAY as well. If you are in the city for a couple of days and feel you need a bit of nature to balance it off, this is a place to go.

14. WALK THE SOUTHERN RIDGES

Another GREAT PLACE to get away from the busy city with around 10 kilometres of GREEN SPACE and HILLS, connecting various PARKS GARDENS with RIDGES and WALKWAYS. Great VIEWS over Singapore included.

15. FREE ART AT ESPLANADE

THEATRES ON THE BAY AND ESPLANADE MALL which also go by the name “DURIAN” (due to its architecture) include a CONCERT HALL, THEATRE and an OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE AREA where you can see lots of musical and cultural PERFORMANCES FOR FREE. The VIEW over the bay is spectacular as well, so it is worth visiting even if you are not all that into art.

* | FREE THINGS TO DO AT SINGAPORE´S CHANGI AIRPORT

Changi airport has to be one of the GREATEST AIRPORTS I´ve ever been to. The whole place is worth taking a longer stopover between flights. On purpose. FOR FREE you can visit movie theatres, slide down a very huge tube slide, check out the Butterfly and the Cactus Gardens, admire the Entchanted and Orchids Garden, or just take a good nap at one of the free resting areas. Oh yeah, and there is even a swimming pool. All at the airport.

So, there you go, a visit to Singapore doesn´t have to be expensive. For BUDGET ACCOMMODTION check out the hostels or smaller hotels (which will usually not have windows). For CHEAP FOOD head to FOOD COURTS and HAWKER CENTRES. From Singapore, there GREAT FLIGHT CONNECTIONS to many destinations so you can plan a LONGER STOPOVER BETWEEN FLIGHTS. There are lots of POSTS ABOUT SINGAPORE here on the blog, including SINGAPORE WITH KIDS, so check them out.

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