Cheap things to do in Singapore
Maxwell hawker stalls, Mount Faber at dusk, and Geylang after dark
Three days of eating exactly what locals eat, in the places they actually go. This is for the traveller who knows that Singapore's best food has never needed a tablecloth, and who is happy to end the night at a neighbourhood bar with a drink that costs less than a taxi.
Day 1: Chinatown, Tiong Bahru and the hill
Start with temples and market stalls in Chinatown, work through Maxwell's hawker stalls at lunch, walk up Mount Faber for the harbour view, then claypot rice for dinner.
- 9:30 AM
Tong Ah Eating House
Old kopitiam on Keong Saik Road: kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs and kopi for a few dollars.
Map - 10:15 AM
Chinatown
Start the morning wandering Chinatown's streets, temples and market stalls, free, lively.
Map - 12:30 PM
Maxwell Food Centre
Great-value hawker centre, graze the stalls and grab chicken rice or laksa for next to nothing.
Map - 2:00 PM
Mount Faber Park
Easy uphill walk through Mount Faber Park with sweeping harbour views, free and breezy after lunch.
Map - 7:30 PM
Lian He Ben Ji Claypot
Great-value claypot rice, a true Singapore street-food classic, worth the wait.
Map - 9:30 PM
Canning Bar & Lounge
Hotel bar in the old fort building on Fort Canning hill; one well-made cocktail to end the day.
Map
Day 2: Balestier shophouses and Geylang nights
A morning of Art Deco streets and proper kway teow leads into a Geylang evening of frog porridge on Lorong 19, one of those Singapore experiences that has no equivalent anywhere else.
- 9:30 AM
Vernacular Coffee
Critic-approved local coffee shop, the right low-key start before hitting the streets.
Map - 10:30 AM
Balestier Art Deco shophouses
Stroll the striking 1930s Art Deco shophouse strip, free, photogenic, and full of local character.
Map - 12:30 PM
Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow
Great-value fried kway teow at hawker prices, a true Singapore street food must.
Map - 2:30 PM
Koon Seng Road Peranakan Houses
Free: two rows of pastel Peranakan terrace houses in Joo Chiat, a short bus ride east of Old Airport Road.
Map - 7:30 PM
Eminent Frog Porridge & Seafood (Lor 19)
Great-value frog porridge on Lor 19, a classic Geylang late-night institution, open late.
Map
Day 3: Waterfront, Helix Bridge, nasi lemak
An easy waterfront morning through Esplanade Park and across the Helix Bridge sets up an afternoon in the Downtown Core before finishing on The Coconut Club's acclaimed nasi lemak.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Esplanade Park
Free waterfront park with views of the Esplanade and Marina Bay, a leisurely morning walk.
Map - 12:30 PM
Spicy Noodle SG (Raffles City) Spicy Noodle SG 大師兄銷魂麵舖 (Raffles City)
Top-rated spicy noodles at Raffles City, bold flavours, great value, and very close.
Map - 2:00 PM
Helix Bridge
Stroll the iconic double-helix pedestrian bridge along the waterfront, free and striking.
Map - 7:30 PM
Where to stay
21 Carpenter
A compact, well-priced base in the CBD that puts you a short walk from Chinatown on day one and the waterfront on day three.
Naumi Hotel Singapore
A small, characterful hotel in the civic district with easy MRT access to every neighbourhood on the plan, at a price that keeps the hawker budget intact.
Make Singapore your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Gardens by the Bay: a few days ahead
- Night Safari: a few days ahead
- Sentosa Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Laguna National Golf Resort Club: weeks ahead
- Orchid Country Club: a few days ahead
- Pulau Ubin: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Newton Food Centre seafood touting without clear per-weight pricing.
- Always confirm crab species, weight and price per 100g before it is cooked.
- Clarke Quay tourist bars, Sim Lim lower-floor electronics touting and Orchard malls as an attraction.
The full Singapore travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around