Singapore 3 days itinerary for the family – Singapore is Southeast Asia’s richest country and no doubt a very beautiful place. To most visitors from Asia, every part of Singapore can be wonderful to see. Be it the bus stations, car lanes, MRT, and majestic skyscrapers. However, Singapore’s not all about its views.
With spots like the Singapore Zoo, Universal Studios, and Marina Bay Sands, it’s a must-visit place in Southeast Asia for families. Thus, here goes Singapore’s 3-day itinerary for family.
While you can visit many places in 3 days, it’s harmless to say 3 days isn’t enough to visit Singapore. Places like Universal Studios and Jurong Bird Park are all whole-day trips. For a 3-day tour, you’re bound to miss out on a lot. I made a 5-days solo trip to Singapore and still missed out on places. All you can do is choose what to miss out on.
Traveling from one attraction to another shouldn’t cause any delay, whether you’re commuting by MRT, bus, or cab. But on a peak season, the waiting lines for shows and rides can get really long – sometimes even hours.
Plan out your destinations well with this family itinerary along with timings for 3 days in Singapore.
Travel Guidelines for Singapore: COVID-19
It’s tough to talk about the guidelines when visiting Singapore as they constantly change. But the latest update is that traveling is open now. However, only a selected few countries can visit Singapore. As per the latest regulations, quarantine isn’t mandatory now but travelers will have to carry insurance that can cover up to $30,000 SGD.
Regarding the places you’ll visit, it’s best to avoid traveling in large groups. Some attractions and restaurants are strict about the number of people that can sit together. Universal Studios only allow groups of up to 5 members. Also, keep the timings in mind when visiting.
While most attractions are open, they’re public for only specific days of the week with more constrained timings. Make sure to book your visit prior as some don’t admit tourists over their capacity limit.
Singapore 3 Days Itinerary for Family
A teenager or a shopaholic, a nature lover or an adventure enthusiast – literally any person can go crazy with the attractions in Singapore. But by giving families with kids priority first, here’s how you can begin the day.
Day 1: Singapore Zoo and Gardens by the Bay
First stop, Singapore Zoo – one of the best zoos in the world! With the zoo at the north end of Singapore away from most other attractions, make sure to visit this first and then cover the rest.
The zoo opens at 8:30 am. It’s best to visit early to avoid long waiting queues. However, if you’re landing in Singapore the very same morning, I recommend taking some rest first as there’ll be a lot of walking to do here.
While there’s the tram option which takes a tour around the zoo within 20 minutes, it’s better to walk here. Unlike most zoos out there, the Singapore zoo is known for its open concept where animals are free to roam in their large landscaped environments. So don’t miss walking around and interacting with the animals!
Speaking of interacting, have breakfast with the Orangutans between 9:30 – 10 am. While the buffet’s expensive, it’s a one-time feast with orangutans.
Before leaving the water park is another cool spot for the kiddies. Jump into the puddle here in the afternoon before you head for lunch.
Head to Gardens by the Bay
Some restaurants for lunch at the zoo are KFC and Inuka Cafe. If you’re looking to try something local, go for Chomel Bistro here. If your stomachs aren’t up for food yet, then head to your next stop Gardens by the Bay.
The Gardens by the Bay, a paradise for nature lovers, is exactly what its name says. It’s a large indoor (Flower Dome and Cloud Forest) and outdoor gardens (Supertrees, Floral Fantasy, and Serene Garden) close to the southern shores of Singapore. Since it’s open till 2 am, there shouldn’t be any time to hustle touring the spot. And yes, the place shimmers magically at night!
While it’s free to visit the shows and the gardens by the bay, the Flower Dome, Skywalk, and Cloud Forest cost $28 SGD for adults and $15 SGD for children. The skywalk (OCBC Skyway) costs an additional $8 SGD.
While here, you can also take a glance at one of Asia’s most recognizable structures, the Marina Bay Sands. A structure where you go – damn boy! While it looks majestic in pictures when the 3 buildings loom right before you is another experience.
If you have more time on your hands when visiting Gardens by the bay, some other places to see here with the kiddos are:
- Merlion
- Singapore Flyer
- Esplanade (Durian Building)
- Clarke Quay and Singapore River Cruise
Day 2: Sentosa Island
Singapore 3 Days itinerary for Family: The Sentosa Resorts is an island very close to the city. Not just for families, Sentosa is a must-visit for everyone visiting Singapore.
I visited Sentosa when I was young and then visited Universal Studios here years later. And so much keeps changing! In fact, it’s difficult to see all the attractions here in one day. You’ll need two days – especially when with kids. But if I had to pick some shows for myself, here are some all-time favorite Sentosa attractions of mine:
- SEA Aquarium
- Skyline Luge
- iFly
- Adventure Cove Waterpark
- Wings of Time (The previous show similar to this was Songs of the Sea)
- 4D AdventureLand
- Cable car
- Palawan Beach
- Siloso Beach
For the beaches, there are many more to pick from. For your day 2 of Singapore 3 days itinerary for family, here’s how to go:
Get to Sentosa in the morning. Most shows and rides open at 10-11 am, but Sentosa itself is a beautiful place to cycle, skate, or even simply walk. You can have breakfast here as well, there are tons of places to eat. Get to Sentosa by the monorail (Sentosa Express), cable car, or bus, or you can even walk there via Sentosa Boardwalk.
The monorail is the most convenient way to get there. From the MRT station at HarborFront, get to the 3rd floor of the Vivocity Mall and take the Sentosa to express straight to the island, and get straight to your desired stop. Pick a map of Sentosa Island so that you don’t get lost!
Make sure to visit the SEA Aquarium. Wander through the large glass tunnels viewing over 1000 species of aquatic creatures swimming around you. I’ve visited 4D shows and water theme parks in many places else, but this attraction is one in a million. Don’t miss it!
Beaches and Wings of Time
Singapore 3 Days itinerary for Family: After your rides and day shows by noon, have lunch and head to the beaches. Siloso Beach and Palawan Beach are the two large well-known beaches facing the tail side of Sentosa. Spend a good few hours here after your tour around the island before heading to the Wings of Time show.
The Wings of Time water show is held twice in the evenings – at 7:40 and 8:40 pm by the shores and as Sentosa says, it’s the perfect way to end your day!
Staying at Sentosa
In order to visit Universal Studio separately, it’s best to stay in or close to Sentosa.
Universal Studios Singapore (USS) is a part of Sentosa. But don’t enter it unless you’re spending a whole day here. In fact, your day 3 of the Singapore 3 days itinerary for family is reserved just for Universal Studios.
Sentosa holds many resorts Resorts World Sentosa and Shangri La Hotel are some of the most popular ones. However, with tourists flocking in all over the world, the prices aren’t budget-friendly. They can cost anywhere between $600-$900 SGD. For budget travelers, it’s better to find stays near the island.
A super budget traveler myself, my favorite was staying at Spacepod at Lavender.
There are many accommodations available in the nearby blocks of HarborFront, Bukit Merah that offer accommodation ranging between $100-$300 SGD.
Day 3: Universal Studios Singapore
The USS is a recent addition compared to the rest of Sentosa. It’s one of the 4 Universal Studios across the world. It’s probably the best day for your kids. Whether the littlies recognize their favorite characters or not, they’ll enjoy either way!
The theme park is open from 12 pm to 7 pm. With so many rides and shows, it’s best to arrive early. The wait line takes hours if you’re late! Keep umbrellas handy with you as it’s either sunny or raining while you wait in the queue. In fact, it rained while we waited in the long queue! Read about my visit to the USS.
The rides don’t take time, but the waiting queues for the rides do. Some eye-turning rides like the Battlestar Galactica even go up 1.5 hours of waiting time.
Also, don’t miss out on the shows/meet and greet – here are some of the best ones to look out for:
- Elmo
- WaterWorld
- Donkey Live
- Minions
- Madagascar Boogie
All the meet and greets and shows have specific timings and spots. If your little one’s crazy about a character, it’s time to note down the time for their show!
Another post for you to read: River Wonders Singapore Review: 5 Rare Creatures to Spot!
More Amazing Places to Visit in Singapore
This concludes the Singapore 3 Days itinerary for family. In the end, it comes down to having a good time with your loved ones. These amazing places are perfect for most family tourists visiting Singapore for 3 days. However, there’s no such compulsion.
Singapore has plenty of other places to visit. Say you as a family finds science fascinating, then you should visit Science Centre Singapore. I’ve been here half a dozen times and I never get bored. Oh, how about birds? Did you know the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore is the world’s biggest bird park in terms of the number of birds?
Singapore 3 Days itinerary for family: Here are many more places to visit in Singapore. In case you’re really interested in any place, modify your itinerary accordingly:
- Botanical Garden
- Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo
- Singapore Flyer
- Jurong Bird Park
- Science Centre Singapore
- National Gallery of Singapore
- Trick Eye Museum
- Wild Wild Wet
- Clarke Quay
- China Town (for shopping)
- Mustafa Centre, Little India (for shopping)
Changi Airport, being the World’s best airport with 4 massive terminals, is a beautiful attraction to take a stroll into :)
Here’s another article on an offbeat place 20 km from Singapore and great for snorkeling and beach activities: Batam Travel Guide, Indonesia
Singapore 3 Days Itinerary for Family: More Travel Tips
Here are all the things to keep when traveling with a family:
Things to Pack
- Bring along a stroller for kids: Be it in Sentosa, Singapore Zoo, or USS – they all have facilities for strollers, but they charge extra. Moreover, with a lot of walking to do and the long waiting queues, it’s best to bring a stroller along to avoid some hustle.
- Portable stools for the elderly: I haven’t seen this anywhere else, but people do bring along foldable stools everywhere they go. With the hours of waiting in lines all around, it’s essential to bring along.
- Umbrella, warm clothes, and sunscreen: Singapore lies on the equator line and the heat gets unbearable. It can rain at any time unexpectedly as well. But the humidity remains no matter what. So it’s fine to only pack warm clothes here, but consider bringing an umbrella – or get one!
Travel Resources to get around Singapore
Singapore 3 Days itinerary for Family: Here are some of the best resources for traveling in Singapore:
- Booking.com – This is one of the most convenient sites to make use of for booking your accommodation with varieties. You can even use their map to choose your stay which pinpoints the accommodation location along with its prices.
- Klook – Klook is one of the best tour activity planning sites out there with world-class customer service. They operate best in SouthEast Asia. You can use it to either book tickets to individual attractions or for a complete tour package of Singapore.
- HostelWorld – For budget travelers, this is the best site to check out cheap stays.
- Grab/GrabFood – the Grab app is the Uber of Southeast Asia. Download it to book your cab rides. Uber is also available, but the prices tend to be more expensive.
- EZ-link smart card – the last but the most important to those using public transit to get around here, is to get the EZ-link card. Be it the MRT, LRT, SMRT, and SBS buses. It can also be used to pay in cafes, restaurants – even KFC!
