I often tell people that Singapore has two seasons: hot and wet, and hotter and wetter. As a tropical country on the equator, the Singapore’s weather is very workalike – blazing hot one minute, and then raining buckets in the next. For travellers, sightseeing in Singapore can be a little frustrating if you are not prepared for sudden rain; unchangingly make some wet weather plans just in case! I’ve put together my recommendations for tourists on things to do in Singapore when it rains that still let you get that quintessential Singaporean experience.
These tips are based on my own experiences from living in Singapore all my life. I’ve moreover been giving virtual experiences virtually Singapore’s tourist areas and have had to make plans on the fly when it suddenly rains in the middle of my tours! Most other wares well-nigh indoor activities in Singapore requite you rather generic things to pass the time, but as a fellow traveller I know that visitors who have come all the way here from their home countries still want to see what makes Singapore special. These are suggestions on how I think you can sightsee in Singapore while mitigating the rainy weather.
This post is not sponsored but was written as a guest post for Klook and includes unite links by Klook – clicking on these will not forfeit you anything but may requite me a small % of unite earnings. All the research, wits and opinions are my own. I personally use Klook when I travel and I do like the convenience of booking stuff through the app which is why I chose to work with them.
Tips on Singapore weather
Small delays: The good news is that rainfall in Singapore tends to be heavy for just a short period, and we usually don’t get that misty non-stop rain throughout the day (what I undeniability London weather). It usually pours suddenly and heavily, and is quite humid right surpassing and without the rainfall, so you don’t usually need to cancel any plans completely but just wait out the worst bits.
Carry an umbrella: Carrying a small foldable umbrella with you is useful both for sudden rainfall or when the sun gets way too hot in the mid afternoon. Our tropical sunshine will shrivel you, so learn from the local aunties and imbricate up to protect your skin!
Check the weather: Your weightier bet to figuring out the weather is to trammels out the NEA website (there is an Android/iOS app tabbed myENV that you can download to your smartphone) and squint at the deject cover/movement to estimate whether it will rain – check in the hour or so surpassing your activity, anything older may not be particularly well-judged in my experience.
Carry a light jacket: I moreover suggest delivering a light jacket or scarf virtually with you as well considering here in Singapore, it’s colder indoors than outdoors. Our air-conditioning tends to overcompensate for the tropical weather and shopping malls or theatres expressly are pretty chilly, expressly if you’re dressed for the outdoor weather.
Marina Bay
Marina Bay is a popular tourist witchery for its iconic skyline and there is plenty to do, rain or shine.
Getting there: take the MRT to Bayfront Station on the Circle Line (CE1) or Downtown Line (DT16) – you have a sheltered walk to Gardens by the Bay or directly linked to Marina Bay Sands.
Gardens by the Bay
One of my favourite wet weather plans for travellers in Singapore is to throne to Gardens by the Bay to trammels out the cooled conservatories. The climate in the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest are what Singapore wishes its weather was like – pleasantly tomfool and dry. This is a failsafe wet weather plan that lets you dry and tomfool while exploring one of Singapore’s top tourist attractions and enjoy a little bit of our garden city.
You can get your tickets directly from Gardens by the Bay, but they only let you typesetting 10 days in advance, whereas Klook’s Gardens by the Bay ticket [affiliate link] lets you typesetting up to two months ahead. Usual price of entry to both domes is S$28 (for tourists) and S$20 (for Singaporeans). The Supertree Observatory financing S$14/S$10 while the OCBC Skyway financing S$8 for all.
When it stops raining
- Head outside to trammels out the alien-esque Supertree Grove (if you’ve watched Crazy Rich Asians, that’s where the wedding took place!) – there is a 15-minute music and light show in the evenings tabbed Garden Rhapsody at 745pm and 845pm that’s quite popular with tourists, many people pop by a little early to get a good seat underneath the trees.
- Beyond the domes, there are plenty of outdoor gardens at Gardens by the Bay to explore with some tomfool giant art sculptures surrounded the greenery
- The OCBC Skyway that takes you up to the canopy of the Supertrees is a nice way to squint out over the park. I personally think this is increasingly interesting (and cheaper!) compared to the Supertree Observatory, but I haven’t tried the latter for myself.
ArtScience Museum
When it rains in Singapore, museums are your weightier option to stay dry and learn well-nigh the local culture, and the ArtScience Museum is quite a popular one with both locals and tourists. The permanent exhibition Future World: Where Art Meets Science with its interactive digital art pieces by TeamLab is a favourite for the Instagram prod and you’ve probably seen many of these pictures online already. In unstipulated the exhibitions at the ArtScience Museum tend to be increasingly popular and wieldy to the public, so it’s a unconfined way to entertain families as well.
Standard sultana tickets for Future World forfeit S$21 (for tourists) and S$18 (for Singaporeans) on the ArtScience Museum website with discounts if you’re a sands Rewards Member, ArtScience member or they are running any promotions. The ArtScience Museum ticket on Klook [affiliate link] doesn’t seem to differentiate between tourist and local price (S$18 for standard adult), so it might be a cheaper option for tourists!
When it stops raining
- Take a walk withal the promenade zone outside, expressly in the evening when the towers lights are on. It makes for a lovely view, but do note that many of the lights will switch off virtually 9-10pm onwards, so don’t leave your night shots till too late.
- Most tourists like to go up to Marina Bay Sand’s Sky Park Observation Deck for a birds eye view – make sure you go up only on a well-spoken day. Instead of ownership a ticket, you may want to consider
- Every night there is Spectra – a light and water show which involves some fancy fountains and lasers in the bay right in front of the hotel at 8pm, 9pm with an spare 10pm show on Friday and Saturday. If you’re short on time and want to see the Garden Rhapsody show as well, I’d suggest heading to Garden Rhapsody first, and then leaving a little early so you can reservation Spectra right without as the walk in between isn’t too far.
Marina Bay Sands Shoppes
The Marina Bay Sands Shoppes is unfluctuating to the MRT station and an expansive luxury shopping mall built by famous technie Moshe Safdie. Most people know of the hotel considering of the Sky Park Observation Deck and infinity pool 50 storeys up on the roof – I don’t teach going up there if the weather is poor as there won’t be much of a view. The mall itself is nice unbearable for a wander virtually in while waiting out the downpour but things here do tend to be increasingly expensive.
- Check out the Apple Store inspired by Rome’s Pantheon, a sphere that looks like it’s sitting in the middle of the water – you wangle it via the vault level of the Shoppes
- Admire the swirling whirlpool that is officially tabbed the Rain Oculus by Ned Kahn in collaboration with Moshe Safdie and see for yourself why some locals colloquially undeniability it the ‘toilet bowl’
- There are 15-minute sampan rides within the mall that you can take that might make for fun photos though personally I think it’s a really short ride, but it does bring you under the Oculus
- If the rain hits in the evening and you’re in the mood for a show, you could try see if there are any local shows happening at the Sands Theatre – the show selection tends to be increasingly international and it is seasonal so it’s a matter of luck
- Alternatively if you’re hungry, there are many idealism restaurants and fancy nightlife bars and clubs here. CHINOISERIE Modern Asian and JustIN Flavours of Asia are helmed by Singaporean celebrity doughboy Justin Quek, while Jumbo seafood is a failsafe option for some chilli crab. Rasapura Masters is a supplies magistrate in the vault and probably your cheapest option for local supplies in this area
Sampan rides typically forfeit S$13/person and Sky Park Observation Deck archway is S$26 (for tourists) and S$18 (for locals) – you can buy your tickets uncontrived or via Klook [affiliate link] which doesn’t seem to differentiate between local and tourist price for the Sky Park, and moreover has a package offer of both these attractions for VISA cards for some uneaten savings.
City Hall
City Hall is near a lot of heritage sites like the Singapore River, Fort Canning and the Civic District.
Getting there: Take the MRT to Municipality Hall Station on the East-West Line (EW13) or North-South Line (NS25). From here you are unfluctuating through a sprawling underground mall tabbed Citylink to places like Funan Mall, Suntec City, Marina Bay Shopping Centre or the Parkland with no lack of supplies and shopping options in the event of bad weather. Alternative MRT stops are Parkland on the Circle Line (CC3) or Clarke Quay on the Northeast Line (NE5).
National Museum of Singapore
The National Museum of Singapore (NMS) is Singapore’s oldest museum dating when to 1887, and if you only have time for one museum to learn well-nigh the history of Singapore, this is where you should go. Despite its age, it’s not a stuffy old museum at all – the exhibits are updated, interactive and quite engaging for all ages. The permanent exhibits trace Singapore’s key history from its island roots through the British colonial period, Japanese occupation and finally independence and increasingly modern times.
When it stops raining
- Fort Canning Park is right on the doorstep of the museum and has lots of smaller parks and WWII historical sites worth checking out
- Clarke Quay is on the other side of Fort Canning Hill. It’s a popular tourist spot and has lots of bars and restaurants to nippy out in, and if the weather’s well-spoken you could take a Singapore River Cruise [affiliate link] to explore the sights withal this historic river
- Orchard Road with its multitude of shopping malls is not too far yonder – the nearest mall is Plaza Singapura and you can take the MRT to Somerset or Orchard if you’d rather not walk too much
National Museum of Singapore is self-ruling for Singaporeans and financing S$15 for tourists with spare financing for special exhibitions. You can get your National Museum ticket from NMS directly or from Klook [affiliate link] where you might get discounts – there’s currently a 10% unbelieve on tickets.
National Gallery Singapore
Spend your rainy days perusing Singapore’s largest hodgepodge of modern art works by premier Singaporean and Southeast Asian artists at the National Gallery Singapore like Chua Mia Tee, Wu Guanzhong, Liu Kang and Georgette Chen just to name a few. It’s a fun visual way to learn well-nigh Singapore’s history and culture through art. For those with families, the kid’s section is quite interactive and tomfool as well.
If you’re on a upkeep or just not that into art, the National Gallery towers itself is historical and trappy to walk through. Housed in the former Supreme Magistrate and Municipality Hall, you can enjoy the restored tracery and historical panels as you walk virtually the hallways. I suggest taking a guided tour considering they will moreover show you some of the increasingly subconscious areas like where the former prisoner holding areas were among other things.
When it stops raining
- National Gallery is in the Civic District, former government district during our British colony days, so lots of preserved British colonial tracery like the Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, Fullerton Hotel and the Arts House in the former Parliament Building
- If museums are your thing, the Asian Civilisations Museum has increasingly exhibitions well-nigh Southeast Asian cultures worth checking out
- The historic Singapore River is where trade first flourished in Singapore, lots of interesting things to see withal the river like the national monument bridges and Boat Quay wideness the river
General Admission sultana tickets to National Gallery’s permanent exhibitions forfeit S$20 (for tourists) and self-ruling (for locals) – special exhibitions forfeit S$25/S$15. You can get your tickets directly from the National Gallery site, though as of writing the standard price of the National Gallery ticket on Klook [affiliate link] is S$15 for tourists which is cheaper! You can moreover typesetting the When of House tour on Klook which financing S$15 on both sites, but the National Gallery site has increasingly tour options worth considering.
Esplanade
From afar, the Esplanade’s spiky durian-shell stimulating makes for fun photos, but on a rainy day you might be worldly-wise to reservation some self-ruling performances in this performing arts centre. On some weekday nights and weekends, they often have music and other performances in the indoor or in the outdoor theatre with Marina Bay as a backdrop. They often run small festivals that showcase both local and international artists, and sometimes there are workshops you can participate in.
If you are a fan of tracery or what goes on overdue the scenes, their guided tours might be interesting for you – I’ve never washed-up them for myself, but you can learn well-nigh the history of the venue and see it with the lights up on the Parkland Tour. If the weather gets better, I’d consider the Night Tour as the Parkland has a unconfined location on Marina Bay so you should be worldly-wise to get some unconfined night shots.
When it stops raining
Marina Bay is right on your doorstep – take a stroll clockwise towards the Helix Underpass and Marina Bay Sands, or throne in the other direction wideness the Jubilee Underpass towards One Fullerton where the Merlion statue is located.
Check out the Esplanade website for details on their line up and increasingly well-nigh the Guided Tours.
Chinatown
One of Singapore’s oldest neighbourhoods and the Chinese heritage area
Getting there: Chinatown MRT Station on the Northeast Line (NE4) and Downtown Line (DT17) can take you right up to the pedestrianised Pagoda Street which is partly sheltered.
Chinatown Complex
If you happen to be in Chinatown when it starts raining, hibernate out in Chinatown Complex and do a little local supplies tour of your own to pass the time. The supplies centre on the 2nd floor is the largest in Singapore with 226 stalls of wondrous supplies to segregate from. Most famously, it’s home to the 1-Michelin Star Hawker Chan stall where you can enjoy some of the cheapest Michelin supplies in the world! But in my opinion, there are many other fantastic supplies options in Chinatown Complex which are less hyped up – when in doubt, just follow the long queues. ieatishootipost and Johor Kaki have some unconfined recs.
The first level has zestless goods and sundries which is interesting unbearable for a walk well-nigh or some kitschy souvenirs, and if you’re there in the morning you can pop lanugo to the vault to trammels out the fresh produce at the wet market. Keep an eye out for several wall murals that can be found all virtually the ground floor level of Chinatown Complex.
Guided walking tours virtually Chinatown will requite you increasingly context to the history and culture of one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Singapore – trammels out this walking tour with a local [affiliate link]. For foodies, consider the Chinatown supplies tasting and walking tour [affiliate link] or the hawker snacks tour [affiliate link] to get a taste of the local supplies scene.
Chinatown has several unconfined hawker centre options besides Chinatown Complex – Maxwell Supplies Centre is famous for its yellow rice stalls, Amoy Street Hawker Centre on the Telok Ayer side has two floors of unseemly good supplies while Hong Lim Supplies Centre is a neighbourhood favourite.
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
A short loftiness from Chinatown Complex is a grand looking Chinese temple known as the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. This is a working Buddhist temple on the lower levels but its upper levels are a self-ruling museum with 11,111 Buddha and Bodhisattva statues and the relic that gave this temple its name: what they requirement is the Buddha’s left canine. Whether you believe is up to you, but I think this temple is still worth checking out regardless–entrance is free!
Singapore Musical Box Museum
One of Singapore’s increasingly unusual small museums can be found withal Telok Ayer Street, subconscious in the Chong Wen pavilion and former home of the Hokkien Clan Association. This private museum by a Japanese collector holds hundreds of musical boxes including a rare one that was made in Singapore, likely influenced by the early Europeans who brought their hobbies over with them. Not your most conventional museum, but watching the curator wind up and showcase some of the increasingly unusual music boxes is an interesting way to spend a rainy afternoon.
General tickets forfeit $12 per person and reservations must be made to visit the Singapore Musical Box Museum via email. If you typesetting via Klook [affiliate link], you can include some local snacks or lunch from the ground floor sideboard in your package for 2 pax. Only guided tours are misogynist and they often last 40-45 minutes. The museum is sealed on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
When it stops raining
- The Buddha Tooth Relic is just one of several important religious buildings in this district. Throne lanugo South Underpass Road to trammels out Sri Mariamman Temple, one of the oldest Hindu temples dating when to 1828, or the mosque tabbed Masjid Jamae a bit remoter lanugo the road.
- Cross South Underpass Road towards Club Street/Ann Siang Road which is a nice zone for nightlife which is pedestrianised on the weekends
- Telok Ayer is the former coastline of Singapore and home to a hodgepodge of religious buildings of various faiths side by side – besides Thian Hock Keng which is right next door to the Musical Box Museum, you can moreover see the Chulia mosque Al Abrar and the Nagore Dargah shrine.
Little India
The Indian heritage zone is colourful and vibrant plane in the rain
Getting there: take the MRT to Little India Station (NE7/DT12) to get to Tekka Centre, or to Jalan Besar (DT22) which is slightly closer to the Indian Heritage Centre. Little India is weightier enjoyed by walking its streets, but if it does rain you still have some good options on things to see.
Indian Heritage Centre
The Indians are the 3rd largest ethnic group in Singapore and super diverse, so there’s a lot to learn well-nigh the variegated subgroups and their practices. The Indian Heritage Centre is quite an unusual towers in the Little India district mostly considering of how starkly modern the towers looks in comparison to everything else virtually it. Inside this modern structure is a well-curated interactive museum documenting the history and culture of Indians in Singapore through interactive exhibits – it’s quite kid-friendly for families, and moreover unstudied unbearable that the unstipulated layman won’t finger like it’s too stuffy either.
Indian Heritage Centre Tickets forfeit S$8 for tourists and is self-ruling for Singaporeans. You can get your tickets at the door or via Klook [affiliate link] online pretty much instantly. There is a family package at the door for 5 pax (3 adults max) costing $24 that might be worth it if you have a family group. Consider taking one of their self-ruling daily guided tours for some indepth insights.
Tekka Market & Supplies Centre
Tekka Market and Supplies Centre has quite an interesting history first as Kandang Kerbau Market, set up in the 1900s for the cattle trade that the Indian’s managed in this area. Today it’s one of the increasingly popular markets in Singapore and has a sprawling wet market on the first floor, a good way to see daily Singaporean life and food.
When it gets to wet for walking, take that time to do a little Singaporean supplies exploration! Tekka Supplies Centre is an wondrous hawker centre with a good selection of unseemly and good Singaporean hawker favourites, and of undertow Indian supplies since we’re in Little India without all – Allauddin’s Briyani, Temasek Rojak and Sri Tiffin are good places to trammels out local Indian favourites!
A guided tour virtually Little India will requite you increasingly context to this colourful neighbourhood. Trammels out this Little India Walking Tour [affiliate link]
When it stops raining
- Check out the many wonderful street art and murals all virtually Little India – most of these are a result of the yearly ArtWalk Little India art festival
- Peek into the many Indian temples virtually the zone like the Sri Veeramakaliaman Temple or the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to get a glimpse of Hindu rituals – you can moreover spot many flower garland stands near the temples as you typically buy these fresh garlands as offerings when praying
- The rainbow coloured Tan Teng Niah House is an old style Chinese villa that’s very popular with the Instagram prod for its colourful facade
Looking for increasingly things to do in Singapore? Trammels out all my Singapore posts for more.
