4 Days in Singapore: Where to Eat, Drink & Explore

Congrats, you just landed in Singapore! It’s been a long flight, so today is all about acclimating and fighting off jet lag.

After landing at Changi Airport, give yourself a few minutes to wander the Jewel complex before heading to your hotel.

Once you’re checked in, head to a local hawker centre for lunch. If you’re staying at the Grand Hyatt, I highly recommend stopping at Food Opera inside ION Orchard, a polished hawker-style food court with an excellent laksa stall—one of Singapore's most iconic dishes and a perfect first meal.

In the evening, you’re going to head up to Spago at the Marina Bay Sands rooftop for drinks and a panoramic view of the skyline before dinner at Waku Ghin, Tetsuya Wakuda's celebrated Japanese-European tasting menu restaurant. End the night at the waterfront, right outside the shops at Marina Bay, to catch the free nightly light and water show.

Start the morning at Ya Kun Kaya Toast for a classic Singaporean breakfast: charcoal-grilled bread with coconut kaya jam, soft-boiled eggs, and a strong cup of local kopi.

From there, make your way to Tekka Centre in Little India for a proper hawker lunch of dosa, prata, or chicken biryani, then spend the afternoon exploring the surrounding streets with shopping, the Indian Heritage Centre, and Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple. When you’re ready, you can easily walk over to Haji Lane afterward, a narrow pastel-colored alley in Kampong Glam lined with independent boutiques and cafes.

The evening is where day two really shines: Grab late afternoon cocktails at Atlas, a stunning Art Deco bar with one of the world's great gin collections, followed by dinner at Newton Food Centre. Fans of Crazy Rich Asians will recognize this hawker centre instantly! To get the Rachel Chu experience, have your fill of chicken, beef, and prawn satay, chili crab, and plenty of cold Tiger beers.

Head to Gardens by the Bay in the morning. Start by exploring the free Supertree Grove, also featured in an iconic scene in Crazy Rich Asians. Then make your way to the two glass conservatories: the Flower Dome is the world's largest glass greenhouse with rotating botanical displays, while the Cloud Forest features a towering indoor mountain draped in tropical plants and a dramatic waterfall.

After strolling through the gardens, grab the MRT or a taxi to Maxwell Food Centre in Chinatown for lunch. Maxwell is known for the Hainanese chicken rice, which is a must-try, but my favorite dish of our trip was the green chili chicken from Alimama.

Walk off your lunch by exploring the streets of Chinatown and stop in to Elephant Room if you want an evening cocktail. Otherwise, spend the rest of your afternoon/evening at the hotel pool. You've earned it!

Spend your final morning at the National Museum of Singapore, one of the best history museums in Southeast Asia. The galleries trace Singapore's story from a small fishing village through colonial rule to its rapid rise as a global city-state, and give everything you've seen over the past three days a meaningful context.

For lunch, go to Hong Lim Food Centre for the wanton mee at Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist. The springy egg noodles are tossed in a savory-sweet sauce with char siu pork and plump wontons. It is one of the best bowls you will have on this trip—maybe even in your life!

Head to Clarke Quay in the evening, where a string of open-air bars along the river comes alive with live music at night. It's a festive, fitting sendoff to a remarkable city.