Singapore travel guide

Singapore in 2.5 Days: Hawker Centres, Chicken Rice, and a 22-Mile Walking Day

Singapore was the third stop on our 2018 honeymoon after Bangkok and Bali. We had about two and a half days, so we based ourselves in Little India and built the trip around hawker food, iconic sights, and one very ambitious final day that combined an early treetop run with 22.39 miles of walking.

2.5 days Time in Singapore

Little India Base

22.39 miles Final-day distance

Peter and Lisa beneath the lights at Gardens by the Bay — A Christmas-season night at Gardens by the Bay.

Singapore Hainanese chicken rice with roasted chicken and rice — Chicken rice, one of the meals Singapore made impossible to skip.

Roasted poultry hanging in a Singapore hawker display — A colorful roasted-meat display at a Singapore food stop.

Singapore satay and grilled prawns with naan and curry — Satay, grilled prawns, naan, and curry at Newton Food Centre.

Where we ate.

 Hilton Garden Inn Little India Little India 

Hotel base

Get: A clean room, a pool, and food right outside

We used Hilton points for the Hilton Garden Inn in Little India. The hotel was clean, had a pool, and put us in a neighborhood full of food. Singapore was still hot and humid in late November and early December, so having a pool and easy access to air conditioning mattered.

 Hawker centres Across Singapore 

Open-air food courts

Get: Choose a table, then order from several stalls

A hawker centre is a shared food court with many independent stalls and tables between them. You choose your table first, note its number, and give that number to the vendors so they can bring the food over. The quality was high, the prices were friendlier than sit-down restaurants, and local diners helped us figure out what to order.

 Newton Food Centre Newton 

Hawker centre

Get: Skewers, shrimp skewers, naan, and curry

Newton Food Centre is associated with the arrival scene in Crazy Rich Asians, and it was a fun first major food stop. We spent about $20 in total on skewers, shrimp, naan, and curry in 2018. That price is historical, but the format is still the point: find your table number, order from several stalls, and share everything.

 Toast Box Singapore 

Coffee and breakfast stop

Get: Strong coffee, or kopi

Peter went out early and brought back coffee from Toast Box. Singapore calls its coffee kopi, and this one was strong enough to get a very ambitious day moving.

 Ya Kun Kaya Toast Singapore 

Singaporean breakfast

Get: Kaya toast, sunny-side eggs, sweet soy sauce, cayenne, and coffee

The shared combo was simple and excellent: toasted bread with butter, sunny-side eggs with sweet soy sauce and cayenne, and coffee. It was exactly the kind of breakfast that made sense before a full day of walking.

 Hawker Chan Singapore 

Soy sauce chicken

Get: Soy sauce chicken

We went to Hawker Chan because it was described at the time as the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant. The flavor was delicious, though we were less convinced by the brick-and-mortar location than by the original stand we had heard about. It was still a quick, worthwhile stop.

 Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice Singapore 

Hainanese chicken rice

Get: Chicken rice, plus a spicy crab dish

We also tried Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, an Anthony Bourdain recommendation, and thought it was very delicious. Chicken rice is one of the essential Singapore foods to try, and we also made room for spicy crab, another local specialty.

 Scissor-cut curry Little India 

Takeout curry

Get: Curry chopped and served on butcher paper

A friend named Brad recommended this Little India stop. The curry was chopped together quickly, wrapped in paper, and carried back to the hotel. It was so good that Lisa wished we had ordered two portions instead of one.

 Bugis Street Bugis 

Market and hawker stalls

Get: Street food, shopping, electronics, and salted duck egg chips

Bugis Street had plenty of stalls, shopping, inexpensive electronics, and the salted duck egg chips that were especially popular when we visited in 2018. It was an easy place to browse between meals.

 Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay Marina Bay 

Landmarks and gardens

Get: The mall, the gardens, Christmas decorations, and the light show

We visited Marina Bay Sands, ducked into the nearby mall for air conditioning and food, then walked through Gardens by the Bay. The gardens were decorated for Christmas, and after the light show, bubbles and fluff made it feel like snow despite the heat. The entry prices in our old video were in the low twenty-dollar range per ticket, so treat that as a historical detail.

 Orchard Road Orchard 

Shopping district

Get: Christmas decorations and a long evening walk

Orchard Road was especially picturesque during the Christmas season, with elaborate decorations across the shopping district. It was another good reminder that Singapore can feel festive while still being hot and humid.

 Treetop Forest run North Singapore 

Early-morning run and forest walk

Get: A 5 a.m. start, a jungle run, and a route with 127 steps

Peter took a cab north before sunrise for a run through the treetop forest. An older local showed him a back route and pointed out a section with 127 steps, although the bridge itself was not open yet. By the end of the day, the run and walking added up to 22.39 miles.

 Changi Airport Changi 

Airport with gardens and entertainment

Get: An early arrival, an indoor theater, gardens, lunch, and 7-Eleven snacks

Changi was so large and efficient that we got a little lost, but immigration and the ride into the city were remarkably smooth. On the way home, we arrived early enough to see the theater, indoor gardens, an outdoor sunflower garden, lunch, and a 7-Eleven snack run. Leave time to explore before your flight.

Good to know before you go

This was a late-2018 look back, and all prices mentioned here are historical snapshots, not current quotes.
Singapore was hot and humid even around Christmas, so plan for air-conditioning breaks, water, and lighter days after long walks.
Two and a half days is enough for a food-heavy first pass, but it is tight. Lisa was burned out after the three-stop honeymoon, and we would build in recovery time on a similar trip.
The easiest hawker-centre rhythm is to find a table first, remember its number, and then order from the stalls you want to try.

Questions people ask us about Singapore.

Is two and a half days enough for Singapore?

It is enough for a fast food-and-sights introduction, especially if you base yourself near Little India. It is still a tight schedule, so leave room for rest if Singapore is one stop in a longer trip.

Where should you stay in Singapore?

Little India worked well for us because the Hilton Garden Inn put us near many food options and gave us a practical base for the rest of the city. The specific hotel details and price references are from our 2018 stay.

What should you eat in Singapore?

Start with Hainanese chicken rice, kaya toast, kopi, hawker-centre dishes, skewers, curry, and spicy crab. Newton Food Centre and the food stalls around Little India gave us plenty of variety in a short trip.

How do hawker centres work?

Find a table first, note its number, and then order from the stalls you want. Vendors can bring the food to your table when you give them the number. Seating is shared, and several people can combine food from different stalls.

What should you do besides eat?

Visit Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay, walk through Orchard Road, explore Changi Airport before your flight, and consider an early run or walk through the treetop forest if you enjoy starting before sunrise.

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