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- Additional Activities To Enjoy During A Layover In Singapore
There are many people who dislike long airline layovers. However, if there is one place on the planet where they wouldn't mind spending a long period of time, would they really love it? According to many tourists, they would not mind spending long layovers as long as it is in Singapore due to the country's relaxed immigration policies and efficient public transportation.
Aside from that, it is actually quick and simple to get out of the airport and into the city center, where tourists can witness the country's vibrant "City in a Garden" expanse, which is brimming with an eclectic mixture of cultures, cuisine, and tradition. Are you interested in things you can do during your 12-hour layover in Singapore? Here are 16 things you can do inside and outside of the airport.
UPDATE: 2022/07/02 11:18 EST BY GABRIEL KIRELLOS
Additional Activities To Enjoy During A Layover In Singapore
12 hours of layover in Singapore offer a wide range of fun opportunities to explore and enjoy at the unique Changi Airport. This list was updated to include some additional activities to try when spending a layover longer than 12 hours in Singapore's Changi Airport. These include visiting the various galleries, checking out the unique sculptures, and enjoying relaxing spa treatments there.
UPDATE: 2023/04/06 11:33 EST BY KHYATI DAND
More Activities To Enjoy During A Layover In Singapore
Singapore's Changi Airport has consistently been voted the best airport in the world and kept its title for the 12th consecutive year at the 2023 awards. Along with it, Changi Airport also won the award for the World’s Best Airport Leisure Amenities, maintaining its position as the most entertaining airport in the world for long layovers. This list was updated to include new attractions that Changi has opened over the months as well as facilities that have reopened after the pandemic restrictions.
16 Try The Diverse Cuisines Inside The Airport
Changi Airport offers a diverse selection of dining options, including restaurants, cafés, and pubs. The numerous food courts, which house outposts of many prominent Singapore street hawkers, serve conventional Singaporean and Chinese meals, as well as diverse cuisines such as Indian and Malay, among other options. So, whenever the tourists want to try a diverse cuisine, it is better to try the food inside the airport, and they can visit the Tiger Den for a refreshing pour of Tiger Beer, which is produced locally. Aside from those, there are also Western fast-food restaurants that they can go into, such as Burger King, KFC, Starbucks, and McDonald's, which tourists can visit at any time at each terminal.
15 Try Singapore's Pay-Per-Use Lounges
The airport lounges in Singapore offer a somewhat more exclusive experience when contrasted to the congestion and bustle of the airport terminal. Many airport lounges are open to all travelers, regardless of airline or flight class, which means that even tourists that are in Economy Class can pay to enter for a small fee. The all-inclusive pricing of the lounges includes meals, drinks, WiFi, and televisions in a cozy space that's ideal for working or unwinding in a relaxed atmosphere. Shower facilities and nap rooms are also available in some lounges for an additional fee.
14 Watch A Movie For Free!
Aside from showing the newest box-office hits, Singapore's airport also has comfortable seats where you can sit back and relax while watching movies. The movies are available on a continuous loop, so tourists can simply join in when they have the opportunity or check the session schedules to ensure that they have enough time to see the entire film before their flights.
13 Check Out Singapore's Indoor Butterfly Garden
The Singapore International Airport has its own Butterfly Garden, which is located in Terminal 3. As tourists enter this hidden sanctuary, they will be amazed as thousands of butterflies flit about among the vibrant flowers and plant life. Adding a babbling waterfall to the vision of quiet and providing travelers with an excellent place to decompress after a long flight completes the picture of tranquility. In fact, during the changing seasons of the year, tourists can witness over 1,000 tropical butterflies representing as many as 40 different species.
12 Try More Of Its Indoor Gardens
In case tourists prefer to try to experience more nature and more gardens, Singapore Airport has a number of additional calming gardens for them to take advantage of while they are waiting for their flights. First and foremost, there's the Cactus Garden in Terminal 1, which features an open-air bar and even hosts live music on select nights. Also, in T2, there's a beautiful Sunflower Garden that, as the name says, is filled with a variety of beautiful sunflowers. Also, it provides a fantastic vantage point for anybody who wants to do some plane-watching near one of the runways. Finally, the airport's Enchanted Garden, located in Terminal 2 as well, is home to thousands of birds of different species.
11 Go For A Free Massage
In order to relax, Singapore Airport has a lot of offers in terms of keeping passengers pampered, as tourists can take advantage of free foot massages available in Terminals 1, 2, and 3. It is a common misconception that massagers are for-pay machines. However, anybody can just sit down and get a massage for free. There are also full-body massage chairs located in Terminal 1 that they may use, although they may have to wait in line to use them due to the high demand for them.
10 Try Their Airport's Massive Slide
Airports aren't really enjoyable for most people, but at Changi Airport in Singapore, things are a little different. It appears that spending $10 at any restaurant is all that is required to gain access to any of the massive slides that will take a passenger to navigate their way from the ticket desk to the boarding gate. In fact, passengers were given the option of choosing between plain old escalators or stairs or using the slide, and most people choose the slide without hesitation. What's more, is that it might also be a smart option for folks who are consistently late for appointments.
9 Sign Up For A City Bus Tour, For Free!
The Heritage Tour and the City Lights Tour are both available to visitors upon arrival at Changi Airport. Both trips are completely free of charge. Both of these free trips are made possible by the generosity of Changi Airport and Singapore Airlines.
The Heritage tour is a two-hour tour that was conducted in an air-conditioned bus. This tour serves as a historical tour as there will be a tourist guide delivering a thorough history lesson on Singaporean culture and history throughout the tour. In fact, the tour included a 15-minute halt at Merlion Park, where participants could take pictures with or beside the famed Merlion and Marina Bay Sands. The Singapore Flyer, Gardens by the Bay, The Esplanade, and the Colonial District were among the other attractions seen along the trip.
Meanwhile, the City Lights Tour only runs every evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., granting visitors the opportunity to take stunning panoramic views of Singapore's famed attractions and skyline, and culminating in a halt at Raffles Hotel in the heart of the city, which is also the home of the legendary Singapore Sling.
8 Go Out And Visit Singapore's Little India
Little India is yet another district that exemplifies Singapore's heritage of multiculturalism and diversity. From the scents of street cuisine to bustling marketplaces, colorful Hindu and Chinese temples, mosques, and churches, this city has it all. Tourists can visit Serangoon Road to witness and experience the culture that Singapore's Little India has.
7 Do Not Forget To Have A Picture By The Merlion Park
This is a must-see attraction that you must not miss! The Merlion, a mythical creature with a lion's head and a fish's body, can be found at One Fullerton, and it is the city's most well-known symbol. In fact, the Merlion is a commonly used mascot of Singapore.
6 Check Out The Amazing Sculptures
There is a wide and impressive range of sculptures at Terminal 3 in Changi Airport in Singapore. These are the work of international artists. People can also head to Terminal 1 of the airport, where they can see the world's largest kinetic sculpture, Kinetic Rain. In Central Piazza, they will also find the Social Tree interactive exhibit. Instagrammers will mostly appreciate these two art attractions. On the other hand, those interested in aviation and history can head to the Aviation Gallery in Terminal 3 to learn more about the industry's history in Singapore. They will also get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the operations going on at Singapore's Changi Airport, which processes thousands of flights a day. The entrance to the Aviation Gallery is free of charge.
5 Get A Spa Treatment
Many people will need to relax and unwind after a long flight before they hop onto another one. This is possible to achieve at Changi Airport in Singapore by getting a spa treatment. People can enjoy a pedicure, manicure, massage, haircut and style, and many relaxation treatments at this unique airport. They can explore all of these options in Terminal 1 at Airport Wellness Oasis. Another one to try is Shilly Beauty Loft in Terminal 3.
4 Get A Workout In
After hours of being squeezed into tiny seats with little space to stretch legs, getting some form of workout or movement before jumping onto another flight is an undervalued luxury. Luckily, it's not a problem that transit passengers in Singapore will have to experience. Changi Airport has gym pods equipped with strength training, cardio equipment, and private virtual classes that visitors can pay a fee of approximately $7 to use. Alternatively, the airport also has a 3.5km cycling and jogging track that connects Changi to the East Coast as well as bicycles that people can rent.
3 Go For A Swim
Who would've thought it possible to take a long dip in a pool in between catching flights? The Aerotel Airport Transit Hotel inside Terminal 1 has a rooftop swimming pool, jacuzzi, and bar that is open to both residents and non-residents for a small fee. Considering the fact that transit passengers at Changi can soak in a pool with a cocktail in their hands and watch the sun set, long layovers in Singapore are an attraction in themselves.
2 See The World's Largest Indoor Waterfall And Get Some Retail Therapy At Jewel
The thing that makes Singapore's Changi Airport one of the best is the fact that even people who aren't catching a flight choose to voluntarily spend their time at the airport. The attraction that brings people from all over Singapore to Changi Airport is Jewel -- a nature-themed retail and entertainment complex that has 2,000 trees inside its walls and the world's largest 40-meter-long indoor waterfall. Connected through all major terminals of Changi Airport, Jewel is a natural oasis with walking canopies suspended 23 meters above the ground, mirror mazes, retail shops, and restaurants.
While Jewel is accessible via the terminals of Changi Airport, it is a complex that's open to the general public as well. This means that Jewel is located landside, and travelers will have to pass through security checks and passport clearance to enter it. Those without valid visas and passports may not be able to visit Jewel.
1 Snooze At Free-To-Use Lounges Or Book A Hotel Room
Couldn't catch some zzz's on the flight? Fret not; there are plenty of spaces inside Changi Airport to make up for the lost sleep. Snooze lounges with comfortable seats are located inside each terminal, and better yet, they are entirely free to use. Those who'd rather have a proper bed and don't mind shelling out the extra buck for it can book themselves a room inside one of many transit hotels inside the airport that charge by the hour.