Free Singapore tours by Changi Airport Group
Layovers are no fun for anyone, even if you are a frequent traveller who knows where to find the best chill spots in an airport while you charge your devices. It’s something almost every traveller dreads when going abroad on indirect flights.
However, for those doing a layover at Singapore Changi Airport, you can now sign up for the Free Singapore Tours which is a much better way to kill time. There are 3 different tours that run throughout various times of the day, every day – all of which are completely free and conducted in English.
How do I go on free tours in Singapore?
As all the tours are 2.5 hours long, and have a 90-minute pre-tour and post-tour safety gap, you are only eligible for the tours if your layover is at least 5.5 hours long.
Image credit: Singapore Tourism Board via LinkedIn
The reporting time for all the tours is 90 minutes before the start of the tour. Head to the booths in the transit areas in Terminals 2 and 3 before clearing arrival immigration.
To secure your spot on the tour, you can pre-book 1 of the tours up to 50 days before your intended layover through Changi Airport Group’s website and make sure you have a visa eligible to enter Singapore while you’re at it.
If not, getting spots at the reporting booths on the same day of your layover in Singapore is possible too but not guaranteed as they are subject to availability.
Image adapted from: Singapore Tourism Board via LinkedIn
For those with bulky items, alcohol, or duty-free items, you would have to leave them at the Baggage Storage Counter (from $6) inside the transit area.
Another thing to take note of before the tour is to inform the guide if you have any food allergies as there may be food tastings on some tours.
Changi Precinct Tour
Get immersed in the daily lives of Singaporeans
The Changi Precinct Tour only runs one time daily, from 10am-12.30pm. It’ll bring you around different spots in the east side of Singapore where you’ll get to see locals go about their day-to-day life. If you want to see the real Singapore, it doesn’t get more authentic than this.
Public housing or as we locals say, “HDB flats”.
Image credit: Tampines Town Council via Facebook
To kick start the tour, you’ll first be brought to Tampines New Town – a town that has won the United Nations World Habitat Award to hear about its humble beginnings of when the area was covered with forests, swamps, rubber plantations, and sand quarries.
Image credit: Tampines Town Council via Facebook
The next spot will be Tampines Central Park where you’ll have 30 minutes to yourself to snap Instagrammable pics at the uniquely designed playgrounds.
Image credit: Tampines Town Council via Facebook
After that there will be a short stop at Our Tampines Hub to see the environmentally-friendly complex which is Singapore’s largest all-in-one mall. This is followed by a trip to Changi Village to try local dishes and wander around the tranquil coast.
Last but not least, this tour will end off with its last stop at the beautiful Changi Beach Park where you can spend your 30 minutes plane spotting with the locals.
City Sights Tour
See Singapore’s iconic landmarks
The City Sights Tour runs 3 times a day at 12pm-2.30pm, 4pm-6.30pm, and 7pm-9.30pm. This tour allows you to see iconic Singapore landmarks in person and capture some beautiful pictures to show off to family and friends back home despite the limited layover time.
Image credit: Choo Yu Shing via flickr
The first stops of the tour would be at City Hall and Civic District where you’ll hear briefly about Singapore’s colonial past and significant moments in our history. This includes the story of Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore.
Image credit: Tripadvisor
The tour is followed by a short pitstop along Jubilee Bridge that connects famous landmarks, Esplanade Theatres and Merlion Park.
Image adapted from: @baebaezhang, @mslovelybb via Instagram
At the Merlion, you’ll have 30 minutes to get the perfect pic with our water-spewing mascot. And if the hot weather starts to get to you, there’s ice cream and snacks for sale nearby.
Image credit: @gardensbythebay via Instagram
Next up is a 30-minute stop at the majestic Gardens by the Bay where you can see the beautiful and famous Supertrees.
For those that make it for the 7pm tour, you are extra lucky as you’ll get to see the Supertrees in all its glory as it comes to life in a display of lights and sounds at 7.45pm and 8.45pm daily.
The last spot on this tour is none other than Marina Bay Sands, a one-of-a-kind architectural marvel with a world-class theatre next to the popular ArtScience Museum.
Heritage Tour
Explore Singapore’s history & heritage
The Heritage Tour will bring you around historical spots, some of which are featured in the City Sights Tour, as well as Singapore’s cultural precinct. It has 2 timings everyday, one from 1pm-3.30pm and another from 6pm-8.30pm.
National Museum of Singapore.
Image credit: Visit Singapore
The tour starts at Marina Bay Sands and the Central Business District (CBD), similar to Civic District.
Image adapted from: Visit Singapore
Next is a 30-minute stopover at Chinatown where you can see the beautiful Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum and pre-war shophouses with a modern twist.
Image credit: Visit Singapore
A fun way to spend your time here would be to try to spot as many of the artworks by local artist, Yip Yew Chong, that depict the early days of Singapore.
Clarke Quay.
Image credit: Wikipedia
The tour will then continue to the Singapore River, otherwise known as the lifeline of Singapore. This is where the country’s economy started in the early days with our free port status and strategic location.
Image adapted from: Culture Trip via Facebook, Visit Singapore
And to end off the tour, you’ll be brought to Kampong Gelam, another alluring heritage site with Malay-Arab influence where age-old traditions meet trendy lifestyles. Over here, you can admire the golden dome of the Sultan Mosque among modern art galleries, and street art.
Explore Singapore with Changi Airport on your next layover
The next time you have a layover in Singapore, take the golden opportunity to hop on a free tour of the city. It’s another great alternative to wandering around Singapore world-class airport, especially if you’ve already seen Jewel Changi a few times.
Plus, if the tour made you want to come back to Singapore as a full-fledged travel destination, we’ve got you covered with a guide to must-see attractions in Singapore.
For tourists visiting Singapore:
Find out more about Free Singapore Tours
Cover image adapted from: @singapore.explores, @shg_aviation via Instagram, Visit Singapore