Singapore for Families | Handy Travel Tips & Information

Singapore is a popular stopover for international travel from Australia, but have you ever considered a family holiday there? It’s safe, easy to get around, and packed with family-friendly sights in a compact country.

Review by Claire Davill (all prices as at January 2026)

Flights and Customs

There are plenty of flight options from Adelaide to Singapore, including direct flights. Shop around for the best deals, and note that direct flights might not always be the best option for families. Direct flights sometimes land in Singapore late at night, and it might be better (and cheaper) to fly via Perth or Melbourne. Expect the total flying time to be about eight hours from Adelaide.

Australian citizens don’t need a visa for holidays to Singapore*. Up to 3 days before departure, you can now fill out your arrival “card” online. This will make passing through immigration much quicker. Singapore has automatic immigration gates and allows most children to use these – entering the country is quick and easy, you’re very unlikely to encounter long queues for immigration.

Note that Singapore has very strict rules on some medications, and you should check if you need to apply for authority to take prescription medication. This process is straightforward if you need to apply.

Transport

Singapore has excellent public transport, with the MRT (subway) and buses fully integrated under the same ticketing system. You can purchase EZ-link cards or use contactless payment on your phone or credit card. Note that a small daily fee (around 70 cents*) is applied for contactless payment.

There are phone SIM card and EZ-link bundles available for tourists, and we recommend checking these out as an option. These are available through SingTel and generally include a SIM card with data, an EZ-link card with a few dollars credit, and sometimes discounts on tourist attractions. These can be ordered online for around $18* and redeemed at the airport.

There are child concession cards available for small kids, enabling them to travel free. This applies to children over 90cm in height and under 7 years old. You can apply for these cards at subway stations. Smaller children travel free with no card needed. For children over the age of 7, they’ll need to pay full fare. Transport is very affordable, you’re unlikely to pay more than a few dollars each day, even with lots of MRT use.

Taxis are also quite affordable and a good option for longer distance travel such as to and from the airport, and out to Mandai Reserve. We recommend downloading two taxi apps – Grab and Gojek, and checking both as prices can vary depending on the time and destination. Both apps often have deals and discounts for airport taxis, and you can order and see the price for taxis on the app before you ride.

Accommodation

Singapore accommodation can be quite pricey, so shop around and book as far in advance as possible. There are plenty of family friendly rooms available, and bed sharing with parents and small children is encouraged. Avoid hostels and capsule hotels, as these tend not to work for families. Hotels with a pool are a good option for cooling off after long days in the hot, humid Singapore weather.

It’s best to look for accommodation in central locations near MRT stations for ease of getting around. Neighbourhoods to consider include Clarke Quay, Dhoby Ghaut, Chinatown or Bugis Junction. There are lots of resort-style family-friendly hotels on Sentosa Island, but these will be more expensive.

Food

Singapore has an excellent food culture, and the blending of different cultures means that a variety of cuisines are available, particularly Chinese, Malay and Indian. Food courts are numerous and the best place to get high quality, cheap food.

We recommend trying out a popular Singaporean breakfast, Kaya Toast. Many cafes serve this, and it consists of toast (crusts cut off) spread with kaya (coconut jam) and sandwiched with a thick slice of butter and served with soft boiled eggs for dipping. Coffee is served alongside this breakfast, but many cafes will serve hot Milo instead for children. Milo (premixed) is ubiquitous in Singapore!

Safety

Singapore is an incredibly safe city, and almost everyone speaks English. However, it can be crowded in places and it’s a good idea to ensure your kids have a tracker (air tag or phone with a SIM card) on them in case you get separated. Traffic can be busy in places and you’ll need to keep a close eye on kids near major roads.

Singapore Attractions

For such a small country, Singapore packs a lot of family-friendly attractions into their borders, and there’s a surprising amount of nature-based sights included in this city state.

Mandai Wildlife Reserve

This is an ever-expanding hub of conservation and animal themed attractions, and these are definitely worth a visit. Here you’ll find the excellent Singapore Zoo, Bird Paradise, Night Safari, River Wonders, Rainforest Wild ASIA and Curiosity Cove. Note that it is impossible to see all of these attractions in one day, and some, such as the Zoo and Bird Paradise, could easily fill a full day on their own. If you are considering visiting more than one park, there are multi-park and multi-day tickets that offer significant discounts.

Singapore Zoo: expansive, modern zoo in a forest setting. Often considered one of the best zoos in the world, and there are specific kid-friendly areas, including a water play area.

Bird Paradise: A series of huge walk through aviaries allowing you to get up close to birds from all over the world. Highlights are the flamingo and scarlet ibis ponds.

River Wonders: A smaller park with a focus on freshwater habitats. Highlights are the manatees and the Amazonian boat ride past several animal habitats.

Night Safari: Evening-only, nocturnal animal focus. Highlights include tram rides through the park, and walking trails to spot nocturnal animals.

Rainforest Wild ASIA: New park with a focus on immersion. There are several elevated boardwalks, short forest trails and a fake cave to walk through. You will see less animals here, but it’s a fun way to explore animal habitats.

Curiosity Cove: This is a brand new indoor play space and is a welcome retreat from the heat or rain. Note that it’s not included in the multi park passes and can be pricey. Ticketed sessions are two hours long and the play space includes several digital interactive installations, and is suitable for kids of all ages.

We recommend catching a taxi out to Mandai, as public transport to this area of Singapore is much slower.

Gardens by the Bay

This is where you will find a brilliant mix of botanic gardens, parks, playgrounds and attractions. There are two huge glass conservatories, the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. Both of these require tickets to enter, and combination tickets are available. Of the two, kids will find the Cloud Forest much more interesting, think towering waterfalls and misty rainforest, with bonus Jurassic World dinosaur exhibits.

The Flower Dome contains a huge array of plants and rotating exhibits.

The Super Tree Grove is free to see (unless you pay to walk along the skyway or observatory), and every night there is a free light and sound show at 7:45pm and 8:45pm.

Marina Bay Sands & ArtScience Museum

Marina Bay Sands is the unmistakable building consisting of three towers with what looks like a boat on top. It contains a very fancy, very expensive hotel and very expensive, high-end brand shops, but it’s worth a wander through the building to see the glitz and glamour, and there’s canals running through the base of the building too. Nearby is the ArtScience museum, which contains rotating exhibits, but is home to TeamLab Future World, an interactive digital installation that includes light projections, an immersive slide, a sketch aquarium, a light sculpture where you can make and throw paper airplanes, and a series of swinging rainbow bars to climb through.

Jewel Changi

This is part of the Changi Airport and is well worth spending some time in before you fly home. Early check in is available at Changi Airport, so you can check your luggage and then explore. Check out the rain vortex and terraced gardens for free, and consider purchasing a combination ticket for the paid attractions in the canopy park. We really enjoyed the mirror maze and hedge maze, foggy bowls and bouncing net.

Sentosa Island

This is Singapore’s resort island, and where you’ll see attractions such as Universal Studios, the Singapore Oceanarium (aquarium), and Harry Potter: Visions of Magic. The aquarium is huge and a must-see, and the Harry Potter exhibit is a must for fans. We haven’t tried Universal Studios personally. There is plenty more to see on the island, including free walking trails and old ruins of forts that are fun to explore. Consider combining a trip to Sentosa with Mount Faber Peak, as they are connected via cable cars and these make for a fun ride. At Mount Faber, there are walking trails along the Southern Ridges including the famous Henderson Waves elevated walkway, all of which are kid friendly and stroller friendly.

Other sights and activities in Singapore that we recommend include:

• Singapore Botanic Gardens, expansive, free, and with a few excellent playgrounds.
• Pulau Ubin, an island off the coast of Singapore that shows what Singapore was like before urbanisation. You can hire bikes and explore the whole island.

• Exploring the neighbourhoods of Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam, seeing historic building and colourful small shops.
• Singapore River Cruise, especially if you take a laser show cruise in the evening, to view the nightly light and water show by Marina Bay Sands.

What we like about Singapore

• It’s readily accessible from Adelaide.
• The exchange rate is close to dollar for dollar, making it easy to budget.
• There’s a lot packed into a small area, with a mix of history, technology, different cultures, urban sights and nature.
• English is a primary language and the country is very safe.

Things to consider

• Singapore has a hot, humid climate. Pack umbrellas, hats, breathable clothing and consider taking (or purchasing) handheld fans.
• Many cafes and businesses open later in the morning, and stay open later in the evening than in Adelaide. It may be hard to find places for breakfast if you are an early bird.
• Many tourist attractions will list prices for Singapore residents that are cheaper than prices for non-residents. Make sure you’re looking at the right price when budgeting.

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go.

*all pricing as at January 2026

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