20 Fun Things to Do in Singapore When You Are Bored

With the current COVID-19 travel restrictions, many people have been wondering about where to go in Singapore when bored. While overseas travel is not possible for now, you can consider checking out our very own southern islands which offer the perfect getaway from hectic city life. The islands of St John, Lazarus, and Kusu are just a short ferry ride away from Singapore!

Other than the southern islands, there are many other interesting attractions in Singapore. Even though it was a little tiring to travel between so many places, it turned out to be really enjoyable for us because we felt like we were tourists in our own country. We made the serendipitous discovery that visiting “touristy” places in Singapore can be pretty fun too!

Hence, we decided to collate the list of attractions below, categorised by locations: City, Orchard, East, North, North East, South, and West. After you’ve finished reading this article, put on your sun cap, hang your camera around your neck, prepare a bottle of water, and have fun being a tourist for a day in Singapore. Note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you make a purchase through them. This article was last updated on 01 October 2020. 

City Area

1. Singapore Flyer

The popular Singapore Flyer is located just beside Ritz-Carlton Hotel and offers a panoramic view of the Marina Bay area. On good days you can even catch a glimpse of neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia!

2. Mint Museum of Toys

If you are in a nostalgic mood, check out the Mint Museum of Toys. Over here, children will realise that games can actually come in tangible forms other than smartphone apps, and adults will take a nostalgic journey with the vintage toys on display. These toys hail from more than forty countries, and date back to the mid 1800s!

3. Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is a great place to hang out. Spend your afternoon or evening strolling on the premise, where there is a variety of restaurants, art galleries, music shops, and quaint cafés.

On the third level, there is a spacious and well-furnished library with an eclectic music selection for your free listening. This is one of my favourite libraries in Singapore!

Last but not least, take a leisurely stroll along the Singapore River and enjoy the scenic cityscape.

4. Gardens by the Bay / Marina Barrage

Gardens by the Bay boasts several beautiful gardens on top of its world-famous “Supertrees”. It’s always nice to stroll around here and admire the lush and vivid greenery.

Marina Barrage (located beside Gardens by the Bay) is a great place to hang out as well. Enjoy a picnic, fly kites, or bring your dog for a good run on the sprawling green field – yes pets are allowed at Marina Barrage!

If you are feeling hungry after your activities, Satay by the Bay offers a variety of local delights where you can indulge in all-time favourites like Laksa, Char Kway Teow, Bak Kut Teh, and many other local foods.

5. ArtScience Museum

The ArtScience Museum is designed to resemble the shape of an open Lotus, a divine symbol in Asian cultures. The museum houses permanent exhibitions along with other touring exhibitions.

I recently checked out their Future World: Where Art Meets Science exhibition.

This exhibition immerses visitors in a world of art, science, magic and metaphor through a collection of digital interactive installations.

My favourite was the “Space” section, which is decorated with tens of thousands of resplendent LED lights!

Visitors can also draw sea creatures, scan them into computers, and watch their creations come to live on digital projections.

Overall this was a fun exhibition worth visiting! It is also family-friendly with several fun activities for young children. Buy your tickets here.

6. Asian Civilisations Museum

The Asian Civilisations Museum is a great place for those interested in the pan-Asian cultures of Singapore. Located at the refurbished Empress Place Building, it houses 11 galleries that contains over 1300 artifacts from the civilizations of China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Asia/ Islamic countries.

Orchard Area

7. Singapore Botanic Gardens

Stroll amidst 74 hectares of lush greenery and vivid foliage at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. This is the perfect place to take a leisurely stroll.

Other than admiring the beautiful scenery, you can also laze beside the Swan Lake and catch a glimpse of the elegant swans swimming on the peaceful waters.

If you like music and the arts, there are regular free performances at the amphitheatre located within Symphony Lake.

8. Play Nation @ *scape

If you are in the mood for games, check out Play Nation! It is located at *Scape (beside Cineleisure).

The entertainment centre offers over 200 board and card games, as well as more than 100 console games for the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.

For the console gamers, the joint provides large comfortable beanbags for you to laze back and play your game on the large TV screen.

Aspiring dancers can practice their moves using the Nintendo Wii by imitating animated characters on the screen.

The prices are very affordable too. You can feel that the owners sincerely just want their patrons to have fun and enjoy themselves.

East Area

9. East Coast Park

Everyone loves East Coast Park! When was the last time you dropped by this beautiful beach in the East to enjoy the scenic sea view?

This weekend, drop by East Coast Park for a day of fun. Cycle or rollerblade on the well-designated paths, have a picnic or BBQ, go for a barefoot stroll on the beach, enjoy the sea breeze, and basically have a wonderful day!

10. Dine By The Sea

There are plenty of awesome dining options at East Coast Park! Indulge in delicious food at East Coast Lagoon Hawker Centre, Marine Cove, Parkland Green, and East Coast Seafood Centre.

North Area

11. Singapore Zoo

It’s always fun to visit Singapore Zoo. From now till 22 March 2020, there is even a 1-for-1 promotion for all local residents visiting Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Safari and Jurong Bird Park. Furthermore, every ticket will come with an additional S$2 retail voucher.

North East Area

12. Coney Island

Coney Island (also known as Pulau Serangoon) is a tiny island located off the northeastern coast of Singapore. It is home to a wide variety of fauna and flora, some of which are critically endangered.

Have a fun day cycling, spotting otters, bird watching, navigating the obstacle course at the Casuarina Exploration Playground, strolling along the rustic beach, and walking along the boardwalk!

You can also visit the nearby Punggol Waterway Park and Punggol Point Park.

South Area

13. Ikea Alexandra

Ikea Alexandra is a great place to check out home furnishings. You can shop for affordable furniture and house paraphernalia here.

For Evan and me, we simply like to walk amidst the elegantly designed living-spaces mockups and get inspiration for our house. It’s such a nice and homely place to hang out.

The Ikea restaurant offers delicious and affordable food, such as the popular Swedish meatballs and the Poached Salmon.

Ikea Alexandra opens daily from 10am to 11pm. For those taking public transport, there is even a free shuttle service.

14. VivoCity

VivoCity is the largest shopping mall in Singapore. It offers waterfront shopping with wide, open spaces. There is a huge array of shops and restaurants, and the mall houses a movie theatre as well.

For those with kids, check out the indoor playground Polliwogs, located on the third floor (rooftop level). There is also an outdoor shallow pool area on the rooftop for kids to play.

15. Southern Islands Singapore

I recently did a Southern Islands hopping tour of St John Island, Lazarus Island, Seringat Island, and Kusu Island! This fun day trip taught me that finding a sense of discovery and adventure is just as possible close to home as it is far away. Buy your ferry tickets here.

If you are in the mood, why not have a day on fun on Sentosa Island? With beautiful beaches and a huge variety of attractions such as the Universal Studios theme park and the S.E.A. Aquarium, there is definitely something for everyone at Sentosa.

West Area

16. MANEKINEKO @ Safra Jurong

If you are a Westerner who loves singing, you’ll be happy to know that there is a KTV joint, MANEKINEKO, at Safra Jurong.

Join your family, friends or partner in a raucous mix of oldies, pop songs, duets, and group numbers. It’s all about belting your hearts out and having fun! Most importantly, you get to spend quality time with your loved ones.

17. Jurong Bird Park

You can also travel to Jurong Bird Park, which is offering a 1-for-1 promotion for all local residents. Furthermore, every ticket will come with an additional S$2 retail voucher.

The Village, a tranquil enclave of restaurants and entertainment joints, is located right beside Jurong Bird Park.

18. Singapore Science Centre

Singapore Science Centre houses fourteen galleries of science-related exhibitions, along with twenty thousand square metres of outdoor exhibition space.

19. Snow City/ Omni Theatre

Snow City is Singapore’s first indoor snow centre! Omni Theatre, an observatory and large-format film theatre, is located just next door.

20. Singapore Discovery Centre

If you are in the mood to learn more about Singapore, check out Singapore Discovery Centre at Upper Jurong Road.

It offers a variety of Singapore-themed interactive exhibitions and even houses a giant-screen three-dimensional movie theatre with an entertaining list of movies.