Singapore in 3 days for a woman travelling alone
A day-by-day plan built from the 5 Singapore neighbourhoods Sola has written up, the things worth your time inside each one, and the places that work when you are eating on your own.
- Days
- 3
- Neighbourhoods
- 5
- Things to do
- 5
- Places to eat
- 5
01 of 08
Day 1 · Chinatown and Kampong Glam
Dense blocks of shophouses converted into hostels, cafes, and temples that still function as temples. The historic Malay and Arab quarter, anchored by the gold-domed Sultan Mosque and Haji Lane's painted shophouses.
- Chinatown
- Budget accommodation, hawker eating, and walking distances to the CBD and Marina Bay.
- Kampong Glam
- Cafes, independent shops, Middle Eastern restaurants, and the densest foot traffic in the city after dark.
What to see and do
- 01
Gardens by the Bay
The Supertrees are structures between 25 and 50 metres tall with planted vertical gardens, and the nightly light show at 7:45pm and 8:45pm is free. The two climate-controlled conservatories, the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest, require a ticket.
The Cloud Forest waterfall is best on a weekday morning when tour groups are thinner.
- 02
Southern Ridges Walk
A 10-kilometer trail connecting Labrador Nature Reserve to Mount Faber through forest canopy walkways and the Henderson Waves bridge. The full route takes about three hours; most people do the middle section between HortPark and Telok Blangah Hill.
Start at Labrador Park MRT before 9am in the cooler morning hours and walk toward Mount Faber.
Where to eat
- 01
Lau Pa Sat
Marina BayA Victorian cast-iron market hall from 1894, now a hawker centre open around the clock. After 7pm, Boon Tat Street closes to traffic and becomes an outdoor satay corridor with charcoal grills on both sides.
Counter seating at most stalls means you order, sit, eat, and leave without any table-sharing awkwardness.
- 02
Maxwell Food Centre
ChinatownOne of Singapore's most famous hawker centres, with Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice at stall 10 drawing a line most lunch hours. Open through late afternoon, slower in the evenings.
Bring cash, point at what you want, and find a shared table; solo eating here is completely unremarkable.
Getting there
Chinatown MRT station (NE and DT lines) drops you at the centre; most of the neighbourhood is walkable from there.
02 of 08
Day 2 · Little India and Tiong Bahru
Serangoon Road and the streets radiating off it are dense with flower garland sellers, textile shops, and Tamil restaurants open past midnight. Singapore's oldest public housing estate now has independent bookshops, specialty coffee, and a wet market that opens at 6am.
- Little India
- Eating well for very little money, the weekly Sunday street market, and Mustafa Centre for 24-hour shopping.
- Tiong Bahru
- Morning market, slow mornings with good coffee, and a quieter residential pace away from the tourist centre.
What to see and do
- 01
Peranakan Museum
Nine galleries inside a 1912 school building in the Armenian Street arts district, covering the material culture of the Straits Chinese community. The embroidery, furniture, and wedding costume collections are the most detailed anywhere in the region.
The museum is closed on Tuesdays; Thursday evenings have extended hours until 9pm.
- 02
Tiong Bahru Wet Market
The ground floor of Block 83 on Seng Poh Road, with produce and seafood vendors from 6am and a hawker centre directly above. The char kway teow and kaya toast stalls on the upper floor are open by 7am.
Go before 9am; by 10am the best stalls are selling their last portions.
Where to eat
- 01
Warong Nasi Pariaman
Kampong GlamA Nasi Padang institution on North Bridge Road that has been serving West Sumatran food since 1948. You point at the dishes you want arranged over rice; the whole meal takes ten minutes.
Opens early for breakfast and lunch only, so plan a morning visit.
- 02
Candlenut
Dempsey HillThe world's first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant, in a colonial bungalow in Dempsey Hill. The kueh pie tee and buah keluak are the dishes to order.
The bar seats at least two solo diners and the staff will walk you through unfamiliar dishes without making it a performance.
Getting there
Little India MRT (NE and DT lines) puts you at the main artery; the neighbourhood is compact and best explored on foot.
03 of 08
Day 3 · Marina Bay
The waterfront precinct centered on the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Bay Sands hotel. Wide pedestrian paths run along the water, well-lit and busy with joggers and tourists until late into the evening.
- Marina Bay
- Evening walks, the nightly Supertree light show, and rooftop bars with the city skyline.
What to see and do
- 01
Haji Lane and Arab Street
A narrow pedestrian lane in Kampong Glam lined with shophouses painted in murals, independent boutiques, and small bars. Arab Street, one block over, has Persian carpet shops, Turkish restaurants, and the facade of Sultan Mosque.
Most shops open by noon and stay open until 10pm; weekday afternoons are the least crowded.
Where to eat
- 01
Fong Seng Nasi Lemak
NewtonAn open-air supper stall at Newton Circus that serves nasi lemak until 4am. The otah and fried chicken go on the plate next to the coconut rice.
Newton Circus is busy until well past midnight; you will not be the only person eating alone at 1am.
Getting there
Bayfront MRT (CE and DT lines) exits directly into Marina Bay Sands; the waterfront is connected by covered walkways.
04 of 08
Where to base yourself
Picked for the neighbourhoods this plan actually visits, so the walk back is short.
- 01
Hotel Mono, Chinatown
A small boutique hotel in a converted shophouse, entirely black and white in design, on Mosque Street. Compact rooms, strong wifi, and a ground floor that opens directly onto one of Chinatown's most walkable streets. Best for solo travellers who want a private room in a boutique property without paying luxury prices.
- 02
The Pod @ Beach Road, Kampong Glam
A pod hostel on Beach Road with private sleeping capsules, strong air conditioning, and a common room that fills with solo travellers. Haji Lane is a five-minute walk. Best for budget-conscious solo travellers who want privacy in a capsule format and a social common area.
- 03
The Warehouse Hotel, Robertson Quay
A converted 1895 spice warehouse on the Singapore River with exposed brick, a rooftop pool, and a bar that locals actually use. Robertson Quay has wide riverside footpaths, good street lighting, and restaurants open late. Best for a woman who wants a design hotel with a real neighbourhood around it, not a tourist corridor.
05 of 08
Getting around
The MRT covers the city well and runs until around midnight on most lines. A stored-value EZ-Link card or a contactless bank card works on every train and bus. Grab is the dominant ride-hailing app and works consistently; it is generally cheaper than metered taxis after 10pm and faster to book. Buses go where the MRT does not, but the network takes some learning. Walking works well in most neighbourhoods because covered five-foot ways (colonnaded pavements) run in front of most shophouses, giving shade and shelter. At night, Bugis, Chinatown, and Kampong Glam have enough foot traffic and street lighting that walking between the main areas feels fine.
06 of 08
When to go
February through April tends to have the least rain. November through January is the northeast monsoon season, with heavier and more sustained rainfall, particularly in December. July and August are hot and relatively dry but also peak school holiday season, so popular attractions and hotels fill up. The heat is consistent year-round, between 25 and 34 degrees Celsius, so factor that into how much you plan to walk.
07 of 08
Common questions
- Is 3 days enough in Singapore?
- This plan works through all 5 Singapore neighbourhoods Sola has written up, alongside 5 things worth your time and 5 places that hold up when you are eating alone. You will not see everything. You will finish with a working sense of how Singapore runs.
- Which neighbourhoods does this Singapore itinerary cover?
- Chinatown, Kampong Glam, Little India, Tiong Bahru and Marina Bay. Each one gets a day or a half day, with the things to do and the places to eat that sit inside it, so you are not doubling back across Singapore in one afternoon.
- Where should I base myself for 3 days in Singapore?
- Chinatown is the base this plan is built around: Hotel Mono sits there, and it keeps you close to the areas on the list. The Pod @ Beach Road in Kampong Glam is the alternative if you want a different pace.
08 of 08
The full Singapore page
Singapore works well for first-time solo travellers who want to practise being alone in a city with strong infrastructure and no language barrier. It also works for experienced travellers who want somewhere with genuinely excellent food and the ability to move efficiently without planning every hour.