The Must-Visit (FREE Admission) Places in Singapore

Guest Post By: Miku Hara, a Senior studying Marketing and Information Systems. She studied abroad through Foster Exchange at the National University of Singapore in Queenstown, Singapore, during Autumn Semester 2023.

With beautiful nature, and its old and new sceneries, Singapore is home to many exciting attractions. When you think of Singapore, I believe places like Marina Bay Sans and Merlion Park come to mind. The tourist-targeted websites also introduce these as must-visit places but you may want to explore places outside the cities. Although they are all great places to visit during the stay, I wanted to present you with other places that could be considered more local, relaxing, and/or nature-related. Also, there is nothing better than FREE admission to attractions for students so I have listed below some of the free-entry places I enjoyed visiting.

• Singapore Botanic Gardens

Botanic Gardens might be the best place in the world to see tropical flowers in the 60 acres of stunning landscape. I recommend going to the National Orchid Garden which is the largest display of tropical orchids in the world. Depending on the optimal environmental conditions for flowers, they were placed in tailored conditions which were very interesting to see. 

• Jurong Lake Gardens – Biking

This is the place to go if you like to be in a relaxing environment. It is one of the new national lakeside gardens with 90 hectares of land which have easy access to public transportation. My recommendation is to rent an Anywheel bike on the street and cycle around the garden. This way, you can get around many places faster and more efficiently even in the humid weather. 

• The Southern Ridges

This is one of the places that are very close to the National University of Singapore. You can visit with a single bus ride and feel the greenery while seeing the whole city from the connecting photogenic bridges. I would recommend this place if you want to get the panoramic views of the Southern Islands, harbor, and the city. 

• National Museum of Singapore

It is the nation’s oldest museum that tells stories of Singapore and the world. They are located in the core of the downtown area and are easily accessible. As a student studying abroad in Singapore, this was a great way to understand the country’s history and culture. If you are interested in arts and history, this is the place for you.

• Sentosa Beaches

There are several beaches you could visit on Sentosa Island. All of them have beautiful shores that allow you to feel the warmth of the sun, water, and land. The sandy beaches are very clean and the water temperature is just right. Also, there are other fun activities to experience that require payment but they are all worth a try. 

Visiting these places showed me the importance of sustainability and being socially responsible. 

As this blog post is a wrap-up of my study abroad experience, I wanted to share that being in a leading global destination for business where four official languages are used, not only taught me cultural diversity but enriched my soft skills such as interpersonal skills and adaptability. If you are still considering studying abroad, I highly recommend it because there is so much to gain from the unique experiences and plenty of opportunities to make lifetime memories with your friends.