Day Trips From Singapore, Realistically
Day Trips From Singapore, Realistically
Lists claiming a dozen Singapore day trips are usually just neighbourhoods with a bus number attached. The country is roughly 730 square kilometres with no hinterland, so a genuine day trip means a ferry, a causeway, or a strait crossing. That leaves five real options.
1. Sentosa
Part of Singapore’s own territory but far enough offshore in feel to count. The Sentosa Express monorail is a flat SGD 4; driving over costs SGD 6 in the daytime bands (7am to noon, 2pm to 5pm) or SGD 2 off-peak, charged per vehicle. The cable car’s Sentosa Line is closed for scheduled maintenance through 18 September 2026, so check current status before counting on it; the full SkyPass covering both lines runs SGD 35 adult round trip. Universal Studios and the Singapore Oceanarium, renamed from S.E.A. Aquarium after reopening in a much larger form in July 2025, are the two headline paid draws.
2. Pulau Ubin
The last kampong-era island, off the northeast coast. A bumboat from Changi Point Ferry Terminal runs SGD 4 per person one way, cash only, plus SGD 2 for a bicycle, departing once 12 passengers are aboard, roughly 6am to 7pm. Cycling and the Chek Jawa wetlands are the reason to go; there’s genuinely little development to see otherwise.
3. The Southern Islands
St John’s, Lazarus, and Kusu, reached via a Marina South Pier ferry loop for around SGD 15 adult, 30 to 45 minutes per leg. St John’s own jetty has been closed for repairs since April 2025, with service rerouted through Lazarus Island in the meantime. Kusu’s temple and shrine and Lazarus’s quiet beach make this a calmer alternative to Sentosa’s theme-park pace. Search Southern Islands ferry options on GetYourGuide .
4. Johor Bahru, Malaysia
A genuine border crossing over the Woodlands Causeway, by bus or the KTM shuttle train today. The RTS Link rail connection is targeted for December 2026, possibly slipping into January 2027, so treat it as not yet running rather than plan a trip around it. A passport is required regardless of the mode.
5. Batam or Bintan, Indonesia
Ferries depart HarbourFront for Batam and Tanah Merah for Bintan. Search current Bintan and Batam ferry packages on Viator .
Two things this list deliberately excludes: Pulau Hantu, which is a dive-charter reef site reached by private boat rather than a beach a public ferry reaches, and a Kuala Lumpur day trip, which is technically possible by air but too much of a stretch to recommend as routine. KL fits better as an overnight in multi-day trips .
Ferry schedules for Pulau Ubin are kept current on NParks’ site , and KTMB’s site has current Causeway train times.
Tip: Bring small cash denominations for the Pulau Ubin bumboat and bicycle rental. It’s one of the few crossings left in the city that doesn’t take cards.