7 Days: Singapore and Beyond
A full week using Singapore as a base means two countries, three ferry or bus crossings, one no-passport island, and enough runway to bookend the whole trip at the airport that started it. This is the full 6-day spine plus a last day built entirely around Changi itself. Want to spend all seven days inside the city instead? Our 7-day Singapore itinerary never leaves it.
Book these before you go
- Hotel: base near an MRT interchange, compare rates on Agoda
- A Johor Bahru day tour: search Viator
- Bintan Island day trip options: search GetYourGuide
| Day | Focus | Distance / Time |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Changi arrival, Marina Bay, Gardens by the Bay, one hawker meal | In Singapore |
| Day 2 | Cross into Johor Bahru, Malaysia | Bus/KTM shuttle, under 1 hour each way |
| Day 3 | Ferry to Batam, Indonesia | HarbourFront terminal, 45-60 min each way |
| Day 4 | Ferry to Bintan, Indonesia | Tanah Merah terminal, roughly 70 min each way |
| Day 5 | Pulau Ubin, no passport needed | Bumboat from Changi Point, about 10 min each way |
| Day 6 | Back in Singapore: Katong and Peranakan heritage | In Singapore |
| Day 7 | Jewel Changi and a final Marina Bay evening | In Singapore |
Day 1: Singapore, Fast
Changi Airport has taken Skytrax’s World’s Best Airport title again this year, its 14th win, and Jewel Changi is free to enter with no boarding pass required. Go straight for a hawker meal, Maxwell Food Centre or the Chinatown Complex, SGD 4 to 8 a plate, then Gardens by the Bay’s free Supertree Grove and the free Spectra light-and-water show at night.
Day 2: Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Bring your passport, Malaysia is a different country across the Woodlands Causeway, reachable by bus or the existing KTM shuttle train in well under an hour. Johor Bahru runs on ringgit, not SGD, and the RTS Link, cutting that crossing to about five minutes, is targeted for late 2026, possibly slipping into early 2027.
Day 3: Batam, Indonesia
Ferries from HarbourFront reach Batam in 45 to 60 minutes, return fares roughly SGD 58 to 76 plus a fuel surcharge (about SGD 5 to 10 a leg since March 2026). Book the return sailing before you leave your hotel that morning.
Day 4: Bintan, Indonesia
Ferries from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal reach Bintan’s resort side in about 70 minutes, return fares roughly SGD 78 to 92 plus the same surcharge structure, a slower, more resort-paced island than Batam.
Day 5: Pulau Ubin
A bumboat from Changi Point Ferry Terminal takes about 10 minutes, SGD 4 per person each way, cash only. Cycling trails and the Chek Jawa Wetlands mangrove boardwalk fill the day, a quiet contrast after four days of borders and currencies.
Day 6: Back in Singapore, Katong and Peranakan Heritage
Katong and Joo Chiat are the heart of Peranakan heritage, candy-colored shophouses and a laksa tradition locals actually argue about. Spend the day unhurried, this is deliberately a light touch on the city; our 7-day Singapore itinerary goes much deeper on this neighborhood and Tiong Bahru both.
Day 7: Jewel Changi and a Final Marina Bay Evening
Is a full last day at the airport actually worth it? When the airport is Changi, yes. Jewel Changi is free to enter with no boarding pass required, and the HSBC Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall at 40 meters, runs a free light and sound show most evenings, Mon-Thu at 8pm and 9pm, Fri-Sun and public holidays adding a 10pm show, worth confirming current times before you go. Spend your last morning here rather than treating it as a transit corridor, then head back into the city one final time.
Give the afternoon to one last look at Marina Bay, the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay or the free Spectra show if you haven’t already had your fill, before heading back to Changi for your flight. A week that started at the airport and ends there too, with two countries and one quiet island in between, is exactly what makes Singapore worth using as a base rather than just a stopover.
Practical Notes
- Visa-free entry covers most nationalities for short stays across Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia; check current requirements for your specific passport before you fly.
- MRT fares in Singapore run SGD 1.28 to 2.57 per trip via SimplyGo; Grab covers ride-hail, there’s no Uber option since it sold its Southeast Asia business in 2018.
- Two countries, three currencies (SGD, ringgit, rupiah), and one island that needs none of them but SGD cash.
One concrete tip: build in slack on Day 7. Flights leaving Changi late in the evening leave a genuinely full day for Jewel and Marina Bay; flights leaving earlier mean trimming this day back, not Day 1 or the border crossings.