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Passengers with a long transit in Singapore can now once again enjoy a free city tour.
The popular free Singapore transit tours are back with updated itineraries, and there’s even a new Changi Precinct Tour. Each tour is currently running daily, and there are plans to progressively increase this to nine daily tours.
The tours are run by Monster Day Tours and jointly organised by Singapore Airlines, Changi Airport Group and the Singapore Tourism Board.
Originally introduced in 1987 but temporarily suspended during the pandemic, these free tours are designed to make Changi Airport an even more attractive airport for a layover. They also give travellers who are just passing through a taste of Singapore as a holiday destination. (I mean this quite literally, as some of the tours include the opportunity to sample some of Singapore’s delicious local food.)
Around 30% of passengers flying in and out of Singapore’s Changi Airport are transiting between international flights. Prior to the pandemic, the transit tours were particularly popular with Australian and Indian travellers who accounted for over a third of tour participants.
Who is eligible for a free Singapore transit tour?
To take part in a free Singapore tour, you need to have a layover at Changi Airport of between 5.5 hours and 24 hours. Your transit will also need to coincide with the tour departure times, which are currently all between 9am and 12pm. Also note that you need to check-in for the tour 90 minutes before the departure time.
To take part in a tour, you need to have a visa or be able to enter Singapore without a visa. Australians generally don’t require a visa to enter Singapore.
You do not necessarily need to be flying Singapore Airlines to join one of these tours, but you should already have a boarding pass for your onward flight. Passengers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
You can pre-book a tour on the Changi Airport website. If you plan to take part, this would be a good idea as the tours can book out in advance.
If there is still space available, you can also register on the day at the Terminal 2 or 3 transit desks. This is also where you’ll check-in for the tour. Note that the transit desks are airside, and you’ll clear arrival immigration with the rest of the tour group.
A choice of four tours
The Changi Precinct Tour is a new option which takes in Tampines, Changi Village and Changi Beach Park.
The other three tours were previously available before the pandemic, but have since been updated. All are bus tours with several stops, except the Jewel Tour which is a walking tour taking in the airport precinct.
These are the free Singapore transit tour options available and their departure times:
- Changi Precinct Tour – 9am daily
- City Sights Tour – 12pm daily
- Jewel Tour – 11am daily
- Heritage Tour – beginning in June 2023; schedule not yet available
All of the tours take 2.5 hours. They finish back at the airport and you need to remain with the group for the entire tour.
You can read more about each of the tours on the Singapore Airlines website.
Enjoying a Singapore transit if you’re not eligible for a free tour
If your transit time isn’t long enough or at the right time, don’t worry – Changi Airport is one of the world’s best airports with lots of entertainment options, eateries and lounges to help pass the time. And if you’re stopping over for more than 24 hours, even though you won’t be eligible for a free transit tour, there’s plenty to do in Singapore.
If your transit is overnight, there’s also a range of airside and landside hotels at Changi Airport where you can get some sleep.
