Exploring SG in Just a Day Through an Open-Top Bus Tour

Is it possible? That's the question I kept asking myself when I planned my trip to Singapore. How do I make the most of my stay in Singapore, balancing meetups with friends, sightseeing, and side trips to nearby countries, all while working remotely?

Of course, I needed a plan, and the answer is this Hop-On, Hop-Off (HOHO) Tour.

Before flying to Singapore, @gabbiebi and I booked our Hop-On, Hop-Off tickets online via KKDay. It's a 1-Day Discover Tour ticket for 59 SGD (about 44.7 USD / 2,560 PHP each). Having the tickets in advance was a lifesaver, especially for immigration here in the Philippines, in case they asked about my itinerary.

On the day of our HOHO adventure, we headed to Suntec City Mall around 11 AM to redeem our tickets at the Big Bus counter. It was easy to find, thanks to their clear signages. We exchanged our e-tickets for 2 maps and 2 complimentary earphones, then we hopped on our first ride of the day.

The best part about this tour is that there are no reservations needed. We could start whenever we wanted and hop on and off at our own pace.

The HOHO tour operates on two routes: Yellow and Red. We started with Yellow. The Yellow Route covered these iconic spots:

Before leaving the Suntec City, we plugged in our earphones and tuned into the super helpful multilingual audio guide. It pointed out exactly where to look. It feels like a guided tour.

We circled the Fountain of Wealth, and thanks to the onboard commentary, I learned that Suntec City was designed like a hand, with the fountain as a golden ring! So cool! Apparently, if you walk around the fountain three times with your right hand over the fountain while making a wish, it might just come true. We skipped that part because we just hopped on the bus 😭 but that's another reason to return to SG! Have you tried it?

We passed Gardens by the Bay, then along Esplanade Drive, spotting the famous “Durian” of Singapore, the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay. As a theater lover, I made a mental note to catch a show there someday!

Another favorite was the Old Hill Street Police Station. Its rainbow colored facade instantly caught my eye. Who knew a former police station could be this charming?

The audio guide made sightseeing even more immersive, pointing out where to look and sharing interesting facts. It also tested my sense of left and right! I failed a few times 😭😂

After a morning of sightseeing, we returned to Suntec City for lunch at White Restaurant (more on that in another blog!).

After lunch, it was time for the Red Route. The Red Route took us through:

This time, we sat in the shaded part of the bus because the sun was out. Good thing we had sunscreen and hair ties. Funny enough, the post-lunch drowsiness hit me hard while touring the rest of the city. But there was too much to see to fall asleep!

Little India was a sensory delight 😍 We passed the vibrant Little India Arcade, filled with shops selling colorful clothes and accessories.

We hopped off at Serangoon Road to buy perfumes and gold necklaces, only to realize the shop didn’t accept cards. Lesson learned: always carry cash when traveling!

Another stunning stop is the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, a famous landmark on Serangoon Road. Get to know more about this temple here.

While passing through Little India, I noticed there were so many hotels! Some of the names looked familiar since we came across them while searching for a place to stay for Taylor’s concert in Singapore.

Singapore’s cultural preservation is incredible. If I worked here, even traffic wouldn’t be a bother because there’s just so much beauty to take in!

We were thinking of exploring more but decided to hop off at Marina Bay Sands instead for our planned Gardens by the Bay visit, and that ended our HOHO tour.

This tour was worth every cent! In just one day, we covered so much and got a fantastic overview of Singapore. Next time, I’d hop off at every stop and immerse myself even more. The open-top bus tour is perfect for first-time visitors or anyone on a tight schedule.

I also captured our adventure in a video. Hope you enjoy the ride as much as we did!