Once again, Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) is offering free city tours to passengers who have an extended layover. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a two-year hiatus in free Singapore tours.
“We are happy to bring [the tour] back with the resumption of travel,” shared Lim Ching Kiat, the executive vice president of air hub and cargo development at Changi Airport Group, when he announced the return. “For travelers who choose to transit or transfer at Changi Airport, the Free Singapore Tour is designed to give them a glimpse of what Singapore has to offer.”
Before the 2019 break, the tours were taken yearly by more than 800,000 people. The City Sights Tour, the Jewel Tour, and the Heritage Tour were the three tours that ran at the time; all three have since been restored. With the relaunch, a new tour—the Changi Precinct Tour—.
Each tour highlights a different feature of the city:
- The City Sights Tour highlights Singapore’s cityscape with visits to Merlion Park and Jubilee Bridge, two of the city’s landmarks.
- The Jewel Walk includes a curated walk of Changi Airport that features iconic elements such as the HSBC Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.
- The Heritage Tour is a condensed, in-depth look at the region’s history and culture. It includes excursions to the Civic District, Chinatown and the Kampong Gelam district.
- The new Changi Precinct Tour immerses you in Singaporean life by taking you through a residential town and a quiet city before ending at Changi Beach Park.
Tours are offered daily and last approximately 2 1/2 hours; there are plans to ultimately offer nine tours per day. The tours are suitable for visitors who have a stopover of at least 5 1/2 to 24 hours.
Visit the Changi Airport Group’s website for tour itineraries, times, and registration details.
“We hope that the tour will inspire transit and transfer passengers to plan a longer trip to Singapore in [the] future, and discover much more of what our vibrant city has to offer,” said Chang Chee Pey, the assistant chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board marketing group.