Top 10 Things to Do in Singapore at Christmas

1The Orchard Road light-up

Christmas on A Great Street turns Singapore's shopping strip into a 2-kilometre tunnel of lights, with every mall trying to out-decorate the one next door. It's free, and it's the most Singaporean Christmas thing you can do.

Insider tipWalk it on a weeknight after 8pm, starting from the Tanglin end and finishing near Dhoby Ghaut MRT. On weekends in December, the pavements become a slow-moving queue.

Skip it ifYou hate crowds and shopping malls. That is, more or less, the entire experience.

2Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay

Every December the Supertree Grove gets light sculptures, carnival rides, festive food stalls and nightly "snowfall" made of foam. It's the closest Singapore gets to a European Christmas market, with the Supertrees as the backdrop.

Insider tipArrive around opening time on a weekday, walk the lights first, then eat once the stalls get busy. The bigger light shows are best after 8pm.

Skip it ifYou're expecting real snow or a quiet stroll. It's loud, bright and full of families.

Gardens by the Bay tickets on Klook →

3A Universal Christmas at Universal Studios

Universal Studios Singapore runs a Christmas season with festive shows, decorations and characters in holiday outfits, usually from late November into early January. If you were going to USS anyway, December is the most fun time to do it.

Insider tipSchool holidays make December one of the park's busiest months. Buy tickets in advance, arrive at opening and head to the far end of the park first, then work your way back.

Skip it ifYou're on a budget. The tickets are the same price as any other month, and the queues are longer.

See tickets on Klook →

4Christmas at Mandai (the zoo, Bird Paradise and friends)

Mandai Wildlife Reserve usually dresses up for the season. In 2025 it had a giant festive tree and holiday activities across the parks. The animals don't care that it's Christmas, but your kids will love the extras.

Insider tipGo in the morning, when it's cooler and the animals are more active, and save the festive photo spots for when you're leaving.

Skip it ifYou want something specifically Christmassy. This is a zoo visit with decorations, not a Christmas event.

Mandai tickets on Klook →

5A Christmas market

Singapore now gets at least one big European-style Christmas market each year, with mulled wine, sausages and fairground stalls. In 2025 there was one at the Bayfront Event Space beside Marina Bay Sands. Malls and hotels also run smaller weekend markets through December.

Insider tipGo at dusk on a weekday. The heat drops, the lights come on, and you can actually reach the food stalls.

Skip it ifYou mind paying European prices for a sausage. These markets are fun, not cheap.

6Carols and Christmas services at St Andrew's Cathedral

Singapore's oldest Anglican cathedral, white and Gothic in the middle of the Civic District, is a beautiful place to hear carols. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services are open to everyone, and the Catholic Cathedral of the Good Shepherd nearby holds its own.

Insider tipChristmas Eve services fill up, so arrive early. Afterwards, walk five minutes to the Padang and Esplanade for the lights along the bay.

Skip it ifYou're after a party. This is the quiet, traditional side of Christmas.

7A river cruise past the lights

A bumboat ride from Clarke Quay out to Marina Bay is a lazy way to see the festive lights along the river and the bay without fighting the crowds on foot.

Insider tipTake an evening cruise around 8pm and you may catch the Spectra light-and-water show at Marina Bay from the water.

Skip it ifYou get bored easily. It's a gentle 40-minute float, not a thrill.

See tickets on Klook →

8A festive staycation

With Christmas on a Friday in 2026, a two-night staycation over the long weekend is the easiest way to feel like you've gone somewhere. Raffles Hotel does colonial Christmas better than anywhere, and most of the big hotels put up huge trees and lay on festive buffets.

Insider tipChristmas weekend rates and festive buffets sell out early. Book by November, and look for packages that bundle the Christmas Eve dinner, which is usually cheaper than paying separately.

Skip it ifYou'd rather spend the money on the dinner itself. A festive buffet without the room is a perfectly good Christmas.

Check rates on Agoda →

9Jewel Changi Airport

Jewel usually puts on a big year-end display around the Rain Vortex, and it's air-conditioned, which in December counts as a Christmas miracle. In 2025 the theme was a Disney Cruise Line celebration; expect something new for 2026.

Insider tipCatch the evening light-and-sound show on the Rain Vortex, then eat in the basement food court instead of the busier upper floors.

Skip it ifYou live in the west. It's a long trip just for decorations, unless you're flying out anyway.

10Christmas Day on the beach

Nothing says tropical Christmas like eating your leftovers on a beach. Sentosa's beaches are the easy choice, with beach clubs running Christmas parties, and families having picnics by the water.

Insider tipGo early. By noon the sun is fierce and the beach clubs fill up. If you want a calmer spot, walk further along to Tanjong Beach.

Skip it ifYou burn easily or hate sand in your Christmas cake.

See tickets on Klook →

How to do Christmas in Singapore without the stress

• Weekdays beat weekends. Every festive event is far calmer from Monday to Thursday.
• Book early. Christmas Eve dinners, festive buffets and long-weekend hotel stays sell out by late November.
• Take the MRT. Roads around Orchard and Marina Bay jam up on December evenings, and taxis surge.
• Ringing in the New Year too? See our guide to New Year's Eve in Singapore.