SINGAPORE, 5 April 2023: Changi Airport Group, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) re-launched the Free Singapore Tour on Monday after a three-year hiatus due to Covid-19.
Three existing tours available since pre-Covid-19 – the City Sights Tour, Heritage Tour and Jewel Tour – have been refreshed to include new points of interest.
Plus, a brand-new Changi Precinct Tour introduces travellers to the sights and sounds of the eastern region surrounding Singapore Changi Airport. Each tour lasts 2.5 hours and will be available daily, with plans to progressively increase to nine daily tours.
With transit and transfer passengers accounting for about 30% of passenger traffic at Changi airport pre-pandemic, the tour was first introduced in 1987 to enhance the airport’s attractiveness as a transfer hub and to entice transit and transfer passengers to visit Singapore as a holiday destination.
In 2019, over 80,000 passengers booked the free Singapore Tour. The top markets were India, Australia and Indonesia, with Indian and Australian travellers making up more than one-third of the participants.
New tour in Eastern Singapore
The Changi Precinct Tour is a new itinerary that will bring participants to the eastern part of Singapore to visit local community spaces, such as the Tampines heartland, and to admire the rustic charms of Changi Village and Changi Beach. It offers a glimpse into how local residents live. It tells the tale of Singapore’s history on this part of the island, away from the usual hustle and bustle of Singapore’s city centre.
Three refreshed itineraries
At the Jewel Tour and visiting popular attractions like the Shiseido Forest Valley and the HSBC Rain Vortex, participants can discover more about Singapore’s food heritage through local brands such as Bee Cheng Hiang and Tong Garden and sample local snacks at the same time. Another new component of the tour is a free guided walkthrough of a digital attraction – Changi Experience Studio – for participants to experience some of its airport-themed games and interactive exhibits.
New pit stops in the City Sights Tour include the Civic District, where travellers will be introduced to Singapore’s urban development through visits to various national monuments, including the National Gallery Singapore, Anderson Bridge and The Padang. The bus route will also pass through the new Marina Bay Financial District en route to Gardens by the Bay.
The Heritage Tour, available from June, will feature places of interest, such as the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown, Arab Street and Haji Lane, for participants to gain a more in-depth understanding of Singapore’s unique and diverse multi-cultural heritage.
The refreshed itineraries also highlight sustainability features at some of the locations featured in the tours to give participants an overview of Singapore’s sustainability efforts. These include the Eco Community Garden at the rooftop of Our Tampines Hub (as part of the Changi Precinct Tour), environmental sustainability initiatives implemented at Gardens by the Bay (as part of the City Sights Tour) and Jewel (as part of the Jewel Tour). CAG, SIA, and STB have appointed Monster Day Tours to run the Free Singapore Tour.
Transit and transfer passengers who wish to join the Free Singapore Tour must have a layover period of at least 5.5 hours but less than 24 hours. Participants must have a valid entry visa for Singapore to participate in the tours.
