At Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), long-time airline passengers can once again enjoy free city tours to while away their time. Free Singapore tours are back after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Launched in 1987 by Singapore Airlines, the Singapore Tourism Board and Changi Airport Group, the tours allow long-term travelers to explore the surrounding areas at no charge.
With about 30% of Changi’s (pre-pandemic) passengers classified as transiting or transiting, the tours were a successful play by the tourism board to attract new visitors to the region.
“We are happy to bring it [the tour] back with the resumption of travel,” shared Changi Airport Group Executive Vice President of Air Hub and Cargo Development Lim Ching Kiat when he announced the return. “Free to Singapore for travelers who choose transit or transfer at Changi Airport. The tour is designed to give them an idea of what Singapore has to offer.”
Related: The Best Ways to Get Points and Miles to Singapore
Related: Singapore Changi Terminal 5 is coming sooner than you think
Sign up for our daily newsletter
By the break of 2019, more than 800,000 tourists were enjoying the tours annually. At that time, there were three tours (City Sights Tour, Jewel Tour and Heritage Tour), all of which have now been restored. The relaunch introduced a new tour, the Changi Precinct Tour.
Each tour offers a slightly different flavor.
- The City Sights Tour showcases Singapore’s cityscape with stops at two of the city’s landmarks: Merlion Park and Jubilee Bridge.
- The Jewel Tour includes a curated tour of Changi Airport that includes various iconic features of the hub, including the HSBC Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.
- The Heritage Tour is a condensed deep dive into the history and culture of the area. It includes visits to the Civic District, Chinatown and Kampong Gelam District.
- The Changi Precinct Tour provides an immersive experience of Singaporean life, taking you through the residential city and quiet countryside before culminating in Changi Beach Park.
Tours run daily and last about 2 1/2 hours each; there are plans to eventually offer nine tours a day. Tours are recommended for travelers with at least 5 1/2 to 24 hours of free time.
For tour routes, times and check-in information, visit the Changi Airport Group website.
Related: Watch us fly the Singapore Airlines A350 in all 3 cabins
“We hope the tour will inspire transit and transfer passengers to plan longer journeys to Singapore [the] the future and discover much more of what our vibrant city has to offer,” said Singapore Tourism Board Group Marketing Executive Director Chang Chee Pei.