Travellers arriving in Singapore’s Changi Airport will once again be entitled to a selection of complimentary city tours, provided they have a layover of more than 5.5 hours, and less than 24 hours. Three of the tours were available to visitors pre-2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, and during this time they have been updated to include more of Singapore’s most popular attractions. These are the Jewel Tour, Heritage Tour and City Sights Tour, along with a brand new ‘Changi Precinct’ tour which will stay in and around the neighbourhood of the airport. The latter will visit the eastern neighbourhood of the Tampines, Changi village and Changi Beach – areas most visitors rarely explore. The Jewel Tour will remain within the airport, with participants walking between attractions, and explore everything it has to offer including local food, while the City Sights Tour has added stops at the National Gallery and Gardens by the Bay. The Heritage Tour, which will restart in June, is aimed at people who want to discover Singapore’s religious and cultural past, with visits to Chinatown, the Civic District and Kampong Gelam.

Those wishing to take part in a city tour must have a confirmed flight layover meeting the necessary requirements and that fits with the tour schedules, which are currently in slots from 9am to 2:30pm. Passengers will need passports, boarding cards and if necessary, a visa (if not from a visa-exempt country) since the tour officially enters Singapore. It is important not to exit at Arrivals, but instead remain in the Transit areas of T2 and T3, where the free city tour counters are located and where visitors can scan a QR code or make an advanced booking.

It is also possible to reserve a place online in advance. The tours will be running every day and last for approximately 2.5 hours; eventually, up to nine sessions will run each day. The tours, which began back in 1987, are partially responsible for Changi’s consistent record for being voted the best airport in the world, with the addition of its astounding amenities such as a huge waterfall, butterfly garden and swimming pool. Changi Airport is not the only airport worldwide to offer city tours aimed to attract more visitors, and similar offers can be found in Abu Dhabi, Seoul and Tokyo.