Changi Airport has been voted the world's best airport more times than any other, but the best thing about transiting through Singapore is not the airport — it is the city waiting 30 minutes away. Singapore Airlines, the national carrier, has built a set of programmes designed to make a Singapore stopover not just bearable but genuinely rewarding: from complimentary hotel nights for premium cabin passengers to discounted city tours, free guided excursions, and airport shopping credits. Whether you have six hours or six days, there is a structured, airline-backed way to make the most of the connection. This guide covers the Singapore Airlines stopover options available in 2026 and how to use them.

Book your connecting flights and plan your Singapore stopover. Find a hotel in the city centre to maximise your time on the ground.

Singapore Airlines' flagship stopover programme is the Singapore Stopover Holiday — a structured package designed for passengers who want to add one or more nights in Singapore to their international itinerary. The programme operates on a tiered benefit system based on cabin class:

The "Holiday Before the Holiday" initiative — launched in January 2025 — expanded the programme to include pre-designed activity bundles covering experiences at different stopover lengths: 6-hour, 24-hour, 48-hour, and longer. These bundles can be added during booking on singaporeair.com or via the KrisFlyer portal.

For transit passengers who are not booking a formal stopover package, Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport offer a free guided city tour available to qualifying transit passengers with layovers of five and a half hours or more. Two tour itineraries are available:

Both tours depart multiple times daily directly from Changi Airport. Eligibility is based on nationality and flight itinerary — check the Changi Airport website for the latest eligibility requirements and departure times before your flight.

Even without the formal package, a self-planned Singapore stopover is remarkably easy to execute. The MRT from Changi to the city centre takes 30–45 minutes and costs around SGD 1.50–2.00. Taxis and Grab take 20–35 minutes. Every terminal at Changi has 24-hour baggage storage — drop your bags, buy an EZ-Link card, and the city is yours.

For a 6–12 hour stopover, the recommended circuit is: Marina Bay waterfront → Maxwell Food Centre for lunch → Chinatown walk → Changi. For a 24–48 hour stopover, add Gardens by the Bay's evening light show, a hawker centre dinner, and a morning in Tiong Bahru or Katong.

If your layover is short or you prefer to stay airside, Jewel Changi Airport is an attraction in its own right — a spectacular glass-and-steel dome housing the world's tallest indoor waterfall (40 metres), indoor forest trails, a mirror maze, a hedge maze, and over 280 shops and restaurants. Some of Singapore's best food brands have outposts in Jewel: Tim Ho Wan (the original Michelin-starred dim sum brand), Birds of Paradise (the most celebrated gelato in Singapore), and Shake Shack Singapore. Note that entering Jewel from the transit zone requires clearing Singapore immigration.

Discover the best things to do in Singapore to plan your stopover itinerary. Arrange an airport transfer from Changi to your hotel. Check the latest Traveloka promos for deals, and plan your complete Singapore stopover at Traveloka.