Not sure what to do during your layover in Singapore? If you’re transiting through Singapore Changi Airport, you may be familiar with our Free Singapore Tour, which offers free city tours where travellers can catch a glimpse of attractions in key districts of Singapore to occupy their layover period. With nature trails gaining popularity across the world over the last two years, there is now a new free-and-easy bicycle tour option for Singapore layover passengers at Changi. For those with at least 5.5 hours but less than 24 hours before your connecting flight at Changi, why not explore a side of Singapore that is less seen by tourists?
Discover what Changi Precinct has to offer with these four recommended cycling routes for a unique experience in the east of Singapore.
1. For the time constrained
Cycling along the Jurassic Mile, you will have lots of photo opportunities with different types of dinosaurs, such as the T-Rex.
For those on a short transit or just want a quick cycling workout outdoors, the Changi Jurassic Mile is a good option. Despite this being the shortest route, the journey brings you ‘back in time’, offering you the chance to see more than 20 different pre-historic dinosaurs displayed over one kilometre. Along the way, you will also pass by various flora and fauna at Hub & Spoke, where you’ll find a café set in a glasshouse surrounded by luscious greenery.
This route is also the most kid-friendly. For those with little ones in tow, this will be a hit among dino-lovers and also the best way to expend their energy before the flight!
If you have more time, return to the Hub & Spoke Café and end off your journey with some delicious food. Fuel up with their all-day brunch menu, or extensive western and local fare.
This route is about 6 kilometres (return) and can be completed in less than two hours.
2. For those interested to try local cuisine
For the foodies, after reaching the end of Jurassic Mile, continue on towards the East Coast Lagoon Food Village at East Coast Park to check out the hawker stalls selling various local cuisines like chilli crab.
Did you know that the hawker culture in Singapore was inscribed as the country’s first element on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020? So besides exploring local cuisine, a visit to the Food Village will also give you a better understanding of why hawker culture is unique to Singapore. Some of the highly recommended dishes to try at this food village include fried carrot cake (which is actually radish, known as ‘white carrot’ to Chinese), barbecued chicken wings, satay (grilled meat skewers served with a peanut dip) and braised duck rice.
This route is about 24 kilometres (return) and will take approximately three hours to complete.
3. For those keen on water sports and nature
For those more interested in nature or adrenaline sports, you can ride past the East Coast Lagoon Food Village and take a pit-stop at the Singapore Wake Park. There are three different cable-ski systems of varying speeds and difficulty to cater to both beginners as well as the experienced. The minimum booking period here is for an hour. For beginners, a dedicated instructor is tagged to them, to ensure a safe learning experience for those who are just starting out on the wakeboard.
After skiers have enjoyed the sport to their heart’s content, continue on to Gardens by the Bay, located near the iconic Marina Bay Sands, to soak in the beauty around the Kingfisher Lake or Water Lily Pond with the Singapore Flyer in the background. Alternatively, you can continue towards Gardens by the Bay, which is a short distance away, to marvel at its iconic architecture.
Depending on how much time you want to spend at the Singapore Wake Park, you should cater at least five hours for this 45 kilometres (return) route.
4. For those drawn to the quaint and rustic
For visitors who are interested in visiting a quaint part of Singapore that is lesser known to tourists, they can head towards Tanah Merah Coast Road to Changi Beach Park.
Located at the northern tip of Changi and situated opposite Pulau Ubin – which used to be a granite quarry back in the 1960s, and Singapore’s last remaining island village today — Changi Beach Park is one of the oldest coastal parks in Singapore, thus retaining a rustic charm. With its white sandy beaches and quiet fishing spots, it’s a great place to enjoy the sea breeze without a crowd, or chill out on the beach and spot some planes arriving at Changi Airport.
After that, head to Changi Village, a modern village that is used as a connecting point for travellers heading to Pulau Ubin by ferry. Changi Village also has resorts and leisure facilities, which makes it a popular weekend getaway for many Singaporeans. Perhaps due to this reason, the area effuses a laid-back charm not commonly found in other parts of Singapore. The hawker centre at Changi Village also offers many popular food stalls well-loved by locals, offering dishes such as nasi lemak (fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf, served with various side dishes like fried fish and fried chicken wings), Ipoh hor fun (flat noodles with a rich gravy and topped with shredded chicken) and goreng pisang (deep-fried banana).
This route is about 44 kilometres (return) and will take approximately five hours to complete.
How to redeem the two-hour free bicycle rental
Book your free two-hour bicycle rental in advance on the Changi App. Passengers will have to show proof of their flight reservations with their boarding passes, and have at least 5.5 hours but less than 24 hours before their connecting flight at Changi. They will also need to clear immigration and have a valid entry visa for Singapore, if one is required.
GoCycling @ Hub & Spoke
Location: Hub & Spoke, Terminal 2
Opening hours: Monday to Friday – 10:00am-8:00pm; Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays – 9:00am to 9:00pm
Tips for planning a unique cycling adventure
- Extend your bicycle booking to enjoy more local sights and sounds at your own pace. Rates for adult bikes start from S$10/hour.
- After returning your bicycles at the GoCycling @ Hub & Spoke kiosk at the end of your adventure, freshen up before your flight at the shower facilities, for just S$5 per person. Towels are available for purchase from the vending machine beside the shower facilities.
- For visitors who end their adventures in the evening, enjoy a glass of cocktail or wine at the Overflow bar at Hub & Spoke and savour delectable bar bites such as garlic chicken wings and truffle fries. Nightly live performances by local bands accentuate the ambience, singing crowd favourites daily from 7:30pm on Tuesdays to Thursdays and 8:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
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