One of the things we hate the most about traveling is the time we waste at airports, especially during a long layover. We end up sitting at the gate for too long, praying that our phone battery lasts long enough, and hoping that guy charging his laptop leaves soon so we can use the only plug in the terminal. You probably know the feeling too.
But that was far from the case at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN). Our first time there, we showed up four hours before our flight because we actually wanted to spend time at this airport. And when we had to fly from Asia back to Europe, we chose to have a 22-hour layover at the only airport we knew would be fun to be stuck in.
Are we crazy? Nope!
Changi Airport was named the best airport in the world in the 2018 World Airport Awards by Skytrax. For the 6th year in a row. Based on votes by 13.73 million customer nominations. Across more than 100 nationalities, with more than 500 airports worldwide taking part. So we can’t be wrong here.
Surprised? Don’t be.
There’s so much to do here, that you’ll soon want to move in. We sure did! Especially after spending such a long layover there. Can you even believe it if we told you that time just flew by!
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Table of Contents
Why you’ll love Changi Airport for layovers
Beyond all the amenities you’ll find, there are a ton of surprising things you would never see in any other airport. Plus, the different spots where you can actually sleep or get work done make Changi Airport the best one to have a long layover in.
Discover the gardens of Changi Airport
Getting distracted and discovering new plants is a great way to start your exploration of Changi Airport. In Terminal 2 alone, you have three magnificent gardens. And that’s just one terminal! One with orchids, another called the Enchanted garden that has its own Koi pond, and my favorite, an outdoor terrace garden full of sunflowers.
And if you think that’s all, think again.
The other terminals also boast a cactus garden, a butterfly garden, and a water lily garden. Now that’s pretty damn impressive!
Ok, so maybe the gardens aren’t your thing. So you’d rather disconnect by getting an entertainment fix? Cool, they thought of you too!
Get entertained during your long layover
They have a movie theatre, game lounge and huge screens where you can watch whatever big sports match is on. There are also over 550 internet stations across the airport and 2 hours of free wifi available for you.
Getting wifi is easy. You just have to scan your passport and you are given 2 hours of free wifi each time. There are no limits to how many times you can get free wifi, which is great considering we had 22 hours to kill! It’s perfect for getting work done or surfing the net… or both.
Still not impressed? It’s all good. We’re just getting started!
The amenities at Changi Airport
In case you want to get more active during your layover, there’s a gym, rooftop pool, and jacuzzi. You’ll also find clinics, pharmacies, convenience stores and more.
There are a ton of stores, with one of our favorites being the bookstore. Because let me tell you, English books are hard to come by in South East Asia. So seriously, why would you ever want to leave this place?
Are you getting tired from discovering all the cool things at this airport? No worries, they have rest lounges and free leg massage machines. They have a ton of restaurants and bars where you can fuel up too.
Do you have loose change left over from your stay in Singapore? They have these machines that trade your change for a surprise gift depending on how much you have left.
Not a fan of any of this, but still want to discover Singapore? Cool!
The free guided tour of Singapore
If you have at least 5.5 hours to spare, you can join one of the free 2.5 hours guided tours with two short stopovers. They have the Heritage Tour which runs 4 times daily or the City Sights Tour which runs two times a day. You’ll get to see the best of Singapore in the little time you have. Hopefully, you’ll have a sunny day, unlike our longest layover ever.
Get artsy in Changi during your layover
If art is your thing, Changi has you covered. It boasts some impressive kinetic displays. The first one that caught our eye upon arrival is a Kinetic Rain installation made of 1,216 bronze raindrop-shaped sculptures that rise and fall in incredible sequences.
The next one that left our jaws hanging open was the A Million Times at Changi. Both a kinetic art display and a real-time clock, it is the world’s largest kinetic clock.
Less flashy, but convenient AF was a feature we really liked. The fact that there was no main security checkpoint. Don’t worry though, each gate has its own security check-in, which makes getting through a breeze!
If you have to pick where you want to spend a long layover, make sure you get ‘stuck’ at Changi Airport. It seems like the 22 hours we had at the airport wasn’t enough for us to discover everything it had to offer. Guess it’s a good thing we plan on coming back! But if you have more time to spare in Singapore, check out our 3-day itinerary.
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Heard so much good things we can do on our 8 hours lay over on Feb I heared a lot of good things. I’m excited to See Singapore for the very first time.. I can’t wait🤗🤗
We hope you have an amazing time! It’s such a great place!
Are the free airport tours running again? I see they stopped them over covid times and not sure if running again, or better to book a day trip out? We have an 18 hour layover, by choice as seems so much to do. Is 18 hours too much or 14 better?
Hi Lee! Thanks for reading our blog on Changi airport. Unfortunately we can’t answer your question as we haven’t been back since 2018. But, we would say that 14 hours is more than enough to explore if you don’t plan on leaving to explore the city at all. Enjoy!
Hi, love the blog thank you for sharing!!
I have a few questions, we are thinking of doing a 23 hour layover but were wondering how it works with luggage? do the airport sort that or would we need to collect our bags and then recheck them in for the next flight?
Also do you need a visa to leave the airport to explore the city?
Hi Angharad! Thank you so much, it’s our pleasure, glad that you found it helpful.
We actually also did a 23 hour layover when we were there as well. For your luggage, it will depend on if you are flying in and out with the same airline. If it is with the same airline then they will handle your luggage for you. Otherwise you will need to take it with you. There are storage lockers you can put them in if you don’t want to bring them with you.
As for the visa question, it depends on where you are from. For us, as Canadians, we did not need a visa when we visited Singapore.
Enjoy your travels!