Singapore Tourist Pass - Learn more about benefits, prices, and if it’s worth getting

Planning your next trip to Singapore? Whether you’re off to sightsee, shop or meet up with friends and family, you’ll need to know how to get about and how to make the most of your stay. One easy option for using public transport is to get a Singapore Tourist Pass¹.

This guide takes a look at options for the Singapore MRT tourist pass, where to buy a Singapore Tourist Pass, and which is best between Singapore Tourist Pass vs EZ-Link. Plus we’ll introduce another option as an all-round travel money saver - the Wise card.

What is the Singapore Tourist Pass?

You can choose from 3 different types of Singapore Tourist Pass which may appeal, depending on how long you’ll stay and what features you’re most interested in. All passes offer unlimited public transport for their validity, and can help customers get extra perks and discounts like reduced entry to popular tourist sites and cheap meals. Here’s an overview of your options.

The standard Singapore Tourist Pass is offered for 1 day, 2 days or 3 day stays. It offers unlimited use of regular public transport services - which covers most routes but does exclude a few, such as the Sentosa Express.

The SG Tourist Pass is a 3 day pass which offers unlimited use of most public transport services in Singapore. As with the standard Singapore Tourist Pass there are a few exclusions, which are worth understanding.

Finally, the Singapore Tourist Pass Plus. This card also offers 3 days of unlimited use of transport, subject to standard exclusions - and throws in a few extra perks too. You’ll get an XPlore 1 hour tour, some postcards and 5 SGD credit from Changi’s concierge service.

Of course, these tourist passes aren’t your only option if the main thing you want to do is ride public transport in Singapore. There’s also the option to buy an EZ-Link card, or to simply tap and pay with your regular debit or credit card as well.

If you choose to use your normal Malaysian card to ride the bus or train in Singapore, do check your card’s foreign transaction fee first. You might find you’re paying extra - about 3% every time because of additional charges when you pay in a foreign currency. There’s an alternative - a card like the Wise card, which lets you hold and spend SGD easily with no foreign transaction fee. There’s more on that - and the Singapore Tourist Pass or EZ-Link debate - coming up later in this guide.

Singapore Tourist Pass price

We’ve mentioned that Singapore Tourist Pass cards offer you some extras as well as more or less unlimited train and bus rides. You can also get perks like discounts on attractions and dining - but exactly what you get, and what you’ll pay, will depend on which card you pick.

First, let’s take a look at an outline of the card options - and what these different cards will set you back. We’ll dive into the extra perks and benefits after that.

Singapore Tourist Pass discounts

As well as inclusive public transport rides, your pass also nets you discounts on things like tourist attractions and dining.

There are lots of benefits to explore including perks on activities, retail, tours, wellness, activities and more.

You can get 5 SGD discounts on entry on lots of attractions - here are a few of the key options popular among visitors:

• Adventure Cove
• Artscience Museum
• Bird Paradise
• Gardens By The Bay
• Singapore Zoo
• Singapore River Cruise

Plus, when it’s time to eat, get 15% to 20% of a good range of popular restaurants. Pick from ever popular dining options like steamboat, Korean BBQ, Thai and Japanese - you can even get discounts at beach clubs on Sentosa if the sun’s out. Learn more on the Singapore Tourist Pass discounts webpage².

Where to buy Singapore Tourist Pass?

Where to buy the Singapore Tourist Pass depends on which type you want³.

Buy the standard Singapore Tourist Pass from 24 hour automated kiosks or SMRT ticketing offices, situated in MRT stations. There’s a handy location finder on the Singapore Tourist Pass if you’re not sure where to pick up your card.

If you’d prefer the SG Tourist Pass it can be bought from select branches of Cheers convenience stores - which usually have long opening hours and are in busy locations all around the city.

Finally, the Singapore Tourist Pass Plus can be bought at Changi Recommends counters in the airport - there are about 20 locations, so no matter which part of the airport you’re passing through, you’re sure to see one.

Singapore Tourist Pass vs Ez-Link

You might have also heard of the EZ-Link card⁴ as a way of paying on Singapore’s transport network. EZ-Link offers prepaid cards which you can tap and pay with when you hop on a bus or pass through an MRT barrier. EZ-Link offers automatic top up options, and credit does not expire - so you can add some balance, use your card whenever you like, and then have your card draw additional funds from your linked bank account or payment card when the balance runs low.

So which is best - Singapore Tourist Pass or EZ-Link?

To an extent whether or not the tourist pass or an EZ-Link card is right for you depends on how many rides you plan to take, and when.

The Singapore Tourist Pass is sold on a day by day rate, rather than paying for individual rides. That might make it a solid choice if you’ll be taking lots of trips on buses and trains in a single day.

Coverage for transport is unlimited - but bear in mind that it starts from first usage, and ends at the end of the public transport service for that day. So if you’ve bought a 1 day pass and activate it on your first journey at 9am, you can continue using your card right through until services close down late in the evening. On the other hand, activate your card on your way out to dinner at 8pm, and you’ll still only benefit from free transport until the services shut down a few hours later.

Your EZ-Link card is a stored value card. You add some money, and then the cost of each ride is deducted from that balance. You’re not bound by any set time limit, and your credit won’t expire. That can mean that an EZ-Link card is a good option if you’ll make frequent visits to Singapore - but it’s not free. There’s a fee of around 10 SGD to get a card, of which 5 SGD is the cost of the card itself, and 5 SGD is stored value⁵. Tap and pay up to the 5 SGD limit, but after that you’ll need to add more money to continue riding.

Weigh up both options - or consider another alternative like the Wise card, which lets you top up in ringgit, and tap and pay on buses, MRTs and in stores, with low conversion costs and no foreign transaction fees.

Avoid high conversions fees when spending SGD in Singapore with the Wise card

Off on a break to Singapore? See if you can save on MYR to SGD currency conversion with the Wise card.

Order your Wise card online and add money in MYR from your bank or Malaysian bank card. Then you can either convert to SGD instantly in your account, or just leave your balance in ringgit and allow the card to convert for you when you pay for things. In either case, there’s no foreign transaction fee and all currency conversion uses the mid-market rate. You just pay low, transparent feesfrom 0.33%.

Prefer to budget for your travels in cash? Use your Wise card at an ATM in Singapore, with 2 withdrawals to the value of 1,000 MYR for free before a low, transparent fee begins. Get cash, tap and pay in stores, add Wise to your phone for mobile payments, and use your card to enter the MRT or bus - all you need for a perfect trip to Singapore.

💳 Save on MYR to SGD conversions with the Wise card

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