By the WahLiao desk · Last verified 28 September 2026
The best way to get around Singapore is the MRT, paid by tapping your own contactless bank card or phone at the gantry. Buses fill the gaps, and taxis or Grab take over late at night, with luggage, or when four of you are splitting the fare. Adult card fares start at S$1.28 and rise with distance; foreign-issued cards add S$0.60 per day of use.
Singapore’s public transport is the rare kind that visitors can use from the first hour. It is signposted in English, air-conditioned, and priced by distance rather than by zone. What trips people up is not the system but the small print: tapping out, the card that cannot be shared, the one fruit you cannot carry. Here it is.
Getting around Singapore: quick facts
| How to pay | Tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard or American Express card, or a phone wallet. No ticket needed |
| Fares | Adult card fares from S$1.28, rising with distance, not with the number of rides |
| Foreign card fee | S$0.60 per day of use |
| Singapore Tourist Pass | S$17 (1 day), S$24 (2), S$29 (3), S$37 (4), S$45 (5); unlimited basic buses and trains |
| Hours | Trains run from about 5.30am to around midnight; check the last train on longer trips |
| Taxis and apps | Metered taxis plus Grab, Gojek, Zig, Tada, Ryde and Geolah |
| Directions | Google Maps handles MRT and bus routes well |
The WahLiao Verdict
| Cost | About S$6 to S$10 a day by train and bus. |
| What you get | Clean, frequent, air-conditioned trains to almost every sight a visitor wants. |
| The alternative | Taxis and Grab everywhere, at five to ten times the price. |
| Worth it for | Everyone, most of the day. |
| Skip it if | It is past 11pm, you have suitcases, or you are four people going the same way. |
The MRT: the lines visitors actually use
Six MRT lines cross the island, each with its own colour and station codes. You will use four or five of them. Transfers inside the network are free; you only tap in at the start and out at the end.
| Line | Stations visitors use |
|---|---|
| East West (green) | Changi Airport (via Tanah Merah), Bugis, City Hall, Raffles Place, Tanjong Pagar |
| North South (red) | Orchard, Somerset, City Hall, Raffles Place, Marina Bay |
| Downtown (blue) | Bugis, Bayfront (Marina Bay Sands), Downtown, Chinatown, Botanic Gardens |
| North East (purple) | HarbourFront (for Sentosa), Chinatown, Clarke Quay, Little India |
| Circle (orange) | HarbourFront, Botanic Gardens, Promenade, Bayfront |
| Thomson-East Coast (brown) | Orchard, Maxwell (Maxwell Food Centre), Marina Bay, Gardens by the Bay |
A few house rules keep the trains the way they are. Do not eat or drink on trains or in stations; the fine goes up to S$500. Durians are not allowed on board. Stand on the left of the escalator and walk on the right. Give priority seats to those who need them.
Paying: your own card, an EZ-Link card, or the Tourist Pass
For most visitors, your own contactless card is the answer. Tap it at the gantry going in and again coming out, and the right fare is charged. Each traveller needs their own card or phone; one card cannot pay for two people.
The Singapore Tourist Pass costs S$17 for one day or S$29 for three. Here is the arithmetic. Five rides a day at around S$1.80 each, plus the S$0.60 card fee, comes to about S$9.60, which is what the 3-day pass costs per day. So the pass pays only if you ride more than about five times a day, every day. It does not cover the Sentosa Express or premium buses.
An EZ-Link card, sold at station ticket offices and at Changi, suits visitors whose bank charges heavy foreign transaction fees. For how distance fares and transfers work, read MRT and Bus Fares in Singapore.
Buses: tap on, and tap off
Buses reach the places trains skip, and a seat at the front of a double-decker’s upper deck is the cheapest city tour there is. Tap your card when you board, and tap again when you get off. Forget the second tap and you pay the fare to the end of the route.
Every stop has a five-digit number and a list of services on its sign. Google Maps knows them all and will tell you which bus is coming.
Taxis, Grab and the other apps
Taxis are metered and honest, and drivers take cards. In the city centre, join a taxi stand rather than waving from the kerb. Surcharges apply at peak hours, after midnight, from the airport and in the city centre; Taxi, Grab or Gojek in Singapore sets out every one.
Grab, Gojek, Zig, Tada, Ryde and Geolah all work here. The app shows the price before you book, which visitors like. Install one and add your card before you land.
Walking, and the heat
Central Singapore is compact, and much of it is linked by covered walkways and underground passages between stations and malls. Walk in the morning and after sunset; take the train in the early afternoon. Carry water, and top it up from any tap.
Some of the best walks are the obvious ones: the Marina Bay waterfront loop, the Singapore River from Boat Quay to Robertson Quay, and the shophouse streets of Chinatown and Kampong Glam. For the islands, Ferries to Pulau Ubin and the Southern Islands has the times and fares.
Getting around Singapore: FAQ
Can tourists use a credit card on the MRT?
Yes. Tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard or American Express card, or a phone wallet, at the gantry. Foreign-issued cards pay a S$0.60 admin fee per day of use.
Is the Singapore Tourist Pass worth it?
Only if you ride more than about five times a day. For most visitors, tapping their own card costs less.
What time does the MRT close?
Trains run from about 5.30am until around midnight, with last trains varying by line and station. After that, take a taxi or a ride-hailing car.
Is Grab available in Singapore?
Yes, alongside Gojek, Zig, Tada, Ryde and Geolah. Prices are shown before you book.
Can I eat or drink on the MRT?
No. Eating and drinking are banned on trains and in stations, with fines of up to S$500. Finish your kopi before the gantry.
Read next
This page belongs to Visiting Singapore, our guide for first-time visitors. Arriving? Start with Changi Airport to the City. Choosing a base? Read Where to Stay in Singapore. For the rules that come with the trains, see Singapore Laws and Fines Visitors Should Know.
Also on WahLiao: How to Pay for the MRT and Buses · SIM Cards, eSIMs and Wi-Fi · Singapore With Kids
Sources checked 28 September 2026: SimplyGo, payment modes and admin fee; Singapore Tourist Pass; Changi Airport, Leaving the Airport; Silverdoor on the MRT eating and drinking ban; WahLiao’s MRT and bus fares and taxi surcharges guides. The ride arithmetic is illustrative. Last updated 28 September 2026.
