Tips · Singapore
Singapore over Christmas and New Year: What to Prepare
Singapore in December-January: highs of 31°C and frequent monsoon showers. Weather, packing, the countdown, 31 December transport, holidays and budget.
Published
The short answer
December and January in Singapore bring average highs of 31°C and lows of 24°C, as hot and humid as the rest of the year. November to January is the monsoon, with frequent showers, and hotel rates spike around year-end.
According to the official public holiday list from Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Friday 25 December 2026 is Christmas Day and Friday 1 January 2027 is New Year's Day. Dates and programme for the 2026-2027 Marina Bay countdown are announced on the official site, so check before you go (checked 14 October 2026).
December-January weather and what to wear
The figures below are rounded 1991–2020 normals from the WMO World Weather Information Service — Meteorological Service Singapore, Singapore (WMO city data). Each line shows average high / average low / monthly rainfall.
Both months sit at 31°C by day and 24°C in the morning. December, however, gets 332 mm of rain, the most of any month, and January 222 mm.
Short sleeves and light, breathable clothes are enough, and keep a folding umbrella in your bag for showers. Air-conditioning is strong indoors, so carry a light layer, and temples ask you to cover shoulders and knees, so long trousers or a shawl help. In the midday heat, walk through the underground mall passages.
- December: 31°C / 24°C / 332 mm
- January: 31°C / 24°C / 222 mm
Year-end events: the countdown and Christmas lights
The big New Year's Eve event is the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown, presented by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, with fireworks over Marina Bay. Dates and programme for 2026-2027 are announced on the official site (marinabaycountdown.gov.sg), so check before you go.
The Singapore Tourism Board says Orchard Road, the shopping street, is decked out with lights for the Christmas season, and that a Christmas event at Gardens by the Bay offers light displays and attractions. This year's dates are announced by the official sources, so check before you go (checked 14 October 2026).
Apart from these events, Gardens by the Bay holds the Garden Rhapsody Supertree light show every evening, and the outdoor gardens and Supertrees are free. The evening light show is visible from Merlion Park. Check each official source for any special year-end hours.
31 December and public holidays: getting around and crowds
According to the countdown's official transport page, certain roads and lanes around Marina Bay close on New Year's Eve (31 December), so the public is encouraged to use the MRT. To manage crowds, entry to key areas around the Bay is regulated and areas close when they reach capacity, and some MRT station exits in the Marina Bay area may be closed if necessary (checked 14 October 2026).
The page warns of longer waits at stations and stops when arriving and when crowds disperse, so allow plenty of time. The official site shares crowd updates on the night through a crowd map, and asks you to check the rail operators’ official websites for changes to train operating hours.
Taxi and ride-hailing app fares rise at rush hour and in the rain. Check each sight's official information to see whether it opens on the Christmas Day (25 December 2026) and New Year's Day (1 January 2027) holidays.
Planning a year-end itinerary
Singapore suits 2 to 4 days. The day-by-day route is in the Singapore in One Day post and the Singapore travel guide's itinerary, so this section only covers what to keep in mind when fitting it into a year-end trip.
- A Marina Bay day: combine Merlion Park and the Marina Bay Sands area, the Gardens by the Bay domes and the evening Supertree show. Access around the Bay may be restricted on 31 December, so you may prefer to put this route on another day.
- Botanic Gardens morning: walk there in the cooler morning, then shop on Orchard Road, have a hawker meal in Chinatown and end the evening by the river at Clarke Quay.
- Sentosa and the Night Safari: reach Sentosa from the HarbourFront station area by the Sentosa Express monorail or the boardwalk, and get Night Safari tickets ahead because it is popular.
- Kampong Glam: visits to the Sultan Mosque are limited during Friday prayers. Both 25 December 2026 and 1 January 2027 are Fridays, so plan the day accordingly.
- Last day: visit the Rain Vortex indoor waterfall at Jewel Changi before heading to the airport. Entry to the main area is free.
Getting around and daily budget
From Changi Airport, take the MRT East-West Line and change at Tanah Merah (or Expo) for trains into the city: about 30-45 minutes and about 2-2.5 SGD. With luggage or late at night, a taxi or ride-hailing app is easiest (about 20-30 minutes, about 25-40 SGD), and an airport surcharge applies.
In the city, tap a contactless bank card or phone wallet on both the MRT and buses, and tap off when leaving the bus. Eating or drinking on the MRT is fined.
Daily budgets per person run about 90 SGD on a budget (hostel, hawker food, MRT), about 250 SGD mid-range (4-star hotel, restaurants, attraction tickets) and about 600 SGD+ for comfort (Marina Bay luxury hotel, fine dining). Hotel rates spike around year-end, so allow more for your stay. A hawker meal costs about 5-8 SGD; restaurant bills often add a 10% service charge plus 9% GST, and tipping is not expected.
Checklist before you go
Go through these one by one before you leave.
- Stay: hotel rates spike around year-end, so check your accommodation budget first
- Entry: check entry requirements, including the SG Arrival Card, in the official information before you go
- Clothes: short sleeves and light clothes, a light layer for air-conditioning, something to cover shoulders and knees for temples, a folding umbrella
- Countdown: check the 2026-2027 schedule and road closures on the official site (marinabaycountdown.gov.sg)
- Holidays: check whether sights open on 25 December 2026 (Friday) and 1 January 2027 (Friday) in each official source
- Tickets: get Night Safari tickets ahead
- Banned items: leave chewing gum and vapes at home; durians are banned on the MRT
- Full Singapore travel guide →
- Incheon → Singapore flights →
- Singapore Changi Airport to the City: MRT or Taxi? →
- Singapore with Kids in 4 Days: Areas, Itinerary, Transport and Budget →
- Heading to a city over Christmas and New Year — what should you expect? →
- Planning a year-end or winter-break trip — where to go and what to do first →
Plan your Singapore trip
We never take payment — compare, then book on the official partner site.
FAQ
What is Singapore's weather like in December and January?
As normals, average high / average low / monthly rainfall are 31°C / 24°C / 332 mm in December and 31°C / 24°C / 222 mm in January. November to January is the monsoon with frequent showers, so carry a folding umbrella.
Where can I check the Marina Bay countdown schedule?
Dates and programme for 2026-2027 are announced on the official site (marinabaycountdown.gov.sg), so check before you go. The official transport page encourages using the MRT because of road closures around the Bay on 31 December.
Which public holidays fall over the year-end?
According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026 and New Year's Day on Friday 1 January 2027 are public holidays. Check each sight's official information to see whether it opens.
Is a year-end trip more expensive?
Hotel rates spike around year-end. Daily budgets per person run about 90 SGD on a budget, about 250 SGD mid-range and about 600 SGD+ for comfort, so allow more for your stay.
Related reading
ⓘ Photo credits
- Merlion Park · Chandu7299 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rain Vortex, Jewel Changi Airport · Jorge Láscar / CC BY 2.0
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building · Eavesdropper6735 / CC BY 4.0