12 Things to Do at Changi Airport: An Extraordinary Way to Transit

This is not an airport where you stare at the departure board, buy an overpriced snack and count down the minutes. A Changi Airport transit can genuinely feel like part of your holiday, whether you’ve only got a couple of hours or enough time to stretch it into a mini adventure. Changi is built for exactly that, with gardens, lounges, a rooftop pool and Jewel right next door - there are plenty of things to do. 

Our House of Travel Singapore specialist shares how to make the most of your layover, depending on how long you’ve got.

1. Sunflower garden and Orchid-inspired garden spaces

Fresh air, runway views and zero effort required.

Need a reset between flights? Head for the Sunflower Garden in Terminal 2, which is open 24-hours and has free entry. Take a breath of fresh air with runway views. If gardens are your thing, Terminal 2’s Enchanted Garden is another easy wander that feels a long way from the gate. Both give you a breather between flights without having to linger around your departure gate.

2. Free cinema and gaming zone

Because staring at the departure board is nobody's idea of a good time.

Singapore's Changi Airport makes it easy to switch off with fantastic, free entertainment you wont find at any other airport. Terminal 3 runs a 24/7 movie theatre, and Terminal 4 has the Entertainment Corner with arcade-style games. With such great ways to spend your transit time, gone are the days of circling duty-free and pacing the departure lounge.  

3. Premium lounge access

Freshen up, grab a bite and relax - Your HOT consultant will sort the details.

A long-haul connection feels completely different when you've had a satisfying meal and a hot shower. Lounge access turns a rushed transit into something a lot more civilized. Talk to your House of Travel consultant about the right option for your journey.

4. Rooftop pool, Terminal 1

Yes, you read that right. An airport pool. With runaway views.

The rooftop pool at Aerotel in Singapore's Changi Airport Terminal 1 comes with runway views, a jacuzzi, showers and towels, which makes it one of the best Changi Airport layover upgrades if you have time to spare. Go before 8am and you'll practically have it to yourself. It's one of the most underrated upgrades on any long-haul journey through Singapore.

Jewel Changi Airport sits just outside the terminals and changes the meaning of a layover. Its glass-domed complex, built around the world's tallest indoor waterfall, boasts gardens, high-quality dining, attractions and a rooftop park, which makes it feel less like a transit and more like an outing. With so many things to do and see, allow yourself at least four hours to do it justice, and note that it is landside, so you'll need to clear immigration to get there. If you have a longer transit this is the perfect spot to relax - just make sure you've got enough of a buffer to get back to your gate.

5. HSBC Rain Vortex

40 metres of waterfall inside an airport. A spectacular sight to witness indoors. 

The Rain Vortex is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, plunging through the middle of Jewel over seven storeys and it's free to stand beneath. Come back at 8pm or 9pm for the light and sound show. If you’ve seen the photos, you'll know, it’s completely worth it.

6. Shiseido Forest Valley

Witness the spectacular indoor forest with 900 trees inside a glass dome. 

Wrapped around the Vortex, this lush indoor forest is all winding paths, cool air and greenery. It's the kind of place you wander into for ten minutes and come out of an hour later. An ideal place to stretch your legs without making your transit feel like hard work. Accessible from every level, feel free to explore.

7. Canopy Bridge

Glass floor, fog at both ends, views straight down onto the Vortex.

If you don’t mind heights, this gives you a bird’s-eye view across Jewel and straight onto the Vortex. Twenty-three metres above the forest floor with a glass centre - it's the photo opportunity you never knew you needed.

8. Canopy Park

Sky nets, mazes, slides and panoramic airport views. Adults love it too.

Perched on level 5, Canopy Park, boasts 14,000sqm of rooftop playground, with Sky Nets you can bounce across, a mirror maze, hedge maze and discovery slides that kids and adults love. There are garden trails, misty spaces and a few reasons to stay longer than you planned. It's booked on your ticket, so your House of Travel Consultant can pre-book your slot to skip the queue.

9. Changi Experience Studio

Interactive, hands-on and heaps of fun for families.

Enjoy twenty interactive hands-on zones, that tell the story of how Changi became the world's best airport. If you want more than shops and snacks, Changi Experience Studio adds energy to your stop and works especially well for families. Allow 45 to 60 minutes for an unhurried experience. 

10 Jewel Dining

Indulge with 280 options, from hawker style food to decadent sit-down meals.

Have the ultimate foodie experience while you transit. The basement food court has some of the most authentic Singapore hawker style food, at a fraction of restaurant prices. Relish Tim Ho Wan dim sum, Don Don Donki Japenese food and Singapore's only remaining A&W - if that's you thing. Don't miss the most delicious part of Jewel Changi Airport, all in a days transit. 

11. Free Singapore Tour

A real city experience, included with your transit.

If your transit times align, this is one of the best-kept secrets on a Singapore Changi Airport layover. Changi’s Free Singapore Tour can be pre-booked up to 50 days ahead, all you have to do is return at least 90 minutes before your flight departs. Current tour options include a City Sights Tour, which showcases iconic landmarks like Merlion Park and Gardens by the Bay, plus other themed routes. Tours run for approximately 2.5 hours, so allow a buffer and enjoy Singapore's highlights. 

12. Airport hotel day room

Your House of Travel consultant can book this as part of your itinerary, so you can rest and recover. 

If you’d rather rest than roam, book a transit hotel or day room. That gives you access to a shower, a lie-down and a reset between long-haul flights, which can make all the difference on the second leg. Singapore Changi Airport has multiple transit hotel options, which your House of Travel consultant can help arrange as part of your trip - so it's all sorted before you travel. 

Pro tip: early check-in and bag drop at Jewel

The airport hack more of us need to know. 

This is one of the best airport hacks if you’re flying with a participating airline. You may be able to check in early and drop your bags off at Jewel's Level 2 check-in lounge before exploring, which means you can enjoy everything there is to do at Jewel or on a city tour, without hauling your luggage around.

Talk to your House of Travel specialist about arranging a restful, relaxing and fun-filled transit. Book lounge access, an airport hotel or a city tour, and enjoy your Changi layover like it's part of your holiday - not the bit you have to get through.