So I was sitting at Starbucks last Monday (the one near my office, not the fancy mall one) and my colleague Ankita comes up to me literally shaking her phone in my face. She'd just booked a Singapore tour package for her family and was SO excited. And I'm sitting there with my cold coffee thinking... oh no. Should I tell her?

Because here's the thing. I almost cancelled my Singapore trip. Like, two days before flying, I was THIS close to eating the cancellation charges and just staying home.

Let me back up a bit because this sounds dramatic and I'm not usually a dramatic person (okay maybe I am, but still). Three months ago I booked this Singapore holiday package through some website my aunt recommended. It was one of those 3 days Singapore tour package deals – looked perfect, good price, included hotels and some tours, whatever. I paid like ₹45,000 per person (maybe ₹48,000? I'm bad with numbers) and felt very proud of myself for being organized for once.

But then I started reading reviews. At 1 AM. Which is always a mistake, don't do this.

The thing nobody tells you about Singapore packages

Okay so here's my controversial take that's gonna make travel agents mad: most Singapore tour packages are kind of a scam. Not like, illegal scam. But they're designed to make you spend MORE money, not save it. And I didn't figure this out until way too late.

The package I booked included "breakfast and select meals" which sounds great until you realize "select meals" means two sad buffet lunches and that's it. Singapore is EXPENSIVE for food. Like, stupidly expensive. A basic meal at a hawker center (which is supposed to be cheap) was still ₹400-500. And the package keeps you so busy that you're always eating on the go, which means more money.

Actually wait, let me correct that. Hawker centers are cheap if you know what you're doing. I didn't know what I was doing. I kept accidentally ordering from the expensive stalls because I couldn't read the price boards properly and I was too embarrassed to ask. My friend Sanjay (who lives in Singapore, lucky guy) later told me I was paying tourist prices at a local place which is like... the worst of both worlds?

But before I get into the money stuff, let me tell you what almost made me cancel.

The "free time" lie

The itinerary said "free time for shopping and leisure" on day two. Sounds nice right? Here's what actually happened: we finished the morning tour (Universal Studios, which was actually pretty good despite the insane crowds) at around 2 PM. We were supposed to have "free time" until 6 PM. Great!

Except our hotel was in some random area near Geylang (I think? Geography is not my strong point). Getting to Orchard Road for shopping meant a 30-minute MRT ride. Then we had to be BACK by 6 PM for the night tour. So actual shopping time? Maybe an hour and a half if we rushed. My feet were already killing me from Universal and honestly I just wanted to nap.

I'm rambling, sorry. But this is the thing about Singapore tour package 3 days 2 nights deals specifically – three days is NOT enough time, but the packages are structured like it is. You're rushing everywhere. It's exhausting. And they never tell you this upfront.

When I was researching (after booking, because I'm smart like that), I found out most Singapore tours do this same thing. Pack in maximum sightseeing, minimum actual experience. You're not really in Singapore, you're just... passing through really fast while someone checks boxes off a list.

Hot take: I think four days is the minimum for Singapore if you're doing a package. Five is better. Three days is only worth it if you're doing a stopover on the way to somewhere else. Fight me on this.

The hidden costs are INSANE

Okay so remember how I said ₹45,000 per person? Here's what that didn't include (and I wish someone had told me this before):

• Any drinks except breakfast
• Entry to half the attractions they showed in the photos (apparently "see the Marina Bay Sands" means looking at it from outside, not going up)
• Tips for guides (they really push for this, it got awkward)
• Transport to/from airport at decent times
• Any activities that aren't on the exact schedule

I ended up spending another ₹25,000 easily. Maybe more. My credit card bill made me cry a little.

The Singapore tour package price they advertise is basically meaningless. It's like how airlines advertise base fares and then add a million charges. I felt so stupid for not realizing this earlier.

My friend Neha did Singapore last year and she just booked everything separately – hotel through some app, attraction tickets online, figured out the MRT herself. She said it was cheaper AND more flexible. I didn't believe her at the time because packages feel safer, you know? But now I'm thinking she was right. (Don't tell her I said that, she'll never let me hear the end of it.)

What actually made me NOT cancel

So two days before the flight, I was seriously googling cancellation policies at like 11 PM. My boyfriend thought I was being crazy (he was probably right). But then my cousin Riya – she'd done Singapore local tour packages before – called me and basically talked me off the ledge.

She said: look, yes the package sucks in some ways, but Singapore is HARD to navigate if you've never been. The MRT is confusing until you figure it out. The heat is brutal (this was July, it was like 35 degrees and humid, ugh). Having someone else handle logistics for the first trip isn't the worst thing.

And... she was kind of right? Does that even make sense?

Like, day one I was still annoyed about the package. Day two I was too tired to care. Day three I was actually grateful someone else was dealing with directions and tickets and timing because my brain was just done. Singapore is beautiful but it's also overwhelming – everything is so clean and efficient and there are rules for EVERYTHING. I saw someone get fined for eating on the MRT. Just eating! A banana!

The tour guide (his name was something like Raj? Rajiv? I'm terrible with names) knew all the shortcuts, knew which hawker stalls were good, knew when to avoid Sentosa because of crowds. That knowledge was actually worth something.

Would I book a Singapore holiday package again?

Honestly... maybe? But different.

If I went back (and I kind of want to, there's so much I didn't see), I'd do like a 5-day thing. Or I'd book one of those Singapore travel package deals that's more flexible – like hotel and airport transfer included but you plan your own days. Those exist apparently, Ankita found one while I was explaining all this to her at Starbucks.

The super structured 3-day packages are good for people who hate planning. My parents would probably love it. They don't want to think about anything, just show up and follow someone around. But if you like having control over your time and you don't mind googling stuff... I don't know. Just book the flights and hotel separately?

I'm probably wrong about this but I think Singapore is one of those places that's actually EASY to do without a package once you get over the initial intimidation. The city is so tourist-friendly. Everything is in English. The MRT is actually pretty simple once you use it twice. And there are so many blogs and YouTube videos about what to do.

Okay this sounds stupid but what I really wish existed was like... a half-package? Where they book your hotel in a good location and give you a list of recommended things with pre-bought tickets, but you do it all at your own pace. Does that exist? Someone should make that exist.

Random things I learned that might help

If you're booking a Singapore tour package (against my advice lol), here's what I wish I'd known:

Check the hotel location properly. Like, really properly. Pull up Google Maps and see how far it is from MRT stations and main areas. Our hotel looked fine in photos but it was in a weird spot.

The "all attractions included" thing is usually a lie. Read the fine print. They count stuff like the Merlion (which is just a statue you can see for free anyway) as an "attraction."

Book your Singapore tour package 3 days 2 nights thing way in advance if you're going during school holidays. Prices jump like crazy. I booked in April for July travel and it was okay, but my colleague just tried to book for December and the Singapore tour package price was literally double.

Actually bring comfortable shoes. I know everyone says this but ACTUALLY DO IT. I wore cute sandals day one and wanted to die. Singapore involves so much walking.

The airport is amazing and you'll want to spend time there, so maybe don't book the super early morning flight out? We had like 4 hours and honestly it wasn't enough to see everything at Changi. I'm still mad we rushed through.

Anyway I need to finish this report for work that I've been avoiding. But yeah, Ankita decided to keep her booking after our chat. I think she'll be fine? Singapore is pretty hard to completely mess up, even with a mediocre package.

Have you been to Singapore? Am I being too harsh about the packages?