The short answer
For a free day out, cycle East Coast Park, walk the MacRitchie trails early or catch the free Supertree light show at Gardens by the Bay. With more to spend, try an escape room, bowling or bouldering, which charge per head. For a birthday or a long catch-up, hire a private room by the hour and split it: 8 friends for 3 hours at The Loft pay $297 on a Friday to Sunday, about $37 each, or $177 on a Monday, about $22 each.
Most lists of fun things to do in Singapore are written for tourists. This one is for the group chat that keeps asking "so what are we doing?"
Here are 13 ideas, grouped by what they cost. Four are our own rooms, and we say plainly when they are the wrong call.
What can you do with friends for free or cheap?
1. Cycle and picnic at East Coast Park. Bring bikes, a mat and more food than you need, and set up by the sea. Go after 4pm, when the heat drops.
2. Walk the MacRitchie trails. Start early, before the sun gets strong, and end with breakfast at a hawker centre. Good for a small group that wants to talk.
3. Do a hawker food crawl. Everyone buys one dish and the table shares, so eight friends taste eight stalls for the price of one meal each.
4. Catch the Supertree light show, then walk the bay. Garden Rhapsody at Gardens by the Bay runs daily at 7.45pm and 8.45pm with free admission, and the Outdoor Gardens stay open until 2am (checked on their site in September 2026). Ticketed events such as Christmas Wonderland may bring a charge at the Supertree Grove, so check before you go.
What can you book when the group wants to go out?
These charge per person, so the bill grows with every friend who joins, and prices vary by venue. Check before you book.
5. Escape room. For friends who like arguing over a clue. Ask how many fit one room; a big group may need two.
6. Bowling. Easy for mixed skill levels, and the scoreboard keeps everyone honest.
7. Bouldering. Short climbs with long rests between turns, so there is time to talk.
8. Board game cafe. Someone else owns the games and knows the rules.
9. Cooking class. You cook the meal, then eat it. Book ahead and flag any dietary needs.
What if you want a room to yourselves?
Past six or so people, per-head outings add up and one table for everyone gets hard to find. A room hired by the hour fixes both. These four are ours.
10. The Loft, a games room for up to 40. Pool, table tennis, foosball, darts, an arcade machine, karaoke with 4 mics, mahjong and board games, over two levels near Bendemeer MRT. Drinks are allowed. From $59/hr on a Monday. Shoes come off at a taped line by the door, so wear decent socks.
11. Aphyx Studio, a two-level workshop and class space for up to 30. An 85 inch TV, a kitchen, and mahjong and board games for downtime, near Tai Seng and MacPherson MRT. Drinks are allowed. From $49/hr on a Monday. Footwear stays at the door.
12. White Pixies Studio. A bright room for up to 15 with board games, mahjong and a projector, from $40/hr Monday to Thursday. No alcohol. It is also home to White Pixies Candle Studio, whose candle making workshop (ages 9 and up) is $60 a person for up to 6, less each for more.
13. AnyBirdie golf simulator bays. Two private bays near Farrer Park MRT at $99/hr for up to 15 people. Clubs and balls are provided, and whoever is waiting gets the karaoke.
When is a room the wrong call? With two or three friends at the weekend, when 3 hours at The Loft costs $99 or more each. Do the hawker crawl. Rooms win late at night, since all four have 24 hour access.
Which idea suits your group?
Friends outing planner
Three ideas from this list that suit your group, with our rooms priced per person for 3 hours.
How do you split the cost of a private room?
A flat hourly rate gets cheaper per person with every friend who says yes. Most outings work the other way.
Take The Loft for 3 hours. From Friday to Sunday it is $297: about $37 each for 8 friends, or about $20 each for 15. On a Monday the same 3 hours is $177, about $22 each for 8. That is the local trick for a birthday or a big catch-up: fix the room and the time, then divide by whoever turns up.
Two catches. The refundable deposit ($200 at The Loft, $100 at the other three) is paid on top. And house charges are real: unbagged trash costs $20 at The Loft, so save 15 minutes to tidy.
FAQ: things to do with friends in Singapore
What can a group of friends do in Singapore on a budget?
Cycle and picnic at East Coast Park, walk the MacRitchie trails early, or do a hawker food crawl where everyone buys one dish to share. Garden Rhapsody, the Supertree light show at Gardens by the Bay, has free admission at 7.45pm and 8.45pm daily. For a room, White Pixies Studio is $40/hr Monday to Thursday, which is $15 each for 8 friends over 3 hours.
What can we do with friends at night?
Catch the 8.45pm Supertree light show and walk the bay; the Outdoor Gardens at Gardens by the Bay are open until 2am. Or book a private room. All four BGL rooms have 24 hour access, so pool, karaoke or the golf simulator bays can run past midnight.
What can we do with friends when it rains?
Head indoors: an escape room, bowling, bouldering, a board game cafe or a cooking class. Or take a room to yourselves. The Loft has pool, darts, table tennis, karaoke and mahjong for up to 40, Aphyx Studio is a workshop and class space for up to 30 with board games on the shelf, and AnyBirdie has two golf simulator bays for up to 15.
How do you split the cost of a private room?
Multiply the hourly rate by the hours, then divide by the headcount. 8 friends for 3 hours at The Loft pay $297 on a Friday to Sunday, about $37 each, or $177 on a Monday, about $22 each. The refundable deposit is paid on top and is not part of the split.
What fun things are there to do for a birthday with friends?
A private room works well, because you bring the cake, food and drinks. The Loft allows alcohol and has karaoke with 4 mics and a pool table. Aphyx Studio, mainly a workshop and class space, allows it too. White Pixies Studio suits a quieter party with a candle making workshop for ages 9 and up, but no alcohol. AnyBirdie adds two golf simulator bays.
Keep reading
Start with the pillar guide to private event venues in Singapore. For a wet weekend, read indoor activities in Singapore. Planning a party rather than a hangout? See party venues in Singapore, or small party venues for 10 to 15 guests. Golfers in the group should read where to find a driving range in Singapore, and all four rooms sit side by side on Our Spaces.
Book a room for the group chat
Send us the date, the headcount and the room you like. We will confirm the rate and the split in one message, or book online in 90 seconds.