Singapore Saturday Explorer — Family Day Tours to Singapore from Johor Bahru for MEC Families (Jan–Feb 2027)

Singapore is one border crossing away from Johor Bahru. With children, though, buying bus tickets, clearing two immigration checks, queuing for admission and planning the day is hard work. The Singapore Saturday Explorer does that work for you. You board the coach outside your accommodation, follow a guide for the day, and are dropped back at your door.

Prices in this article are planned prices. We are selecting the operator from travel agencies registered with the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism. Final prices and the booking page will be announced at the end of November 2026.

At a glance

Dates	Every Saturday, 2 January – 27 February 2027, 8 departures (no tour on 6 February, Lunar New Year)
Who	Open to everyone (a family tour with parents) · discounts for MEC student families only
Pick-up and drop-off	Forest City and Fraser Place, Puteri Harbour (two pick-up points planned)
Duration	About 9–10 hours from boarding to drop-off
Group size	12 to 40 people per departure (one coach)
Included	Return coach, licensed English-speaking guide, one paid attraction per route
Coach	We use a tour coach registered in Malaysia.
Not included	Meals (all meals at your own cost), personal shopping
Language	English
Operated by	A Malaysian registered travel agency, in cooperation with MEC Academy

Four routes, repeating every four weeks

The four routes run in order, so a family staying a month can do all four.

No.	Date	Route	Departs	Returns
1	2 Jan	A Marina Bay	Afternoon	Late evening
2	9 Jan	B University visit (being arranged)	Morning	Early evening
3	16 Jan	C Sentosa	Afternoon	Late evening
4	23 Jan	D Heritage districts	Afternoon	Late evening
5	30 Jan	A Marina Bay	Afternoon	Late evening
–	6 Feb	No tour (Lunar New Year)	–	–
6	13 Feb	B University visit (being arranged)	Morning	Early evening
7	20 Feb	C Sentosa	Afternoon	Late evening
8	27 Feb	D Heritage districts	Afternoon	Late evening

Every route takes about 9–10 hours from boarding the coach at your accommodation to being dropped back there. Exact meeting and departure times will be sent separately by the operator and also announced by MEC. Arrival times can vary with the border crossing (Tuas Second Link) into central Singapore and with Saturday evening traffic on the way back. The timetables below show the order of the day, which may change on the day.

A Marina Bay (afternoon departure · about 9–10 hours)

When	Plan
Afternoon	Depart (meet before departure, passport check)
Afternoon	Singapore Discovery Centre, admission included
Late afternoon	Merlion Park
Dusk	Lau Pa Sat, Satay Street (dinner at your own cost)
Evening	Garden Rhapsody light show at Supertree Grove (timed to the show)
Night	Board the coach
Late evening	Arrive back

B University visit — NUS and the Botanic Gardens (morning departure · about 9–10 hours)

Route B is still being arranged with the university (NUS). If a visit is not possible because of the university's schedule, we go to the Science Centre Singapore instead. We will confirm when the booking page opens at the end of November.

The easiest route for young children: you are back in the early evening.

When	Plan
Morning	Depart (bring a breakfast snack)
Late morning	National University of Singapore (NUS) campus tour (Science Centre Singapore if not available)
Midday	Student canteen or a nearby restaurant (lunch at your own cost)
Early afternoon	Singapore Botanic Gardens and National Orchid Garden, admission included
Afternoon	Free time on Orchard Road
Late afternoon	Board the coach
Early evening	Arrive back

C Sentosa — luge and beach (afternoon departure · about 9–10 hours)

When	Plan
Afternoon	Depart (bring swimwear, a change of clothes and a towel)
Late afternoon	Skyline Luge Sentosa, included
Dusk	Siloso Beach (children swim only with a parent)
Evening	Free time on the beach (dinner at your own cost)
Night	Board the coach
Late evening	Arrive back

Children under 110 cm ride the luge with a parent. Children under 85 cm cannot ride.

D Heritage districts and river cruise (afternoon departure · about 9–10 hours)

When	Plan
Afternoon	Depart (wear clothes covering shoulders and knees for temple visits)
Afternoon	Little India, Tekka Centre
Late afternoon	Kampong Glam, Sultan Mosque and the Haji Lane murals
Dusk	Chinatown walk (Lunar New Year lights in Jan–Feb)
Evening	Free time in Chinatown (dinner at your own cost)
Evening	Singapore River cruise, included (Marina Bay at night)
Night	Board the coach
Late evening	Arrive back

If it rains, A moves into Marina Bay Sands mall, B to the Science Centre and Orchard Road malls, C into VivoCity, and D into hawker centres and indoor arcades.

Less for parents to organise

• Tickets are bought in advance by the operator, so there is no queuing on the day
• Swimwear and spare clothes stay on the coach
• Commentary and instructions are in English
• Live updates on location and meeting times in a parents' chat group

Parents look after their own children. The tour leader handles the schedule, safety and the border, and the guide explains the sights. Each family gets a team number and name tags with parent and tour-leader contacts on the back, and heads are counted at every boarding, every move and both border checks.

Planned prices

One price for every route, and the admission for one paid attraction is included, so there are no tickets to buy on the day. The return coach, a licensed English-speaking guide and pick-up at your accommodation are included too.

	Planned price (per person)
Per person (5 and over, adults and children alike)	RM 390
Under 5	RM 300

These are planned prices. Final prices will be announced at the end of November once the operator is confirmed. Meals are not provided.

MEC family benefits

• MEC family discount, 15% off — for MEC students and every family member travelling with them, whatever their accommodation, for the whole course.

Families who have already applied to MEC will receive a separate email explaining how their benefits apply. Your benefit code will be sent by your agency or by MEC before the booking page opens. Anyone can book the tour, but these discounts apply to MEC student families only.

Booking and payment

1. End of November — the operator's booking page is announced through MEC and your agency.
2. Choose the date, route and number of people on the booking page and enter your benefit code. Parent consent, allergies, medical conditions and an emergency contact are entered there too.
3. You pay the operator directly, by card or by bank transfer to a Malaysian account. MEC does not collect tour payments.
4. Booking for each departure closes on the Saturday 30 days before. If fewer than 12 people sign up, that departure moves to the next date for the same route, or you get a full refund.

Cancellation and refunds

The same as MEC's course tuition refund policy. There is no registration fee for the tour, so cancelling a month before departure gets a full refund. Counted back from the departure date, from the day the written cancellation request is received.

When	Refund
28 days or more before	100%
27–15 days before	70%
14–8 days before	50%
Within 7 days, or no-show	None
Cancelled by the operator (too few people, bad weather)	100%, or move to the next departure

What to bring and crossing the border

A missing passport or arrival form keeps the whole coach waiting at the border, so the tour leader checks again three days before departure.

Required	Original passport, valid for 6+ months (everyone, including children)
Required	SG Arrival Card, completed online within 3 days of entry, free
Required	Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) for re-entry, completed within 3 days
Bring	Hat, sunscreen, water bottle, umbrella or raincoat, some Singapore dollars, a card that works abroad
Route C	Swimwear, change of clothes, towel, plastic bag
Route D	Clothes covering shoulders and knees
Not allowed	Chewing gum, e-cigarettes (fined in Singapore)

At the border everyone leaves the coach with their bags for Malaysian exit and again for Singapore entry. Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese passports need no visa for short visits to Singapore, and Chinese passports are covered by the mutual visa exemption. Please check before departure how leaving and re-entering Malaysia affects your stay for your nationality.

Questions

Can children go without a parent? No. This is a family tour, and each family needs at least one parent on the coach.

What language is the tour in? English. There is no Korean- or Chinese-speaking guide.

Are meals included? No. All meals are at your own cost. At meal times the guide points you to nearby restaurants and food courts.

Can we join more than once? Yes. The four routes repeat every four weeks, so a family staying a month can pick a different route each week. The 15% MEC family discount applies every time.

We are worried about late returns. Route B leaves in the morning and is back in the early evening. It is still being arranged with NUS; if the university visit is not possible, we go to the Science Centre Singapore instead.

Can people who are not MEC students join? Yes, anyone can book. The 15% MEC family discount does not apply, so the standard price is charged.

What if it rains? By the evening before, the operator decides on an indoor route or a cancellation and posts it in the parents' chat group.

Timetables and inclusions may change as we finalise the operator. For questions, contact your agency or MEC Academy.