Bintan & Batam: Best Day Trips from Singapore 2026
Bintan and Batam are Indonesia’s two Riau Islands closest to Singapore, both reachable by a short ferry crossing, but they serve genuinely different trip types, Batam for an affordable city-and-spa day trip, Bintan for a dedicated beach resort escape.
Prices verified: July 28, 2026. All prices USD, per-person or per room per night, Klook.
Batam: activities
| Activity | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 Day Batam City Private Tour | Rp392,388 ($21.69) |
| Spa Central Packages in Batam | Rp502,742 ($27.79) |
| Batam Island Full-Day Cultural Tour | Rp1,104,440 ($61.05) |
| Ranoh Island Experience from Singapore | Rp1,610,981 ($89.05) |
| 1 Day Batam Premium Tour with Singapore Ferry Ticket & Lunch | Rp1,634,499 ($90.35) |
Batam’s tours emphasize city touring, shopping, and spa packages, a budget-friendly alternative to Singapore’s own spa and retail pricing, reachable and returnable in a single day.
Bintan: activities
| Activity | Price |
|---|---|
| Snorkeling, Kayaking & Fun Fishing | Rp854,788 ($47.25) |
| Doulos Phos Heritage Tour with Sunset Dinner | Rp841,039 ($46.49) |
| Bintan Tanjung Pinang Half-Day Tour | Rp1,191,276 ($65.85) |
| Bintan Hiking Challenge with Lunch | Rp1,232,885 ($68.15) |
| Club Med Bintan Resort All-Inclusive Pass | Rp1,629,072 ($90.05) |
Doulos Phos deserves special mention, the world’s oldest active ocean-going passenger ship, now permanently docked in Bintan as a heritage hotel and museum after decades as a floating bookstore and missionary vessel, a genuinely unique landmark with no equivalent anywhere else covered in this site’s Indonesia content.
Where to stay: Batam
| Hotel | Price/night |
|---|---|
| Amaris Hotel Nagoya Hill - Batam | Rp529,154 ($29.25) |
| KTM Resort | Rp613,276 ($33.90) |
| Santika Hotel Batam | Rp813,179 ($44.95) |
| Holiday Inn Resort Batam | Rp1,073,686 ($59.35) |
Where to stay: Bintan
| Hotel | Price/night |
|---|---|
| Bintan Exotica Resort | Rp1,009,464 ($55.80) |
| Doulos Phos The Ship Hotel | Rp1,520,528 ($84.05) |
| Four Points by Sheraton Bintan, Lagoi Bay | Rp1,604,469 ($88.69) |
| Holiday Inn Resort Bintan Lagoi Beach | Rp2,508,282 ($138.65) |
| The Sanchaya | Rp11,518,381 ($636.70) |
Bintan’s Lagoi Bay resort strip (Four Points, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo) is a purpose-built resort enclave, comparable in concept to Bali’s Nusa Dua but considerably closer to Singapore. The Sanchaya stands well apart at Rp11,518,381 ($636.70), an ultra-luxury boutique resort, roughly 4-7x the price of Bintan’s other 5-star chain properties.
Batam vs Bintan: the real decision
Batam functions as an affordable urban day trip, shopping, city touring, and spa treatments at prices well below Singapore’s own. Bintan is a genuine resort destination, most visitors come for a multi-night beach stay at Lagoi Bay rather than a single day of sightseeing. Pick Batam if the goal is a quick, cheap escape from Singapore; pick Bintan if a proper beach resort break is the actual goal.
Ferry logistics
Both islands are reached by ferry from Singapore’s HarbourFront (for Batam) or Tanah Merah (for Bintan) terminals, roughly 45 minutes to Batam and slightly longer to Bintan. Several tour packages, including the Batam Premium Tour above, bundle the ferry ticket directly into the price, simplifying the booking to one transaction rather than arranging the crossing separately.
Passport and entry requirements
Both islands are part of Indonesia, meaning standard Indonesian entry requirements apply even on a same-day trip, bring your passport, not just an ID, and check current visa-on-arrival or visa-exemption rules for your nationality before traveling, these do change periodically and a day-trip crossing doesn’t exempt you from standard immigration procedure.
Currency on the ground
While Singapore dollars are widely accepted in Bintan’s resort areas and parts of Batam given the heavy Singaporean day-tripper traffic, Indonesian rupiah gets better value outside the main tourist zones. Withdrawing a small amount of rupiah on arrival, or carrying a mix of both currencies, avoids the less favorable exchange rate typically applied when paying in Singapore dollars directly.
One island, or both
Batam and Bintan aren’t directly ferry-connected to each other in a way that makes combining both in a single Singapore trip practical, most travelers pick one based on the trip type (city day trip vs beach resort stay) rather than trying to see both on the same visit.
Comparing platforms for booking
Both islands’ activities and hotels in this guide run through Klook, see the GetYourGuide vs Klook Indonesia comparison for how the two platforms differ if you’re also planning a Bali or Java leg of the same trip.
Prices verified as of July 28, 2026.
Book these while you’re there
Sand Dune & Blue Lake Private Tour with Tour Guide By Bintan Fortune
Bintan Mangrove / Fireflies Tour
Bintan Mangrove/Safari Lagoi/Sand Dune and Blue Lake/Snorkeling Tour
Chill Cove Ticket in Treasure Bay Bintan
Doulos Phos The Ship Hotel
Signature Of D'BINTAN SPA
Full Body Massage By D'Bintan Salon Day Spa
Bintan Island Full-Day Private Guided Tour
#bintan#batam#singapore#indonesia
Frequently Asked Questions
Bintan or Batam, which is better for a day trip from Singapore?
Batam for a cheaper, more urban day trip with shopping, spas, and city touring. Bintan for a genuine resort escape, Lagoi Bay's beach resorts are the draw, not a city visit.
How do I get to Bintan or Batam from Singapore?
By ferry from Singapore's HarbourFront or Tanah Merah terminals, roughly 45 minutes to Batam and slightly longer to Bintan. Several Klook tour packages bundle the ferry ticket directly into the tour price.
Is Bintan's Doulos Phos worth visiting?
Yes, it's a genuine landmark, the world's oldest active ocean-going passenger ship, now a permanently docked heritage hotel and museum, a unique stop unlike anything else in the region.
What's Bintan's most expensive verified hotel?
The Sanchaya at Rp11,518,381 ($636.70)/night, a standalone ultra-luxury resort well above every other hotel in this data, including Bintan's other 5-star properties.