All you need to know to visit Gardens by the Bay like a Pro

This article on Gardens by the Bay in Singapore was last updated in June 2020.

Gardens by the Bay is a feat of engineering, one of the most well known and visited of all of Singapore attractions with 50 million in 2018 and one of the most Instagrammable places in Singapore. It’s a great place to visit when the sun is shining or when it rains in Singapore. It’s like visiting an outdoor museum where the paintings are flowers and sculptures are trees.

About Gardens by the Bay

It helps to learn a bit more about Gardens by the Bay before visiting so that you can understand how it all started and can appreciate the various parts of this amazing place.

The park is located on reclaimed land behind Marina Bay Sands Hotel and was announced during the 2005 National Day Rally by the Prime Minister as part of the city’s plans to transform itself from a Garden City to a City in a Garden. 

After an international design competition won by Grant Associates, the park finally opened in 2012 and changed the city’s skyline forever. It also favorably improved Singapore’s Feng Shui because it sits on an imaginary dragon’s nose drawn from a head over the Marina area.

According to a study by Treepedia and MIT that looked at the amount of green canopy in the world’s major cities, Singapore is the greenest with 30% coverage, and that is in part thanks to Gardens by the Bay which occupies a total of over 100 hectares (that is one kilometer by one kilometer). 

The accolades don’t end there. Gardens by the Bay has won many awards for its architecture and environmentally sustainable design of its Conservatory buildings (Flower Dome and Cloud Forest) as well as for its famous Avatar-ish Supertrees.

Above all, Gardens by the Bay is a fantastic place to visit in Singapore, my favorite part of the city and one which I have visited over 100 times. It helps that I used to live nearby and would go at least once a week. Even now, when I am a 30min walk away, I still come almost on a weekly basis, usually in the evenings, when the heat and the tourists have dissipated.

But don’t take my word for it, the Singapore Tourism Board estimates that the park receives over 50 million visits. Bearing in mind there are just under 6 million Singaporeans and that the City receives less than 20million international arrivals, which means that many Singaporeans and residents like me visit more than once a year.

Getting your bearings 

Gardens by the Bay is made of three parts, although most visitors will stay on Bay South Garden which is where the Supertrees, Flower Dome and Cloud Forest are. However, Bay East Garden is one of the best places to see the sunset in Singapore and a largely empty part of the park.

Bay South Garden

This is where most of the tourist attractions in Gardens by the Bay such as the Conservatories are located and the part that most visitors will stay in.

The garden was designed to emulate an orchid, which is the national flower of Singapore and starts with the roots at the Conservatories and the blooms at the Supertrees.

The list below follows a sort of logical path starting at the Barrage which has a taxi stop and is a good place to stop for some affordable snacks and ending at Bayfront MRT Station. You could also start at Bayfront MRT station and do the itinerary in reverse order or even simply walk back to Bayfront from the Barrage but allow for 45min for that. 

Alternatively, you can skip the Barrage, which is a bit far away from the rest, and see all the other parts one way and then take the shuttle back to Bayfront MRT.

At the end of this article, you can find a few other alternative itineraries depending on the time of day you decide to visit. 

Picnic at the Marina Barrage

The Marina Barrage may seem like an engineering room designed to manage the inflow of water from the Singapore River and the sea, but it is much more than just that and one of the best-kept secrets of Gardens by the Bay.

What is so special about it? Its roof!

Available for rent for private events, but rarely so, the roof of the Barrage is covered in fluffy green grass and is a popular place for locals to come enjoy a picnic or fly a kite. This is one of the few places in Singapore where you can actually do so.

Away from the traffic and from any noise, the Barrage is quiet and a great place to see the sunset over all of the Marina.

Pro tip: Make sure to bring a blanket as the grass is often wet with moisture, and come before sunset to see the sun come down behind Marina Bay Sands. I promise, this is the best sunset spot in Singapore.

Take the kids to the Far East Organisation Children’s Garden

Gardens by the Bay is a very child-friendly place with lots to keep the little ones entertained both around the park as well as inside the conservatories. But for the smaller ones who still don’t understand the structures, there is nothing more fun than getting wild and wet.

This is what the Far East Organisation Children’s Gardens is all about. There are a few waterfalls and fountains where children can run around and a cafe for adults to relax. 

Pro tip: Make sure to dress the children in a swimming costume, bring a change of clothes, and a plastic bag to put the wet clothes in.

Visit the amazing Conservatories

The two conservatories at Gardens by the Bay are significant because they are designed to be as self-sufficient as possible while minimizing their environmental impact, as a result, they are carbon-positive. 

They collect rainwater for watering, they have an intelligent cooling system that reduces the need for air-conditioning and are connected to the Supertrees, another carbon-positive structure at Gardens by the Bay.

The two Conservatories were designed by a team composed of WiliinsonEyre, Atelier One, Atelier Ten and the Gardens by the Bay masterplan landscape architects Grant Associates and are adjacent to each other, connected by a shaded area where there are shops, cafes and the ticketing office. 

The longer of the two is the Flower Dome while the taller is the Cloud Forest. Together, they were awarded Building of the year in 2012 by the World Architecture Festival.

Pro tip: Both Conservatories get really packed in the weekend so if you can, go during the week. Early morning or later in the evening are always quieter. Buy your combo ticket in advance to save money (combo offers a discount) and avoid queues which are a permanent feature at the Ticket office.

Buy tickets online below:

1. Book the Flower Dome + Cloud Forest only here for SGD23. This does not include the OCBC Skywalk. Why would you skip it? If you plan to go to Gardens by the Bay during peak hours/days the OCBC Skywalk may have an unreasonable queue you may not want to go.
2. Book the typical Flower Dome + Cloud Forest + OCBC Skywalk here for SGD30. This ticket needs to be redeemed at the Red Dot Museum. You can also purchase (in the same combo) tickets to the Red Dot Museum and the Singapore River Cruise
3. Book the Flower Dome + Cloud Forest + Singapore Flyer here for SGD52.50 which is a small saving but also avoids the queues. You can also add on the OCBC Skywalk and ice cream to be redeemed at the Flyer.
4. Buy the Singapore Pass (2 days) which includes two attractions (including Gardens by the Bay and another one, I suggest the Night Zoo) plus the hop on-hop off bus. Book here for SGD69.

See plants from all over the world at the Flower Dome

The Flower Dome is located in one of the two Conservatories at Gardens by the Bay, and it is the world’s largest glass greenhouse certified by the Guinness World Records.

This dry (unlike the humid Cloud Forest) air-conditioned Mediterranean space contains plants, flowers and trees from all over the world and it is where you can learn about various ecosystems, from baobab trees to Mediterranean gardens in the nine themed areas. 

The Flower Dome regularly hosts temporary exhibitions like the orchid Extravaganza (which changes every year), and seasonal Tulip, Halloween and Christmas themed displays in the center of the dome which reserved for those events. 

Check their website to see what’s on but if you can, go a couple of weeks after they open each one to let the flowers bloom properly.

Some things to look out for:

1. The “Ask Me!” poster. There are 15-min free guided tours offered that do not require registration, just find the sign.
2. At the exit of the Flower Dome, there are very beautifully lit panels with flower pictures

Pro tip: It is incredibly cold inside so make sure to bring a jacket.

Climb the Cloud Mountain in the Cloud Forest

While the Flower Dome is pretty cool, I am a bigger fan of the Cloud Forest, the other adjacent conservatory at Gardens by the Bay that replicates a wet and tropical montane. There is a lot to see and do here and you can easily spend well over an hour, I spent almost two.

The Cloud Forest is a tall structure simulating a mountain with a waterfall that you can walk up to via internal ramps that cross several educational rooms such as the Crystal Room where you can see real stalactites and stalagmites of many shapes and forms. 

At the top, there is a Lost World platform with flower and plant displays. Last time I visited there was a cool plant exhibition in conjunction with Lego. 

Once you are done seeing it all, start your descent via the exterior metal ramp, the Cloud Walk, from where you have a great view of the ground floor, continue with the Forest Walk and then enter a Secret Garden that is full of plants which thrive in caves and limestone environments, there are also tiny orchids you can only see through a magnifying glass and which are pretty cute.

Once you get back on the ground, don’t miss the chance to look back up to the Cloud Walk which is one of the most amazing parts of the Cloud Forest and makes for spectacular photos. 

Then carry on to the Orchid display and end in the Cloud Theatre where a video talking about climate change and what will happen to the Earth if the temperature sores just 5 degrees is projected continuously.

I have to say that the video made me cry. Seeing the destruction that we have caused to the Planet and the possible future, not so distant, if we do nothing about Climate Change, is a sobering way to end the visit.

Some things to look out for:

1. The walls of the mountain are vertical gardens planted with many different species
2. The changing orchid displays at the ground level which you can smell and get close to
3. The carnivorous pitcher plants at the top which are fascinating and very interesting
4. The Cloud Forest Gallery talks about humanity’s impact on the environment 

Pro tip: Just like at the Flower Dome, it is really cold inside the Cloud Forest so bring a sweater. 

Learn about Singapore at the Heritage Gardens

The Heritage Gardens at Gardens by the Bay are a group of four gardens designed after Singapore’s three main ethnicities: Malay, Chinese and Indian as well as a fourth garden devoted to colonial plants.

These gardens combine plants and trees together with some exhibits and explanations as well as statues, sculptures and all kinds of cultural expressions. 

They are also designed depending on the ethnicity they represent. For example, the Indian garden is in the shape of a lotus flower and follows the principles of Ayurveda while the Chinese gardens is flanked by moon gates and the Malay is designed around the concept of a community with a communal hut and lots of benches.

Some things to look out for:

1. The stunning moon gates and cute laughing Buddha statues in the Chinese Gardens for great Instagram photos
2. The Malay Community hut and the Tongkat Ali plant in the Malay garden is thought to be an aphrodisiac
3. The explanations about Indian floor flower decorations and kolam, the visual prayers
4. The spices in the colonial garden

Walk among avatar trees at the Supertree Grove 

This is perhaps the coolest part of Gardens by the Bay. The Supertree Grove is an Avatar-ish forest made of 12 25-50m high metal trees planted with over 160,000 soil-less plants to create vertical gardens. 

They are designed to be carbon-positive, that is, they generate more oxygen than CO2 thanks to a clever water and cooling system. 11 of the Supertrees have photovoltaic cells that collect solar energy and some are connected to the Conservatories and used to cool the air. 

Some things to look out for:

1. At the base of one of the tallest Supertrees is a diorama that explains the natural process through which the Supertrees harvest water and create energy to be carbon-positive.
2. One of the Supertrees used to be a bar and restaurant but that is now closed to give way to an observatory which is under construction.
3. There are six additional Supertrees not located in the Grove but on smaller clusters nearby.

See the park from above from the OCBC Skywalk

Some of the trees in the Supertrees Grove are connected via a 128m long canopy walk that is at 22m above the ground and just below the tree’s canopy top.

This Skywalk is sponsored and branded by OCBC, one of the local banks, hence its name. This is one of the four ticketed venues at Gardens by the Bay but it has become so popular that the queues in the weekends can be very long and visitors are then allowed only 15min at the top.

The views from above are mesmerizing and when I finally made it there, I wondered why it took me so long. You can see all the way to the Conservatories, the Flyer, the entire park and Marina Bay Sands and the perspective helps appreciate how vast and green the gardens are.

Some things to look out for:

1. The views from Marina Bay Sands against the Supertree canopy are some of the coolest in Singapore.
2. If you look towards the Conservatories, you can have a very unique view too.
3. See if you can spot some of the art pieces mentioned in the art hunt section from above.

Pro tip: You could try to time your visit with the evening’s Light Show but the likelihood of there being a queue is pretty high, in which case it will be very hard to time the 15min with the show duration. Worth a try though.

Enjoy the Gardens by the Bay Light Show

One of the most popular activities at Gardens by the Bay is its evening Light Show, Rhapsody. The show lasts for about 15min and it takes place twice a day at 7,45pm and at 8,45pm at the Supertree Grove area.

The performance consists of a coordinated light and music show where the trees light and change colors throughout following a range of songs. Seeing the Supertrees against the backdrop of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel with the often grand music is pretty impressive.

Some things to look out for:

1. The show can be seen from quite far so if you can’t snap a seat on the base of the trees you can also get farther away from the crowds and still see it comfortably.
2. Check if there are any events going on at the Supertree Grove, there are lots of seasonal events going on like Christmas Wonderland (there is even a real frozen ice-rink put up!), or Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns.
3. The Light Show has seasonally themed versions too, the National Day one that is played around the 9th of August every year is particularly emotional and for Christmas, there is a feel-good one too.

Pro tip: Arrive at least 15min early, especially during special occasions as the show gets really packed so that you can snap the best seats: the ledge under the Supertrees where you can lay down and see the show while looking up.

You can read all about the show in my detailed article on it.

Spot Southeast Asian animal-plants at World of Plants

World of Plants is a section of Gardens by the Bay that is often overlooked because it is away from the main paths. 

Here you can find mushroom seats under a creepy-crawly canopy as well as many fig trees that have been pruned in the shape of famous Southeast Asian animals such as the orang-utan.

Some things to look out for:

1. The flowers and plants section where you can see some of the Southeast Asian fruits. 
2. Cycad palm which is the oldest evolved plant.

Pro tip: There is little shade in this section (save for the mushroom canopy) so if you are coming during the day, consider the Singaporeans’ best tip: bring an umbrella to protect from the sun, or wear a hat. 

Travel to the desert at the Sun pavilion

This part of Gardens by the Bay renders homage to over 100 desert plant species, something that is not so common in Singapore (I have killed more than one cactus due to overwatering!) but of places like Cabo in Mexico’s Baja California.

In fact, cacti are originally from the Americas or from Africa (especially Madagascar which has a lot of endemic species only found there) which is why they may remind you of the deserts in Mexico.

Some things to look out for:

1. The brain cactus, trust me, you’ll know what I mean when you see it.
2. The picturesque Mexican Columnar cacti that are so typical in Wild West movies.

Go on an art hunt

Gardens by the Bay has quite a lot of statues and sculptures spread around the gardens which make for a great art hunt. See if you can spot them all.

Perhaps the most famous of all the art pieces at Gardens by the Bay is the large The Planet, a huge white baby sculpture that seems to be suspended in the air but is in fact resting on the right hand (and a few other metal bars). 

The piece was designed by Marc Quinn as a replica of his baby son and donated to the park by the Putra Masagung family. 

Another large art piece from Manolo Valdes’ La Pamela which showcases a woman’s head wearing a wide brim hat, called a pamela in Spanish. 

The Floral Clock was donated by Audemars Piguet in the 50th anniversary of Singapore and is, as would be expected, a pretty floral display in the shape of a clock which actually shows the time. 

Not all the art pieces are located on the gardens, some of them are on the various canals and lakes. Dragonfly Riders is a set of dragonflies created by Dr Elsie Yu that seem to be flying out of the lake of the same name and which are ridden by children.

Dragonflies are a particularly important insect in natural environments because they are a sign that an ecosystem is thriving. You will see many around Gardens by the Bay. Don’t be scared, they are totally harmless.

There are moongates in the Chinese Garden but also a 3.8m tall metal moongate by the main path along the river towards the Barrage which was created for the 50th anniversary of Singapore by Chong Fah Cheong and which symbolizes the changing times. 

Be surrounded by flowers at Floral Fantasy

Floral Fantasy is the last attraction to be added to Gardens by the Bay and is located at Bayfront Plaza. The indoor air-conditioned space aims to showcase floral artistry. 

The current exhibition is made of four landscaped areas and is incredibly photogenic. As expected, Floral Fantasy is filled with flowers and flower displays, the various orchids and roses are particularly impressive. 

Some things to look out for:

1. The beautiful entrance upside-down rainbow tapestry is the most popular place for Instagram photos. Use #SeenAtFloralFantasy.
2. Stay for the Flight of the Dragon 4D show, it makes the ticket price worth it.
3. The semi-covered space outside the building which is pretty photogenic and empty.
4. The tiny bright colorful and poisonous frogs in the Drift section.
5. The Darth Vader begonias which are pretty funny.

Tickets are valid for one hour in the space only but that should be enough time to take a lot of photos. The 4D show can sometimes have a waiting time of 45min so it’s best to come at offpeak times (the same times as the rest of the park).

Pro tip: There is a shuttle service to and from Bayfront Plaza and the Conservatories that costs SG$3 and is worth it when it is really hot. The walk takes about 20min and there is little shade.

Check out local enterprises at Bayfront Plaza

This canopied space near the MRT entrance has a weekend pop-up market on Friday, Saturday and Sunday where local and social businesses can sell their goods. 

Take a break at the Serene Garden

This newer part of the park added at the end of 2018 was designed to provide a break from the rest of Gardens by the Bay, seeing as the park has become so popular it can get pretty crowded on the weekends.

The garden was designed by Japanese landscape designer Jun-ichi Inada and you can expect it to be tranquil and devoid of the excesses in flowers and plants in the rest of the park. 

This is where you come to take a break from all the noise and crowds and in the shade because the garden contains lush plants and trees chosen with that in mind.

The garden has several unique rocks brought in from Japan and water features that help visitors relax. There are plans to add a teahouse in the middle. 

See a concert at The Meadow

This stage away from the rest of the park is where concerts and events take place at Gardens by the Bay. You can check the list of ongoing events here, there are annual ones that take place every year like Beerfest Asia.

Bay Central Garden

This part of the Gardens by the Bay development is yet to be finalised and when it is, it will include a 3km long promenade along the river at the other side of the Marina reservoir. The promenade starts at the Singapore Flyer and follows the river’s shore.

Bay East Garden

This part of Gardens by the Bay is located on the other side of the Marina reservoir across the water from the Barrage and it is one of the best places to watch the sunset in Singapore. It helps that it is mostly empty save for people who go there to run or cycle.

Bay East Garden does not have the impressive and fascinating structures of Bay South Garden but it is a good place to come for a picnic, to run/cycle or to see Singapore and the entire CBD and Marina areas from a different perspective.

The park is mostly made of trees, paths and large expanses of grass adjacent to the Marina Bay Golf Course. In the future, this part of Gardens by the Bay will probably expand and develop further. 

Where to eat at Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay has a few eateries around which you can pick for a meal or a drink. Below I have highlighted some of the best options, but you also have ice cream stores, a McDonald’s and a Bakerzin bakery cafe.

Satay by the Bay

This hawker center near the water and the barrage is one of the best places to eat in Gardens by the Bay. It is quieter and it has a relatively wide array of satay stalls plus many other options for those who prefer to eat other foods.

The fresh fruit stall has a lot of choices and fresh coconuts. You can also buy your food here and then head toward the Barrage to enjoy it on the grass.

Pollen

Gardens by the Bay’s only premium restaurant is a lovely place for dinner. Located inside the Conservatories, at one end of the Flower Dome, Pollen serves fine-dining meals in a romantic environment. 

Pro tip: It is freezing inside, just like in the Flower Dome, so bring a jacket. A complimentary buggy service is offered from the taxi stop for guests. The restaurant is about 10min walk from the main entrance by the Supertree Grove.

Supertree Food Hall

If you want to be in the middle of it all, there is a more refined hawker center by the Supertree Grove that sells all the usual hawker foods and is a casual affair. You can find Vietnamese pho, noodles, rice, fried chicken, Japanese food an even waffles.

Note that it can get pretty crowded during peak meal times on weekends.

Gardens by the Bay tickets

Having been to Gardens by the Bay hundreds of times and seen how popular the garden has become, I strongly recommend you buy your tickets before visiting. There are more than 50 million visiting the gardens and everyone wants to see the Conservatories and OCBC Walk which are the only ticketed parts of the park, so buying ahead is smart.

Buy tickets from the various options below:

1. Book the Flower Dome + Cloud Forest only here for SGD23. This does not include the OCBC Skywalk. Why would you skip it? If you plan to go to Gardens by the Bay during peak hours/days the OCBC Skywalk may have an unreasonable queue you may not want to go.
2. Book the typical Flower Dome + Cloud Forest + OCBC Skywalk here for SGD30. This ticket needs to be redeemed at the Red Dot Museum. You can also purchase (in the same combo) tickets to the Red Dot Museum and the Singapore River Cruise
3. Book the Flower Dome + Cloud Forest + Singapore Flyer here for SGD52.50 which is a small saving but also avoids the queues. You can also add on the OCBC Skywalk and ice cream to be redeemed at the Flyer.
4. Buy the Singapore Pass (2 days) which includes two attractions (including Gardens by the Bay and another one, I suggest the Night Zoo) plus the hop on-hop off bus. Book here for SGD69.
5. Make it a more interactive and informative visit by booking a guided tour of Gardens by the Bay (with entry to one of the two conservatories) and a visit to the SkyPark (the observatory at the top of Marina Bay Sands) to see the city skyline at night (when it is most impressive). Book the group tour here for SGD79 which is a steal considering it has hotel pick up service and a guide.

Note that tickets for the Floral Fantasy can only be bought on-site at the pavilion. 

Singaporeans and Permanent Residents do get a discount so you have to buy directly from the ticket office. Other Employment pass holders DO NOT get any discounts and need to pay the same as the rest so you might as well buy tickets in advance.

How to get to Gardens by the Bay

There are three ways to get to Gardens by the Bay: by taxi, by MRT or on foot. 

Firstly, by taxi, either regular taxi or Grab (there is no Uber in Singapore both Uber and Grab merged). There are a few drop-off points when you type Gardens by the Bay on Grab, but the main one is the main entrance by the Supertrees in the Golden Garden. If you want to follow the itinerary I suggest, you can also be dropped off at Bayfront Pavilion.

If you are coming from elsewhere in Singapore, you can arrive on the MRT, stopping at Bayfront MRT on the yellow Circle and the blue Downtown lines and take exit B which is near the Bayfront Plaza. 

If you are around the Marina area, the easiest way to get there is via the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Shoppes area where there is a bridge crossing that actually is suspended above Marina Bay Sands hotel lobby atrium level.

To get there, from the Shoppes main atrium nearest to the casino entrance (not where the convention center is), look for escalators that go up by either Breitling or Franck Muller (pictures above).

You will then come out onto a roof with trees, cross the main road toward Marina Bay Sands Hotel and then continue across the atrium toward Gardens by the Bay.

Alternatively, if you can’t locate the escalators, cross the road from the Shoppes to Marina Bay Sands Hotel via the only pedestrian crossing there is and look for an external elevator that is right by the main road. You will then be on the same bridge and be able to cross towards Gardens by the Bay.

Note that this is also probably the most scenic way to arrive at Gardens by the Bay and also gives you the chance to see iconic Marina Bay Sands.

Lastly, on foot, if you feel like a walk, you can also walk the entire promenade along the Shoppes until the very end, past the ArtScience Museum, descend the ramp that is below the Helix Bridge and you will find yourself following the Marina Reservoir water’s edge. 

You will pass Pollen and after about 15min you will reach the Conservatories (you can’t miss them) and the Barrage would be at the very end of that promenade (10min after the Conservatories).

Gardens by the Bay opening hours and best time to visit

As I have mentioned a few times, Gardens by the Bay is an incredibly popular Singapore attraction and it receives almost 150,000 visitors on average every day, which means it can get pretty crowded at times so it is important to time your visit well.

Opening hours

Bay South Garden is open from 5am to 2am daily but the Conservatories, Floral Fantasy and Skywalk open from 9am to 9pm. The Children’s Garden is open from 10am to 7pm. 

Best time to visit Gardens by the Bay

The best time to go to Gardens by the Bay depends on what you want to see and do. Ideally, you should go twice: once in the early morning and once for the 8,45pm Light Show. 

In my opinion, the park is most beautiful at sunset and night, but during the day you will in fact be able to appreciate the plants and flowers more and they are beautiful too, especially on a clear day.

For an empty park, go on a weekday in the morning, from 9am to 12pm when there is almost nobody and you can take pictures without any other tourists.

If you prefer to avoid the heat of the day and want to see the Light Show and the Supertrees lit up, go in the afternoon, before sunset, so you get the best weather, can see the sunset from the Barrage and then explore the rest of the gardens at night. 

Sunset in Singapore is usually between 7pm and 7,30pm throughout the year (yes, we are extremely close to the Equator so there are few variations) so the itinerary to make the most of the weather would be to start at the Flower Fantasy around 4-5pm, walk or take the shuttle to the Conservatories, visit them both then head to Satay by the Bay, buy dinner and have a picnic at the Barrage while the sun sets. 

You can then continue to the Supertree Grove which is amazing at night, see the night show either at 7,45pm or at 8,45pm, go up the OCBC Skywalk and then stay to visit the rest of the gardens. 

On weekends, the park gets pretty crowded and the Light Show will be packed, not impossible to watch it, but you will have a hard time finding a place to lay down and you might have to skip the Skywalk because the queue will be too long. 

The only way around the weekend crowds (if you don’t have time for a picnic or don’t care about the Light Show) is to reverse the time and go early in the morning. 

You will not see the Light Show (unless you return later) and the park does not look as impressive without the lights (especially the Supertree Grove) but if nighttime is not an option then early morning is the best time to visit Gardens by the Bay.

Themed festivals at Gardens by the Bay

As if Gardens by the Bay wasn’t awesome enough, there are seasonal festivals during marked holidays in Singapore. These are the main ones.

Gardens by the Bay Christmas Wonderland

Running for about a month before and up to Christmas, the Wonderland festival is a sort of Christmas market with some fun activities like a real ice-rink, a children’s playground and theme park, some things for sale and mostly food stalls selling Christmas themed foods and drinks that are common of European Christmas markets. 

There are also shows, Santa Claus ready to receive children’s letters and lots of things for children to feel the magic of Christmas. 

It is one of the largest festivals at Gardens by the Bay and it is really popular, albeit a bit strange since the weather is quite warm. For those who miss Christmas back home, it is pretty nostalgic to be with lights everywhere, Christmas trees and a general festive vibe.

Find more info on the specific dedicated website.

Mid-Autumn Festival

The mid-Autumn Festival is a very traditional Chinese festival celebrated mostly in Singapore’s Chinatown but with events happening across the city including Gardens by the Bay. If you come during the first half of September you will see lanterns, mooncakes and celebrations happening across the city.

The festival celebrates the full moon in the month and the harvest season across Asia. Because this is the brightest moon in the year, there are lots of Chinese tales and legends associated with it.

Chinese New Year 

Singapore’s most important celebration is Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, which usually happens either at the end of January or beginning of February and changes every year according to the Lunar calendar.

During this time, the city comes to a complete still and every business closes, imagine something similar to Christmas Day in Europe or the US. While there are a few things to do in Singapore during Chinese New Year, Gardens by the Bay is a great option, although beware that some of the dining options will close early or fully on the main day.

As soon as the Christmas Wonderland ends, the park turns into Chinese New Year with lots of lanterns and decorations throughout. Expect animal-themed displays and performances depending on the animal that represents the new Chinese year. For example, 2019 was the year of the dog.

How long do you need at Gardens by the Bay?

As you can see there is a lot to do at Gardens by the Bay and the park is packed full of signs and explanations in English so it’s easy to spend a day if you are visiting all parts of it and reading the explanations. 

I would budget the following amount of time:

1. Flower Dome: 30 min
2. Cloud Forest: 1 hour
3. Floral Fantasy: 1 hour if you are planning to attend the 4D Show
4. OCBC Skywalk: 30 min
5. Supertree Grove Light Show: 20 min
6. Marina Barrage: 30 min
7. Meal at Satay by the Bay: 30 min
8. Heritage Gardens: 15 min
9. Rest of the gardens: 30 min
10. TOTAL time: Almost 5 hours

Of course, you may choose not to visit some of the parts and go faster while visiting others, but this is a recommended amount of time if you want to enjoy the visit fully.

Other things to know to plan your visit to Gardens by the Bay

For a more interactive and enriching self-guided tour you can download the Gardens by the Bay app on Android or Apple which has some additional info. The conservatories also rent out audio guides with a headset for SGD4.

If you want to get around from Bayfront MRT and Plaza to the Conservatories, there is a shuttle service running every 10min between the two. Buy the ticket from the ticketing office for SGD3 in cash for unlimited rides throughout the day.

There is also a 25-min audio tour on a buggy that runs every 15min from the Golden Garden. Tickets are purchased from the ticketing office in the garden in cash only.

If you find yourself in need of more amazing things to see in Singapore, then don’t forget to save our choice of free walking tours in Singapore.

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