“Everything you need to know about visiting Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.”
Why should you visit the Gardens by the Bay?
Gardens by the Bay is one of Singapore’s most popular attractions and for good reason! This is arguably the most innovative Garden complex in the world, and it should rank very high on your Singapore ‘to-do-list’.
Way back in January 2006, a design competition was launched to motivate world-class design ideas for Gardens by the Bay. Eventually, more than 70 entries were proposed from 24 different countries. Fast forward to the present, and now this fantastic attraction is carefully maintained by a large team of experts, including horticulturists, arborists, and landscape designers and many more.
The term ‘Gardens by the Bay’ is quite general, so we will summarize what points of interest are located here. The first thing that you should know is that Gardens by the Bay is located beside ‘Marina Bay’. This is one of Singapore’s most scenic areas and a popular spot for people to take breathtaking photos of Singapore’s skyline.
Attractions
Gardens by the Bay consists of a large area of green space that features many different attractions. We have included a list below for your convenience:
Flower Dome
Far East Organization Children’s Garden
Cloud Forest
Supertree Grove
Floral Fantasy
Art Sculptures
Gardens
The attractions above are scattered throughout the following well-managed gardens:
Bay East Garden
Sun Pavilion
Heritage Gardens
The Canyon
World of Plants
Dragonfly & Kingfisher Lakes
Serene Garden
Obviously, based on the extensive list of attractions and gardens within Gardens by the Bay, you will have no shortage of things to see and do. There are three attractions within Gardens by the Bay that are particularly popular amongst guests. They include Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and Supertree Grove. These are all great places to visit if you are travelling with kids.
Awards and Recognition for Excellence
Gardens by the Bay is truly a world-class attraction. Consequently, it has earned numerous awards from around the world since it opened.
There are simply too many awards to name, but some of the noteworthy ones include World Building of the Year in 2012 and the Largest Glass Greenhouse (Flower Dome) in the Guinness World Records for 2015. It routinely wins travel awards on an annual basis both in Singapore and abroad. Expect a cutting-edge experience when you visit here.
Location
When you visit the Gardens by the Bay, you will also be able to see some of the city’s most famous points of interest, such as the Merlion, Singapore Flyer and Sands SkyPark. Conveniently, it is only a few minutes away from one of the best hotels in all of Singapore – Marina Bay Sands (5-star, 9.2/10 review score). You can easily walk between Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands in 5 minutes.
How to get to the Gardens by the Bay by MRT?
You can quickly get to Gardens by the Bay by using the MRT network in Singapore. The most convenient station to use to get to the Gardens by the Bay is Bayfront Station. You can also walk from other stations such as Promenade and Marina Bay Station, but they take quite a bit longer than from Bayfront.
The Gardens by the Bay only is about 300 meters east of Bayfront Station (walking across Dragonfly Bridge), which should take you only 4-5 minutes.
Read More: The comprehensive guide on how to get to the Gardens by the Bay by MRT.
Things to see and do at the Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay is a massive complex that consists of many attractions. Some of them are free, whereas others are not. Therefore, you could spend a lot of time in the Gardens or just spend a short period of time checking out the attractions that interest you the most.
Before you leave Gardens by the Bay, make sure you check out Supertree Grove, Cloud Forest and Cloud Forest. The chances are that you have already seen photos of Supertree Grove online if you have done some research. This is an extremely photogenic area that has massive ‘Supertrees’ clustered together.
Supertree Grove has two very popular experiences that you should try out:
Supertree Observatory
OCBC Skyway
Although the general area at Supertree Grove is free to access, you do have to pay an entrance fee to enter Supertree Observatory and OCBC Skyway.
Cloud Forest and Flower Dome are conveniently located right beside the Marina Reservoir. They are adjacent to each other. These are both massive conservatories that are inside modern greenhouses. They are popular with all visitors and provide awesome educational experiences for children.
Aside from these main attractions, you might just want to wander around the gardens. This is a photogenic area regardless of where you are in Gardens by the Bay.
Itinerary ideas near the Gardens
Gardens by the Bay is only one of the many ‘must-see’ attractions in the Marina Bay area. Therefore, it tends to be part of most visitors’ itineraries due to its convenient location and free admission (to some sights).
Directly across the Marina Reservoir, you will find Singapore Flyer. This is one of Singapore’s best places to capture photos of Singapore’s famous skyline. It is one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world and the largest in Asia.
You can also visit various malls within walking distance of the Gardens by the Bay. For example, the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands is only a few minutes away. This is connected to Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Bayfront MRT Station.
Other malls in this area of Singapore include:
Marina Square
Suntec City
Millenia Walk
Try to visit check out other points of interest such as the Merlion, Esplanade and Marina Barrage, ArtScience Museum and Red Dot Design Museum before leaving Marina Bay.
Sands SkyPark is another attraction that shouldn’t be missed!
Where can you buy tickets for the Gardens by the Bay?
If you want to buy tickets for Gardens by the Bay, then you can either purchase them online or in-person. The benefit of booking your tickets online is that you will be able to select a day and time that suits your itinerary.
You can book online tickets for Gardens by the Bay using this link from the official website.
Alternatively, you can purchase tickets at a ticketing counter on-site. This is the best option if you don’t know exactly which day and the time you want to visit. However, you may experience long queues if it’s a weekend or holiday!
Is it a smart idea to stay at a hotel near Gardens by the Bay?
Gardens by the Bay is within walking distance of Marina Bay which is regarded by many tourists as the best area to stay in the city. Highly consider staying here if you want convenient access to the MRT, surrounding attractions and some of the best hotels in all of Singapore.
The hotels around Marina Bay tend to be in the four or five-star category. Many of the hotels here receive extremely high review scores from verified guests. Expect world-class standards in terms of cleanliness, services, facilities and cuisine. Another cool benefit of staying here is that you will be treated to amazing views of Singapore’s skyline.
Some of the best hotel options around Gardens by the Bay include:
Marina Bay Sands (5-star, 9/10 review score)
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore (5-star, 9.2/10 review score)
The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore (5-star, 9.4/10 review score)
Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore (5-star, 9.2/10 review score)
Of all the properties listed above, the closest one by far to Gardens by the Bay is Marina Bay Sands.
Additional Points about visiting the Gardens
One of the most common questions we get about visiting Gardens by the Bay is ‘how long should you stay’?
Although we would love to give a concrete answer, it really depends on what your preferences are as a tourist. If you visit Gardens by the Bay intending to view every garden and visit every attraction, then you could easily spend the whole day here. Chances are you would also be taking photos or videos to remember your experience.
If you simply just walk through some of the gardens and visit only one attraction, then you may want to allocate 1-2 hours. For example, visiting Flower Dome and also walking through the ‘free areas’ Gardens by the Bay may take you 1.5-2 hours. Also, if you are travelling with children, you might want to add 30 minutes on to these suggested times.
You might also want to walk farther along the waterfront to Marina Barrage. This is a great outdoor recreational area. The building has an innovative ‘green rooftop’. Hang out with your friends and take photos of the skyline from here.
Our goal with this guide to Gardens by the Bay is to make sure that you have a solid understanding of how to get there and what to do once you arrive. If you still have additional questions, please feel free to send us an email at any time. We would be more than happy to provide you with more information if required.
We hope that you have an amazing visit to Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. Remember to bring along your sunscreen and a hat because Singapore’s afternoon weather can get really, really hot!