After ticking off everything there is to see and do across many trips to Singapore, we think Gardens by the Bay is one of the few truly unmissable places that every single visitor should experience. We love eating in Chinatown, hanging out in Kampong Glam, people watching in Clarke Quay, exploring nature and museums, shopping in Orchard and being wowed by futuristic architecture in Marina Bay. But there’s something so special and unique about Gardens by the Bay.
Honestly, we expected the supertrees and domes to be a commercialized touristy conveyor-belt, but they turned out to be the complete opposite. This was back in 2017 during our first month-long work trip to Singapore when we visited Gardens by the Bay in daylight and at night. In 2018 we spent another month working in the city, so we went back to see it all again. Then in 2022 (after starting our travel business) we planned out a busy 5-day Singapore itinerary and explored every single area of the gardens.
Hi, we’re Mark and Kristen Morgan. We left our scientific careers in 2018 to become travel writers and photographers, and since then our expert guides have helped millions of travel planners take better trips. Read more about us.
Why trust us with your Gardens by the Bay plans? We’ve done every attraction and hidden area of the gardens. We know the best parts, what to skip and which tickets to buy. As always, every photo in this guide is ours.
Overall, we thought the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest were the outstanding paid attractions at Gardens by the Bay. We enjoyed the Supertree Observatory views, the OCBC Skyway was fun to walk, and the Floral Fantasy was great for photos – but honestly we don’t think either of these three are absolutely essential. If it was our first time again, we’d prioritize the domes and then add either the Observatory or Skywalk if we had the time and budget. We also found some hidden gem spots that you might want to check out.
In this guide we show you exactly what to do at Gardens by the Bay, our experiences, big mistakes to avoid, and exactly which tickets to buy. It’s a ridiculously photogenic place, so we’ve included heaps of our photos to inspire you. Let’s dive in!
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What To Do At Gardens By The Bay
We want to start by showing you exactly what to expect from each part of a typical visit to Gardens by the Bay, before we get stuck into the nitty-gritty of mistakes to avoid and how to navigate the complicated ticket options.
During our latest visit in October 2022, we walked around the whole place, did all 5 paid attractions and saw Gardens by the Bay from above – both during the day and at night. Here’s our take:
Supertree Grove
The Supertree Grove is the “ground floor” of the 12 supertrees. It’s completely free to walk around the base of the supertrees, hang out, and look up at tourists walking on the Skyway. If we wanted to see Gardens by the Bay without spending a single dollar, this is where we’d go. It’s close to Bayfront MRT and the overpass from Marina Bay Sands hotel.
Our favorite part of the Supertree Grove by far was the Garden Rhapsody light show, which is when the supertrees “dance” to music for 15 minutes each night at 7:45 PM and 8:45 PM. It always had a serene, buzzy atmosphere and we loved taking photos laying down on the floor looking straight up. One of the light shows we watched even had sheet lightening in the clouds above which was pretty cool to see.
OCBC Skyway
The OCBC Skyway is a long, narrow and curving suspension bridge connecting two supertrees around 22 meters (72 ft) above ground. We’ve done it twice, and while we do think it’s cool – we wouldn’t trip over our feet to pay for it again. After taking a quick elevator up one tree, we walked around the curved bridge to another tree and took an elevator back down.
The bridge was a cool photo spot, but we thought the higher up Observatory was better for taking photos of Gardens by the Bay and it had a clearer line of sight to Marina Bay Sands. We actually liked the Skyway’s 15-minute time limit because some people were doing full-on video shoots, which wasn’t fun for anyone else. Sunset would be a good time to walk the bridge, but we’d rather watch Garden Rhapsody light show from below so we wouldn’t do this after 7:00 PM. It’s important to know the Skyway can close completely during storms (it happened to us).
Supertree Observatory
The Supertree Observatory is an indoor observation deck with glass windows and a small open-air rooftop on top of the tallest supertree at 50 meters (164 ft). We didn’t love the indoor part because it’s always harder to get clear photos through windows, but the unobstructed 360-degree rooftop views were excellent.
We were surprised at how small the rooftop was – and there were plenty of people up there, but it was worth doing at sunset for clear views of Marina Bay Sands and the other supertrees below. Importantly, the rooftop closes during storms, and they send anyone who has Skyway or Observatory tickets to the indoor part of the Observatory – so basically don’t go up if it’s raining or lightning!
Flower Dome
The Flower Dome is the largest glass greenhouse in the world and it holds themed gardens from continents across the globe. Now, we’re not the biggest horticulturists you’ll ever meet, but we absolutely loved walking through the Flower Dome. The architecture of the dome itself is incredible, but the beautifully manicured gardens were just so impressive.
We saw “bottle trees” from Africa, a desert theme with cacti, olive trees and Mediterranean gardens, monkey puzzle trees from Chile and stunning flower fields. After doing it in daylight and at night, we preferred our night experience because the dome was kept dim and each flower display was lit up to really accentuate it. We spent a good hour here and could have gone longer but we were running out of time.
Cloud Forest
The Cloud Forest is a climate-controlled glass conservatory that replicates a tropical highlight region around 2,000m above sea level. Immediately after entering we were stunned by a 35-meter tall indoor waterfall, but it got even better when we took an elevator to the top floor (level 7) and descended a curving walkway through a “misting” (which happens every 2 hours from 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM).
At the top we saw venus flytraps, the suspended aerial walkway was so cool, there were stalactites and stalagmites inside the “mountain”, a lower level bridge gave us a view over the forest floor canopy, and we saw orchids in a secret garden at the base. The Cloud Forest was easily our favorite paid attraction at Gardens by the Bay. And we visited before the Jurassic World takeover – it now has dinosaurs mixed in so it’s even better for families with kids.
Floral Fantasy
The Floral Fantasy is a much smaller and more intimate indoor paid attraction located near Bayfront MRT and Marina Bay Sands. It’s all about flower artistry, fantasy-like bouquet arrangements (hence the name), and weird but wonderful character displays. We had no idea what to expect but we actually found it entertaining and surprisingly good for photography.
It was just the two of us back then and we wouldn’t pay for it again as a couple, but now we have a daughter who would love it so we’d definitely do it next time. The major theme is My Little Pony which is perfect for families with younger kids. It only took us around 45 minutes to get through the one-way path and do the 4D “Flight of the Dragonfly” ride at the end.
The Gardens
What most people don’t realize? Gardens by the Bay is a massive green space covering a lot more area than where the 5 paid attractions are located. We spent a few hours walking around the entire park in October 2022, guzzling water to combat the humidity and looking for hidden gems.
Was it worth it? Honestly, yes and no. We did find a fun sculpture called Planet by Marc Quinn which we can only describe as a giant floating baby, some of the gardens were photogenic (like our photo above), and we did love the Children’s Garden concept for kids to cool off in water fountains on hot days. But we spent a lot of time walking in the heat and humidity which sapped our energy, and ultimately we didn’t think it was worth it compared to spending that time doing other things in Singapore.
Marina Bay Sands
What about seeing Gardens by the Bay from above? Well, one option would be the Singapore Flyer (similar to the London Eye). We haven’t done it yet and probably wouldn’t next time either because we think it’s better to see the supertrees and domes from even higher up at the top of Marina Bay Sands.
There are 4 ways to get the best elevated Gardens by the Bay views from the top of the hotel:
- Stay at Marina Bay Sands
- Go up to the SkyPark deck
- Have a drink or food at Lavo
- Have a drink at Ce La Vie
We did the SkyPark in 2018 for sunset and stayed up until it got dark. It was cool, but there was nothing at all other than a small deck with views over Gardens by the Bay and the city. In 2022, we booked in for brunch at Lavo, an Italian restaurant with the same views (plus a view of the famous infinity pool) – so we paid less for brunch and views than we paid for just the SkyPark. And next time we’d pay the cover charge at Ce La Vie, which includes a drink and is also cheaper than the SkyPark.
How We Visited The Supertrees & Domes
When we first visited in 2017, Gardens by the Bay only had 3 paid attractions – the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and the OCBC Skyway. We did the two domes around lunch time and loved them, but the Skyway kept being intermittently closed due to storms (it was early December as the monsoon season was peaking) and we were drenched, so we gave up on it despite already paying for the ticket.
We did go back a few weeks later to see the 12 Supertrees “dance” at night during the free Garden Rhapsody show, and that was amazing. This was after watching sunset from Marina Bay Sands SkyPark (which we thought was overrated for SGD 39 / adult – Lavo and Ce La Vie are much better options).
In January 2018, we were back for another month long trip to Singapore. So we waited for a clear day, went back to do the OCBC Skyway, and thought it was worth the wait. But we did it during the day – in hindsight we should have done it for sunset when the Supertrees begin light up. We also explored a bit more of the gardens, but it was oppressively hot and humid so we didn’t get far.
Fast forward to October 2022, we’d been traveling the world for 4 years by that point and we arrived with a massive Singapore bucket list to tackle. At Gardens by the Bay, the two newer paid attractions had been opened and we decided to buy tickets for all 5 sites. Our plan was to do them all in one evening, but we only managed 4 out of the 5.
We started with Floral Fantasy in late afternoon, then we did the Supertree Observatory at dusk. The sunset wasn’t great because it was too cloudy, so we didn’t stay up there long. Instead we spent more time at the Flower Dome before finishing with the last misting of the Cloud Forest walkway at 8:00 PM – they were both awesome in the dark. But it was too late to do the OCBC Skyway, so we did it the next morning after exploring the entire gardens before it got too hot.
Avoiding The Biggest Gardens By The Bay Mistakes: Our Top Tips For Your Visit
Here are the mistakes we made or saw others making, along with our tips and exactly what you should do instead:
Doing All 5 Attractions
Mistake: Paying SGD 98 / adult to see all 5 attractions.
Tip: Honestly, after doing all 5 attractions we wouldn’t consider them all unmissable. Definitely do both domes, then add in either the OCBC Skyway OR Supetree Observatory (they’re similar). If you love flowers, skip the Skyway and Observatory and do the Floral Fantasy instead.
Trying To Squeeze It All Into One Day
Mistake: Rushing around all 5 attractions to see them all in a day. It’s totally doable, but it would be a slog.
Tip: If you decide you want to see them all, consider splitting the attractions across 2 days. Do the domes one day because they’re located next to each other, then the other three attractions the next day. Splitting them up works better if you book a hotel nearby or you have at least 4 days on your itinerary, otherwise you’ll end up spending too much time at Gardens by the Bay.
Forgetting About Klook
Mistake: Thinking tickets can only be bought from the official website.
Tip: Klook offers cheaper entry prices and bundles that can save you more money. Our 2022 trip to Singapore was unusually quiet because of covid-hangover so we didn’t mind turning up on the day to buy our tickets, but next time we’d 100% book our tickets through Klook. We’ll explain this properly in our tickets section coming up next.
Not Checking The Weather
Mistake: Buying tickets for the OCBC Skyway and Supertree Observatory when it’s raining or a storm is forecast.
Tip: Wait to see what the weather is like on the day and only pay for the OCBC Skyway and Supertree Observatory if it’s clear. They straight up close the Skyway, and they only let people into the indoor section of the Observatory (which isn’t worth it – the only thing that makes it good is being on the very top part with clear Marina Bay Sands views). Check Singapore’s weather forecast.
Not Taking A Warm Layer
Mistake: Forgetting to carry a light pullover layer for lower air-con temperatures inside the domes.
Tip: In general for visits to Singapore, one of our best tips is to always carry a light pullover to throw on in malls, restaurants, and indoor areas like the two domes here. Trust us, going from oppressive heat and humidity straight into climate controlled air-con can be like walking into a brick wall.
Eating In Gardens By The Bay
Mistake: Wasting money on average, overpriced food in the domes or near the Supertrees.
Tip: The only place we’d eat on site is the hawker centre called Satay by the Bay. But it’s quite far out of the way, so we’d either eat before or after visiting the attractions. There’s countless options inside Marina Bay Sands, or Lau Pa Sat isn’t too far away and it’s one of our favorite spots to eat in the city – especially after 7:00 PM when it becomes pedestrian only.
Skipping The Garden Rhapsody Light Show
Mistake: Visiting during the day and missing out on the free 15-minute light show at night.
Tip: Try to plan your itinerary so you see the 7:45 PM or 8:45 PM Garden Rhapsody light show, and make sure you’re sat (or laying down) right underneath the Supertrees. We watched it from afar and from underneath – it was so much better being right there in the thick of it.
Tickets, Hours & Getting There
After visiting most of the world’s major attractions, we’ve learned that some have easy ticketing systems and others can be frustratingly complicated. We’d put Gardens by the Bay bang smack in the middle.
The Supertree Observatory, OCBC Skywalk and Floral Fantasy all have individual tickets. But the two domes – Flower Dome and Cloud Forest – must be bought as a combined ticket. In other words, there are no tickets for just the Flower Dome or just the Cloud Forest. We highly recommend buying the combo ticket for both domes in advance.
The two ticket providers to consider:
- Direct: Buy through Gardens by the Bay official site in advance, or buy tickets in person upon arrival.
- Klook: Get cheaper tickets and better combo bundles – not just at Gardens by the Bay, but also at Singapore Zoo, the SkyPark, museums, basically everywhere in Singapore and a lot of Asia to be honest.
Kristen’s top planning tip: We actually recommend buying tickets to every Singapore attraction with Klook. We will 100% do that next time – not only would we get cheaper entry to each attraction, but we’d also have all our tickets in one place on the Klook app. Take a look at entry prices with Klook and compare them to going direct at Singapore’s attractions. It’s a no-brainer.
You might be wondering how they can offer cheaper tickets and if it’s legit? Trust us, Klook is legit. We’ve booked tickets all over Asia with them, like Osaka Castle in Japan and the DMZ tour in South Korea.
Let’s use Gardens by the Bay as an example, Klook mass buys 100,000 tickets for a 5% discounted rate (like buying in bulk). They then sell the tickets with a slight markup, but that price is still lower than what you or we would pay by going direct to the attraction.
Price table for non-residents:
| Attraction | Direct | Klook |
|---|---|---|
| Flower Dome & Cloud Forest | SGD 46 / adult SGD 32 / child | SGD 44 / adult SGD 30 / child |
| OCBC Skyway | SGD 14 / adult SGD 10 / child | N/A |
| Supertree Observatory | SGD 14 / adult SGD 10 / child | N/A |
| Floral Fantasy | SGD 24 / adult SGD 16 / child | SGD 24 / adult SGD 10 / child |
Klook doesn’t sell tickets for the OCBC Skyway or Supertree Observatory, but the domes are cheaper and kids go cheaper into Floral Fantasy. And the best part comes with bundles.
Bundles:
The best bundle you can buy going direct is Flower Dome + Cloud Forest + Floral Fantasy + shuttle service (which you probably won’t end up using) for SGD 58 / adult and SGD 41 / child. So you’re essentially getting Floral Fantasy for half price – that’s how it works out. See the bundle.
Klook offers the exact same bundle at the same price, but they also offer a bundle of Flower Dome + Cloud Forest + Supertree Observatory for SGD 45 / adult and SGD 32 / child. That’s the same price as going direct for the domes, but through Klook you get the Observatory with entry before 4:00 PM basically for free. This is the best ticket you can buy. You can then add on the Skyway or Floral Fantasy on the day in person because tickets for those two don’t sell out. To get it, head over to Klook, scroll down, and it’s the first ticket option.
What we don’t like: When we did all 5 attractions in 2022 (not that long ago!), the two domes only cost us SGD 28 each, the Skyway was SGD 10 and Floral Fantasy was just SGD 15. Those prices have gone up significantly in a short period.
Gardens by the Bay opening hours:
- Cloud Forest: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Flower Dome: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- OCBC Skyway: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Supertree Observatory: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Floral Fantasy: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Getting there:
Walking: The best way to arrive is by walking the Marina Bay Overpass from Marina Bay Sands hotel to a viewing point overlooking the Supertrees and domes. It’s the classic, most scenic point of entry.
MRT: Gardens by the Bay Station is close to Satay by the Bay for food and a 10 minute walk to the domes. Alternatively, Bayfront Station is right at Floral Fantasy and you can either walk 10 minutes or take a SGD 3 / person shuttle to the Supertrees. See MRT map.
Ride share: We’d put “Gardens by the Bay gift shop” into our ride share app as destination. That’s right in-between the Supertrees and domes.
Our Pros + Cons
What we loved ✅:
- Totally unique experience
- Mind-blowing engineering
- Climate controlled domes
- Feels like being in the movie Avatar
- Amazing for families with kids
- Totally accessible
- Non-stop photo spots
What we didn’t like ❌:
- Busy for Garden Rhapsody
- Prices have gone up a lot
- All 5 = SGD 100
- More walking than expected
- Sudden closures for weather
- Food options lacking
Is Gardens By The Bay Worth It?
Yes, Gardens by the Bay is definitely worth visiting. It’s Singapore’s most popular attraction for a reason. We absolutely love the unique Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, and even though we’ve already paid to see them twice, we’d happily pay again next time.
Other than the domes, we wouldn’t say any of the other three paid attractions are truly unmissable, but we would pick one of the Skywalk or Observatory for a more complete visit. The only other thing we think every first-timer should experience is the Garden Rhapsody light show at night.
We travel the world for a living and always approach things like this from a neutral standpoint to help our readers make more informed decisions without bias. But this is still our opinion, so don’t just take our word for it.
Before booking anything or even planning Gardens by the Bay into your itinerary, we encourage you to read the latest comments on Google Reviews and on Tripadvisor. You’ll be able to get a bigger picture about what to expect based on other people’s recent experiences.
The only difference for us next time is that we’ll book our Gardens by the Bay tickets, along with everything else we do in Singapore, through Klook instead of going direct. Not only will it save us money, but it keeps all our tickets in one place (the Klook mobile app) and we’ll just scan our QR codes. Singapore is a futuristic city-state after all!
Next Steps
We hope our Gardens by the Bay guide helps with planning your visit to Singapore.
If you’d like more personalized help, we offer expert planning consultations where we answer any questions you have, help you avoid tourist traps and plan the perfect itinerary based on how you like to travel. Book a 1-on-1 call.
Still researching for your trip?
- Don’t miss these top Singapore experiences.
- Follow our 5 days in Singapore itinerary.
- Here’s the top areas to stay in Singapore.
Happy travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.