Visiting the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore? Even in its half-completed stage, you'll find plenty of diversions in this Marina Bay landmark. With so much to see in so little time, you run the risk of not getting as much out of your visit as you can. Luckily, we've provided this thumbnail of the Gardens' many attractions that gives you the basics, the must-sees when you drop by.
For an overview of the rest of the city state, read our Singapore Travel Guide, or check out our list of reasons to visit Singapore. For transportation to the Gardens and for contact details, check out this page on getting to Gardens by the Bay.
As soon as you enter the Gardens by the Bay complex, you'll realize you have plenty of ground to cover - the first phase, Bay South, sprawls over 50-plus hectares of real estate, and includes two massive air-conditioned conservatories, 18 Supertrees, and a series of open-air gardens and lakes set alongside the Marina Bay reservoir.
Luckily, a guided tram tour can give you a comprehensive, exertion-free overview in the space of less than half an hour. The paid Outdoor Gardens Audio Tour winds around Bay South Garden's pathways - a guide will explain each of the sights within view as you roll by. Tours take place every day between 9:45am to 5:45 pm. Â
This zone is for kids only: the one-hectare Far East Organization Children's Garden contains a number of play areas designed for kids from 2 to 12 years of age. At the center of it all stands a sprawling splash fountain area with a series of nozzles, splines and buckets for creative water fun.
Around the fountain play area, a "forest adventure" - complete with treehouses and hiking trail - caters to kids who prefer to keep dry.More »
The Bay South area's two cooled conservatories both rely on high technology to nourish rare plant life that otherwise would never thrive in Singapore's tropical climate (see weather in Singapore); but that's where the similarities end. The Cloud Forest dome replicates a tropical montane climate (wet and cold); the Flower Dome recreates a Mediterranean climate (cool and dry).
Over 61,000 individual plants representing over 1,000 species grow in the Cloud Forest dome, sheltered from Singapore's humidity and monsoons. As you enter, you'll immediately spot the dome's 115-foot-high "mountain", pierced by a walkway near the top and spouting a waterfall up front. The tour starts from the very top of the mountain, and works its way down (partly over a vertigo-inducing series of walkways swaying high above the dome floor).More »
The Flower Dome's dry, cool Mediterranean climate encourages the growth of a surprising variety of plants - from alien-looking baobab trees to ancient olive trees cultivated for millennia by European civilizations past. A flower field in the dome's center changes color with the seasons, helped along by local horticulturalists.
The design of the terrain is intended to simulate the landscape of the lands around the Mediterranean, with terraces and outcrops providing a foundation for about 32,000 plants representing 160 species from all around the world.More »
Trust the technocratic Singaporeans to put a rich overlay of data on top of their comprehensive collection of plant life. After visiting the cooled conservatories, interactive displays like the "Earth Lab" give visitors an overview of climate change's effects on the world's plants and their habitats.
If you prefer your data on the go, download Gardens by the Bay's official smartphone app. Paired with a GPS-enabled smartphone, the app provides useful information on the plants you see before you. You can also play along on the app's built in games, like a "Botany Hunt" that dares you to look for five different plants in your immediate vicinity. (Google Play | Apple App Store)
Towering up to 160 feet above the Gardens by the Bay, the iconic Supertrees stand smack in the center of the Bay South complex: functional solar energy collectors, heat vents, thrill ride and light show rolled into one.
Take the elevator up to the 420-foot-long OCBC Walkway suspended about 70 feet off the ground between two of the biggest Supertrees. The views of Gardens by the Bay and the rest of Marina Bay simply can't be beat from up here, if you can keep your acrophobia under control.
After dark, take in the Garden Rhapsody light and sound show - a musical, colorful electronic performance powered by solar energy collected during the daylight hours.More »
For an overview of the rest of the city state, read our Singapore Travel Guide, or check out our list of reasons to visit Singapore. For transportation to the Gardens and for contact details, check out this page on getting to Gardens by the Bay.
1. Take in the grand tour.
As soon as you enter the Gardens by the Bay complex, you'll realize you have plenty of ground to cover - the first phase, Bay South, sprawls over 50-plus hectares of real estate, and includes two massive air-conditioned conservatories, 18 Supertrees, and a series of open-air gardens and lakes set alongside the Marina Bay reservoir.
Luckily, a guided tram tour can give you a comprehensive, exertion-free overview in the space of less than half an hour. The paid Outdoor Gardens Audio Tour winds around Bay South Garden's pathways - a guide will explain each of the sights within view as you roll by. Tours take place every day between 9:45am to 5:45 pm. Â
2. Let the kids roam free.
This zone is for kids only: the one-hectare Far East Organization Children's Garden contains a number of play areas designed for kids from 2 to 12 years of age. At the center of it all stands a sprawling splash fountain area with a series of nozzles, splines and buckets for creative water fun.
Around the fountain play area, a "forest adventure" - complete with treehouses and hiking trail - caters to kids who prefer to keep dry.More »
3. Visit a forest in the clouds.
The Bay South area's two cooled conservatories both rely on high technology to nourish rare plant life that otherwise would never thrive in Singapore's tropical climate (see weather in Singapore); but that's where the similarities end. The Cloud Forest dome replicates a tropical montane climate (wet and cold); the Flower Dome recreates a Mediterranean climate (cool and dry).
Over 61,000 individual plants representing over 1,000 species grow in the Cloud Forest dome, sheltered from Singapore's humidity and monsoons. As you enter, you'll immediately spot the dome's 115-foot-high "mountain", pierced by a walkway near the top and spouting a waterfall up front. The tour starts from the very top of the mountain, and works its way down (partly over a vertigo-inducing series of walkways swaying high above the dome floor).More »
4. Gawk at baobabs.
The Flower Dome's dry, cool Mediterranean climate encourages the growth of a surprising variety of plants - from alien-looking baobab trees to ancient olive trees cultivated for millennia by European civilizations past. A flower field in the dome's center changes color with the seasons, helped along by local horticulturalists.
The design of the terrain is intended to simulate the landscape of the lands around the Mediterranean, with terraces and outcrops providing a foundation for about 32,000 plants representing 160 species from all around the world.More »
5. Crunch the numbers as you go.
Trust the technocratic Singaporeans to put a rich overlay of data on top of their comprehensive collection of plant life. After visiting the cooled conservatories, interactive displays like the "Earth Lab" give visitors an overview of climate change's effects on the world's plants and their habitats.
If you prefer your data on the go, download Gardens by the Bay's official smartphone app. Paired with a GPS-enabled smartphone, the app provides useful information on the plants you see before you. You can also play along on the app's built in games, like a "Botany Hunt" that dares you to look for five different plants in your immediate vicinity. (Google Play | Apple App Store)
6. See the Supertrees day and night.
Towering up to 160 feet above the Gardens by the Bay, the iconic Supertrees stand smack in the center of the Bay South complex: functional solar energy collectors, heat vents, thrill ride and light show rolled into one.
Take the elevator up to the 420-foot-long OCBC Walkway suspended about 70 feet off the ground between two of the biggest Supertrees. The views of Gardens by the Bay and the rest of Marina Bay simply can't be beat from up here, if you can keep your acrophobia under control.
After dark, take in the Garden Rhapsody light and sound show - a musical, colorful electronic performance powered by solar energy collected during the daylight hours.More »
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