Outdoors · Singapore
7 best outdoor things to do in Singapore
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
Start with Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Botanic Gardens and Singapore Zoo. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 19–26 hours across 6 areas; 3 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 19–26 hours
- Areas
- Marina Bay, Tanglin and Mandai
Outdoors in Singapore
Garden · Marina Bay
1.Gardens by the Bay
Visit the cool conservatories in the afternoon heat, then lie on the ground under the Supertree Grove for the free evening show.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Kids
- Couples
- After dark
- Rainy day
- Nature
- Photo spot
Garden · Tanglin
2.Singapore Botanic Gardens
Come at 7–8am with the joggers, when it is cool and the swans and terrapins on Swan Lake are most active.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
- History
Zoo · Mandai
3.Singapore Zoo
Arrive at opening when the animals are active and before the midday heat; allow 45 minutes by MRT and shuttle bus from the centre.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Zoo · Mandai
4.Night Safari
Take an early entry slot so children are not exhausted, and walk the trails after the tram for quieter viewing.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- After dark
- Nature
Nature · Telok Blangah
5.Southern Ridges and Henderson Waves
Start at HarbourFront MRT, climb Mount Faber, and walk west so you finish near the Labrador or Kent Ridge stations.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Views
- Active
- Off the beaten path
Nature · Central Catchment
6.MacRitchie Reservoir and TreeTop Walk
Start early, carry plenty of water and keep food out of sight of the macaques.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Island · North-east Singapore
7.Pulau Ubin
Bring cash for the bumboat and bike rental; boats leave when about 12 passengers have gathered.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Active
- Off the beaten path
- Kids
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Marina Bay | Gardens by the Bay | 3–4 hours |
| Tanglin | Singapore Botanic Gardens | 2–3 hours |
| Mandai | Singapore Zoo and Night Safari | Half a day + 3 hours |
| Telok Blangah | Southern Ridges and Henderson Waves | 2–4 hours |
| Central Catchment | MacRitchie Reservoir and TreeTop Walk | 3–4 hours |
| North-east Singapore | Pulau Ubin | Half a day |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 3 free, 1 low cost, 1 mid-priced, 2 expensive. Book ahead for Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. The longest visit is Gardens by the Bay; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Gardens by the Bay: Buy conservatory tickets online on weekends and school holidays to skip the counter queue.
- Singapore Zoo: Online tickets are often cheaper than the gate and combined Mandai park tickets are available.
- Night Safari: Timed entry slots sell out on weekends and holidays; book online.
How to fit them into 7 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Marina Bay): Gardens by the Bay, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Tanglin): Singapore Botanic Gardens, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Mandai): Singapore Zoo, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Mandai): Night Safari, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Telok Blangah): Southern Ridges and Henderson Waves, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 6 (Central Catchment): MacRitchie Reservoir and TreeTop Walk, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 7 (North-east Singapore): Pulau Ubin, at least 3 hours.
The best months to be outside
- February: highs of 31°C (88°F), about 11 rainy days, busy crowds. Usually the driest, sunniest month; Chinese New Year week brings closures of some family-run stalls and higher hotel prices.
- June: highs of 31°C (88°F), about 13 rainy days, busy crowds. Southwest monsoon begins with fewer long downpours, though pre-dawn squalls occur; school holidays bring families to Sentosa and the zoo.
- July: highs of 31°C (88°F), about 13 rainy days, busy crowds. Relatively dry and breezy; a busy month with travellers from the Northern Hemisphere.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Marina Bay — Skyline hotels, the Marina Bay Sands complex and waterfront promenades
- Orchard Road — A 2 km boulevard of malls, department stores and big hotels
More of Singapore
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Singapore?
Gardens by the Bay. Gardens by the Bay is a 101-hectare waterfront park whose 16-storey Supertrees are vertical gardens of ferns and orchids.
+Which of these are free in Singapore?
Singapore Botanic Gardens, Southern Ridges and Henderson Waves and MacRitchie Reservoir and TreeTop Walk.