Gardens by the Bay divides neatly into what you pay for and what you don't. The two cooled conservatories — the Flower Dome, a Mediterranean garden under glass, and the Cloud Forest, a mountain wrapped in mist with a walkway that spirals down past the waterfall — are ticketed and worth every dollar in the heat. The outdoor gardens and the Supertree Grove are free and open until 2 a.m.
The Supertrees are steel-and-concrete frames 25 to 50 metres tall, planted with climbing ferns and orchids, fitted with solar cells and rain collectors. Twice each evening (7:45 and 8:45 p.m.) they become the Garden Rhapsody light-and-music show; lie on the grass under the grove and look up. The OCBC Skyway, a 128-metre walkway strung between the trees, is a small extra charge and is best just before sunset.
The Cloud Forest is the one to prioritise if you only have time for a single dome — the entrance, where you walk into the base of the waterfall, is one of the best reveals in any attraction anywhere. Allow ninety minutes for both domes. Book timed tickets online; walk-up sales suspend on busy weekends and public holidays.
The gardens sit directly behind Marina Bay Sands, connected by a bridge, so the classic day is the ArtScience Museum or the SkyPark observation deck in the afternoon, the domes at five, dinner at Satay by the Bay and the light show. Stay at Marina Bay for zero transit; the Orchard Road hotels are a fifteen-minute chauffeur ride.
Three things to get right
- Cloud Forest over Flower Dome if you must choose; both if you can.
- The 7:45 p.m. Garden Rhapsody show is free — arrive 20 minutes early for a spot on the lawn.
- Buy conservatory tickets online; weekend walk-up sales often stop.
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