5. Wildlife Reserves Singapore: Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Night Safari, Rainforest Lumina & Jurong Bird Park
Sometimes a zoo is just another zoo. Not true in Singapore. The Singapore Zoo is one of the most expansive zoos that my family has ever visited, and we’ve been to a lot of zoos! Wildlife Reserves Singapore operates the zoo and several other wildlife parks and experiences. You can visit one of them, a few of them or all of them, time permitting.
Singapore Zoo
80 Mandai Lake Road
At the Singapore Zoo, you’ll find an array of local wildlife as well as animals that you’d see in most other zoos. The zoo is laid out nicely and easily walkable with plenty of places to duck into for shade and snack breaks. Believe me, you’ll need that in the Singapore heat!
Some of the signature exhibits include the free-ranging orangutans. Look up and you may see an orangutan climbing right above your head! This exhibit is the world’s first, free-ranging orangutan habitat. Explore the Elephants of Asia area to see elephants at work and play. Be sure to check out the Hamadryas baboons who live in the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia exhibit. You’ll see more than 90 baboons roaming the large exhibit. It’s fascinating to watch them groom, play, and even tussle with each other.
Zoos aren’t just about the animals. The Singapore Zoo’s Houbii Rope Course offers some adventure, too. There are two courses, depending on your child’s height. Parents can rest their feet while watching their kids climb above. Cost: Youth (below 110cm) about $15; Youth (110cm & above) about $18, depending on exchange rate. There’s also Kidzworld which includes a water play area, carousel, pony rides, and opportunities to touch animals. Cost: Varies.
If looking at animals isn’t enough for you, take part in an animal feeding. It’ll cost you a few extra bucks, but proceeds go to wildlife conservation. Some of the animals available to feed include goats, elephants, giraffes, and white rhinos.
With so much to do, it’s easy to spend a full day at just the zoo. Cost; Youth about $16; Adult about $25, depending on exchange rate. It’s an easy train ride from just about anywhere in Singapore with a special shuttle bus that takes you right to the entrance of the park.
Night Safari
80 Mandai Lake Road
While many zoos close their doors at sunset, this one is open after dark. Night Safari is a nocturnal wildlife park that’s home to over a 1,000 animals. It’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in Singapore, receiving over a million visitors a year!
As you wait to enter, you may see the Thumbuakar performance. It’s a dramatic show featuring pyro performers who dance while playing with fire. From there, head to the Creatures of the Night show to learn more about nocturnal animals and their habits. As you sit and watch, you may be surprised to see one of the animals walk right past you. The show includes some audience participation, like holding a giant snake on stage, if you’re lucky enough to be chosen (or unlucky, depending on your point of view).
There’s a 40-minute tram that takes you through the zoo providing commentary about the animals that you’re seeing. Some of the animals will be out and about and may walk right up to the tram, but most of the animals are in their cages. You also can see animals along a walking trail. Cost: Youth about $22; Adult about $34, depending on exchange rate.
KidTripster Tip: Night Safari is about the experience not the photos. It’s dark, and flash photography is not allowed.
Rainforest Lumina
80 Mandai Lake Road
There’s another night experience called Rainforest Lumina. It’s a multi-sensory night walk that opened at the zoo in 2018. Instead of actual animals, you’ll see animated ones called the Creature Crew. Light displays project animals on walls and rocks around the zoo. There are interactive elements throughout where your sound and motions make the animals jump and move.
Everyone gets to select a spirit animal at the beginning of the tour and put on a colored wristband representing that creature. At the end of the attraction, you’ll get to see your photograph morphed into your animal on a giant display wall. Cost: Youth about $12; Adult about $16.
River Safari
80 Mandai Lake Road
Located right next to the Singapore Zoo, River Safari is dedicated to wildlife that call rivers “home.” The River Safari features rivers of the world like the Mekong, Yangtze, and Mississippi. You’ll see plenty of fish, but many other animals, too.
One of the best parts of the River Safari is the Giant Panda Forest where Kai Kai and Jia Jia live. You have a great view of the pandas as they eat and play. There’s also a resident red panda that allows you to get surprisingly close to it for photos.
KidTripster Tip: Be sure to pop into the Mama Panda Kitchen and order a Panda ‘Paus which is a dumpling that looks like a panda face. It’s cute and tasty.
Another notable experience is the Squirrel Monkey Forest in Wild Amazonia. You’ll get an up-close encounter with a roving troop of squirrel monkeys. You’re actually in their pen, and you may be surprised by just how close they get to you.
The River Safari offers many opportunities for kids to touch and interact with animals. Visitors also can get out on the water for a boat ride. The River Safari cruise travels the reservoir, but the Amazon River Quest takes you through the rainforest where you can catch a glimpse of the animals that live there. Cost: Youth around $15; Adult around $23, depending on the exchange rate.
Jurong Bird Park
2 Jurong Hill
The Jurong Bird Park is home to more than 5,000 birds and over 400 species. There are four, walk-in aviaries that bring you up close to the birds. From the very large to the very small, expect to see animals that you’ve never seen or heard of before.
KidTripster Tip: Look for opportunities to interact with the birds during their feeding times.
Jurong Bird Park has a play area called Birdz of Play. Pack along a swimsuit and let your kids cool off after a day of looking at birds. There’s a clean restroom and changing area next to the water playground. Snacks and souvenirs can be found here, too. Cost: Youth about $14; Adult about $22, depending on exchange rate.
The Jurong Bird Park is located separately from the Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Night Safari and Rainforest Lumina. There’s a shuttle bus that will take you to and from the main zoo. Taxis also can be found at the entrance of the zoo.
KidTripster Tip: You can’t possibly do all of the wildlife parks in one day. We split our visit over two days. On the first day, we spent several hours exploring the Singapore Zoo. In the afternoon, we walked next door to the River Safari where we spent a few more hours. Then we grabbed dinner at the food court outside the zoo and ended the evening with Rainforest Lumina. On our second day, we toured Jurong Bird Park and then spent the evening at Night Safari.
KidTripster Tip: If you want to visit some or all the parks, I strongly suggest purchasing a 2-park, 4-park or Park Hopper Plus ticket at the entrance gate or online to save money.
KidTripster Tip: There’s a lot of walking involved when visiting any of these parks. I recommend using the tram system in each park. For just a few bucks, the tram will save you and your kids a lot of steps. Or if you purchase a Park Hopper Pass, the tram is free.
All of the parks were enjoyable, but I highly recommend attending the two night events. My favorite was the Night Safari which offered an entirely different perspective on animals (and the zoo) after dark. My kids loved Rainforest Lumina. It was a unique and interactive experience where they were encouraged to shout, jump, and dance.
6. Science Centre Singapore & Snow City
15 Science Centre Road
Many locals suggested that we visit Science Centre Singapore. After visiting, I can understand why. It’s a huge space. It’s so big that you really need to stay close to your kids because we got separated a few times. The museum covers a lot of ground from the more expected topics like earth and marine science to heavier issues like bioethics and aging to fun stuff like an exhibit on quirky inventions and Phobia: The Science of Fear.
There’s also something called KidsSTOP, which is essentially a science center designed for kids under the age of 8. It’s a space that allows kids to explore science in a very hands-on way. Cost for 4-hour session at KidsSTOP: Youth about $10; Adult about $17, depending on exchange rate. Tickets costs less during off-peak times like midweek days.
KidTripster Tip: Like many places in Singapore, there’s a water play area here, so bring swimsuits and towels.
It’s easy to spend an entire day at Science Centre Singapore. Cost: Youth about $6; Adult about $9, depending on exchange rate. Like most things in Singapore, you’ll notice a lot of add-on costs to your visit. You’ll pay extra to do Butterflies Up-Close, KidsSTOP (as noted above), and Snow City. Some of the activities inside the Science Centre like the Laser Maze Challenge also will cost extra.
KidTripster Tip: Don’t waste your time or money at Snow City. It looks fun in the online photos. And after sweating your way through Singapore, the idea of a few hours in the snow may sound appealing. Trust us, don’t fall for it! Things we didn’t like? It costs extra, the provided snow gear is old and dirty, and no cameras are allowed inside. Staff photographers are ready to take your picture at every turn and then sell you a photo package before you leave. Beyond all that, it’s just not that much fun. The snow is very limited. It was worn down and dirty. We paid for an hour of play, but after just a few minutes, we were ready to leave. My 10-year-old daughter said, “Mom, I know why you’re not allowed to bring your camera inside. They don’t want you to take photos showing how lame it is in here.” Truth! Cost: about $13/person/hour. Admission costs includes use of a jacket and boots, however additional winter gear, like gloves and pants, is an additional fee.
7. Sentosa Island
Looking for action and adventure during your visit to Singapore? Hop over to Sentosa Island. From theme parks to ziplines to beaches, you’ll find a little bit of everything on Sentosa.
Getting there is part of the fun. Taking the Singapore Cable Car gives you a scenic view of Singapore and Sentosa Island. The ride lasts about 15 minutes, and its highest point is 300 feet above sea level. Catch the ride over from Singapore’s only hilltop destination – Faber Peak. While you’re at Faber Peak, ring the Bell of Happiness and then add your own wishing bell.
When you arrive at Sentosa, there’s plenty to do, and all of it is easy to get to. There’s another cable car that travels the length of the island. There’s also a monorail and shuttle bus system. It sounds complicated, but it’s a small island and easy to navigate.
We did the MegaZip at the Mega Adventure Park. The zipline is 246 feet up and nearly 1500 feet long. It starts on the top of a hill and ends on a beach – and it goes fast! Watch our KidTripster cub reporter here and then listen to her review. Cost: Varies by activity; discounted packages available online.
There are other outdoor activities like the Skyline Luge Sentosa and a waterpark.
You may want to take a break from the heat and head indoors. One place to go is the S.E.A. Aquarium, home to more than 100,000 marine animals of 1,000 species. The Ocean Gallery has one of the world’s largest windows, giving you a spectacular view of marine life. In other areas of the aquarium, you can walk amongst sharks and manta rays.
You’ll see some familiar tourist attractions on Sentosa Island, too, like Kidzania, Trick Eye Museum, iFly Singapore and Madame Tussauds. I’d skip those.
KidTripster Tip: Save money by bundling your activities. Resorts World Sentosa Attraction Packages are for sale at several ticket counters in Singapore and on Sentosa Island.
8. Universal Studios Singapore
8 Sentosa Gateway, Sentosa Island
No, it doesn’t have The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and no, it’s not the biggest or best Universal Studios location, but there’s a lot to do here for folks of all ages. My family enjoys visiting theme parks around the world, comparing and contrasting the parks. Having visited the Universal Studios locations in California and Florida, it was fun to check out the Singapore location which had several exclusive attractions. It’s a nicely laid out theme park – not too big, clean, and easy to navigate. It also has several shady places with benches to rest your feet, which is a big plus in the Singapore heat.
One of the attractions that we hadn’t experienced in the U.S. parks was the silly Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Race. It’s located in the New York section of the park. While you’re there, you’ll likely bump into characters from Sesame Street who are available for photos and hugs. There’s also the attraction called Madagascar: A Crate Adventure which is a cute, river ride adventure featuring the characters from the Madagascar movies. Afterwards, you may get a chance to “move it” with Alex the Lion and his friends during the Madagascar Boogie. In Far Far Away land, there are several Shrek-related rides and shows including a fun, kid-friendly roller coaster called Puss in Boots’ Giant Journey.
For the more adventurous, there are a few serious roller coasters like Battlestar Galactica (which is the world’s tallest dueling roller coaster), Revenge of the Mummy, and Transformers The Ride. In The Lost World section, get soaked in the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure. You also can get up close to and interact with dinosaurs at Jurassic Encounter. It utilizes augmented reality and places you on the screen with dinosaurs.
The park has seven zones and 24 rides. Universal Studios is located on Sentosa Island. It’s easy to get to by cable car or monorail from central Singapore. We enjoyed our visit so much that we went a second time while we were in Singapore, but you can certainly do this park in a day. Cost: Youth about $40; Adult about $52, depending on the exchange rate. Discounts available online.
KidTripster Tip: The park offers a Universal Express Pass and a Universal Express Unlimited Pass at an extra cost. These passes allows holders to skip the regular line at many attractions and use the Express Lane. The regular pass costs an additional $21 per ticket, and you can use it once at each available attraction. The Unlimited Pass is an additional $36 per ticket and allows you to ride as many times as you want. You can purchase either pass online or at the park. We visited the park on a weekend and on a weekday. There were crowds and lines on both days. I recommend waiting until you’re on site to potentially purchase passes. You may find that you don’t need it. If your time is limited and the lines are too long, you can still purchase the pass once you’re inside the park. Check the guide map for a list of locations. We did utilize the Universal Express Pass on one of our visits, and it was definitely nice. We were able to go on many more attractions that day as we didn’t waste time waiting in lines.
