Marina Bay

Marina Bay is the showpiece waterfront at the heart of modern Singapore, a sweeping promenade encircling the bay, ringed by the city's most famous sights: the boat-topped Marina Bay Sands, the futuristic Supertrees of Gardens by the Bay, the durian-shaped Esplanade theatres, the Merlion statue spouting water, and the financial district's towers. A loop around the bay on foot strings together most of Singapore's icons in one walk.

It's at its best after dark, when everything lights up and the free Spectra light-and-water show plays at the Marina Bay Sands waterfront. By day, the Merlion and the helix bridge are the photo stops; by night, the whole bay becomes a glittering circuit. Flat, well-paved, and entirely free to wander, it's the easiest way to take in the city's modern face.

Don't miss

• The full waterfront loop linking Singapore's icons
• The Merlion statue spouting into the bay
• Marina Bay Sands and the Gardens by the Bay Supertrees
• The free Spectra light-and-water show after dark
• The DNA-shaped Helix Bridge

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Marina Bay

Cheapest way inSingapore: Gardens by the Bay Admission E-Ticket4.2★ · 119 travelers~24 hoursFree cancellationFrom$10 per personSee dates →Most bookedSingapore River Cruise, Night Garden Rhapsody & Spectra by CYT4.9★ · 1,163 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$40 per personSee dates →Private & flexiblePrivate Tour Singapore Nighttime sightseeing + River Cruise4.9★ · 92 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$182 per personSee dates →

Good for

How travelers rate it

Know before you go

• Walk the loop after sunset, the lit skyline and free Spectra show are the highlight.
• Spectra plays at the Marina Bay Sands event plaza waterfront; check the nightly times.
• It's free to wander; only the rooftop deck and Gardens conservatories charge.
• Singapore is hot and humid, evening is more comfortable for the full loop.

A bit of history

Marina Bay was created on reclaimed land as the centrepiece of Singapore's 21st-century expansion of its downtown, with the major landmarks, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, the Helix Bridge, opening around 2010–12. The Merlion, the city's mythical lion-fish emblem, was relocated to its bayfront spot in 2002.