Singapore/Marina Bay

Marina Bay is Singapore's newest district, created on reclaimed land just east of Riverside. It includes the areas east of Shenton Way and Esplanade Dr. Marina Bay is now truly the focal point in many visitors' itineraries: mixing business, shopping, entertainment and culture in one accessible district.

Understand
The label "Marina Bay" is a little fuzzy. The bay is the body of water created by reclaiming land around the mouth of the Singapore River and blocked off from the sea by the Marina Barrage, but Singaporeans used to associate the name "Marina" with the Marina Square shopping mall and the many hotel developments around it on the north shore of the river. The half to the south of the river, or Marina South, was mostly unused reclaimed land until the government targeted it as Singapore's new downtown hub, turning it into the core of Singapore's urban transformation efforts. Now its centrepiece, the Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino, dominates the city skyline while sharing the spotlight with the super trees of Gardens by the Bay.

Get in
Marina Bay is very well connected to all parts of Singapore. From the airport, Marina Bay Sands Hotel guests can use a shuttle bus for $9.

The northern side of the bay is best accessed through the Circle MRT Line, with stations at Esplanade (for Suntec City) and Promenade (for Suntec City and Millenia Walk, also on the Downtown Line). Or, you can walk for approximately 15 minutes through the underground (and air-conditioned) CityLink shopping mall from Raffles City (at the City Hall MRT station where the North-South and East-West lines intersect).

If you wish to head to Merlion Park, a less-touristed option would be to walk through an air-conditioned linkway within the Fullerton Hotel complex (near Raffles Place) towards the Bay.

The southern half, i.e. Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay, is best accessed through the Downtown MRT Line, with stations at Bayfront (for Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay), and Downtown for Lau Pa Sat and the Financial District. The eponymous Gardens by the Bay station of the Thomson-East Coast line is located on the southern side of the Gardens, and walking from here to Bayfront is a good options for exploring Gardens.

Get around
Suntec City, Marina Square, Millenia Walk and the Esplanade in the north are all conveniently linked, either by underground malls or covered walkways. If you don't mind a bit of a walk, the Marina Bay Sands can be reached from the northern half by walking south for 20 mins on the Helix Bridge, which has several viewing platforms overlooking the bay.

Marina Bay Sands


Marina Bay Sands hosts a slew of attractions. The easiest on your wallet would be to simply sit and enjoy the view of Shenton Way and the Esplanade from the shore, which are great in the day, but even more spectacular at night.



Gardens and parks
Marina Bay adds a whole lot of greenery back to the city, all brought in and replanted. Some trees in the Gardens by the Bay are hundreds of years old, and some even date back a millennium. A visit to the Gardens can easily be combined with Marina Bay Sands, since Bayfront and Gardens by the Bay MRT stations are about 1 km apart and there's a shuttle bus ($3) between Bayfront and the Flower Dome.



The Marina South Pier offers a few ferry services out of the city to the Southern Islands of Kusu and St. John. The journey is probably more remarkable than the destinations.

Do




Events

 * Singapore Grand Prix is an on-street Formula One race held in Marina Bay. The next races are 20-22 Sept 2024 then 3-5 Oct 2025.

Budget
As per usual in Singapore, cheap eats may be found in the food courts of the local shopping centres such as Food Republic and Fountain Food Terrace in Suntec City and The Gallerie in Marina Square. Don't expect any bargains within Marina Bay Sands though: even the Rasapura Masters food court is around twice the usual price.



Mid-range
There are a lot of mid-range eateries in the shopping centres but not many are of note and are mostly part of standard food franchises found elsewhere. The Gardens by the Bay also has some casual dining if you decide to rest in the middle of a walk.



Splurge
Marina Bay Sands has brought in a constellation of big names, with Daniel Boulud, Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck, Santi Santamaria, Guy Savoy, and Tetsuya Wakuda all opening restaurants in the complex.



There are a few interesting places around Marina Square and in the Gardens of the Bay as well.



Drink
This is the place to be if you are someone, know somebody or just want to get away from the common masses.

Sleep
As the glitzy new waterfront of Singapore, Marina Bay accommodation is all made up of high-end hotels, most of which boast expansive city and water views. Cheaper hotels will be found in neighbouring districts. The area is particularly busy during the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix in September, with many booking hotel rooms to be right in the middle of the races. Bayfront Ave will be closed, so traffic to the Marina Bay Sands will be limited through the south end. The Helix Bridge will also be closed during the race weekend (except for those with Zone 1 tickets), making it more difficult to get around.

Go next
Head eastwards to Riverside for its historic buildings or bigger nightlife, or north to Bugis for street shopping. Both are within walkable distance with frequent breaks, although the MRT may be a more comfortable ride, especially from Marina Bay Sands. You can also take bus 133 if you are heading from Marina Bay Sands to Bugis.