‘Tis the season to be jolly!
Ho ho ho! It’s the time of the year when you hear Christmas carols everytime you go out to the shopping malls. It’s the time of the year when your Facebook and Instagram feeds are filled with Christmas trees and Christmas feast! It’s also probably the season you travel.
Speaking of travel, personally I feel that Singapore is a wonderful destination for Christmas. Every year, the country put up so many kinds of Christmas light-up and decorations all over the island, from Boon Lay in the west to Changi in the east, from Punggol in the north to Harbourfront in the south.
Christmas is basically everywhere in Singapore. And the decorations are different every year. I won’t bore you with a list of every single place to see Christmas decorations in Singapore. Instead, here’s a list of Christmas decorations that you don’t want to miss in 2020.
In case you’re wondering why are all my photos taken during the day?!?! Honestly, it’s because I just really love to see Christmas decoration with natural lights during the day. Hope it gives you a different perspective of Christmas Light-Up!
1. Orchard Road: Christmas on a Great Street 2020
Orchard Road has been consistently putting up breathtaking Christmas decorations every year. This year, Orchard Road is lined with luminous christmas decorations from 13 November 2020 to 1 January 2021.
Unlike previous year, this year’s Christmas at Orchard Road will be slightly quieter due the absence of Christmas Villages and street festivities (thanks, Mr ‘Rona!).
If you’re overseas and unable to travel to Singapore this year, or you are in Singapore but exploring Orchard Road in December gives you goosebumps, you can enjoy a virtual tour of Orchard Road’s Christmas Light Up.
Christmas on Great Street starts from Tanglin Mall at Tanglin Road and ends at Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station. You can start your journey from Dhoby Ghaut MRT and walk to Tanglin Mall, or vice versa.
When is the best time to visit? Go there in the morning if you want less crowd and you don’t need to see the actual lights up. Go there in the evening if you want to see the dazzling lights and performances, but it’ll be crowded so you’ll probably have a hard time to take photos without other people in it.
How much does it cost? It’s free to walk along the Great Street (from Tanglin Road to Orchard Road).
More details: https://christmas.orchardroad.org/
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2. Changi Airport: The Changi Festive Village
Changi Airport has been a desert this year (thanks again to Mr ‘Rona), so I’m really glad that Christmas is still happening at Changi Airport.
Since the Terminal 2 is under construction this year, the Christmas celebration will be taking place at Terminal 3 and Terminal 4. Here are what to expect.
DINO WANDERLAND at Terminal 3 Level 2 (Departure Hall, Public Area)
Dinosaurs fans will definitely love Dino Wanderland as they’ll be able to walk among 9 huge life-like dinosaurs, including T-Rex. You can redeem a photo-taking pass when you spend $30 at participating outlets ($80 for supermarkets), or you can also purchase the pass at $5.
Dino Wanderland is open from 20 Nov 2020 to 3 Jan 2021. Admission is free. Take note of the opening hour below:
Mon – Fri, 3pm – 9pm
Sat, Sun & PHs, 11am – 9pm
AIR TOKIDOKI at Terminal 3 Basement 2 (Opp Kopitiam)
Missing the airplane cabin already? Me too! Well, at Air Tokidoki, you can step into a tokidoki-themed plane cabin and snap photos with tokidoki characters.
Air Tokidoki is open from 20 Nov 2020 to 3 Jan 2021. Admission is free. Take note of the opening hours below:
Daily 10am – 11pm
TOKIDOKI SNOW HOLIDAY at Terminal 3 Level 2 (Departure Hall, Public Area, Next to Row 11)
Dreaming of snowy Christmast? Tokidoki Snow Holiday is a 2-storey snow house where you can ride on a snow luge or snow slide, build a snow man and enjoy the light and sound show.
Each session will consist of 20min of briefing and preparation and 20 min of snow play time. It costs $13.90 per person per session. If you’re a big shopper, you can also redeem a free ticket when you spend $30 at participating outlets ($80 for supermarkets).
Tokidoki Snow Holiday is open from 20 Nov 2020 to 3 Jan 2021. Admission is free. Take note of the opening hours below:
Daily 10.40am – 10.20pm (last entry at 9.40pm)
JURASSIC MILE at Terminal 4
Dino is Changi’s main theme for this year’s Christmas, so do expect Dino overload! The Jurassic Mile is the new outdoor display of pre-historic creatures. The path stretches for more than 1km, so do wear a pair of comfortable walking shoes!
This exhibit is permanent, so you can visit them anytime, not just during Christmas season. It is open 24 hours daily, but of course, I don’t recommend visiting at night (who knows if these creators come alive at night?!?!)
DINO FEST at Terminal 4 Departure Hall
Dino Fest is a dinosaur-themed carnival market where you can see dino eggs, befriend dino baby, paint dino sculpture, feast on delicious food at Dino Dine, and have a retail therapy at Dino Shop.
On weekdays, admission costs $6/adult or $5/child for each session of 2 hours. Meanwhile, on weekends and PHs, ticket costs $2 more expensive than on weekdays.. Children below 6 enter for free.
Dino Fest is open from 3 Dec 2020 to 27 Dec 2020. Take note of the opening hours below:
Thursday to Sunday, 3pm to 11pm (last entry at 10pm)
DINO BOUNCE at Terminal 4 Departure Hall (opp Row 1)
As the name suggests, Dino Bounce is a bouncing playground for dino lovers. There are 2 play zones: Dino Bounce Land and Dino Bounce Sea.
Each session is 20 mins long. Advanced booking is required. It costs $8 per person per session, or you can redeem a ticket when you spend $30 at participating outlets ($80 for supermarkets).
Dino Bounce is open from 26 Nov 2020 to 3 Jan 2021. Take note of the opening hours below:
Mon – Wed: 3pm – 10pm (last entry at 9.30pm)
Thu – Sun, eves of PHs & PHs: 2pm – 11pm (last entry at 10.30pm)
DINO KART at Terminal 4, Arrival taxi waiting area
Love exhilarating rides? Try Dino Kart, a dino-themed go-kart. There are 2 circuits: Novice (8km/hr) and Pro (24km/hr).
| Circuit | Weekdays (Mon – Wed) | Weekends (Thu – Sun) |
| Novice | $12 | $16 |
| Pro | $15 | $22 |
Dino Kart is open from 26 Nov 2020 to 31 Dec 2020. Take note of the opening hours below:
Mon – Wed: 3pm – 10pm
Thu – Sun, eves of PHs & PHs: 2pm – 11pm
Read my complete guide about things to do in Changi Airport.
3. Jewel Changi Airport: Sparkling Christmas at Jewel
Giant Christmas Tree at Shiseido Forest Valley at Jewel Level 1 (Public Area). At 16 meter tall, you’d think that this giant tree can be easily spotted. But, no! I missed this tree when I went there, because I usually spend my time at Level 5 (for Canopy Park) or Basement (for dining). My advice to you: don’t miss this tree, okay?
Shiseido Forest Valley at Night. Between 6pm to 11pm, the Forest Valley will turn into a gated Santa’s workshop with hourly snowfall at 6.30pm, 7.30pm, 8.30pm, 9.30pm and 10.30pm.
Do note that entrance to Shiseido Forest Valley in the evening is NOT FREE. Every S$30 spend in a single receipt entitles you to 2 tickets.
Canopy Park at Level 5. Besides Shiseido Forest, the Canopy Park is also decorated with Christmas accessories. Ticket costs $5 for Public, but if you’re local resident, you may get discounts.
When is the best time to visit? In the evening if you want to catch the Christmas light-up, otherwise, during the day if you prefer natural light. Weekdays are less crowded than weekends.
How much does it cost? Mostly free, except Shiseido Forest Valley at night, and Canopy Park.
Read my guide for exploring Canopy Park at Jewel.
4. Gardens by the Bay: Christmas Wonderland
You haven’t been to Singapore if you haven’t been to Gardens by the Bay, really. GBTB is the perfect place to spend a full day at.
Spend your morning exploring the outdoor gardens admiring the Supertrees. Then, in the afternoon when the temperature rises, enjoy strolling at the two mesmerising indoor conservatories: Flower Dome and Cloud Forest.
Specially curated for this year’s Christmas theme, Poinsettia Wishes, Flower Dome is filled with poinsettias and winter blooms as well as iconic landmarks in the Nordic region from 27 November 2020 to 3 January 2021.
BTW, there is NO Christmas decoration in Cloud Forest. So, if you’re only looking for Christmas decoration, feel free to skip Cloud Forest.
After enjoying the beauty of floras, spend your evening at the spectacular Christmas Wonderland – Walk of Lights, a Christmas-themed luminaire light installations. It is open from 3 December 2020 to 27 December 2020. Ticket costs $5 per person; advance booking is required.
Unlike last year where the Christmas Wonderland offered snow blizzard, live performance, Christmas parade, carnival games, and Christmas festive market, this year’s Christmas Wonderland is quieter. Here are things you can do at Walk of Lights:
- Enjoy soothing background music and soft lighting at Garden Rhapsody amidst the magnificent Supertrees. The music is being played from 7pm to 10pm daily.
- Take selfies with 9 massive Light Sculpture installations. The 370-metre long walk will take visitors 20 to 30 minutes to complete, and it is a one-way path (turning back is not allowed)
- Take a ride on the double-storey Venetian horse Carousel, that is hand-painted by artists and crafted by skilled craftsmen in Europe. The rice costs $10, online booking is compulsory.
If exploring the outdoor gives you trembles, you can opt for virtual Christmas Wonderland. Ticket starts from $8.
When is the best time to visit? For Gardens by the Bay conservatories, personally I prefer to visit them during the day because I love natural light. For Walk of Light, I guess any day is fine. All of the attractions require advance reservation, so remember to make booking online before visiting!
How much does it cost? Admission to Christmas Wonderland (exclude Flower Dome, Cloud Forest, OCBC Skyway) costs $5.
You can also get a bundle which consists of Christmas Wonderland, Flower Dome & Cloud Forest if you want to maximize your visit to Gardens by the Bay.
More information: https://www.christmaswonderland.sg/
5. Universal Studios Singapore: A Universal Christmas
No matter how old you are, you are never too old to visit a fabulous theme park. And the Universal Studios Singapore (USS) is not just a normal theme park during this festive season. Why?
Firstly, this fabulous theme park is transformed into a magical place where you can experience the largest snowfall ever in USS, meet 50 Universal characters including Sesame Street and Despicable characters, and witness Santa directing a movie! Oh, you can also get a chance to star in this movie. Sounds cool?
Sing Christmas songs along with Madagascar characters, dance along holiday hits with Puss in the Boots, catch The Great Christmas Invention show in New York. Don’t forget, there are plenty of thrill and fun rides in the USS too in addition to all of these Christmas specials.
Do note that USS is closed on Tues & Wed in December 2020. They’re only open from Thu – Mon, from 2pm to 9pm. Yeah, I know, 7 hours is TOO SHORT for a theme park. Oh well..
When is the best time to visit? Any day (Thu-Mon) is fine, just make sure to be there early before the gate opens to maximize your time.
How much does it cost? Regular price is SGD 81, but you can get cheaper tickets if you book here.
Read my tips about Universal Studios Singapore:
List of Attractions in Universal Studios Singapore and My Recommendations
Guides on How To Maximise Your Visit to Universal Studios Singapore
6. Other Locations
On top of the above major locations, there are many Christmas trees and decorations all around Singapore. Some of my favourites are below.
Raffles City Shopping Centre
You’ve finally come to the end of the post! Too many things to see, right? I recommend you explore Singapore slowly during the festive season in order to truly enjoy it.
If you have recommendations of other places to visit, let me know in the comments! I hope you have a good holiday season this year! Ho ho ho!
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