I’ve been a repeat visitor of Christmas Wonderland for at least 5 years. Even though some of the light installations and activities are similar to past years, Christmas Wonderland is still something I look forward to visiting every year.
That’s because Christmas is my favorite holiday and in Singapore, there are not many places that can make you feel the vibes of Christmas beside Christmas Wonderland.
Enough of me rambling about my obsession with Christmas, I bet you come to this page because you want to know what to expect from this year’s Christmas Wonderland, right?
Alright, let’s cut to the chase. Let me share with you what you can expect from Christmas Wonderland 2023 at Gardens by the Bay Singapore.
I visited Christmas Wonderland 2023 in the first week of the opening and here’s my very own experience, review and tips!
Opening Hours
Christmas Wonderland is only open for 1 month, starting from 1 December 2023 to 1 January 2024.
The operating hours are from 6.30pm to 10.30pm daily (last admission at 10pm).
When purchasing the ticket, you will need to select your preferred session from 4 available sessions.
Session | Time |
---|---|
Session 1 | 6.30 pm |
Session 2 | 7.30 pm |
Session 3 | 8.30 pm |
Session 4 | 9.30 pm |
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Based on my past experience and based on the Q&A in the FAQ section, visitors are encouraged to enter the event ground during the designated timing, but the organizer is not that strict. I’ve been late in the past, and I still got to enter without any problems.
And there’s no time limit on how long you can remain in the park. Even if you enter right when the gate opens, you are allowed to remain in the park until the end of the event at 10.30pm.
I guess the different entry timings are meant to disperse the crowd. Without these measures, it’s possible that visitors will have to queue for a long time just to enter, that’ll be a bad start to the supposedly magical night.
Ticket Prices
The ticket prices depend on which day you visit. If you visit earlier in the month, the cheaper you’ll pay.
All tickets MUST be purchased online, because there’s no physical ticket counter on-site. Click here make your booking.
Date of Visit | Advance Purchase (booked at least 1 day before visit) | Same-day Purchase |
---|---|---|
1 Dec – 14 Dec 2023 | Adult: S$8 Child: S$6 | Adult: S$12 Child: S$6 |
15 Dec – 25 Dec 2023 | Adult: S$12 Child: S$6 | Adult: S$14 Child: S$6 |
26 Dec – 1 Jan 2024 | Adult: S$10 Child: S$6 | Adult: S$12 Child: S$6 |
Advance Purchase means tickets are purchased latest by 23:59hrs on the day before the visit.
Christmas Wonderland is a rain or shine event. No refunds or alternative dates will be provided for weather reasons.
How to Go to Christmas Wonderland 2023
Christmas Wonderland has 4 gates:
1. Gate 1 near Floral Clock (which is near Shake Shack & Flower Dome)
2. Gate 2 near Malay Garden/Chinese Garden. At the toilet between Malay & Chinese Garden, take the lift down to Supertree Grove and you will find Gate 2.
3. Gate 3 near Floating Baby (which is near The Meadow & Floral Fantasy)
4. Gate 4 near Garden Pod (which is near The Meadow Carpark)
Gate 1 seems to be the most popular entrance, and it was pretty crowded when I visited. I queued about 20 mins just to enter from Gate 1, while my spouse spent less than 5 mins entering from Gate 2. If you don’t like queueing, I’d recommend entering from Gate 2.
By MRT
MRT Option 1: Take MRT to Gardens by the Bay Station (Thomson East Coast Line), then walk about 15 mins to Gate 1 at Floral Clock (which is near Shake Shack & Flower Dome)
MRT Option 2: Take MRT to Bayfront Station (Circle Line/Downtown Line). Now, you have 2 options: you can either cross the Dragonfly Bridge and walk towards Gate 2, or you can walk to Floral Fantasy then cross the bridge and walk towards Gate 3 near Floating Baby. Do note that Gate 3 is quite a distance away from Supertree where the main festivities take place.
By Car/Taxi
Gate 1 (Floral Clock):
Nearest Drop-off: Gardens by the Bay Gift Shop
Nearest Carpark: Main Entrance Basement Carpark
Gate 3 (The Meadow):
Nearest Drop-off: Bayfront Pavilion
Nearest Carpark: Bayfront Plaza Carpark
Gate 4 (Garden Pod):
Nearest Drop-off: The Meadows Car Park
Nearest Carpark: The Meadows Car Park
It is not recommended to drive to Christmas Wonderland because of the limited parking.
Things to do at Christmas Wonderland 2023
This year, there are 3 festive zones:
- Supertree Grove
- Gingerbread Grove
- Frosty’s Fairground at The Meadow
1. Supertree Grove
Supertree Grove is main zone of the event where you can find a lot of attractions and activities. It is also the main zone you will encounter if you enter from Gate 1.
Spalliera
Spalliera is the 20-metre tall luminaire hand-crafted by Italian artisans inspired by medieval European castles. It looks great both during the day and in the evening! The design of Spalliera changes every year.
Garden Rhapsody
Everyday, the Garden Rhapsody light and sound show takes place at Supertree Grove around Spalliera, at at 7.45pm, 8.45pm, and 9.35pm. During the show, the Supertree lights dances to favourite Christmas classics.
Blizzard Time
Right after each Garden Rhapsody show, Blizzard Time takes the center stage, bringing snow (read: foam) to the tropical Singapore. I love the blizzard, it is MAGICAL!
Meet Santa
The main activity on my to-do list is meeting Santa Clause! He sits in Santa’s Home throughout the night and welcomes everyone who wants to take a photo with him.
Meet Santa Clause is a popular activity so be prepared to queue! The estimated queue duration during peak period is about 45-60 mins. We decided to queue towards the end of the event, at about 9.50pm, and we still spent about 25 mins in the queue.
Merry Lane
At the Merry Lane, you can find cute light installations that will make great backdrops for your photos. Here, you can find 4 main installations, namely giant snowflakes, Santa’s boot, Polar bear, and Fireplace/Christmas Tree.
Santa’s Sleigh
Fancy getting on a sleigh in Singapore? Now you can! Head over to Santa’s Sleigh and your wish will be granted.
Holly Roger Ship
Making its debut this year is Holly Roger Ship, a 24-metre-long pirate ship manned by the elves! Illuminated by approximately 127,000 lights, the Holly Roger Ship is fresh from a magical voyage and docked at Christmas Wonderland for the holiday season!
Walks of Lights
The Walks of Lights tunnel has been almost a permanent fixture at Christmas Wonderland, this year being its fifth year and the longest tunnel to date at 65-metre!
This year’s edition features 75,000 programmable LED lights illuminating a myriad of colours along a 65-metre long tunnel.
Festive Dining at Supertree Grove
Festive Dining at Supertree Grove is an al fresco (open-air/outdoor) dining area with fairy lights and plenty of food options.
Tables are plenty, but during peak dinner period, it’s quite hard to get a table. If you can’t get a table here, fret not, there are plenty of seats at The Meadow.
Here’s the list of food vendors at Festive Dining at Supertree Grove:
- Bread First Everyday
- Brewerkz
- Creative Eateries
- Hendrick’s Gin Bar
- Museum of Ice Cream
- Senshi Sushi & Grill
- Sofnade
- Praffles
- Tanglin Cookhouse
- The Swag Social
Besides a dining area, the Festive Dining at Supertree Grove is also where the entertainment stage is located at. The performance schedule varies every day. You can check the schedule here. Ideally, you want to sit at the table near the stage if you enjoy live music.
Carnival Games at Supertree Grove
Carnival Games can be found at Supertree Grove as well as The Meadow.
Mistletoe Alley
Mistletoe Alley is a row of festive huts selling holiday gifts. This is the alternative route to get from Supertree Grove to Gingerbread Grove, especially for people who don’t want to go through Walks of Light.
2. Gingerbread Grove
Gingerbread Grove houses the Gingerbread House, the vibrantly lit installation with 4,000 bulbs, as well as several dessert stalls, such as Churros Republic & Beverly Hills Cheesecake, Sofnade, and Wake The Crew. There are dining tables here too!
To get here from Supertree Grove, you can either walk through the Walk of Lights, or walk through Mistletoe Alley.
3. Frosty’s Fairground
Located at The Meadow, Frosty’s Fairground is where you can hop onto carnival rides and play carnival games to your heart’s content, indulge in festive dining, marvel at light displays, as well as enjoy a fun time at the charming illuminated playground Lumiland!
Carnival Rides and Games at Frosty’s Fairground
There are five amusement rides, namely Bumper Cars, Flying Dumbo, HotAir Balloon, Carousel, and Christmas Train.
Rides start from S$8 and tickets will be sold onsite via QR code. Games start from S$6. Admission to LumiLand is $6 per 10-minute session.
Festive Dining at The Meadow
Compared to last year, this year’s Christmas Wonderland has more dining spots and food stalls. At the Meadow, there is an alfresco dining zone where you can find the following restaurants:
- Burger & Lobster
- Kebabs Factory
- Fat Belly
- GOPIZZA
- Brewerkz
We had a pizza from GOPIZZA and drinks from Brewerkz. There is also a daily stage performance here.
My Tips
1. Visit during early days (1 to 14 Dec 2023) for cheaper tickets.
2. Visit during early hours (6.30pm or 7.30pm) if possible to maximize your time at Christmas Wonderland.
3. Avoid Gate 1. I spent about 20 mins queueing just to enter through Gate 1 before 7pm. Meanwhile, my spouse took less than 5 mins to enter via Gate 2.
4. It’s true that a lot of the attractions/activities require queueing and many people dislike the idea of having to queue for everything. My advice is: only queue for what you truly like.
5. Re-entry is possible. If you need to go to toilet, or you prefer to eat outside Christmas Wonderland, you can simply go to the “Re-entry” point (see map), get your hand stamped and get out of Christmas Wonderland. To re-enter, simply show your stamp at the “Re-entry” point.
Disclosure: I was invited to attend Christmas Wonderland 2023.
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Shashank Verma
Monday 4th of December 2023
Ok, so main question here is - Is the Rhapsody light show free to watch? Or do I need a ticket to get it (as in its part of an attraction)?
From what I have read online - Entrance to The Supertree Grove is free. But if you can't access it after 6.30pm, then how can one see the shows at 7.45pm & 8.45pm?
Eva
Tuesday 5th of December 2023
From 1 December 2023 to 1 January 2024, you need ticket to enter Christmas Wonderland in order to watch Garden Rhapsody
Shashank Verma
Monday 4th of December 2023
Hi Eva,
Somehow I am unable to get any tickets for Christmas Wonderland at the moment but I will try again later.
What if I don't want to see Christmas Wonderland, is the entrance to GbtB still free?
From what I understand, to walk about in the garden is free, but there are other attractions within the garden you have to pay for.
So does Christmas Wonderland have a separate ticketing line?
Shashank
Eva
Monday 4th of December 2023
Yes you can still enjoy Gardens by the bay without going to Christmas Wonderland. But you can't access Skyway, Supertree Observatory and Supertree Grove from 6.30pm onwards. That's right, some attractions within the Gardens require ticket, but most outdoor attractions are free. Christmas Wonderland ticket must be purchased online.
Eunike
Thursday 23rd of November 2023
If i have bundle tickets of Christmas Wonderland and Supertree Observatory, what your suggest to do first? Is the Supertree Observatory in the same location of Christmas Wonderland?
Eva
Saturday 25th of November 2023
Supertree Observatory is right inside Christmas Wonderland, so you can do both at the same time if you want to save time. But, if you prefer to see the garden during the day, then you can do the Observatory before 5.30pm.
Shashank Verma
Monday 20th of November 2023
Hi Eva,
This sounds amazing and something worth doing. GbtB is on my itinerary already but this is the icing on the cake.
I was planning to do GbtB on the 27th at 8.45PM for the Rhapsody light show. So whats the best way to play this? Get there at 8.30PM?
There is a Light and Water show at MBS at 8PM. So watch that and make my way to GbtB?
Melly
Monday 11th of December 2023
@Shashank Verma, Not a problem. I got entry at 7:30pm and entered at 8:30pm. I would advise you to not go in too late as the staff starts to "chase" us out around 10 ish.
Shashank Verma
Tuesday 5th of December 2023
@Eva,
Coming back to this. If I book the tickets for 8.30 and for whatever reason we cannot get there by then, will we still be allowed in? Or should I just buy the 9.30 one to be on the safe side?
Are the tickets time locked?
Eva
Monday 20th of November 2023
You mean 27th December 2023? If so, the Rhapsody light show will be in the gated area of Christmas Wonderland, so you'll need to get the Christmas Wonderland ticket. Ideally, you want to be at the Christmas Wonderland entrance latest by 8.30pm to catch to 8.45pm show because there will be queue at the entrance. 27th Dec 2023 is a Wednesday, so the Spectra at MBS is at 8pm, the Spectra show will end at 8.15pm. I think the timing is quite tight and you may or may not arrive at Garden Rhapsody in time, it depends on the human traffic and your walking pace. You can try your best, if you miss the 8.45pm Rhapsody, you can stay around and wait till 9.35pm show!
jx
Saturday 10th of December 2022
Just went and the staff no longer help to take photos anymore
Eva
Sunday 11th of December 2022
=(