Singapore Flyer: Tickets, Views and Best Time to Ride

← Home

At 165 meters tall, the Singapore Flyer is one of the biggest observation wheels in the world, and it gives a genuinely different view of Marina Bay than the SkyPark does — lower to the water, further out, and slowly rotating instead of fixed in place. Here’s a straight breakdown of Singapore Flyer tickets — what a ride actually costs, how long it takes, and when to go if you want the view without the queue.

The Basics

The Singapore Flyer stands 165 meters tall with a diameter of 150 meters, built between 2005 and 2008 at a cost of around S$240 million, and officially opened in April 2008. It held the title of the world’s tallest Ferris wheel for six years until Las Vegas’ High Roller (167.6m) overtook it in 2014. In one detail that’s become a minor local legend, the wheel’s rotation direction was actually reversed shortly after opening, reportedly on the advice of feng shui consultants. It’s currently owned and operated by Straco Corporation, which acquired it in 2014.

The wheel has 28 air-conditioned capsules, each holding up to 28 passengers in a standard shared-capsule ride — so unless you book a private or premium experience, expect to share your capsule with other visitors rather than riding alone with your group.

Singapore Flyer Ticket Prices

Ticket	Price
Adult	S$46
Child	S$28
Senior	S$28
Family Value Bundle (2 adults + 1 child)	S$110
Children under 3	Free

Standard admission includes entry to the Time Capsule — an interactive pre-flight gallery with exhibits and short cinematic storytelling about Singapore — followed by one roughly 30-minute rotation aboard the wheel in a shared capsule. The full experience, Time Capsule included, generally runs about 75 minutes door to door, though the ride itself is the 30-minute portion. Beyond standard tickets, the Flyer also runs premium add-ons — 165 Sky Dining, a Premium Champagne Experience, and a Singapore Sling Experience — each requiring arrival 30 minutes early at the Level 1 VIP Lounge; these cost significantly more than a standard ticket and are booked separately.

Hours

The Singapore Flyer is open daily, including public holidays, from 10am to 10pm, with last admission at 9:30pm. Time-slot reservations generally aren’t required for standard admission, though booking online ahead of a visit still helps avoid the walk-up ticket line.

Best Time to Ride

Late afternoon into sunset is the strongest window — you get a daylight view of the bay on the way up and a lit-up skyline by the time you’re coming back down, all within one 30-minute rotation. Riding right around opening at 10am is the other reliable option if you want clearer air and thinner crowds rather than the sunset colors; midday tends to be hazier and busier with tour groups. Night rides after dark trade the daytime skyline view for the illuminated cityscape, which is a genuinely different experience rather than a worse one — just don’t expect to see much of the horizon beyond the immediate skyline once the sun is fully down.

Getting There

The Flyer sits at 30 Raffles Avenue, on the eastern edge of Marina Bay near Suntec City and the Marina Bay area’s convention district. The nearest MRT stations are Promenade and Bayfront, both roughly a 10-to-15-minute walk depending on which entrance you use, and covered walkways connect much of the route from Suntec City if you’re sheltering from rain or midday heat. If you’re coming from Marina Bay Sands or Gardens by the Bay, budget 15-20 minutes on foot around the eastern side of the bay, or a short taxi ride if you’re short on time.

The Flyer has had a few bumps in its operating history worth knowing about, mostly as context rather than a current concern: a 2008 electrical fire briefly stranded passengers, and there have been isolated mechanical suspensions since, most recently a short technical issue in 2022. None of this affects current safety or operations — the wheel runs daily as scheduled — but it’s part of why checking the day’s status online before a special-occasion visit (like a proposal or celebration) is a reasonable precaution rather than paranoia.

How It Compares to the SkyPark

The Singapore Flyer and the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck both promise skyline views, but they’re genuinely different experiences rather than interchangeable options. The Flyer is lower (165m vs. the SkyPark’s roughly 200m-plus building height) but sits further out from the density of towers, so you get more of the bay and the wider city laid out in frame at once, plus the novelty of a slow-moving capsule rather than a fixed platform. The SkyPark puts you higher up and closer to the density of Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and the Central Business District skyline, with the added draw of the infinity pool view for hotel guests. If you only have time for one, the SkyPark is the more central, shorter visit; the Flyer is the better pick if you want a slower, more panoramic experience and don’t mind the extra 75 minutes it takes.

For the fuller SkyPark and Marina Bay Sands ticket breakdown, see this site’s Marina Bay Sands ticket guide. For how the Flyer fits into a wider day around the bay, see this site’s Marina Bay travel guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the Singapore Flyer cost?

Adult tickets run S$46, with child and senior tickets at S$28. A Family Value Bundle covering 2 adults and 1 child costs S$110, and children under 3 ride free.

How long does a ride last?

One rotation takes about 30 minutes. Including the Time Capsule pre-flight gallery included with standard admission, the full visit runs roughly 75 minutes.

Is the Singapore Flyer still the world’s tallest Ferris wheel?

No — it held that title from 2008 until 2014, when Las Vegas’ High Roller (167.6m) surpassed its 165m height.

What are the opening hours?

Daily, including public holidays, from 10am to 10pm, with last admission at 9:30pm.

Bottom Line

The Singapore Flyer is worth the ticket price if you have 75 minutes to spare and want a slower, wider view of the bay than the SkyPark gives you — time it for late afternoon into sunset for the best of both daylight and night views in a single rotation. Skip it if you’re tight on time and already planning to hit the SkyPark, since the two views overlap more than they differ.