One island, four ways to get there — and plenty to do once you arrive.
I visited Sentosa Island on my first visit to Singapore in 2010. At the time, I remember that it felt so different from the sky rise buildings and manicured gardens of the city’s downtown area. Instead, it had lush forest and a few yellow-tinged sandy beaches, plus a wide range of tourist-focused activities (some on the verge of gimmicky) that could easily keep visitors occupied for days.
I was travelling along with my parents on a family trip. Although my memory is a little hazy, I’m fairly sure that we got a taxi from Singapore to Sentosa, because I have some blurry photos taken from a vehicle as we crossed the Sentosa Gateway Bridge. We spent the day doing adventurous stuff that myself and my brother — who were teens at the time — would enjoy, such as ziplining and racing rickety luge carts down the slope of a hill.
On my most recent visit (16 years after my first), I decided to head to Sentosa again, but this time with a completely different agenda. For my solo trip, I wanted to see more of the scenery that makes Sentosa such a popular destination. I arrived via the cable car and spent a half day admiring the views before leaving the island by monorail.
Despite being an island, Sentosa is surprisingly easy to get to. I’ve now tested out a range of different transport methods to get there, and I have a fairly good idea of which way is best, depending on your travel style. In this guide, I’ll break down how to get to Sentosa Island from Singapore — including the most scenic, the fastest and the cheapest options.
Quick summary:
Wondering how to get to Sentosa Island? From the scenic cable car to the fast monorail and budget-friendly boardwalk, this guide breaks down the best transport options from Singapore — plus the top attractions to visit once you arrive.
Recommended tickets:
🚡 Singapore Cable Car Sky Pass – Scenic round-trip gondola ride with panoramic views
🚝 Sentosa Express Monorail Ticket – Fast and convenient island access from VivoCity
🛷 Skyline Luge & Skyride Sentosa – Gravity-powered downhill carts with chairlift return
🪂 Mega Adventure Park – Exhilarating 450m zipline from a hilltop down to Siloso Beach
🎢 Universal Studios Singapore Ticket – Full-day theme park access with rides included
How to Get to Sentosa Island in Singapore:
Getting to HarbourFront / VivoCity first
Before heading to Sentosa Island, you’ll first need to make your way to the HarbourFront/VivoCity area where you can connect to Sentosa Island.
On my recent visit, I used a Singapore Tourist Pass to catch a public bus from my hotel to VivoCity — a large shopping mall on the mainland. If you’re travelling by MRT, you can take the North East Line or Circle Line to HarbourFront Station, which is next to VivoCity.
Once you’re at the HarbourFront MRT station or VivoCity shopping mall, you’ve got several options. Most visitors will choose between taking the cable car, monorail or boardwalk to get to Sentosa Island.
Singapore Cable Car (most scenic option)
I wanted my trip to be scenic, so I chose to take the Singapore Cable Car to get to Sentosa Island. It was an easy 5-minute walk from Harbourfront MRT station to access the HarbourFront Cable Car Station to start my journey.
There are two cable car lines, which can be a bit confusing. The Mount Faber Line connects the mainland to Sentosa, gliding from HarbourFront Station up to Mount Faber Station before sweeping back down across the harbour and onto the island. Once you arrive at Sentosa Station, you can transfer to Imbiah Lookout Station which allows you to travel on the Sentosa Line across the island out to Siloso Point.
🚡 Standard round-trip Sentosa Cable Car tickets already offer impressive 360° views, but if this is your first time visiting Singapore, arriving in Sentosa by cable car feels iconic.
The cable car is more than just a method of accessing the island — it truly feels like an attraction in itself. I upgraded to the SkyOrb cabin for the Mount Faber Line section of the trip. The new, spherical cabins were launched in 2024 to celebrate the cable car’s 50th anniversary. They have glass floors, which means you’ll get a direct view down to the forest canopy and harbour below. It does cost slightly more than the standard cabin, but I found that it was quieter, and I ended up riding solo the entire way to Sentosa!
Sentosa Express Monorail (fast & convenient)
On my way back to the mainland, I took the Sentosa Express Monorail, just to try it out. The monorail departs from Level 3 of VivoCity and runs directly onto Sentosa, stopping at three stations on the island— Resorts World, Imbiah and Beach. Trains run frequently and the journey itself lasts just a few minutes.
When I caught the monorail from Imbiah back to VivoCity in the late afternoon, it was noticeably busier than the cable car had been. It’s definitely not the same leisurely, scenic experience — this is more of a practical commuter-style ride — but it’s quick and efficient.
The Sentosa Express isn’t part of Singapore’s MRT network, so if you’re travelling from VivoCity to Sentosa, you’ll need to purchase a separate ticket (around 4 SGD). However, here’s a useful little hack: you only pay when departing from VivoCity. Travel from Sentosa back to VivoCity is free — which is exactly what I did.
🚝 If you’re prioritising speed over scenery — the Sentosa Express Monorail is a simple and budget-friendly option for accessing Sentosa Island.
Sentosa Boardwalk (cheapest option)
From VivoCity, you can actually walk to Sentosa Island via the Sentosa Boardwalk. This pedestrian walkway runs alongside the road connecting Singapore to Sentosa. It’s mostly covered and takes about 10–15 minutes to walk from the shopping mall to the island.
I didn’t personally take this option because I was heading to Sentosa in the early afternoon (way too hot!). Singapore’s humidity can be intense. It’s also worth noting that once you’re on Sentosa Island, you may end up doing quite a bit of walking between attractions. If you’re planning on spending the day exploring, visiting theme parks or doing adventure activities, you might prefer to conserve your energy and arrive feeling fresh.
That said, if you’re travelling early in the morning or late in the day — or simply want the cheapest way to get to Sentosa Island — the boardwalk is a perfectly reasonable option.
Bus, taxi or rideshare via Sentosa Gateway
If you prefer to reach Sentosa Island by road, you can enter via the Sentosa Gateway Bridge which is the main vehicle access route connecting the island to the mainland. This is used by taxis, private cars, public buses and ride-hailing services like Grab.
Vehicles entering Sentosa incur an island admission fee, which is usually factored into your fare if you’re using a taxi or Grab. I don’t know what the parking situation is like having not done this myself, but if you’re driving, apparently there is limited parking available at Resorts World Sentosa and some other locations across the island.
Public buses also use the Sentosa Gateway to access the island from HarbourFront. Bus fares are affordable and can be paid using contactless cards or Singapore tourist transport passes.
Quick comparison: Which is the best way to get to Sentosa Island?
| Option | Cost | Scenic Factor | Speed | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentosa Cable Car | $$$ | Exceptional views | Moderate | First-time visitors, leisure travellers |
| Sentosa Express | $ | Minimal | Very fast | Theme park visitors, quick trips |
| Sentosa Boardwalk | Free | Pleasant | Moderate | Budget travellers, cooler mornings |
| Grab / Taxi | $$ | Limited | Fast (traffic dependent) | Families, luggage, rainy weather |
| Public Bus | $ | Limited | Moderate | Budget-conscious travellers |
Most scenic: Cable car
Fastest: Monorail
Cheapest: Boardwalk (or bus)
Most convenient: Grab
Things to do on Sentosa Island once you arrive:
Skyline Luge Sentosa
🛷 One of the most popular things to do on Sentosa Island is the Skyline Luge Sentosa — and it’s genuinely fun for almost all ages.
Part go-kart, part toboggan, the luge involves riding a three-wheeled cart down a purpose-built track, controlling your speed by pushing or pulling the handlebars to brake or accelerate.
I did this back in 2010 and remember it being so much fun. The tracks stretch over 1.2km, giving you plenty of time to get into the rhythm of steering and picking up speed. Once you reach the bottom, you ride the Sentosa Skyride — an open chairlift-style cable car — back up to the top for another descent. You could easily spend a couple of hours here.
Mega Adventure Park
🪂 If you’re chasing an adrenaline hit, head to Mega Adventure Park and take on MegaZip — a 450 metre zipline across Siloso Beach!
Another of the most popular Sentosa Island attractions, this zipline launches from a hilltop platform and flies toward a small island near the shoreline. I tried this as a teenager and absolutely loved the adrenaline rush! It felt fast, slightly terrifying (in a good way), and very memorable.
Mega Adventure Park also offers a multi-level ropes course and a free-fall simulator, so you can easily turn this into a half-day adventure.
Universal Studios Singapore
🎢 If you’re into theme parks, Universal Studios Singapore is one of the biggest drawcards on the island.
Located within Resorts World Sentosa, this movie-themed park features rollercoasters, water rides, immersive zones and live shows. I didn’t visit this time (mostly because I’ve already been to Universal Studios in Los Angeles), but if you love theme parks, this would absolutely be a great full-day activity.
Other popular attractions on Sentosa Island
Adventure Cove Waterpark combines water slides with a lazy river and snorkelling experiences.
Singapore Oceanarium Aquarium is one of Asia’s largest aquariums and a strong choice for families (or rainy days).
For another adrenaline option, Altitude X (formerly iFly Singapore) lets you experience indoor skydiving in a giant wind tunnel.
SkyHelix Sentosa is Singapore’s highest open-air panoramic ride. The rotating gondola slowly lifts you 79 metres above sea level, where you’ll get views across Sentosa and the southern islands.
For the evening, the Wings of Time fireworks show is a large-scale outdoor show on Siloso Beach featuring projection mapping, lasers, water fountains and fireworks. I was meant to see Wings of Time on my recent visit, but unfortunately the fireworks were cancelled due to maintenance. When running fully, it’s a popular way to wrap up the day.
How long to spend on Sentosa Island?
If you’re just doing one or two attractions — like the Sentosa Cable Car and Skyline Luge — half a day is sufficient. This is what I did on my most recent visit, and it was enough to get a quick overview of what Sentosa is all about.
If you’re visiting one of the major Sentosa activities such as Universal Studios or Adventure Cove Waterpark, you’ll probably need a full day for either. Most visitors to Sentosa will head there for a full day of sightseeing.
If you’d prefer a slower pace, staying overnight (or for a couple of nights) can turn Sentosa into a mini resort escape rather than just a day trip. There are several mid-range accommodation options on the island, including Village Hotel Sentosa, which has multiple pools, family-friendly rooms and easy access to both the beach and Resorts World attractions.
So is Sentosa Island worth visiting? If you enjoy theme parks, beaches and adventure activities, then I think Sentosa Island is definitely worth adding to your Singapore itinerary. It offers a very different vibe from the city’s hawker centres and cultural neighbourhoods — more resort-style and activity-focused.
For most travellers, spending a full day here strikes the right balance. Choose the transport option that fits your travel style, plan your must-do attractions in advance — and then enjoy the island at your own pace.
*I was a guest of Mount Faber Leisure during my trip to Sentosa Island. I’m proud to be an honest and transparent blogger, so every opinion expressed on AGWT is a true review of my experience.
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