Few landmarks dominate the Singapore skyline quite like the Singapore Flyer.
Rising high above Marina Bay, this giant observation wheel is hard to miss. Opened in 2008, it was once the tallest observation wheel in the world until the High Roller in Las Vegas claimed the title in 2014. Today, it still ranks among the three tallest observation wheels in the world, and it stands 30 metres higher than London’s famous London Eye.
There are several impressive viewpoints in Singapore, so you may be wondering where Singapore Flyer fits when comparing attractions with the best views. Is Singapore Flyer better than SkyPark? And is it worth the cost? I’m here to answer those questions for you.
I’ve visited the Singapore Flyer twice: once on my first trip to Singapore back in 2010, and again in 2026 on a recent solo visit. On my first trip, the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck was still under construction, so I had no way of comparing the two famous Singapore viewpoints. This time, I made it my mission to visit SkyPark immediately afterwards to see how the attractions differed.
In this guide, I’ll share my honest experience riding the Singapore Flyer, what the views are really like, and whether it’s worth visiting — especially if you’re deciding between the Flyer and SkyPark.
Quick summary:
Thinking about riding the Singapore Flyer? This guide covers what the experience is actually like, what views you can expect from the 165-metre observation wheel, and how it compares with the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck to help you decide which viewpoint is worth visiting.
Recommended tours & tickets:
🎡 Singapore Flyer Entry Ticket – 30-minute air-conditioned capsule ride with views over Marina Bay and Singapore’s skyline
🥂 Singapore Flyer Premium Beverage Flight Experience – Priority boarding with champagne or cocktails during the ride
🍽️ 165 Sky Dining by Singapore Flyer – Multi-course dinner served inside the capsule as you admire the skyline views
🌇 Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck Ticket – 56th-floor rooftop deck with panoramic views over the city
What is the Singapore Flyer?
The Singapore Flyer is one of the most recognisable attractions in the Singapore skyline. Standing 165 metres tall, it’s one of the largest observation wheels in the world.
The attraction is located in the Marina Bay area near Helix Bridge and across from Gardens by the Bay, making it easy to combine with other Singapore sightseeing activities.
The wheel has 28 large glass capsules (each about the size of a bus!) that slowly rotate around the rim. The capsules are fully enclosed and air-conditioned, which makes the experience comfortable even in Singapore’s famously humid climate.
A single rotation takes about 30 minutes, giving you plenty of time to move around the cabin and admire the views from different angles. Because the capsules are spacious, the ride rarely feels crowded unless you visit during peak hours.
What the Singapore Flyer ride is actually like
I arrived at the base of the Singapore Flyer right at opening time — 10am. I wanted to get there early to avoid the busiest periods (usually sunset), when capsules are more likely to fill up with groups of tourists hoping to catch the evening light over Marina Bay.
While the sunset views are undeniably beautiful (it’s the time slot I chose on my first visit back in 2010), arriving first thing on a Monday morning felt refreshingly quiet. There were only a handful of other groups around.
The wheel itself is impressive from the moment you see it up close. At the base there’s a small building complex with an open garden courtyard in the centre, and the bottom of the wheel passes directly through this space, so you can stand there and watch the capsules glide overhead before you head inside.
🎡 If you’re planning to visit the Singapore Flyer, it’s easy to book tickets online in advance and secure your preferred date.
Once inside, your journey actually begins with a walk through the Singapore Flyer Time Capsule, which is a short interactive exhibition about Singapore with digital displays and videos. You’ll also be encouraged to download the FLYER360 mobile app which allows you to use augmented reality (AR) to discover iconic landmarks, snap photos, and play mini games throughout the experience.
Once you reach the boarding area for the wheel, you’ll step directly into the capsule as it slowly moves along the platform. Because I visited early in the day, I only waited a few minutes and ended up with the entire capsule to myself.
Premium Singapore Flyer experiences
Most people will choose to book a standard Singapore Flyer ticket, but if you’re celebrating something special, there are a couple of premium Singapore Flyer experiences available to upgrade your ride.
The Premium Beverage Flight Experience includes priority boarding and access to a private capsule, where you can enjoy champagne or a Singapore-inspired cocktail while taking in the views.
For something even more memorable, the 165 Sky Dining experience turns the capsule into a revolving restaurant. Guests enjoy a multi-course dinner while the wheel slowly rotates above the city — often timed for sunset so the skyline gradually lights up during the meal.
What views can you see from the Singapore Flyer?
The wheel rotates slowly, taking about 30 minutes to complete one full loop, which gives you plenty of time to move around and take photos of the Singapore skyline views.
From this height, the Singapore Flyer offers some of the best views in Singapore, especially over the Marina Bay waterfront. Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, the ArtScience Museum and Singapore’s central business district skyline are all visible nearby.
From the upper sections of the wheel you can actually see up to 45 kilometres away! You’ll notice the busy harbour filled with cargo ships, and on particularly clear days you can even spot Sentosa Island, Changi Airport, and distant parts of Indonesia and Malaysia.
Best time to ride the Singapore Flyer
The time of day you visit the Singapore Flyer can make a big difference to the overall experience.
Many travellers go for the Singapore Flyer sunset ride, when the sky changes colour and the skyline gradually lights up as evening falls. This is easily the most popular time of day to ride the wheel. I did this in 2010 and I’ll admit that both the wheel itself and the views are spectacular at night.
However, sunset is also when the attraction tends to be busiest. The capsules (which can hold 28 people each) are more likely to fill up with larger groups of visitors, which can make the experience feel slightly more crowded.
When I visited in 2026, I chose to arrive right at opening time at 10am on a Monday morning. The difference was noticeable — there were only a handful of other visitors around. I didn’t have to queue at all except for a few minutes wait to board my capsule – and then I ended up with the capsule all to myself!
How much are Singapore Flyer tickets?
Singapore Flyer tickets cost 40 SGD for an adult (as of 2026).
When booking online, you’ll select a specific date for your visit, but you can arrive any time between 10:00am and 9:15pm on that day. This makes the ticket quite flexible and easy to fit around other sightseeing plans. During my visit, I spent about an hour at the Singapore Flyer between the exhibits and the ride itself.
🎡 If you’d like to include the Singapore Flyer in your itinerary, you can check ticket availability online and select your visit date in advance.
For comparison, tickets for the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck cost 35 SGD for adults, although sunset time slots increase to 39 SGD. SkyPark tickets are timed, so you must select a specific entry time when booking.
Singapore Flyer vs Marina Bay Sands SkyPark: Which view is better?
When planning a Singapore itinerary, many travellers end up comparing the Singapore Flyer vs Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck. Both offer impressive views over Singapore’s skyline, but the experience of visiting each attraction is quite different.
🌇 It’s a good idea to pre-book your tickets to Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck tickets the day before, as popular time slots can fill up early.
After finishing my ride on the Flyer, I made a beeline for SkyPark by crossing Helix Bridge. Finding the entrance to Marina Bay Sands from ground level was slightly confusing — I ended up walking around the base of the building for a while before realising that I had to go through the inside of the shopping complex beneath the hotel.
Once I finally made it inside, the process of getting up to the SkyPark was fairly straightforward. I was visiting late in the morning (my ticket was for 11:30am) which I thought might be quite busy. It did feel more crowded than the Singapore Flyer had been earlier that morning, though there weren’t any long queues, just a few people lined up for the elevators. I reached the observation deck within about five to ten minutes of arriving.
The SkyPark is open-air, so the experience feels completely different from the Singapore Flyer. Instead of being inside an air-conditioned capsule, you’re fully exposed to the elements. Normally I prefer observation decks where there’s no glass barrier between you and the view, but in this case the conditions weren’t exactly ideal.
It was extremely sunny, and my pale skin immediately felt like it was starting to burn in the midday heat. On top of that, it was surprisingly windy — my hair and skirt were both blowing around constantly as I tried to enjoy the views. The wind also made it difficult to set up my tripod anywhere, which meant getting a good photo of myself with the skyline was next to impossible.
That said, the views themselves are undeniably impressive. SkyPark sits higher than the Singapore Flyer, which gives you a more dramatic top-down perspective of the city. One of my favourite aspects was looking directly over Gardens by the Bay, where you can clearly see the glass domes and the towering Supertrees spread out below.
Standing out at the front of the deck — which really does resemble the bow of a giant boat — you can also look across Marina Bay toward the Singapore Flyer. Personally though, I thought the views along the sides of the platform were better.
One thing worth mentioning is that because you’re standing on top of Marina Bay Sands, you obviously can’t actually see the hotel itself from the observation deck — which is one of the most iconic features of the skyline.
In the end, I only spent about fifteen minutes up at SkyPark before heading back down. The heat and wind made it uncomfortable to linger for long. By comparison, I’d spent close to an hour at the Singapore Flyer complex including the Time Capsule exhibits and the 30-minute rotation of the wheel itself.
Of course, your experience might be very different depending on the weather and time of day. If you visit SkyPark in the evening when the sun is lower and the temperatures are cooler — and on a calm day without strong winds — I imagine it would be a much more comfortable place to spend half an hour or more enjoying the views.
So, is Singapore Flyer worth it?
After visiting both the Singapore Flyer and the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck on the same morning, I felt like I had a pretty good sense of how the two experiences compare. While both offer impressive views over Marina Bay, they feel quite different once you’re actually up there.
In my opinion, yes — the Singapore Flyer is worth it, especially if it’s your first time visiting Singapore. The experience is calm, scenic and surprisingly relaxing. Because the wheel rotates slowly over 30 minutes, you get plenty of time to take in the views without feeling rushed.
The ride also feels more immersive than many observation decks. Watching the skyline gradually unfold as your capsule climbs higher adds a sense of anticipation that you just don’t get when stepping straight onto a viewing platform.
Overall, my Singapore Flyer review is very positive. Personally, I found it to be the more enjoyable overall experience compared to the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck. The air-conditioned capsules make it comfortable regardless of the weather, and the slow rotation gives you time to relax and appreciate the views.
🎡 If you’re planning to include the Singapore Flyer in your Singapore itinerary, it’s a good idea to book tickets in advance.
Singapore Flyer FAQ
Is the Singapore Flyer worth doing?
Yes, especially if it’s your first time visiting Singapore. The Singapore Flyer is a memorable and relaxing way to see the skyline from above.
How long does the Singapore Flyer ride take?
One full rotation takes about 30 minutes, giving you plenty of time to walk around the cabin and enjoy the views. Allow at least an hour for the attraction including the exhibits and some queueing if you’re visiting during peak times.
Is the Singapore Flyer better during the day or at night?
Daytime rides offer clearer views of the skyline and harbour, while sunset and evening rides let you watch the city gradually light up.
Can you see Marina Bay Sands from the Singapore Flyer?
Yes. Marina Bay Sands is clearly visible from the upper sections of the wheel, along with the ArtScience Museum and the surrounding Marina Bay attractions.
Can you see Gardens by the Bay from the Singapore Flyer?
Yes. Gardens by the Bay is visible for much of the rotation, and the view from the upper sections of the wheel gives a great perspective of the Supertrees and the glass domes.
Do you need to book Singapore Flyer tickets in advance?
Booking online in advance is recommended to secure your preferred visit date.
*I was a guest of Singapore Flyer during my trip to Singapore. I’m proud to be an honest and transparent blogger, so every opinion expressed on AGWT is a true review of my experience.
Leave a Reply