Singapore Flyer is the kind of thing you’d build if you were a small island with a reputation for thinking big – a project designed to be the largest of its kind in the world. So it is with the Singapore Flyer, a 540-foot-tall observation wheel that offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of Singapore’s Marina Bay.
Don’t make the mistake of calling the Singapore Flyer a ‘wheel of fortune’. Management absolutely refuses to ‘use the F word’: the Singapore Flyer is more appropriately called an observation wheel , on the line of the famous London Eye. (It also beats the London Eye in the size department by over ninety feet!)
The Singapore Flyer is assembled with 28 air-conditioned capsules, each the size of a bus and accommodating 28 passengers. The builders of the Singapore Flyer boast that every passenger will experience a vibration-free 30-minute ride, with an incredible unobstructed view of the surrounding island state, as well as glimpses of neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia.
For a photo tour of the Singapore Flyer, go here: A Look at the Singapore Flyer – Image Gallery.
For a more comprehensive checklist of other activities you can do in the general surroundings, read this: Top 10 Things to Do in Marina Bay, Singapore.
The Singapore passenger terminal building
The wheel itself sits atop a three-story retail terminal with more than 82,000 square feet of retail space. A 1960s themed food street called “The Singapore Food Trail” evokes Singapore’s more carefree days while offering a diverse selection of cuisines. Several other “experience” outlets allow Flyer passengers to try and fly a simulated plane, drive a simulated Ferrari car, and get a (real) fish spa experience for their weary feet.
- A gastronomic tour: discover more about dining on the path of food from Singapore to level the ground.
Incongruently, the Singapore Flyer has become a hotspot for Singaporean wine and cocktail aficionados. The Flyer Lounge, located in the terminal building, is a cozy bar that has become the preferred venue for annual cocktail competitions. The Lounge is run by the Association of Bartenders and Sommeliers of Singapore (ABSS), who keep the venue stocked with their repertoire of award-winning cocktail recipes. (We have our own recipes – check out our A-Z cocktail recipe list.)
The terminal also houses a central atrium that houses the “Yakult Rainforest Discovery” exhibit and a stage for weekend performances and other events. (The fish in the pond can be fed by hand – buy fish food for SGD 1 and you’re good to go.) There is parking space available for about thirty buses and almost 300 cars.
Your Singapore Traveler Flight
To avoid long lines, the Flyer allows ticket holders to roam the retail terminal, only requiring them to show up at the gate about 30 minutes before the flight time on the ticket.
Just before boarding, guests experience an interactive gallery titled “The Journey of Dreams.” The media savvy entrepreneurs behind the Singapore Flyer use the gallery to present Singapore in the best possible light, as seen through the point of view of the Singapore Flyer pilot. The ‘Journey’ culminates in views of Singapore as seen from a Flyer capsule, with the promising promise of a Singapore of the future with brilliant panoramic views.
Each capsule can accommodate up to 28 people. The capsules are air conditioned and UV filtered. The synchronized double door entry / exit system and the ‘pass-through’ design allow easy access from both sides of each pod, even for babies in strollers, the elderly and the disabled.
The ‘flight’ takes 30 minutes to complete, with the wheel turning slowly to allow your passengers to see the view. Passengers experience very little movement while on board, thanks to wheel engineering – designers study of dynamic wind load data and the resulting wheel design allows for smooth operation with almost no lateral movement or vibration . In short: a comfortable, scenic and absolutely safe trip.
An air compass in each capsule provides a measure of orientation for the passengers and a description of the different views seen from the windows. Places and structures visible from the capsules include ethnic enclaves like Singapore’s Chinatown and Little India, and places in the newly rejuvenated Marina Bay like Marina Bay Sands, Marina Barrage, and Gardens by the Bay. (Learn more about Marina Bay, Singapore hotels.)
The Singapore brochure at a glance
- What is: observation wheel
- Location: 30 Raffles Avenue, in Marina Bay. Walking distance to Suntec City and the Esplanade
- Hours of operation : open every day from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm (last flight at 10:15 pm)
- Duration of the trip: 30 minutes.
- Ticket Prices: Variety of prices and packages available, check official site for prices and details: www.singaporeflyer.com
- How to get there: Get on the MRT and disembark at Promenade Station (CC4). Pedestrian access also available via the boardwalk, Raffles Avenue, and a helix bridge connected to the nearby Marina Bay Resort.
