Categories > Guides and Tips
How to Spend a Day at Marina Barrage Singapore: Water Sports & Relaxation
- Things to Know
- How to Get There
- Best Time to Visit
- What to Do
- Kayaking and Boating
- Chill out with your family at Marina Barrage Green Roof
- Appreciate how the Marina Barrage helps with water supply and flooding
- Learn more about the country’s Solar Park
- Nearby Attractions
- Gardens by the Bay
- Singapore Flyer
- ArtScience Museum
- Skypark Observation Deck
- Cloud Forest
- Where to Eat: Best Restaurants near Marina Barrage
- Blossom Restaurant
- Satay by the Bay
- Yardbird Southern Table and Bar
Singapore is a country known for its cutting-edge technology and forward-thinking culture, and these traits are on full display at the Marina Barrage! This site serves as a source of water, flood control, and tourist attraction, making it a must-visit venue.
From the Marina Barrage’s water sports activities to learning more about its use of solar panels, we rounded up all the things you can do in and near this amazing dam!
Things to Know
Address: 8 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018951
Contact Number: +6565145959
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Sunday, Open 24 hours
Cost: Free
How to Get There
By Subway: To get to the Marina Barrage from Changi Airport, you can take the subway and pass through Expo (Tampines) Station before getting off at Bayfront Station. This will take you around 42 minutes.
You then have to walk for about 18 minutes to reach the Marina Barrage, bringing your total travel time to around 1 hour (including the subway ride). We recommend you take this option if you’re a budget-conscious traveller as it’s the cheapest option at just S$ 5.
By Shuttle: If you’re in a hurry to get to the Marina Barrage from the airport, then you can also take the shuttle to the venue. The shuttle will take you to the site directly, and it’s going to be the fastest option at just 18 minutes of total travel time.
However, taking a shuttle to the Marina Barrage is also quite expensive at around S$100, so you should only go for this option if you want to get there fast and if you have excess cash.
By Taxi: From the airport, you can also hail a taxi to take you to the Marina Barrage. It’s also a fast travel option at just 19 minutes of total travel time, but it’s also going to be a bit pricier at around S$24 one way.
Going by taxi is a great option though if you’re travelling with your family or if you’re travelling with a large group.
Best Time to Visit
Due to the mostly outdoor activities offered by the Marina Barrage, we strongly advise that you visit this tourist spot during the country’s dry season which runs from March to August.
During this period, you can better enjoy the water sports and the family activities at Marina Barrage’s rooftop area with minimal chance of rain.
Plus, you can better understand the site’s contribution to Singapore’s eco-friendly goals (like flood control and solar power options) if you visit this location without dark clouds or heavy rain hindering your learning experience!
What to Do
1. Kayaking and Boating
– From spike__ngoi
The Marina Barrage may have been constructed to help with flood control and tap into new water sources for the country. However, due to the constant and steady waters on site, this is also the perfect venue for you to enjoy water sports!
These include kayaking and boating around the calm waters of the reservoir.
If you want a more challenging team activity, you can try out dragon boating with your friends or your family. Just make sure you’re synchronised as your group paddles forward!
| Pro Tip: Before embarking on any water-based activities here, we recommend checking out their website for reminders (e.g. etiquette for water-based activities). Some of these include making sure the weather is calm, staying hydrated, and only launching your water vessels at designated launching sites. |
2. Chill out with your family at Marina Barrage Green Roof
– From ivan_andpam
Aside from water sports, you can also do other relaxing activities here with your family on the rooftop of the Marina Barrage (referred to as the Marina Barrage Green Roof).
The best part about this area is that it’s a green space for you and your family to do chill activities like going on a picnic or flying a kite.
You can also do other physically demanding activities here such as brisk walking and running. Or just zone out and enjoy the beautiful urban views from this location, especially during sunrise or sunset!
| Pro Tip: If you visit the area at night, then you will see the bright lights of the high rises and skyscrapers surrounding the area. Plus, you’ll see the beauty of other tourist spots (e.g. Gardens by the Bay and Singapore Flyer) illuminated against the backdrop of the evening sky |
3. Appreciate how the Marina Barrage helps with water supply and flooding
– From saslwp
The Marina Barrage isn’t just for lifestyle activities but also to help the country improve its water supply and control flooding—and you can learn all about it when you get to this reservoir!
You can observe the waters of the dam as you stand near the bank of the reservoir or from the rooftop. You’ll better understand how it keeps out seawater perfectly, creating a large catchment area where the country can draw water.
Then, you can check out the crest gates of the dam to see how they can be activated to let excess stormwater out into the ocean, preventing catastrophic floods.
| Pro Tip: To get a better understanding of the reservoir, you can also check out their website to download a map of the area. Using this map, you can see and better understand the interconnectedness of the different reservoirs and water catchments of the country. |
4. Learn more about the country’s Solar Park
– From mindful.thanat
On top of providing additional water supply and controlling flood waters, did you know that Marina Barrage also contributes to the electrical supply of Singapore? It does this through the use of hundreds of solar panels located in an area called the Solar Park.
With around 400 solar panels laid out at the park, it’s one of the largest ones in Singapore, and it’s truly impressive to behold.
What’s more, these panels help generate around 76,000 kWh of electricity per year that can cover around 180 residential units across the country—efficient and eco-friendly!
| Pro Tip: Aside from generating electricity via these solar panels, the buildings of the Marina Barrage mostly rely on natural lighting (no dark windows here!) to brighten up their interiors during the daytime. This means they’re not only producing electricity but saving up on it too! |
Nearby Attractions
Gardens by the Bay
Address: 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953
Distance from the Park: 3 minutes
Website: https://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/
Contact Number: +6564206848
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Sunday, 5:00 AM to 2:00 AM
Cost:
- Free of charge for general attractions
- S$ 20 per guest (Cloud Forest and Flower Dome combo)
Gardens by the Bay is one of the most popular tourist spots in Singapore thanks to its green attractions.
You can enjoy some of their paid attractions, but those that are free of charge (like the Active Garden, Bay East Garden, and Dragonfly and Kingfisher Lakes) are already enough to keep you busy all day long!
Singapore Flyer
Address: 30 Raffles Ave., Singapore 039803
Distance from the Marina Barrage: 13 minutes
Website: https://www.singaporeflyer.com/
Contact Number: +65 6333 3311
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Cost:
- S$ 40 per adult (Singapore and Time Capsule Ticket)
- S$ 25 per kid (Singapore and Time Capsule Ticket)
The Singapore Flyer is a huge Ferris wheel that doubles as one of the country’s best observatories as well.
You and your family can take in the grandeur and beauty of Singapore from the Singapore Flyer’s peak all while enjoying a relaxing ride in one of its pods!
ArtScience Museum
Address: 6 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018974
Distance from the Marina Barrage: 10 minutes
Website: https://www.marinabaysands.com/museum.html
Contact Number: +6566888888
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Cost:
- S$ 30 per adult (for a standard ticket)
ArtScience Museum is a tourist spot near the Marina Barrage that we can’t recommend enough especially if you’re a history and science buff.
Members of your family who love science will enjoy the interactive physics exhibitions here, and those who love history will surely delight in the historical films (e.g. Goddess and Frida Khalo) featured onsite.
Skypark Observation Deck
– From uzalezniona_od_podrozy
Address: 10 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018956
Distance from the Marina Barrage: 11 minutes
Website: https://www.marinabaysands.com/attractions/sands-skypark.html/
Contact Number: +6566888826
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Sunday, 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Cost:
- S$ 32 per adult
- S$ 98 for a family package ticket (2 adults and 2 kids)
Skypark Observation Deck is a must-see spot in Singapore offering you and your loved ones a jaw-dropping view of the Singaporean cityscape and skyline.
As it’s located at the centre of the Marina Bay area, you can take in the sights of the Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay from 56 storeys up!
Cloud Forest
– From dda_yi
Address: 18 Marina Gardens Dr, #03-02/03, Singapore 018953
Distance from the Marina Barrage: 9 minutes
Website: https://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/things-to-do/attractions/cloud-forest.html
Contact Number: +6564206848
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Sunday, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Cost:
- S$ 20 per guest (Cloud Forest and Flower Dome combo)
Cloud Forest is one of the paid attractions inside the Gardens by the Bay—one of the best-selling ones at that!
It’s a unique experience that you need to try at least once, especially if you want to see the tallest indoor waterfall in the world surrounded by lush greenery composed of exotic plants from all over the globe.
Where to Eat: Best Restaurants near Marina Barrage
1. Blossom Restaurant
Address: Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Lobby Tower 2, #01-05/05A, 2 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018972
Distance from the Marina Barrage: 11 minutes
Website: http://blossomrestaurant.com.sg/
Contact Number: +6566887799
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Thursday, 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM and 6:00 PM to 9:45 PM
- Friday to Sunday, 11:00 AM to 3:30 PM and 5:30 to 9:45 PM
Cost: $$$
After doing water sports at the reservoir, treat yourself to a fine dining experience at the Blossom Restaurant.
Don’t miss out on their best-selling noodles, dim sum, steamed fish, and stir-fried tofu while taking in the elegant vibes of the establishment!
2. Satay by the Bay
Address: 18 Marina Gardens Dr, #01-19, Singapore 018953
Distance from the Marina Barrage: 1 minute
Website: http://sataybythebay.com.sg/
Contact Number: +6565389956
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Cost: $
If you want to experience local cuisine while enjoying the open-air views of the surrounding marina, then check out this food court located just a minute away from the reservoir.
Enjoy grilled meats (pork and chicken), seafood (prawns and squid), and veggies with your family and loved ones while taking in the sights of the area (like the Singapore Flyer and the high-rise buildings across the marina).
3. Yardbird Southern Table and Bar
Address: 2 Bayfront Ave, # B1 – 07, Singapore 018972
Distance from the Marina Barrage: 9 minutes
Contact Number: +6566889959
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday, 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM
- Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 AM to 12:00 MN
Cost: $$$
After a fantastic time with your family at the Green Rooftop of the reservoir, we highly recommend that you try what Yardbird Southern Table and Bar has to offer.
They mostly serve Western dishes like huge burgers, crispy chicken wings, buttered prawns, and perfectly cooked steaks
