How to get to Bird Paradise (costs and time compared)

The Bird Paradise is located in Singapore’s Mandai wildlife area, in the northern part of Singapore roughly 15km from Marina Bay. As a paradise, it’s surrounded by expanses of water, scenic jungle, and a couple of military bases. It can be a bit confusing for visitors to figure out the best way to get to and from the Bird Paradise, so I put together this guide as part of my series on the wildlife attractions to go through all the ways you can get to the Bird Paradise.

Taxi is the best way for most people to get TO the Bird Paradise. A taxi will cost roughly S$25 to S$35 depending on how far you are from the Bird Paradise and it can transport up to 4 people.

When leaving the Bird Paradise, I recommend taking bus 138 to get out of the Mandai Wildlife area, and then takin the MRT or a taxi after alighting from the bus at Springleaf MRT station (on the brown Thomson East Coast Line).

Photo of sign at Mandai Wildlife — Bus 138 is my recommended way to get out of the Mandai Wildlife area

The Mandai City Express coach service (operated by Big Bus Tours) is also a good way to get to or from the Bird Paradise, but only if the timing suits you and you are staying at a hotel nearby the route. Tickets for the Mandai City Express cost S$8 per person each way.

Here are some examples of the travel time and costs involved getting to the Singapore Bird Paradise:

Transport	Cost	Duration
MRT + public bus route 138	S$2 per person	60-75 minutes
MRT + Mandai Khatib Shuttle	S$5 per person	60-80 minutes
Taxi	S$20-S$40 per taxi (up to 4 people)	30-45 minutes
Mandai City Express Coach	S$8 per person	45-60 minutes
MRT + cycling	S$5 per person	90+ minutes

These prices were updated based on my last visit in summer 2024. Travel times are based on a hotel in the Orchard area, but are similar if you’re staying in the CBD, Little India, Chinatown, or Bugis.

I’ve gone into more detail on travel time, cost, and step-by-step instructions for each option below:

1. Public transport (MRT and bus)

Most visitors to Singapore stay in a central location - such as Orchard, Little India, Bugis, or Chinatown - as this is where most hotels are located.

There are two routes available from these locations to get to the Bird Paradise:

Catch the MRT to Springleaf station (brown Thomson East Coast Line) and then take bus route 138 to the Bird Parardise.
Catch the MRT to Khatib station (red North-South Line) and then take the Mandai Khatib shuttle bus.

Public Transport Route (to Bird Paradise)	Cost (estimated)
MRT to Springleaf + public bus 138	S$2.13 - S$2.37
MRT to Khatib + Mandai Shuttle	S$4.88 - S$5.13

Actual cost depends on how far away you are from the Bird Paradise. Areas such as Orchard and Newton are closer and therefore have cheaper fares than Marina Bay and the CBD. This amounts to a difference of about 20 cents, so I’d never recommend picking your hotel based on proximity to the Bird Paradise.

Photo of Mandai-Khatib shuttle queue — Queue for Mandai Khatib shuttle - some people give up on the queue to take available taxis from the stand here

I’ve included the one-way cost of the Mandai Shuttle in the above table as there is an S$3 fee for using the bus to get to the Bird Paradise. The charge only applies one way; when leaving the Bird Paradise the shuttle is free.

When leaving the Bird Paradise, the public transport options are:

Catch bus route 138 to Springleaf MRT station and then take the MRT (brown Thomson East Coast Line) back to your hotel
Catch the Mandai Khatib shuttle to Khatib MRT and then take the MRT (red North-South Line) back to your hotel

I do not recommend the Mandai Shuttle to visitors going to or from the Bird Paradise. On the way to the Bird Paradise, it is cheaper to use the public bus route 138, and when leaving the Bird Paradise the shuttle is usually so full of people who are leaving the Singapore Zoo (the stop preceding the Bird Paradise) that you can’t even get on.

Avoid the shuttle, use public bus 138 instead.

Payment methods accepted for public transport in Singapore include Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards. The local prepaid fare called EZ Link is also accepted for payment. The MRT and the Mandai Shuttle DO NOT accept cash.

A small fee is applied when using a foreign credit card to pay for Singapore’s bus or MRT tickets, I wrote a whole guide on how this can impact visitors to Singapore and what the best options are, check it out here: reachingsingapore.com/transport-payment-methods.

Singapore Tourist pass cannot be used on the Mandai Khatib shuttle. It is only valid for public transport, which includes the MRT and public bus routes (e.g. route 138). If you are using a Singapore Tourist Pass, I highly recommend taking the MRT to Springleaf MRT station and then changing for bus route 138.

Is the Singapore Tourist Pass worth it? I wrote a whole guide with calculations to help you figure out if the Singapore Tourist Pass is worth it (probably not), check it out here: reachingsingapore.com/is-stp-worth-it.

2. Taxi and Ride Hail

Taking a taxi to the Bird Paradise is my usual recommendation when visitors ask me how to get there. If you are in a group of 2-3 people (or 4-6), taking a taxi will save you a significant amount of time and hassle, while not costing much more than the other options.

Do not take a taxi when you are leaving the Bird Paradise. Taxis are hard to come by in the Mandai Wildlife area - the government even added a surcharge to encourage more taxis to service the parks. This means it is difficult to get a taxi, and more expensive when you do.

Instead, I recommend using one of the buses (route 138 or Mandai-Khatib shuttle) to get out of the Mandai Wildlife area and then take a taxi or MRT from Springleaf or Khatib stations (depending on which bus you took).

Taxis typically cost between S$20 and S$40 depending on which part of Singapore you are coming from and what time of day you are travelling. Some example fares, including surcharges, are in the table below:

Journey	Time	Fare
Bencoolen to Mandai	Morning peak	S$25.30
Orchard to Mandai	Morning peak	S$30.20
Orchard to Mandai	Morning off-peak	S$20.70
Sentosa to Mandai	Morning peak	S$42.70

Off-peak fares start at 9:30am.

Ride hailing fares (Grab, Gojek etc.) are similar to the taxi fares above.

When leaving the Bird Paradise there is an additional S$3 surcharge added to the ride. This is to incentivise drivers to pick up passengers from Mandai.

Uber is not available in Singapore. Local ride hailing services include Grab, Gojek and TADA. I find the local taxi company Comfort to be more reliable and have better customer service (e.g. you can call a phone number and speak to a human if there’s an issue with a Comfort taxi, but you cannot do this with Grab or Gojek).

I usually prefer booking taxis using the Comfort booking app (called CDG), or street hailing a taxi. I’ve found ride hailing generally to be more expensive at times when I try to use it. During off-peak hours they can be cheaper though.

For a more detailed guide on taxi surcharges and ride hailing options, check out my full guide here: reachingsingapore.com/singapore-catch-taxi-guide

3. Mandai City Express Coach

The Mandai City Express Coach is a private bus service operated by the same company as Big Bus and Duck Tours. It runs a few times a day from Orchard, Bras Basah and Suntec to the Bird Paradise. I usually recommend the service to visitors who are staying around the Bencoolen, Bras Basah, or Suntec areas.

Photo of Mandai Express coach — Mandai Express coach

Mandai City Express coach costs S$8 per person per direction with pick-up and drop-off available at the following locations:

Orchard Hotel
Wheelock Place
Hilton Orchard
Orchard Plaza
Rendezvous Hotel
Raffles Hotel
Suntec

You do not have to be a guest of any particular hotel to take advantage of the Mandai City Express - anyone can buy tickets.

If you are staying along Orchard Road, Bras Basah Road, or in the Bencoolen or Suntec areas, the Mandai Express coach can be a good option for you.

The service only operates a few times each day:

9:00am towards Mandai
11:30am towards Mandai
1:50pm return to city
2:30pm towards Mandai
4:50pm return to city

These times are from Orchard Hotel, after which the bus travels through the stops to Suntec before using the expressway to get to Mandai. Add a little time for the bus to travel to your stop.

The exact schedule for each stop is available on the Mandai City Express website here.

Travel time is roughly 45 minutes from Suntec, add on 15-20 minutes if you are starting on Orchard Road. I usually only recommend the Mandai City Express to people staying around the Bencoolen and Suntec areas, as it’s typically quicker (and cheaper) to use the MRT and public buses when staying elsewhere.

Ticket cost for the Mandai City Express is S$8 per person per direction. This means that a return journey will cost S$16 per person. For solo travellers and couples, I feel like this can be a good deal. If you’re travelling in a group of three or more, consider taking taxis or hiring a private transfer to get you to the Bird Paradise.

Tickets should be booked in advance on their website here.

4. Private transfer

Private bus and hire car operators offer service to Mandai Wildlife area, including the Bird Paradise. I often use services like this for corporate clients who are looking to explore the wildlife.

A transfer by itself typically costs S$60 to S$90 for a vehicle up to 12 seats.

Private tour packages run by tour operators in the city can also include transport to and from the Bird Paradise.

5. Cycling

Cycling to the Bird Paradise is possible. The Bird Paradise is connected to cycling paths and bike parking is available near the entrance.

While I think cycling to the Bird Paradise is a fantastic way to see some local jungles and even more wildlife, I do not recommend cycling all the way from your hotel - there are a lot of major roads and motorways blocking the path.

Instead, I recommend catching the MRT to Woodlands South MRT station (on the brown Thomson East Coast Line) and then hiring a bike to cycle along the Ulu Sembawang Park Connector Network to arrive at the Bird Paradise.

Hiring a bike can be done using a local bike sharing scheme. These are HelloRide (blue) and Anywheel (green). Only foldable bicycles are allowed on the MRT, so I usually recommend hiring a bike after you alight from the MRT.

Prices start at S$1 for the first half-hour, and then up to roughly S$6 per hour (or part there of). There is no drop-off point near the Bird Paradise and as such the bicycle must be hired for the entire time you are visiting the park.

Walking to the Bird Paradise is also possible using the same route.

6. Accommodation at the Bird Paradise

It will soon be possible to stay at a hotel near the Bird Paradise. A Banyan Tree hotel is scheduled to open in the first half of 2025 within the Mandai Wildlife area.

There are no other accommodation options nearby. AirBnBs are essentially illegal in Singapore (unless you plan on staying over 3 months).