How to get to Night Safari (costs and time compared)

The Night Safari is located in Singapore’s Mandai wildlife area, in the northern part of Singapore. It’s far away from the glitzy offices and apartment buildings of down town, where it’s surrounded by jungle, waterways, and a couple of military bases.

It can be confusing for visitors to figure out the best way to get to and from the Night Safari, so I put together this guide as part of my series on the wildlife attractions to help anyone figure out the best way for them to get to the Night Safari.

To get to the Night Safari, taxi is often the best choice for most people. A taxi from the common hotel areas will cost roughly S$25 to S$40 depending on how far you are from the Night Safari and it can transport up to 4 people.

To leave the Night Safari, I recommend taking bus 138 or the Mandai Khatib shuttle to get out of the Mandai Wildlife area, and then taking the MRT or a taxi after the bus drops you at a nearby MRT station (Springleaf or Khatib respectively). Taking public transport will cost you roughly S$1.80 to S$2.20 per person depending on how far you’re travelling.

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 the same company as the Big Bus tours) is also a good way to get to or from the Night Safari if you’re visiting on the right day (Thursday to Sunday). Tickets for the Mandai City Express cost S$8 per person each way.

Here are some examples of the travel time and costs involved with each way of getting to the Night Safari:

Transport	Cost	Duration
MRT + Mandai Khatib Shuttle	S$5 per person	60-80 minutes
MRT + public bus route 138	S$2 per person	60-75 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 are 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 often recommend visiting the Night Safari after one of the other Mandai wildlife parks (i.e. Zoo, River Wonders, or Bird Paradise). In that case, transport to the Night Safari is as follows:

River Wonders: Walk out and turn left, you’ll be at the entrance to the Night Safari.
Zoo: Walk back towards the drop off point and then you’ll see signs for Night Safari to follow.
Bird Paradise: Go to the bus stop and take the Mandai Shuttle bus to the Night Safari (make sure you’re boarding the correct direction). Walking is also possible.

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

1. Public transport (bus and MRT)

There are two main public transport routes to get to the Night Safari:

Catch the MRT to Springleaf station (brown Thomson East Coast Line) and then take bus route 138 to the Night Safari
Catch the MRT to Khatib station (red North-South Line) and then take the Mandai Khatib shuttle 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. Either of the above options are accessible from these locations.

Going to Springleaf station is slightly cheaper as the Mandai Khatib shuttle bus is technically a private operator meaning that you need to pay an additional S$3 specifically for that bus ride. I’ve outlined the estimated costs in the table below:

Public Transport Route (to Zoo)	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 costs depend on how far away you are from the Night Safari. Areas such as Orchard and Newton are closer and therefore have cheaper fares than Marina Bay or Sentosa. This amounts to a difference of about 20 cents, so I’d never recommend picking your hotel based on proximity to the Night Safari.

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 Night Safari. This charge only applies one way, meaning when you leave the Night Safari the shuttle bus is a free service (for everyone).

When leaving the Night Safari, the public transport options are:

Catch bus route 138 to Springleaf MRT 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

Cost will be roughly S$1.88 to S$2.13 depending on where your hotel is. It’s slightly cheaper to use the Mandai Shuttle as there is no charge for its portion of the journey.

Payment methods accepted for public transport in Singapore include Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, and the local prepaid fare card called EZ Link. A small fee is applied when using a foreign credit card to pay for Singapore’s public 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

Cash is not accepted on the MRT or on the Mandai Khatib Shuttle bus.

Singapore Tourist Pass is also not accepted on the Mandai Khatib Shuttle bus as it is technically run by a private bus company. The Singapore Tourist Pass can only be used for public bus services (such as route 138) and MRT.

Wondering if the Singapore Tourist Pass is worth it? I wrote a whole guide with calculations to help you figure out if it is worth it for your trip (hint: Probably not). Check out my full guide here: reachingsingapore.com/is-stp-worth-it.

My recommendation for public transport TO the Night Safari is to use bus route 138 as follows:

Take the MRT to Springleaf station
Change to bus route 138
Alight at the Singapore Zoo / River Wonders / Night Safari stop

I find bus 138 to be more reliable, generally have more space on-board, and during the evening to operate more frequently than the Mandai Khatib shuttle.

My recommendation for public transport FROM the Night Safari is to use the first bus available (route 138 or Mandai Khatib Shuttle) and then change at the respective station for MRT or taxi.

Getting out of the Mandai Wildlife area itself I find is typically more important than waiting for either bus in particular. This is because the cost is roughly the same (there is no charge for the Mandai Shuttle when boarding in Mandai), and the inter-connected MRT network means it doesn’t really matter if you are taking the brown line or the red line.

When budgeting time for the journey, it takes about 60-80 minutes in either direction to reach the Night Safari. Some examples of travel time are included in the table below:

Origin	Travel time to the Night Safari
Orchard	60 minutes
Chinatown	70 minutes
Cruise Terminal	85 minutes
Bugis	70 minutes
Sentosa	85 minutes
Suntec	70 minutes

I still recommend taking a taxi, on the balance of cost and time, for most visitors I direct around Singapore, I usually recommend a taxi or private transfer to get to the Night Safari.

Taxi and ride hail

Take a taxi TO the Night Safari 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 leaving the Night Safari though. I recommend using one of the buses to get out of the Mandai Wildlife area, then changing for a train or taxi at Springleaf or Khatib stations (depending on which bus you took).

This is because there can be a long queue for taxis departing the Nigth Safari, and there is an additional S$3 surcharge added to encourage more taxi drivers to collect people from the Night Safari. Taxi surcharges in Singapore are complicated, I wrote a whole guide to them here.

Taxis typically cost between S$25 and S$40 depending on which part of Singapore you are coming from or going to. Some example fares, including peak-hour charges, are included in the table below:

Journey	Fare
Bencoolen to Mandai	S$25.30
Orchard to Mandai	S$30.20
Sentosa to Mandai	S$42.70

An S$3 surcharge is added when going in the other direction (leaving the Night Safari). This is to incentivise drivers to collect passengers from Mandai.

Ride hailing apps, such as Grab and Gojek, tend to charge roughly the same as the taxi service.

Uber is not available in Singapore. Local ride hailing services include Grab, Gojek, TADA, and Ryde. I find the local taxi company Comfort to be more reliable and have better customer service (e.g. when I’ve disputed a fare with Comfort, they resolved it over the phone; Grab and Gojek seemingly never have a person you can talk to when an issue arises).

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

Mandai City Express Coach

The Mandai City Express Coach is a private bus service operated by the same company as the Big Bus and Duck Tours. It offers two services per day that transfer you from Orchard, Bras Basah, and Suntec to the Night Safari. I usually recommend the service to visitors who are staying around one of these areas.

Photo of Mandai Express coach — Mandai Express coach parked outside the Night Safari

Mandai City Express coach costs S$8 per person per direction with pick-up 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.

When returning from the Night Safari, there are two services available:

Mandai City Express Coach Night Safari Services (to city)
Orchard, City Hall and Suntec (departs 9:30pm)	Little India, Havelock and Marina Bay (departs 10:00pm)
Orchard Hotel Wheelock Place Hilton Orchard Orchard Plaza Rendezvous Hotel Raffles Hotel Suntec Hub	Little India Broadway Hotel Ibis on Bencoolen Hotel Miramar People's Park Complex Central Mall @ Clarke Quay Marina Bay Sands

If you are staying near one of these stops, the Mandai City Express coach can be a good option for you - particularly for getting home from the Night Safari at the end of the night.

The schedule (and ticket purchasing) is available on their website here.

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 is can be a good deal as it will be cheaper than a taxi yet faster than the MRT.

If you’re travelling in a group of three or more, I still recommend taxis, or even hiring a private transfer, to get you to the Night Safari. Coming back from the Night Safari, consider the Mandai City Express though.

Tickets should be booked in advance on the Mandai City Express website here.

4. Private transfer

Private bus and hire car operators offer service to the Mandai Wildlife area, including the Night Safari. I often use services like this for corporate clients who are looking to explore the wildlife (and the Night Safari is great for this as it targets the after-office-hours crowd).

A transfer by itself typically costs S$60 to S$90 for a vehicle with up to 12 seats. This price is charged in each direction. Hourly hires can also be made and these can be good if you are travelling elsewhere throughout the day.

Private tour packages run by tour operators in the city can also include transport to and from the Night Safari. As far as I’m aware there are no private tour guides operating within the Night Safari (though the Mandai company itself does offer tours of the Night Safari).

5. Cycling

Cycling to the Night Safari is possible. The Night Safari is connected to cycling paths and bicycle parking is available near the entrance.

While I think cycling to the Night safari 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 usually recommend catching the MRT to Woodlands South MRT station (on the brown Thomson East Coast Line) and then hiring a bicycle to cycle along the Ulu Sembawang Park Connector Network to arrive at the Night Safari.

Hiring a bike can be done using a local bike sharing scheme. These are HelloRide (blue) and Anywheel (green). These are unfortunately not 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 go up to roughly S$6 per hour (or part there of). There is a drop-off point just outside the Mandai Wildlife area, I recommend leaving the bike here and then walking the remaining distance to the Night Safari.

Walking to the Night Safari is also possible following the same route.

6. Accommodation at the Night Safari

It will soon be possible to stay at a hotel near the Night Safari. A Banyan Tree hotel is scheduled to open in the first half of 2025 a short walk from the entrance to the Night safari.

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