Difference between River Wonders and Singapore Zoo explained (animals, food, costs, and more)
Whenever I’m helping someone plan their visit to Singapore, I often get asked about which of the Mandai wildlife attractions are worth visiting, and what the difference is between them. I believe the wildlife attractions are one of the unique highlights of visiting Singapore and that every visitor should explore at least one of them. To help visitors figure out what to see and do at the wildlife parks, I put together a series of guides to help - the one I’ve written below answers a common question I get on the difference between River Wonders and the Singapore Zoo.
The biggest difference between River Wonders and Singapore Zoo are the animals. River Wonders is home to the famous panda exhibit, which includes red pandas and giant pandas. Singapore Zoo has a greater variety of other animals, including tigers, elephants, zebras, giraffes, and more.
In this guide to the differences between River Wonders and Singapore Zoo, I’ve also included:
- Food options: Singapore Zoo has more variety, though River Wonders has panda-themed treats
- Price: River Wonders is slightly cheaper (though I recommend buying a multi-park ticket for even greater savings)
- Shows, presentations, keeper talks, and more
1. River Wonders is home to pandas
The star attraction at River Wonders is the panda exhibit. It is home to the Red Pandas and the Giant Pandas.
River Wonders focusses more on waterway habitats, in addition to the pandas. It has a strong aquatic theme and the first half of the park includes dozens of tanks of life that lives under and around various river systems around the world.
The Singapore Zoo however has a more general approach to the animals it keeps, with theme exhibits from around teh world, including land and aquatic animals.
| River Wonders | Singapore Zoo |
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2. River Wonders is cheaper
The adult ticket price for River Wonders is slightly cheaper than the adult ticked price for Singapore Zoo.
| Ticket | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| River Wonders | S$43 | S$31 |
| Singapore Zoo | S$49 | S$34 |
| Multi-park (both) | S$80 | S$50 |
A single adult entry to River Wonders costs S$43. This makes it cheaper than the S$49 adult entry to the Singapore Zoo. Child tickets are also cheaper at River Wonders (S$31 vs. S$34).
I recommend combining River Wonders with at least one other wildlife park - multiple park tickets offer a discount compared to buying each park ticket individually. I highly recommend you DO NOT visit River Wonders alone, I feel it is only worth it when combined with at least one other park.
Significant savings can be had by buying multi-park tickets. Some examples of these include:
| Parks | Ticket Price | Savings |
|---|---|---|
| River Wonders + Singapore Zoo | S$80 | S$12 saved |
| River Wonders + Night Safari | S$90 | S$9 saved |
| River Wonders + Singapore Zoo + Night Safari + Bird Paradise | S$110 | S$92 saved |
Multiple park tickets have a 7 day validity meaning you do not have to visit all parks on the same day, you can come back another day to use the other park tickets. I recommend visiting no more than 2 parks on the same day; each park takes at least 3-5 hours.
3. Food
Food served at River Wonders is predominantly Chinese, with panda themed dishes available. There is also a Starbucks located right outside the entrance to River Wonders.
Singapore Zoo on the other hand has a greater variety of food options available under multiple restaurants in the public and ticketed areas.
| River Wonders | Singapore Zoo |
|---|---|
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Mama Panda Kitchen located in the ticketed area of River Wonders is open from 10:30am to 6:30pm and serves mostly Chinese food with some Western options, such as:
- Ramen
- Fried rice
- Steamed bao
- Sandwiches
- Chicken nuggets
Panda-themed varieties are available. Prices range from about S$9 to S$18 per dish. Tea, coffee, and soft drinks are also available.
Starbucks is located in the public area next to River Wonders and is open from 9:30am to 6:30pm (7pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and eve of public holidays). It serves its traditional menu of coffee, pastries, sandwiches, and wraps. Prices are on-par with those found at an in-town Starbucks.
A wide variety of food is available at the Singapore Zoo, including:
- Laksa
- Fish and Chips
- Chicken rice
- Tandoori chicken
- and more!
There are multiple restaurants within the Singapore Zoo, and there are so many options I had to write my own full guide on food at the Singapore Zoo. Check it out here: reachingsingapore.com/zoo-food
4. Shows
River Wonders and Singapore Zoo put on shows throughout the day where you can meet some animals and learn about their stories.
River Wonders is home to the Once Upon a River Show, while Singapore Zoo hosts Into the Wild, Animal Buddies (for kids), and Splash Safari.
*Reservations are required for *Once Upon a River due to limited seating capacity. The shows at Singapore Zoo do not require a reservation - if you are visiting on a weekend or public holiday, I recommend arriving at least 10 minutes early to get a good seat.
All shows are free at both River Wonders and Singapore Zoo. There is no need to buy a separate ticket.
5. Feeding the animals
River Wonders does not currently have any feeding sessions where guests can feed the animals. Singapore Zoo has a handful of animals that you can feed when you visit.
When I last visited Singapore Zoo, it was possible to feed:
- White Rhinoceros
- Giant Tortoise
- Giraffe
- Zebra
Availability of feeding depends on the animals, and not all animals can be fed every day. Elephants for example can be available for feeding, but weren’t the last time I visited the Zoo (summer 2024).
Feeding an animals at the Singapore Zoo costs S$8 per portion per animal and should be booked and paid for using the Mandai app.
6. Keeper talks
Keeper talks are short presentations given by an animal keeper about a particular animal. Both River Wonders and Singapore Zoo offer these, though there are less available at River Wonders.
River Wonders only has a single keeper talk, though it covers multiple exhibits. The River Feeding Trail Keeper Talk starts at the Elephantnose Fish Exhibit and ends at the Mekong Giant Cat Fish Exhibit.
Singapore Zoo has multiple keeper talks covering monkeys, tigers, hippos, orangutans, and more. Keeper talks at the Singapore Zoo progress throughout the day and you can practically follow the keepers around as they go on each talk. For more details, check out my guide here: reachingsingapore.com/zoo-to-do
All keeper talks are free, there is no additional charge, and no need to book online.
7. Paid rides
River Wonders has a fun boat ride, called Amazon River Quest, that snakes its way through some of the animal exhibits giving you a bit of a thrill while watching the animals.
Last time I went on this ride it was raining and we were the last group before they suspended the ride (umbrellas are not allowed for safety reasons), I got very wet. I found it fun though, and worth the money. I would’ve ridden it a second time if it hadn’t been suspended. There also wasn’t much of a queue when I went around 4pm on a weekday.
Tickets for the River Wonders Amazon River Quest boat ride cost S$5 for unlimited rides on the day.
Singapore Zoo has no equivalent paid ride attraction (see below for my description of the Tram, which is a free transport system for getting around the Zoo).
8. Tram service
River wonders does not have a tram to help you travel around the park – unlike Singapore Zoo, Bird Paradise, and Night Safari.
The Singapore Zoo Tram is a free service that offers transport around the Zoo accompanied by a brief audio guide of the exhibits that you’re going past.
As the Zoo is big, the Tram can be a convenient way of getting around if it’s too hot to walk. The Tram and its stops are also sheltered, and can be a good way to escape light rain. The sides of the Tram are open so if it’s raining heavily you might still get wet.
Further reading
Singapore Zoo has so many activities it needs its own guide. Check out the one that I wrote on all the things you can do at the Singapore Zoo here: reachingsingapore.com/zoo-to-do.
I also highly recommend downloading the Mandai app. It has helpful maps, schedules, food menus, and can really help you plan out your day at the Zoo, River Wonders, or any of the Mandai wildlife attractions. Check out the app here: https://www.mandai.com/en/mandai-mobile-app.html
