The Night Safari is the world’s first nocturnal zoo, an evening-only park in Mandai where you ride an open tram and walk forest trails to see animals that wake after dark, and yes, it’s worth it if you go in with the right expectations. It’s not the daytime Singapore Zoo next door, the lighting is dim on purpose, and it’s a fair way out of town, so this guide covers tickets, the best time slot, the tram versus the trails, and how to get there. For the bigger picture, start with our complete Singapore travel guide.

1. The short answer: what it is, is it worth it, which slot to book

The Night Safari is the world’s first nocturnal zoo, an evening-only park where you ride an open tram and walk forest trails to see animals that wake after dark, and yes, it’s worth it if you go in with the right expectations. In one breath: it opened in 1994, it’s in Mandai in the far north, it holds over 900 animals across around 130 species, and you get a narrated tram, four walking trails and the Creatures of the Night show. It runs evening only (tram and trails from about 7:15pm to around midnight), costs about S$58 for an adult, and sits roughly 45 to 60 minutes from the city.

If you only read one thing, read this. Here’s how to nail the night without overthinking it.

One thing to settle right away: this is not the daytime Singapore Zoo. They’re separate parks with separate tickets, sitting side by side in the same reserve, and we untangle the two properly in section 2. For the wider trip, see our complete Singapore travel guide; for the daytime Zoo and the other Mandai parks, our Singapore Zoo and Mandai parks guide; and to sort the journey out, our Singapore MRT and transport guide.

2. Night Safari vs Singapore Zoo: what’s the difference?

They sit next to each other in Mandai and people mix them up constantly, but they’re separate parks with separate tickets, and the simplest way to tell them apart is day versus night. The Singapore Zoo is the daytime, open-concept zoo; the Night Safari is the after-dark park with the tram and the trails. Here’s the difference in a single look.

The verdict: do both if you can. Spend the day at the Singapore Zoo, rest, then come back for the Night Safari that same evening, and buy a multi-park pass to save. Just don’t expect one when you arrive at the other.

3. The Safari Adventure Tram: the heart of the visit

The open-sided Safari Adventure Tram is the centrepiece of the Night Safari, a narrated loop through the dark that’s included with every ticket. You climb aboard, the lights drop to a moonlit glow, and the tram winds slowly past animals you’d never normally see awake.

The standard tram has English audio commentary, with other-language trams running at set times through the night. It loops through several themed geographic regions, including the Himalayan Foothills, the Indian Subcontinent, Equatorial Africa, the Indo-Malayan region, the Asian Riverine Forest and the Nepalese River Valley. Along the way you pass free-ranging and naturalistically housed animals such as deer, tapirs, rhinos, elephants and antelope, often surprisingly close to the track. A full loop takes roughly 30 to 40 minutes, and the smart move is to ride it early, before the queues build later in the evening.

4. The four walking trails: where you see the most

Don’t just ride the tram, because the four walking trails are where you get close to the small, secretive animals, and they’re all included with your ticket. On foot you set your own pace, and you reach pockets of the park the tram never passes.

• Leopard Trail The richest of the four, with the largest collection of Southeast Asian animals, including leopards, civets, slow loris, flying squirrels and porcupines. If you walk only one trail, walk this one.
• East Lodge Trail A shorter loop that links up with the Leopard Trail and adds more habitats to wander through.
• Tasmanian Devil Trail Home to the rare Tasmanian devils, one of the more unusual residents you’ll meet here.
• Pangolin Trail Built around Sunda pangolins, with a walk-through habitat that puts you right in among the planting.

How to do it: pick at least one or two trails on top of your tram ride, walk slowly, and give your eyes time to adjust to the low light. The animals are there; you just have to look patiently.

5. The Creatures of the Night show

The Creatures of the Night show is a short, free live presentation near the entrance, and it’s a genuine highlight, especially with kids. It’s the one fixed event of the evening that’s worth planning the rest of your night around.

It runs at the amphitheatre close to the entrance and lasts around 20 to 25 minutes, showing off the natural talents and behaviours of animals like otters, civets, binturongs and raccoons. There are several showings a night, commonly around 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30pm, though you should confirm the day’s times on the Mandai app or at the gate when you arrive. Turn up 15 to 20 minutes early if you want a good seat, because it fills up fast.

6. What animals will you actually see?

You’ll see animals that sleep through a normal zoo day, awake and active under the soft, moonlight-style lighting. This is the whole point of coming after dark: creatures that are invisible at a daytime zoo are up and moving here.

• Malayan tigers and Asian elephants
• Malayan tapirs, lions and spotted hyenas
• Sloth bears, leopards and fishing cats
• Slow lorises and flying squirrels
• Pangolins, Tasmanian devils and babirusa
• Asian rhinos, antelope and deer

Be honest with yourself before you go: the lighting is dim by design, sightings vary night to night, and some animals are shy and stay tucked away. None of this is a fault; it’s how the park keeps nocturnal animals comfortable and active. Go slow and look carefully, and you’ll be rewarded.

7. Tickets, passes and what’s included

A standard adult ticket is about S$58 (child about S$41) and already includes one tram ride, the walking trails and the show, but if you’re doing more than one Mandai park, a multi-park pass is far better value. Here’s how the pricing shakes out.

• Non-resident adult about S$58; child aged 3 to 12 about S$41; under-3s free.
• Singapore residents pay less with ID (adult around S$48, more on peak days).
• One tram ride is included with every standard ticket, along with the trails and the Creatures of the Night show.
• Multi-park Destination Passes (combining the Night Safari with the Singapore Zoo, River Wonders📍Map and Bird Paradise)📍Map can save up to roughly half versus separate tickets.
• Booking online is usually a touch cheaper than the gate, and it lets you pick a timed slot and skip the ticket queue.

8. Which entry time slot should you pick?

Book the earliest slot you can, around 7:15pm, for the best evening by a clear margin. The Night Safari sells timed entry (commonly 7:15, 8:15, 9:15 and 10:15pm), and the first one is the one to grab.

Why early wins: you get the full run of the night, the first shows, the least-tired and least-disturbed animals, shorter tram queues, and cooler air before the crowds peak. The later slots still work perfectly well if that’s all that’s left, but bear in mind the last entry is about 11:15pm and the park closes around midnight, so a late arrival leaves you racing the clock. Weekends and school holidays are the busiest, which makes booking ahead matter even more.

9. How to get to the Night Safari

It’s far north in Mandai, about 45 to 60 minutes from the city, and the easiest way there is the MRT to Khatib plus the Mandai Khatib Shuttle. There’s no MRT station at the door, so every route involves a final hop by shuttle, bus or car.

If you’d rather have it as a sequence, the simplest version goes:

• Take the red line Ride the North-South Line to Khatib station.
• Find the shuttle Follow the signs to Exit A and the Mandai Khatib Shuttle stop.
• Tap and ride Board the shuttle (about S$3, cashless via EZ-Link or contactless) for the ~20 minute run to Mandai.
• Plan the way back Sort your return before you go in, since it’s late and far.

Travel between the Mandai parks is free, so a Zoo-then-Night-Safari day doesn’t cost extra to move around.

10. The best plan: pair it with the Zoo (and how long to spend)

The classic move is a daytime Mandai park then the Night Safari the same evening, and you’ll want about 2 to 3 hours for the Night Safari itself. Done right, it’s one long, brilliant day of wildlife rather than two separate trips all the way out to Mandai.

• Spend the day at the Zoo Do the Singapore Zoo (and maybe River Wonders or Bird Paradise) during daylight hours.
• Rest and eat Take a real break in the late afternoon and have an early dinner.
• Arrive for the early slot Come back in for the ~7:15pm Night Safari slot.
• Catch a show See an early Creatures of the Night show and grab a seat with time to spare.
• Ride the tram Do the Safari Adventure Tram before the queues build up.
• Walk a trail Finish on the Leopard Trail, and add another if you still have energy.

11. Going with kids

The Night Safari is great for families, but a few things make or break it with little ones. Get them right and it’s a magical night; get them wrong and you’ll have a tired, overwhelmed toddler on your hands.

Kids tend to love two things above all: the tram ride and the Creatures of the Night show, so make those the backbone of your evening. Because it’s a late night by any child’s standards, plan a nap or a proper late-afternoon rest first. Strollers are allowed, and you’ll want to bring insect repellent and a light layer. Just be aware that the dark and the animal sounds can be a lot for very young children, so manage expectations and keep things short. There’s food at the entrance plaza when energy dips.

12. What to wear, bring and the no-flash rule

Dress light, bring repellent, and know that flash photography is banned to protect the animals. This is forest, it’s humid, and it’s dark on purpose, so a little preparation goes a long way.

• Breathable clothes and comfy closed shoes for walking the trails.
• Mosquito and insect repellent, since you’re in humid forest after dark.
• A small water bottle to stay hydrated through the evening.
• A light rain poncho for sudden showers; the tram and trails run rain or shine, but heavy storms can pause them.
• No flash. Phone low-light photos are fine, but expect dark, moody shots rather than bright zoo pictures.
• Keep voices low so the animals stay out and visible for everyone.

13. Food and where to eat

There’s food at the entrance plaza, so you can eat on site, though it’s attraction-priced like everywhere of its kind. You won’t go hungry, but you won’t find a bargain at the gate either.

The sit-down option is the Ulu Ulu Safari Restaurant, which does local dishes with table service near the entrance, alongside casual kiosks and food-court fare for something quicker. Eating before you arrive works just as well as grabbing something at the gate, so do whichever fits your evening. For cheaper food and far more variety, the city’s hawker centres are the move on the way back into town.

14. Is the Night Safari worth it? Honest pros and cons

For most visitors, yes, it’s a genuinely unique evening, but it’s not for everyone, and it helps to know the trade-offs before you commit a whole night to it. Here’s the honest balance.

Worth it for:

• Anyone after a one-of-a-kind night experience you can’t get elsewhere.
• Families, who get a lot out of the tram and the show.
• Animal lovers and anyone who’s already ‘done’ enough daytime zoos.

Maybe skip if:

• You’re very short on time and can’t spare a whole evening.
• You can’t easily get out to Mandai and back late at night.
• You expect bright lighting and great photos (you won’t get them here).
• You’re travelling with kids who fade early in the evening.

With an early slot, the tram, a trail and a show, it delivers a night you’ll remember. If those things don’t line up for you, it’s fair to give it a miss and spend the evening on Sentosa or at Gardens by the Bay instead.

15. Quick tips and common mistakes

A handful of simple things make the night smoother, and a few mistakes catch people out every time. Run down this list and you’ll dodge the usual pitfalls.

• Book early Get an early timed slot online, ideally the ~7:15pm one.
• Do both Ride the tram and walk at least one trail; don’t skip the trails.
• Arrive for a show Turn up early for the Creatures of the Night show to get a seat.
• Pack smart Bring repellent and leave the flash off.
• Plan the trip home It’s late and far, so know your way back before you go in.
• Don’t over-cram Don’t try to do it after an exhausting full day with no rest in between.
• Reset expectations Don’t expect a bright, photo-friendly zoo; it’s dark by design.

16. Plan the rest of your Singapore trip

Fold the Night Safari into a wider plan and you’ve got one of Singapore’s most memorable evenings. It’s the kind of stop that anchors a whole day out in Mandai, so build the rest of the trip around it.

From here, connect outward. See our Singapore Zoo and Mandai parks guide for the daytime Zoo and the other Mandai parks, our best time to visit guide for when to come, and our Singapore with kids guide if you’re travelling as a family. Sort your journey with the MRT and transport guide, keep costs down with the Singapore on a budget guide, and find cheap eats with the hawker food guide.

For everything else worth doing, our things to do guide has the full list. For the city’s other big hitters, see Sentosa, Gardens by the Bay, Universal Studios Singapore and the S.E.A. Aquarium. Tie it all together with our complete Singapore travel guide. A one-of-a-kind night among Singapore’s animals is the kind of thing you’ll still be talking about long after the trip, so don’t let the confusion with the daytime Zoo talk you out of it.

Frequently asked questions

Plan the rest of your Singapore trip →

Browse all our guides →