Travel different: Behind the scenes tours

Crawl into a tent and let the calming blue hues of the Open Ocean Habitat lull you to sleep during your Ocean Dreams experience at S.E.A. Aquarium™ in Resorts World™ Sentosa.

The sleepover includes a 90-minute after-hours guided tour of the entire aquarium, with the guides making stops along the way to explain more about aquatic life such as manta rays, coral reefs and sharks. You will even get a chance to feed the smaller fish during the tour. There’ll be fun games for the whole family and dinner is included. 

When you wake up the following day, the aquarium will have a little surprise in store for you—divers will swim over to your section, bearing banners that wish you a good morning.

Tours include sleeping bags and discounted rates to the Adventure Cove Waterpark™ (applicable after the conclusion of the Ocean Dreams programme). Reservations for this tour should be made two weeks in advance.

For online bookings, find out more here or call +65 6577 7515.

Held every fourth Saturday of the month, Race Against Time – Science Behind a Botanic Garden Tour is a free 45-minute walk around the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ research facilities.

The tour takes you to the Herbarium—which holds records of reference plant materials dating as far back as the 1790s—and to the Orchid and Micro-propagation laboratory, where you can learn all about the garden’s orchid hybridisation programme.

Here, you can catch a glimpse of researchers performing experiments on small plants and flowers. The tour also includes a visit to the Library of Botany and Horticulture, which is a museum showcasing botanical specimens and botanical illustrations.

Registration starts 15 minutes before the tour commences, and is limited to 20 people, aged nine and up. For groups larger than 20, enquire via email at least 14 days in advance.

For online bookings, find out more here or call 1800 471 7300.

Peek behind the stage curtains and gain fascinating insights into the routines of stage performers on this tour at the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. It grants you backstage access to the city’s largest performing arts venue, where you can find out how major productions like Les Misérables are brought to life.

The one-hour Esplanade Tour, which is conducted in English, is held every Monday, and takes you through the Concert Hall and Theatre, dropping by the orchestra pit, dressing rooms and artists’ lounge before ending with some light refreshments. Groups of 12 or more should make a reservation at least two weeks in advance.

For online bookings, find out more here or call +65 6828 8377.

Get up close and personal with monkeys, rhinos and giraffes when you sign up for the Singapore Zoo’s Wild Discoverer Tour. Jump aboard a buggy and be whisked through the zoo’s most popular exhibits, as a guide explains how they care for the various beasts.

Then pop into the Fragile Forest to learn more about invertebrates like Madagascan hissing cockroaches and rhinoceros beetles. Finally, at the zoo’s Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia, you’ll be treated to the cheeky antics of a hundred Hamadryas baboons as they are fed.

Tour groups are kept to a maximum of seven people, and the tour price excludes park admission, which must be purchased separately. Do make your tour reservations at least five days in advance.

For online bookings, find out more here or call +65 6269 3411.

Get up close and personal with the adorable manatees of the River Wonders on this special behind-the-scenes tour.

Did you know manatees take about a week to fully digest their meals? You’ll get to learn more about these gentle sea creatures, and how their needs are cared for by the River Wonders’s trainers and handlers. This educational hour-long tour will also let you try your hand at training and feeding sessions.

Do note that participants under the age of 18 should be accompanied by adults, and children need to be at least 1.2 metres in height to embark on this tour.

For online bookings, find out more here or call +65 6269 3411.

Enjoy a private buggy ride around the Jurong Bird Park on the Bird’s Eye Tour. Taking place over 60 minutes, the tour brings you on a close encounter with the park’s feathered friends. Meet Sally the hornbill, learn about how to care for chicks and get to fly the park’s majestic birds of prey.

The tour takes place three times a day, and reservations should be made at least five days in advance.

For online bookings, find out more here or call +65 6269 3411.

You would want to wear comfortable shoes for this—The Singapore Sports Hub Venue Tour takes you on a 90-minute guided walk through all 35 hectares of the fitness and lifestyle hub.

The tour gets you exclusive entry into the National Stadium when it’s not opened to the public. Your guide will also take you to the Singapore Sports Museum, where you can discover the history and evolution of our proud sportsmen and women through interactive exhibits.

If you’re looking to fit in a quick workout, put in your request in advance and your guide might be able to fit in a climbing session at the fully air-conditioned indoor climbing wall at Climb Central, over at the nearby Kallang Wave Mall.

Don’t forget to bring along a camera. The Singapore Sports Hub is located right by the Kallang Basin, giving you ample opportunity to enjoy and capture gorgeous waterfront views of the Singapore skyline from a different angle.

For online bookings, find out more here or call +65 6653 8900.