Sentosa Island is a tourist destination south of Singapore, connected to the mainland by a road bridge. The island hosts numerous attractions, such as the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort and Universal Studios theme park, among many others. The Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) statutory board oversees the development, management and promotion of the island.
Buses form one of several main modes of public transport on the island, alongside the Sentosa Express monorail, Cable car, Beach tram and other private bus services.
The Sentosa Bus
Two main shuttle bus routes within Sentosa Island cater to the public. Bus A serves the western part of Sentosa, while Bus B connects to attractions on the eastern side of Sentosa.
| Sentosa Bus A | Beach Station – Imbiah Lookout – Siloso Point – Resorts World Sentosa – Beach Station |
| Sentosa Bus B | Beach Station – Sentosa Cove / W Hotel – Palawan Beach – Sentosa Golf Club – Beach Station |
| Sentosa Golf Club Shuttle | Beach Station – Sentosa Golf Club Clubhouse |
| Shuttle to HarbourFront (a.k.a. Sentosa Bus D) |
Beach Station → HarbourFront MRT One-way shuttle bus service operates every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and on Public Holidays, 6pm to 9pm |
All these routes offer free rides.
Sentosa Cove Bus Services
- [Public] Sentosa Cove Village → Vivocity → HarbourFront Bus Interchange → Sentosa Cove Village
- [Residents] Sentosa Cove Village ↔ Oceanfront (North Cove)
- [Residents] Sentosa Cove Village ↔ Seven Palms (South Cove)
Shuttle bus timings can be accessed here. Payment can be made via EZ-Link card or Sentosa Cove access card. The fare is $2 per trip.
Public Bus Services
Bus Service 123 is currently the only public bus service in Sentosa, terminating at Beach Station. Distance-based fares are charged.
Commuters should note that the route stops at Resorts World Sentosa only in the direction of Beach Station. Heading out of Sentosa, this service does not stop at Resorts World Sentosa.
| Service 123 | Beach Station – Tiong Bahru MRT – Orchard – Queensway – Bukit Merah |
Resorts World Sentosa services
Bus Service RWS8, which launched in 2010, is the primary bus link between HarbourFront and Resorts World Sentosa. It operates from 5:30 am to 11:45 pm daily. Fares are charged only when boarding the bus from the mainland; outbound rides from Sentosa are free.
| Service RWS8 | Resorts World Sentosa – HarbourFront (Loop) |
| Tanjong Pagar MRT Shuttle | Resorts World Sentosa → Tanjong Pagar MRT |
From 2 June 2023, guests can catch an express bus ride from RWS Coach Bay at B1 East Carpark to Tanjong Pagar MRT. This one-way service operates from 5-8pm on weekends (Friday – Sunday) and Public Holidays at 30-minute intervals, and charges a flat fare of S$3 per passenger.
a short-lived Service RWS88 was operated by SMRT Buses between RWS and City Hall MRT from January to December 2010. It was withdrawn due to declining demand, and plans for a Service RWS68 between RWS and Outram Park MRT never materialised.
Staff Bus Services
The SDC Staff Shuttle connects HarbourFront Bus Interchange with Sentosa Development Corporation’s offices at 39 Artillery Avenue, and Sentosa Golf Club. A staff pass is required upon boarding.
Hotel Guest Bus Services
Enquire directly with the hotel.
History of Sentosa Buses:
Bus operations on Sentosa Island are largely operated by the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), the statutory board that oversees the development, management and promotion of the island. Buses owned by SDC were also formerly registered with SDC plates, before moving to RU-plates for “Restricted Use” in the 1990s. This practice has gradually ceased in the 2000s.
In 1975, 13 double-deck buses were introduced to Sentosa [Link]. These buses are believed to be ex-London buses, namely RTs and RTLs. The RTs were built by Associated Equipment Company (AEC), while RTLs were built by Leyland [Link]. The Sentosa Monorail, which opened in February 1982, replaced these buses as the island’s main means of transport.
More double-deck buses were introduced to Sentosa in 1992, with three Northern Countries-bodied Leyland Olympians shipped second-hand from the UK, and converted to open-top buses [Link][Link].
Buses between Sentosa and the Singapore mainland began on 16 December 1992 with the opening of a newly completed 710-metre causeway built at S$117 million, spanning the Keppel Harbour and linking Sentosa Island with mainland Singapore for the first time. Previously, all visitors to Sentosa Island commuted by ferry.
Two routes were initially operated, Route A from World Trade Centre Bus Terminal (presently HarbourFront Bus Terminal) to Fort Siloso / Underwater World and Route B from Tiong Bahru MRT Station to Central Beach. The services were operated by SBS Leisure, a subsidiary of Singapore Bus Service (SBS), using new Volvo B10M (Mark III) buses. The buses initially charged a $5 fare for Adults and $3 for children, inclusive of the Sentosa Island admission fee. Free rides were offered within and out of Sentosa.
Later, on 20 January 1993, Route C was launched between Tiong Bahru and Sentosa Ferry Terminal, and Route B was downgraded to weekend operation. On 10 June 1993, the Sentosa Escapade was launched between Orchard/Marina Centre and Sentosa, with new Soon Chow-bodied Volvo B10M (Mark IV) buses added to the fleet. On 10 June 1996, Service B was withdrawn and replaced by Service M, plying between Tiong Bahru MRT and Sentosa Food Village.
SBS Leisure operated the Sentosa shuttle routes until their contract with SDC terminated in 2004. SDC took over the operation of its services while supplementing its trips through contracts with private bus operators such as Woodlands Transport. Low-entry Volvo B7RLE buses also entered service in 2003. Fares from HarbourFront to Sentosa were reduced from $3 to $2 following the opening of Resorts World Sentosa in January 2010.
Bus operations within Sentosa remained largely the same in the 2010s. SDC also bought new Volvo B8RLE buses to replace retiring Volvo B7RLE buses. Six buses were introduced in 2018 and two more more were introduced in 2020. Private bus operators were also roped in to provide additional buses when required; for instance, Advan Transport supplied a single Yutong ZK6126HGA starting in April 2017, which lasted for around 2 years. In October 2019, ComfortDelGro Bus supplied several Scania K230UB buses [Link], which were formerly operating as NUS internal shuttle buses.
From June 2020, ComfortDelGro Bus took over the operations of Sentosa Buses, following the awarding of a term contract to operate transportation services and maintain vehicles for SDC. In October 2021, a six-month electric bus trial was conducted (using a BYD C8). Electric bus operations started in November 2022, when two Zhongtong N12 buses were deployed to Sentosa routes. In February 2023, Volvo B9L buses were deployed to Sentosa, which were also former NUS internal shuttle buses.
As part of Sentosa’s sustainability roadmap outlined in 2021, it aims to electrify 100% of intra-island public transportation by 2025, which would involve replacing diesel buses with electric buses.
History of Public Bus Services:
Public Bus Services in Sentosa started in 2010 with the opening of Resorts World Sentosa. Services 188R (Choa Chu Kang ↔ RWS) and 963R (Woodlands ↔ RWS) were introduced, as express variants of their parent services that operated on Weekends and Public Holidays. Passengers are spared from Sentosa admission charges and they provide an alternative to Service RWS8 from HarbourFront (which charged $2 for an inbound journey).
NightRider NR1 (RWS ↺ Yishun) and NR6 (RWS ↺ Sengkang) were late-night bus routes operated by SMRT that were extended to serve RWS in 2010. These services charged a flat fare of $4.50 and allowed for 1 free transfer to another NightRider service, thereby opening up RWS to SMRT’s islandwide NightRider network. However, the utility of these services was curtailed in April 2014, when all NightRider services were converted to unidirectional operation (RWS/City → Heartlands).
188R, 963R, NR1 & NR6 were suspended at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, and later withdrawn without resumption.
Bus Service 123 was the first trunk route to service Sentosa Island following a route amendment in July 2017, and remains the only trunk service at Sentosa today.
History of RWS bus services:
The primary link between HarbourFront and Resorts World Sentosa is served by Bus Service RWS8, which launched on 9 January 2010, and operates at frequent intervals throughout the day. The fare was $2.00, inclusive of the Sentosa admission fee.
Another second shuttle route, Bus Service RWS88 (RWS ↺ City Hall MRT), was launched on 30 January 2010. Operating only on weekends and public holidays, it was later withdrawn on 27 December 2010. Plans for a Service RWS68 (RWS ↺ Outram Park MRT) never materialised following weak demand for RWS88.
Service RWS8 (and RWS88) was initially contracted to SMRT Buses, where Mercedes-Benz OC500LE buses were frequently deployed, alongside smaller numbers of Dennis Lance, Mercedes-Benz O405 and Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses.
In 2012, Transtar TS8 was launched, connecting RWS with Johor Bahru.
On 1 July 2016, the contracted operator of RWS8 switched to Tong Tar Transport. Yutong ZK6116H1 buses were initially deployed, switching to Zhongtong LCK6125HQGA (Fashion) buses later that year. Buses were upgraded with coloured Electronic Displays and announcement systems sometime in 2023.
On 2 June 2023, a one-way express bus service commenced, plying RWS → Tanjong Pagar MRT. It operated on Fridays–Sundays & Public Holidays, from 5–8pm, at 30-minute intervals. The fare is S$3. Sometime around April 2024, the route was changed to RWS → City Hall MRT, with the same operating days/times/fares, but at 45-minute intervals. The route was discontinued in October 2024.
RWS Heartland free shuttles:
In June 2010, RWS began offering free bidirectional shuttle bus services between RWS and the Heartlands, gradually expanding to 19 pick-up locations across the island, including Bukit Merah, Jurong East, Choa Chu Kang, Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, and Tampines. Services operated from late mornings to around 10pm, with most services operating past 2am on Fridays, Saturdays, and eves of Public Holidays.
According to an RWS spokesperson in September 2010, the shuttle buses brought about 2,500 people per day to the resort, and the services were the result of feedback to improve the accessibility of the resort. However, several parties took a different view, pointing out that the shuttle buses encourage residents to gamble at the casino, with the National Council on Problem Gambling expressing its disapproval of any marketing and promotional efforts targeting Singaporeans and permanent residents to visit the Casino. The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) also said it was investigating the free shuttle services. [Link]
Amid the Government probe, RWS released a statement on the night of 9 September 2010, announcing that shuttle services were to cease from 11pm on Sunday, 13 September 2010. It said that it was “voluntarily withdrawing its shuttle services in the spirit of collaboration with the Singapore Government”, and would continue to provide shuttle services within the central business district and Orchard Road.
However, on Friday, 10 September 2010, casino regulators put an immediate stop to the shuttle buses. A directive from the Casino Regulatory Authority, delivered to both Integrated Resorts (IRs) at around noon, ordered that all shuttle bus services should be ceased with immediate effect. This caught many off-guard, including visitors and transport providers, and RWS recalled 100 staff on a public holiday to implement the directive. Calls were made to the five bus operators to stop the services immediately, with one bus operator estimating potential losses of S$1.5 million and the possibility of retrenching staff. [Link]
On 15 September, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan explained the decision to cease shuttle bus services to IRs in Parliament, stating that the Integrated Resorts (IRs) we engaging in a “pattern of casino promotional activities”. He pointed out that RWS had operated its free shuttle till 2.30am on weekends and eves of public holidays, when most other facilities—except its casino—were already closed. He also rejected the assertion that the directive was issued reactively, rather than proactively. [Link]
In October 2010, RWS stated that it would compensate the five operators of its free shuttle services, which the Government stopped the month before. It has declined to reveal the compensation amounts.
Bus Routes (not numbered)
All routes start from RWS Coach Bay
| Catchment | Pick-up points |
| Ang Mo Kio / Bishan | – Bus stop opposite Blk 710, Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 – Bus stop outside Bishan MRT, Bishan Rd |
| Jurong East | – Jurong East MRT outside Popular Book Store (Jurong East St 12) |
| Choa Chu Kang / Bukit Panjang |
– Bus stop outside Lot 1 Shoppers’ Mall, Choa Chu Kang Ave 4 – Bus stop outside Bukit Panjang Plaza, Jelebu Rd |
| Buona Vista | – Bus stop outside Blk 97, Queensway – Bus stop outside Blk 9, Holland Ave – Bus stop opposite Buona Vista MRT, North Buona Vista Rd |
| Tampines | – Tampines MRT, opposite Tampines 1 |
| Bedok | – Bedok MRT passenger pick-up point |
| Tiong Bahru | – Bus stop opposite Tiong Bahru Plaza |
| Bukit Merah | – Bus stop opposite Redhill MRT – Bus stop at IKEA – Bus stop outside Blk 161, Bukit Merah Central |
| Shenton Way | – Bus stop at International Plaza, Anson Rd – Lau Pa Sat Coach Bay |
| Tanjong Pagar | – Bus stop at Tanjong Pagar Plaza, Tg Pagar Rd – Coach Bay at Buddha Tooth Relic Temple – Bus stop at The Pinnacle＠Duxton, Cantonment Rd |
| Hotel 1 | – The Fullerton Hotel Singapore – Swissotel The Stamford / Fairmont Singapore |
| Hotel 2 | – Four Seasons Hotel Singapore – The Regent Singapore – Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore |
| Hotel 3 | – Conrad Centennial Singapore – The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore – Marina Mandarin Singapore |
| Hotel 4 | – Mandarin Orchard Singapore – Concorde Hotel Singapore |
Yet more routes were planned but did not materialise, but were referenced on shuttle route directories posted at RWS. These included routes to Marine Parade/Old Airport Road, Yishan/Khatib, and Suntec City.
Gallery
Bus Operations
Bus operations on Sentosa Island are coordinated by the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), who owns
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Don’t take bus, take train. From Robertson Quay Hotel, walk 450 metres to Fort Canning MRT station. There, take the Downtown Line to Chinatown station, and transfer to the North East Line (towards Harbourfront station). Take the North East Line to Harbourfront station.
There, walk to Vivo City, and follow the directional signages to the Sentosa Express monorail station, and take the Sentosa Express monorail to Singapore.
Singapore MRT fare: S$1.30
Sentosa Express monorail fare: $4
Travel time: 37 minutes
Total travel fare: S$5.30
I know the question is on travel by bus. Got one direct bus, bus number 123. Bus fare S$1.71. Takes you all the way to Sentosa in that one single bus ride. Much cheaper than the train route (S$5.30), but longer travel time (48 minutes).
Bus route, 67% cheaper than train route, but require 29% more travel time.
If you are a tourist, you are probably not in a rush for time, so probably can consider the direct bus 123 option, which costs less but require more travel time.
Taking bus 123 can also get to enjoy the scenery of a local residential neighborhood (Tiong Bahru), and get to see the checkpoint to the Tanjong Pagar trading port.
May you have an enjoyable time in Singapore. 😊
We are here in Singapore, but we are confused with buses , how much is the bus fare from Robertson Quay Hotel to Sentosa