Sentosa is an island resort south of Singapore, connected to the mainland by a road bridge. The leisure destination hosts many attractions and is frequented by locals and tourists alike. The most prominent attraction, Resorts World Sentosa, is served by bus services from the mainland. The statutory board, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), oversees the development, management and promotion of the island.
Buses are one of several main modes of transport on the island, alongside the Sentosa Express monorail, Cable car, Beach tram and other private bus services.
The Sentosa Bus
There are two main shuttle bus routes within Sentosa Island that 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
Public Bus Services in Sentosa began in 2010 with the opening of Resorts World Sentosa. Services 188R and 963R were introduced, and NightRider NR1 and NR6 were extended into Sentosa. All four services have since been withdrawn.
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.
| Service 123 | Beach Station – Tiong Bahru MRT – Orchard – Queensway – Bukit Merah |
Resorts World Sentosa
Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) services are contracted bus services providing bus connectivity to Resorts World Sentosa. They terminate at Resorts World Sentosa basement terminal.
| Service RWS8 | Resorts World Sentosa – HarbourFront (Loop) |
| Tanjong Pagar MRT Shuttle | Resorts World Sentosa → Tanjong Pagar MRT |
RWS8 is the primary bus link between HarbourFront and Resorts World Sentosa, operating 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.
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.
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.
Brief History:
Buses to Sentosa were first introduced on 16 December 1992 with the opening of a newly completed 710-metre causeway built at a cost of 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 own services while supplementing its trips through contracts with private bus operators such as Woodlands Transport.
In 2010, following the opening of Resorts World Sentosa, around 10 free shuttle services were launched between the heartlands (Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang, Jurong East, Queensway, Tampines & Tiong Bahru) and the Integrated Resort (IR) to bring in guests. However, they were abruptly ceased in September 2010 after a directive from the Casino Regulatory Authority, amid concerns that the Resort was making it too easy for heartlanders to visit the IR to gamble. Shuttle services between the City and RWS ceased shortly after.
Also in 2010, RWS8 was launched between RWS and HarbourFront, and contracted to SMRT. In addition, a short-lived Service RWS88 operated between RWS and City Hall MRT from January to December 2010, withdrawn due to declining demand. Plans for a Service RWS68 between RWS and Outram Park MRT never materialised after declining demand for RWS88.
Service 123 was the first trunk route to serve Sentosa Island following a route amendment in July 2017.
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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