First look: S'pore Oceanarium has 2D1N glamping with guided tour, animal encounters & buffet dinner at S$450/pax

If you’re a fan of marine life, here’s your chance to spend a night surrounded by them.

The newly-rebranded Singapore Oceanarium is now offering a unique glamping experience called "Ocean Dreams", where guests can enjoy two days and one night inside the oceanarium’s immersive exhibits.

Set to take place across four select weekends from November to December 2025, prices start at S$450 per person for a four-person tent (S$1,800 nett).

Before you might balk at the price, here’s a first-hand look at what the Ocean Dreams experience was like.

Guided tour

We first “checked in” at the Oceanarium’s Research and Learning Centre, where we were given a quick rundown of our 2D1N itinerary.

After being grouped, we began our exclusive guided tour — but not before posing for a couple of photos, which would be printed and handed to us later.

From sea jellies to the albino axolotl and various shark species, we were taken through a thorough walkthrough of the exhibits by our friendly guides.

What set this apart was that it was after hours, so there were no crowds, no distractions, and ample space for us to explore.

Despite our incessant questions about marine life, our guides patiently answered us.

As a first-time visitor to the revamped oceanarium, I was especially taken by the expanded sea jellies exhibit.

We also spent time trying to catch a glimpse of the axolotl (but alas, it wasn’t feeling too sociable).

The tour concluded with a fun mini bingo game at the Deep Sea exhibit, where I managed to win an exclusive marine animal magnet-pin.

Filling our tummies

After the tour and game, it was finally time to eat.

Walking around for two hours really built up our appetites and I was curious to see what was waiting for us at the dinner buffet.

I grabbed a creamy mushroom velouté, some stir-fried sliced Australian beef and a tomato penne pasta and got busy filling myself up with food.

The menu is subject to changes, of course, but the variety of the spread means there's something for everyone.

We ended the dinner with some fruits and chocolate s'mores tart.

Tent tour

If you are wondering where in the oceanarium we are glamping in, here's where:

Several tents are set up in front of the iconic Open Ocean exhibit, home to around 120 species — including manta rays and zebra sharks.

Our tent was cozy, featuring two double beds (each came with an adorable axolotl plush) and a lounge area spacious enough for the three of us to relax and snack.

It did get pretty cold at night so make sure to bring longer pajamas if you are sensitive to the cold.

Speaking of snacks, each tent comes stocked with a basket filled with bottled water, drinks, assorted snacks, and cup noodles.

The Ocean Gallery tents accommodate up to four guests, while the larger Ocean Dome tent fits up to eight.

We also received a take-home amenities pouch that included a marine-themed eye mask, socks, and a personalised credentials lanyard.

After freshening up, we were given some free time to explore the oceanarium before lights out at 11pm.

This is the time for you to go around and explore without any guides, but do take note that it is restricted to certain areas.

Breakfast with a view

We received a wake-up call at 7am the next day and enjoyed a breakfast from the comfort of our tent while taking in the view of the marine life.

At around 8am, we were surprised with a special morning treat:

After saying goodbye to our tent and our two axolotl buddies, we kicked off a day of exclusive, behind-the-scenes experiences at the oceanarium.

Behind the scenes

This part of the experience is what makes Ocean Dreams unique.

We got a glimpse into the daily routines of the animal care team, including food preparation areas and the breeding facilities for creatures like sea jellies.

But the highlight for me? Watching the manta ray feeding session.

We were brought above the Open Ocean tank, where we looked down into the massive aquarium.

The three manta rays were already gliding near the surface, waiting for their breakfast.

The way they swam and devour their food got me in awe, to be honest.

Final thoughts

We wrapped up the day by collecting our complimentary photographs that were now edited against different ocean-themed backgrounds.

To be honest, I’ve never considered myself a huge animal lover, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this turned out to be such an enriching experience.

Even though I was a bit tired from waking up early, getting to see behind the scenes of the oceanarium gave me a whole new appreciation for the work that goes into caring for marine life.

As someone who loves to travel, the best part for me was being in a completely new environment with my loved ones, just chatting and experiencing something new together.

Families with young children would probably have a blast here, but I think it would also be a cool experience to have with your friends, especially those who can geek out over marine animals together.

Ocean Dreams

Ocean Dreams is happening on four different weekends:

• Nov. 28 - 29
• Dec. 5 - 6
• Dec. 12 - 13
• Dec. 19 - 20

Each Ocean Dreams session has two tent types available for booking.

Each session has 10 Ocean Gallery tents which accommodate up to four guests at S$1,800 per tent.

Meanwhile, each session has just one Ocean Dome tent at S$3,800, which accommodates up to eight guests.

Tickets are now available on their website.

Top photos by Khine Zin Htet/Mothership