Choose the Route Before You Choose the Yacht
Singapore's southern islands are the default yacht day out—here's how to choose departure marina and route before you book.
Most first-time charterers pick a yacht, then ask where it goes. Reverse that. Singapore's charter waters are compact and heavily regulated, so almost every private charter runs one of four routes. Your route determines how long you actually spend anchored, which marina makes sense, and whether a 4-hour booking is enough.
This guide covers the four standard destinations, the practical difference between a Sentosa Cove and a Keppel Bay departure, and two sample itineraries built around real transit times.
The Four Standard Yacht Destinations in Singapore
Yachtly lists 28 yachts across two marinas, with 24 currently bookable. Nearly all of them run some version of the routes below.
| Destination | What you do there | Typical transit each way | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lazarus Island | Anchor off the crescent beach, swim, float, paddle | 20–30 min | Swim-focused day charters, birthdays |
| St John's Island | Anchor off the lagoons, tender or wade to the jetty side | 20–30 min | Groups who want to actually go ashore |
| Kusu Island | Anchor off the lagoons, visit the temple and keramat shrines | 25–35 min | Culture stop, quieter half-day |
| Harbour and skyline cruise | No anchoring, continuous cruising past the CBD and port | Loop route | Sunsets, corporate, proposals |
Lazarus Island
Lazarus is the anchor point for the majority of Singapore charters. The crescent bay on its southern side has clear-ish water, a sand bottom that holds well, and no ferry terminal, which means no crowds arriving by scheduled boat. There are no shops, no F&B outlets and no bins on the island. Everything you eat and drink comes off the yacht, and everything you brought leaves with you.
Practically, this is a water-time destination rather than a sightseeing one. Yachts anchor a short swim off the beach and guests use the swim platform, floats and paddleboards. Larger boats sit further out because of draft, so if wading ashore matters to your group, ask the operator where that specific yacht anchors.
Lazarus is joined to St John's Island by a causeway, so many charters treat the two as a single stop.
St John's Island
St John's has the infrastructure Lazarus lacks: a proper jetty, sheltered swimming lagoons, public toilets, shaded shelters and walking trails. It is also the ferry island, served from Marina South Pier, so you will share the shoreline with day-trippers who arrived without a boat.
Choose St John's over Lazarus when your group includes older relatives or young children who want firm ground, toilets and shade rather than four hours of swimming. The trade-off is a busier beach and a more structured feel.
Kusu Island
Kusu is the culture stop. The Da Bo Gong Chinese temple sits at sea level near the lagoons, and three Malay keramat shrines sit at the top of a flight of steps on the hill. Two shallow swimming lagoons ring the temple side.
Two things to plan around. First, Kusu is small, so a shore visit plus a swim realistically needs 90 minutes. Second, during the annual Kusu pilgrimage in the ninth lunar month the island gets extremely busy with worshippers and extra ferries. If your charter falls in that window, either build in extra time or route to Lazarus instead.
Harbour and City Skyline Cruise
The fourth route never anchors. It runs the waterfront instead: Keppel Harbour, the Sentosa shoreline, the container terminals and the Marina Bay skyline from the water. Note that yachts cannot enter the Marina Bay reservoir past the Barrage, so "Marina Bay cruise" means viewing the skyline from outside it.
This is the route for evening charters, corporate hosting and photography. It works best in the last two hours of daylight, when the CBD towers light up behind you. If you are planning something around that light, our sunset timing guide for Sentosa proposals breaks down when to leave the berth.
Sentosa or Keppel Bay: Choosing a Departure Marina
Singapore charters leave from one of two marinas: ONE°15 Marina Club at Sentosa Cove, or Marina at Keppel Bay. The sailing time to the Southern Islands is broadly similar from both. The real difference is guest logistics and fleet.
| ONE°15 Marina Club (Sentosa Cove) | Marina at Keppel Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | East end of Sentosa | Keppel Bay Drive, mainland side |
| Getting there | Cars pay Sentosa island admission; public transport needs a bus or the Sentosa Express plus a transfer | Short taxi or walk from HarbourFront MRT |
| Fleet depth | Larger share of the Yachtly fleet, including the biggest boats | Smaller selection, includes the fleet entry price |
| Natural fit | Southern Islands anchorages, sunset runs | Harbour cruises, west-side routes, quick city access |
Pick Sentosa Cove when you want the widest choice of yachts, especially at 30+ capacity, and when most guests are arriving by private car. See what departs there on the Sentosa yacht rental page.
Pick Keppel Bay when guests are coming straight from the CBD or from the MRT, when you have people arriving at staggered times, or when you want the lowest entry price in the fleet. Options are on the Keppel Bay yacht rental page.
One planning note that catches people out: boarding is not the same as departure. Most operators expect guests at the berth 15 to 20 minutes before the charter clock starts, and a late guest eats into paid water time rather than extending the booking. Our Singapore marina guide covers parking, drop-off points and pier access for both marinas.
Sample Itineraries
Times below assume boarding is complete and the clock starts on schedule.
4-Hour Charter: One Anchorage
The standard private charter length. It supports one destination properly, not two.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Depart marina, safety brief, drinks out |
| 0:25 | Arrive Lazarus Island, anchor set |
| 0:35 | Swim, floats, paddleboards, lunch on board |
| 2:45 | Optional slow pass by St John's or the Sisters' Islands |
| 3:15 | Return leg with skyline views |
| 3:45 | Berth, disembark |
That gives roughly two hours in the water. Trying to add Kusu on top of Lazarus in four hours leaves about 45 minutes at each, which is not worth the extra transit.
6-Hour Charter: Two Stops Plus Skyline
Six hours is where a multi-stop route starts to make sense.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Depart marina |
| 0:30 | Anchor at Kusu Island, tender ashore for the temple and shrines |
| 2:00 | Reposition to Lazarus Island |
| 2:30 | Anchor, swim session, late lunch |
| 4:30 | Weigh anchor, cruise toward Keppel Harbour |
| 5:00 | Skyline and port cruise, sunset if timing suits |
| 5:45 | Berth, disembark |
If sunset is the priority, work backwards from it. Set the last hour of the charter as the harbour leg and choose a start time that puts you there in the golden hour rather than after dark.
What These Routes Cost
Prices below are real, GST-inclusive starting rates for a standard 4-hour private charter. Rates move with date, guest count and duration, so treat these as the floor rather than a quote.
| Yacht | Weekday from | Weekend from | Capacity | Departs from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clipper Heritage - No Name One | S$654 | S$872 | 18 | Marina at Keppel Bay |
| Lagoon 400 - Whitesails | S$899 | S$1,099 | 18 | ONE°15 Marina Club |
| Lagoon 400 - Argon | S$992 | S$1,188 | 18 | ONE°15 Marina Club |
| Sardinia | S$1,200 | S$1,500 | 36 | ONE°15 Marina Club |
| Corabelle | S$1,688 | S$2,088 | 36 | Marina at Keppel Bay |
| ANKA | S$2,916 | S$3,499 | 55 | ONE°15 Marina Club |
The fleet floor is S$654 on a weekday, on an 18-guest boat out of Keppel Bay. Weekend uplift is not a flat percentage. Across the fleet it ranges from 7% to 35%, with a median near 21%. On a Lagoon 400 that is roughly S$200 extra. On a large flagship it can be over S$1,400. If your date is flexible, checking a Thursday against a Saturday is the single biggest lever on price.
Two structural points worth knowing. Six-hour charters are usually priced as an hourly extension of the 4-hour base rather than a separate package, so the marginal cost of stop two is lower than the headline rate suggests. And per-guest cost falls sharply with capacity: a 36-guest boat at S$1,200 works out well below an 18-guest boat at S$992 per head. For the full breakdown of surcharges, deposits and what drives quotes up, see our Singapore yacht rental pricing guide.
Live availability and final pricing for every route sit on the yacht charter page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do most Singapore yacht charters go?
Almost all private charters run to the Southern Islands, with Lazarus Island the most common anchorage because it has a sheltered crescent beach, no ferry terminal and no crowds. St John's Island and Kusu Island are the two other regular stops, and a non-anchoring harbour cruise past Keppel Harbour and the Marina Bay skyline is the fourth standard route. A 4-hour charter comfortably covers one anchorage. Two stops need 6 hours.
Should I depart from Sentosa or Keppel Bay?
Sailing time to the Southern Islands is similar from both marinas, so decide on logistics and fleet. ONE°15 Marina Club at Sentosa Cove has the larger selection, including the biggest yachts, but cars pay Sentosa island admission and public transport needs a transfer. Marina at Keppel Bay is a short taxi or walk from HarbourFront MRT, which suits guests coming from the CBD or arriving at staggered times, and it also holds the fleet's lowest entry price.
Can you swim at Lazarus Island from a yacht?
Yes. Swimming off the yacht at anchor is the main activity at Lazarus, using the swim platform, floats and paddleboards. There are no shops, no food outlets and no bins on the island, so all food, drinking water and rubbish stay with the boat. Larger yachts anchor further out because of draft, so if your group wants to wade or tender ashore, confirm the anchoring position for that specific yacht before booking.
How much does a yacht charter to the Southern Islands cost?
The fleet entry price is S$654 on a weekday for a standard 4-hour private charter on an 18-guest yacht departing Marina at Keppel Bay. Weekend rates for the same yacht start at S$872. Weekend uplift varies by yacht from 7% to 35%, with a median of around 21%, so shifting a booking from Saturday to a weekday is usually the largest single saving available. Larger boats such as Sardinia at S$1,200 for 36 guests deliver a much lower per-guest cost.
