Why should I visit the Istanbul Aquarium?

It’s one of Turkey’s largest aquariums and is home to over 15,000 marine animals. It has a 1.2-kilometer route of exploration that takes you through 18 geographical habitats, with animals like sharks, rays, penguins, piranhas, and many more.

How do I book Istanbul Aquarium tickets?

You can purchase your <link linkType="internal" newTab="true" url="" id="qwrbBKRM" shortCodeType="link" relationTo="pages" documentId="67f91e4dcf0b2be697f1547d" text="Istanbul Aquarium tickets" uid="www.tickets-istanbul.com.florya-aquarium" /> online. Booking online is easy and convenient. You can buy your tickets in advance, choose a day and time that best suits you, and your entry is reserved upon confirmation of payment.

What are the Istanbul Aquarium opening hours?

The aquarium is open on weekdays from 10am to 7pm, and on weekends, from 10am to 8pm.

What is the best time to visit the Istanbul Aquarium?

The aquarium is more crowded on weekends, so consider visiting on a weekday. Reach the aquarium closer to the aquarium’s opening times on weekdays to avoid the rush later in the day.

What can I do at the Istanbul Aquarium?

At the aquarium, you can watch a live feeding session, take a walk in the underwater tunnel, spend time at the aquarium’s observation areas, watch a 5D film, and meet some animals at the touch pool.

Is Istanbul Aquarium wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the aquarium is accessible for wheelchair users and people with disabilities, including those with mobility problems. The route is navigable by wheelchair and there are designated elevators to move between floors.

Are there dining options available at Istanbul Aquarium?

Yes, there are restaurants and cafes at the aquarium where you can have a meal or a quick coffee and a snack. At the restaurant, which shares a large glass wall with the Panama Canal tank, you can enjoy your food while watching the fish.

Is photography allowed at the Istanbul Aquarium?

Yes, you can take pictures and videos at the aquarium. However, flash photography is not allowed.

Istanbul Aquarium | Highlights, Habitats, Animals, & More

Quick Information

ADDRESS

#Şenlikköy, Yeşilköy Halkalı Cd. No:93, 34153 Florya/İstanbul, Türkiye

RECOMMENDED DURATION

3 hours

Timings

10:00–20:00

VISITORS PER YEAR

1000000

TICKETS

From $26.02

EXPECTED WAIT TIME - STANDARD

0-30 mins (Peak), 0-30 mins (Off Peak)

Did you know?

Every land and sea creature at Istanbul Aquarium lives in a zone designed to mirror its actual habitat as closely as possible.

Its 64 tanks hold a staggering 7,000 cubic metres or 7 million litres of water.

Quick facts about Istanbul Aquarium

Boy observing fish and sharks at Istanbul Aquarium.

Capacity: 7 million litres

No. of tanks: 64

No. of habitats: 18

No. of animals: More than 15,000

No. of species: 1,500

Popular animals: Lemon Shark, Sand Tiger Shark, Sandbar Shark, Reef Shark, Stingrays, Gentoo Penguins, Red-bellied Piranhas, Cownose Ray, Eagle Ray, Mediterranean Moray, Spotted Garden Eel, Clownfish, Humphead Wrasse.

Highlights of the Istanbul Aquarium

Habitats

There are 18 habitats at Istanbul Aquarium, connected by a 1.2 km route with 64 tanks that house 1,500 species of marine creatures. These zones are designed to replicate the animals’ natural environments as closely as possible. The most popular zones include the Amazon rainforest and the Pacific Ocean.

Observation areas

Visit the aquarium’s observation areas in the Marmara and the Pacific Ocean habitats to observe the sharks, rays, and other marine animals. The viewing panels in these zones measure 8 by 4 metres (27 by 13 feet), giving you a huge, scenic window into the depths of the ocean.

Underwater glass tunnel

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to stand at the bottom of the sea, surrounded by fish, the aquarium’s underwater glass tunnel is your answer. You’ll see sharks and rays majestically glide by above you while thousands of smaller fish dart around. It’s one of the most magnificent sights at the aquarium.

Live feeding sessions

Catch the live feeding sessions at the aquarium, one of the most popular activities. Get the chance to see the animals up close and observe their eating habits. The feeding areas are located in the main tank shared between the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Western Atlantic, and Panama Canal habitats.

Touch pools

Meet starfish and sea urchins at the aquarium’s touch pool, located at the Suez Canal zone. One of the highlights of the aquarium is that it gives you the chance to interact with these animals under the supervision of the aquarium’s expert staff. It’s a rare and unique opportunity to connect with marine life.

5D cinema

Take a virtual 5D journey into the underwater abyss at the aquarium’s cinema. Sit back in your seats and watch a panoramic film, accompanied by fog, wind, and water effects, which make you feel like you’re at the bottom of the ocean.

Discover the habitats at Istanbul Aquarium

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Habitat: Black Sea

What to see here: Russian Sturgeon

Habitat: Bosphorus

What to see here: Horse mackerel, Dentex

Habitat: Marmara

What to see here: Sharks, Stingrays, Dogtooth Grouper, Gurnard, and jellyfish.

Habitat: The Dardanelles

What to see here: Information about the Dardanelles Strait, which connects the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea, informative display panels about the animals at Istanbul Aquarium, and the mythological Battle of Troy, which is said to have been fought here.

Habitat: Aegean Sea

What to see here: Mediterranean Moray, Cownose Ray, Eagle Ray, Red scorpionfish, Thorny Lobsters, stingrays, Jewelled blenny fish, and seahorses.

Habitat: Suez Canal

What to see here: Starfish and sea urchins in the touch pool, a model showing the workings of the Suez Canal

Habitat: Red Sea

What to see here: Pufferfish, Spotted Garden Eel, Humphead Wrasse, False Stonefish, Lagoon Triggerfish, Golden Lionfish, Butterfly Fish, Clownfish, and Angelfish.

Habitat: North Pole

What to see here: Information about the drastic impact of global warming on the world’s seas and oceans, and how it has endangered several marine species.

Habitat: Mediterranean

What to see here: Mediterranean Moray, Thickback Sole, Dogtooth Grouper, crabs, and carp.

Habitat: Straits of Gibraltar

What to see here: Painted Eel, Red Sea Bream

Habitat: East Atlantic (Liberty shipwreck)

What to see here: The replica of the inside of a shipwreck, which lets you experience what it’s like to be inside a sunken ship, with rusted iron pipes, a ship’s wheel, antique nautical dials and gauges, and walls lined with salt.

Habitat: Mid-Atlantic Ridge

What to see here: Lemon Shark, Sand Tiger Shark, Sandbar Shark, Stingrays, Cownose Ray, Eagle Ray, Dogtooth Grouper, Bowmouth Guitarfish, Atlantic Croaker, smaller fish, corals, and anemones. You can also watch a live feeding session.

Habitat: Western Atlantic

What to see here: Lemon Shark, Sand Tiger Shark, Sandbar Shark, Bowmouth Guitarfish, Cownose Ray, Eagle Ray.

Habitat: Panama Canal

What to see here: Lemon Shark, Sand Tiger Shark, Sandbar Shark, Stingrays, Cownose Ray, Eagle Ray, Bowmouth Guitarfish, Seabass.

Habitat: Pacific Ocean

What to see here: Lemon Shark, Sand Tiger Shark, Sandbar Shark, Stingrays, Cownose Ray, Eagle Ray, Emperor Angelfish, Red Lionfish, Clownfish, Banggai Cardinalfish, Longhorn Cowfish, Lagoon Triggerfish.

Habitat: Nautilus

What to see here: Clownfish, Bamboo Shark, Lionfish, smaller vibrantly-coloured fish species.

Habitat: South Pole

What to see here: Gentoo penguins

Habitat: Amazon Rainforest

What to see here: Red-bellied Piranha, Anaconda, Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman, Poison Frogs, Capybara, Giant freshwater stingray, Catfish, other Amazonian reptiles, insects, and arachnids.