The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi is so much more than just an aquarium!
It has 10 aquatic zones to explore, some additional paid experiences on offer, educational programs for children and an important wildlife rescue program.
There are over 330+ unique species and 46,000 animals inside The National Aquarium.
How To Book
You can book your tickets to The National Aquarium via their website.
There are a range of tickets available to choose from and these include:
Aquarium Journey:
General Admission AED105pp | Beyond The Glass (General Admission + Behind The Scenes Tour + Glass Bridge Walk) AED130pp | Bu Tinah Dhow (General Admission + Glass Bottom Boat Tour) AED150pp
Animal Encounters:
General Admission + Jungle Encounter AED180pp | General Admission + Arctic Encounter AED180pp | General Admission + Ocean Encounter AED180pp
All Access
General Admission + Behind The Scenes Tour + Bu Tinah Dhow Glass Bottom Boat Tour + Glass Bridge Walk) AED180pp
Annual Membership
Annual Pass (Includes All Access Ticket Areas Above) AED399pp per year
VIP
VIP package designed for 5 guests:
Skip the line | Private Guided Tour | Aquarium Entry | Glass Bridge Walk | Behind The Scenes Tour | Bu Tinah Dhow Glass Bottom Boat | Fish Feeding | Refreshments From La Ballena Cafe AED2,500
Please note that children under 3 years old are free for entry and all experiences at The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi.
When To Go
Open daily between 10am – 10pm.
How To Get There
The National Aquarium is located at Al Qana Waterfront Development in Abu Dhabi.
A link to their location on Google Maps can be found via their website.
Tips For Your Visit
The experiences on Level 1 at The National Aquarium only open at 11am, so keep this in mind when you visit this aquarium.
If you’ve finished exploring the Ground Floor of the aquarium before 11am, you can enjoy some refreshments at La Ballena Café on Level 1 (either sitting inside or outside on their balcony) whilst you wait for the experiences to open.
There are two (2) cafes inside The National Aquarium (La Ballena on Level 1 and Caffe Divino on the Ground Floor).
If you’d like a greater variety of food & drinks, then you’re best to visit one of the many cafes & restaurants around The National Aquarium at Al Qana. (Photo below: Oii restaurant at Al Qana)
We’ve tried both Oii and Otoro restaurants, which are a short walk from The National Aquarium and the food, décor and service at both restaurants was really good.
The National Aquarium is also wheelchair and pram friendly and there are internal lifts, providing access from the Ground Floor to Level 1 of the aquarium.
There are also nappy changing facilities available, and you can hire a wheelchair at the main entrance, as long as you leave your ID with a staff member.
Valet parking is available outside The National Aquarium and there are taxi & bus stops located around Al Qana.
Free car parking is available for up to 1,400 cars at Al Qana, however if you want to park directly in front of the National Aquarium, there are some convenient outdoor car spaces.
We’ve found The National Aquarium to be less busy in the mornings, however this aquarium is really large (with 10 zones and covering an area of over 9,000sq meters), so you don’t feel as crowded as you do in some other aquariums around the world.
There is also a handy FAQ page on their website, should you want to know more about visiting The National Aquarium.
What To Expect
If you’d like to pay up for the additional experiences at The National Aquarium, below are a few things we’d like to mention.
We felt that the Glass Bridge Walk & Behind The Scenes Tour is probably best for children over the age of 3-4 years old, as there is a lot of walking and stops along the way to explain all of the interesting facts about the aquarium.
However, the Bu Tinah Dhow (Glass Bottom Boat Tour) is suitable for children over the age of 1 years old and is a lot of fun for both younger and older children.
We’ve been to The National Aquarium twice so far and have never seen anyone doing the Animal Encounters whilst we were there. Saying that, they all sound like a lot of fun, so we can’t wait to experience them in the future!
Here’s a full list of the Animal Encounters available at The National Aquarium.
The Verdict
The National Aquarium is now one of our favourite places to visit in the UAE!
There is so much to do and see at The National Aquarium for all ages.
There is also a lot of interesting facts on the walls through this aquarium, should you want to know more about any of the specific animals.
And there is a great shop stocking extensive National Geographic products at the exit of The National Aquarium, which was very popular with Thomas!
Finally, if you have kids, we’d highly recommend visiting Bella & Rio’s Playground, as it’s a fantastic interactive play area for toddlers and older children (located in the Floor Forest Zone).
Sounds like fun? Don’t just take our word for it, experience it for yourself.
Be inspired to start or add to your very own bucket lists.
You can also click here for more unique bucket list ideas in the UAE!
Above prices & information correct as of August 2022.
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