Barcelona Aquarium Tickets

If you're planning a family trip to Barcelona or are simply interested in marine life, the Aquarium is one of those visits that cannot be missed on your itinerary. With more than 11,000 marine creatures, underwater tunnels and themed areas, it is both an educational and entertaining experience for visitors of all ages.

In this article, we tell you everything you need to know to plan your visit: prices, opening hours, how to get there, what to see and the best ticket options to avoid queues and make the most of your day at one of the city's most visited attractions.

The best option

Barcelona Aquarium Tickets

An attraction for the whole family

Get this skip-the-line ticket for a day of fun at one of Barcelona's most popular attractions. The Barcelona Aquarium has one of the most amazing collections of marine creatures in the world.

From €32 at Hellotickets

The Barcelona Aquarium with skip-the-line entry is an ideal stop for families and curious travellers. Located in the Old Port, this aquarium stands out for its 80-metre underwater tunnel and for housing more than 11,000 marine creatures from all over the world.

You can explore different ecosystems, see sharks, rays and tropical fish up close, and attend penguin feeding sessions. All this without queuing and with access to all areas of the site.

If you prefer more freedom, you can opt for flexible tickets with no set date or time, valid for 90 days from the date of purchase. A perfect option if you're not sure of the exact day of your visit.

Recommended if... you're looking for an educational and fun experience, with quick and easy access, ideal for the whole family.

As one of the city's most visited attractions, the Aquarium offers different combos and pricing options. The cheapest tickets for the Aquarium are those booked online for a specific time slot: choose the day and time and your ticket will be scheduled for use within a 30-minute period. This type of ticket is available from £25 for adults and young people aged 11 and over; £17 for children aged 5 to 10 and £10 for children under 5.

You can also purchase a Flexi-Ticket, which can be used on any day and at any time within 90 days of purchase. For this option, admission for adults and young people up to 11 years old costs around £30; children between 5 and 10 years old pay £22 and children under 5 pay £12.

Other interesting combinations include tickets with a lunch option inside the park. If you are travelling to Barcelona with children, this option is often very useful, with fast food menu options that avoid the need for planning.

If for any reason you forget or prefer to purchase your tickets once you arrive at the attraction, simply go to the ticket office located near the main entrance. Please note that the ticket office closes approximately one hour before the attraction's official closing time.

Although this is a possible option, it is not recommended for travellers visiting Barcelona for the first time or who will only be in the city for a short time, such as two or three days, as there can be long queues at the ticket office, especially during the busy tourist season. The smartest option is always to buy your tickets in advance, several weeks before your visit, to ensure availability if you really want to visit this attraction.

Are tickets to the Barcelona Aquarium included in any city passes?

Of course! The Aquarium is one of the best activities to do in Barcelona during a family holiday; a well-known fact for tourism companies that have developed a tourist card called the Barcelona Pass, which includes no less than 20 major tourist attractions around the city, including the Aquarium.

This resource is very useful as it allows you to explore Barcelona for two or three days (depending on the pass you purchase) and visit destinations such as the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera and Park Güell. Some alternatives also include a pass for the Barcelona Tourist Bus, one of the best ways to get around the different tourist sites.

The Aquarium is located in the Old Port, on the Muelle de España. Getting to this part of the city is really easy and there are several ways to get there, which are listed below.

• On foot: from the heart of Barcelona, head towards Plaça de Catalunya, where you can take a leisurely stroll to the Aquarium. The walk takes about 25 minutes and gives you the opportunity to explore the city streets.
• By Metro: take line L4 to Barceloneta station, which is only 10 minutes away, or take line L3 to Drassanes station, which is a 15-minute walk away.
• By city bus: you will find that several public transport routes reach the vicinity of the Aquarium. These are: V17 and 39, 45, 59, 91, 120, D20, H14, V13, V15.
• By tourist bus: the East route will drop you off at the Port Vell stop, just 2 minutes from the entrance to the Aquarium.

Is it advisable to visit the Barcelona Aquarium with children?

More than recommended, the Aquarium is an essential visit if you are visiting Barcelona with children. If you are only in the city for a few days and your itinerary does not allow for activities that require more time, such as an afternoon at Barcelona Zoo, the Aquarium is a fantastic alternative that you can see in half the time and with the same level of involvement and fun for the little ones.

My recommendation to make the visit even more memorable is to get the children involved in the extra activities that the Aquarium includes in its calendar from time to time. One of my favourites is a full-day activity, Aquarist for a Day, aimed at children aged 5 to 15, where they are shown the main activities involved in caring for the fish.

If your visit does not allow for a full day of activities, be sure to check the feeding times for the marine animals. Attend the show where the keepers feed penguins, rays and even sharks.

While it is true that all the spaces within the Aquarium are interesting, it is also true that some are more impressive than others. Pay attention to the following during your visit.

• The Mediterranean Aquarium: Throughout 14 aquariums, you can enjoy the largest exhibition of Mediterranean fish in Barcelona, showcasing the marine life of different communities.
• The Tropical Aquarium: In this space, you can enjoy the colourful tropical sea and species of different sizes.
• The Oceanarium: An 80-metre-long glass tunnel takes you through the largest aquarium in the venue. One of the most exciting experiences you can have at the Aquarium is visiting this tunnel with sharks, where you can also see rays and other sea species.
• Shark dive experience: One of the most impressive activities at the Aquarium, called shark diving, takes place in a large tank where you can swim with sharks if you have a diving certificate. If you don't have one, you can watch other people do it.

At the moment, there are no guided tours or tour operators offering exclusive guided tours of the aquarium. However, it may not be necessary to book a guide for this attraction, as all the facilities are very well documented and it is easy to follow the information provided.

If you need transport

If you don't have a guide with transport, you can use thetourist bus service to get there. In this case, take the East route bus and get off at the Port Vell stop, which is only a few metres from the attraction.

The minimum time you should allow for a trip to the Aquarium is approximately 2 hours; this will give you time to see the highlights and marvel at the beautiful creatures that live here. However, there is certainly a lot to see and do inside this attraction, as its 35 aquariums are currently home to no fewer than 11,000 specimens.

It is no secret that the Aquarium building is a structure in which space is used intelligently to take advantage of every square metre, so if you have time to spare and can spend a whole afternoon exploring it at your leisure, I can assure you that you will not be bored!

Before visiting the Aquarium and any other attraction in the city of Barcelona, it is important to find out about the opening hours, especially if they change depending on the season. The Aquarium is one of those attractions that has different opening hours throughout the year, so please bear this in mind when visiting.

• During the months of April and May and again in October, the opening hours from Monday to Friday are from 10:00 to 19:30. On weekends and national holidays, the opening hours in May are from 10:00 to 20:00, and in April and October from 10:00 to 20:30.
• During July and August, the opening hours are from 10 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. every day during the peak summer season in Barcelona.
• During June and September, the opening hours are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
• During the remaining months (January, February, March and December), the opening hours are from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and until 8 p.m. on weekends and public holidays. These are the coldest months of the year in Barcelona.

Here are some tips that could be very helpful during your visit to the Aquarium. If you want to have a fun day with as few inconveniences as possible, please take the following into consideration.

• Do not feed the animals or throw objectsat them
• Buy your tickets in advance to avoid queues at the ticket office
• Find out what is prohibited at the Aquarium; please note: bicycles, scooters and skateboards are not allowed, and pets and other animals are not permitted
• You will need a good camera to take photos
• It is a great attraction to visit in winter
• Visit the Aquarium when it opens to avoid the crowds