Barcelona Aquarium Tickets

Whether you're planning a family trip to Barcelona or are simply interested in marine life, the Aquarium is a must-see on your itinerary. With over 11,000 marine creatures, underwater tunnels, and themed areas, it offers an experience that is both educational and entertaining for visitors of all ages.

In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to plan your visit: prices, hours, how to get there, what to see, and the best ticket options to skip the lines 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

Buy this skip-the-line ticket to enjoy a fun-filled day at one of Barcelona’s most popular attractions—the Barcelona Aquarium boasts one of the world’s most amazing collections of marine life

From $34 at Hellotickets

The Barcelona Aquarium with skip-the-line admission is an ideal stop for families and curious travelers. Located in the Old Port, this aquarium stands out for its 80-meter underwater tunnel and for being home to more than 11,000 marine creatures from around the world.

You can explore different ecosystems, see sharks, rays, and tropical fish up close, and watch penguin feeding sessions. All of this without waiting in line and with access to all areas of the facility.

If you prefer more flexibility, you can opt for flexible tickets with no set date or time, valid for 90 days from 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 hassle-free access, ideal for the whole family.

As one of the city’s most visited attractions, the Aquarium offers various package deals and pricing options. The most affordable tickets for the Aquarium are those booked online for a specific time slot: you choose the day and time, and your ticket is scheduled for use within a 30-minute window. This type of ticket is available starting at €25 for adults and youths aged 11 and older; €17 for children aged 5 to 10; and €10 for children under 5.

You can also purchase the Flexi-Ticket, which allows you to visit on any day and at any time within 90 days of purchase. For this option, the admission ticket for adults and youth up to 11 years old costs about €30; children between 5 and 10 years old pay €22, and children under 5 pay €12.

Other interesting options include tickets that include a lunch option within the park. If you’re traveling to Barcelona with children, this option is often very useful, with fast-food menu options that eliminate the need for planning.

If for any reason you forget or prefer to buy your tickets once you arrive at the attraction, simply head to the ticket booth located near the main entrance. Keep in mind that the ticket booth closes about an hour before the attraction’s official closing time.

Although this is a possible option, it’s not one I’d recommend to travelers visiting Barcelona for the first time or who will only be in the city for a short time—such as two or three days—since the ticket counter can have long lines, especially during peak tourist months. The smartest option is always to buy your tickets in advance, weeks before your visit, to ensure availability if you really want to see this attraction.

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

This pass is quite useful since 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, or Park Güell. Some options also include a ticket for the Barcelona Tourist Bus, one of the best ways to get around between the different tourist sites.

The Aquarium is located in the Old Port, at the Muelle de España. Getting to this part of the city is really easy, and you have several transportation options, which are listed below.

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

More than just recommended, the Aquarium is a must-see if you’re visiting Barcelona with children. If you’ll be in the city for just a few days and your itinerary doesn’t allow for activities that require more time—like an afternoon at the Barcelona Zoo—the Aquarium is a fantastic alternative that you can see in half the time, while still offering the same level of engagement and fun for the little ones.

My recommendation to make the visit even more memorable is to have the children participate in the extra activities that the Aquarium includes seasonally on its calendar. One of my favorites is a full-day activity, “Aquarist for a Day,” aimed at children ages 5 to 15, where they are shown the main activities involved in caring for the fish.

If your visit doesn’t allow for a full-day activity, be sure to check the marine animal feeding schedule. Watch the show where the keepers feed penguins, rays, and even sharks.

While it’s true that every area inside the Aquarium is interesting, some are more impressive than others. During your visit, be sure to check out the following.

• The Mediterranean Aquarium: Across 14 tanks, you can enjoy the largest exhibition of Mediterranean fish in all of Barcelona; it showcases the marine life of various communities
• The Tropical Aquarium: In this area, you can enjoy the vibrant colors of the tropical sea and species of various sizes.
• The Oceanarium: An 80-meter-long glass tunnel takes you through the largest aquarium on the premises; visiting this shark tunnel is arguably one of the most thrilling experiences you’ll have at the Aquarium, where you’ll also see rays and other marine species.
• Shark Diving Experience: One of the Aquarium’s most impressive activities, called shark diving, takes place in a large tank where you can swim with sharks if you have a scuba diving certification. If you don’t have one, you can watch others do it.

At the moment, you won’t find 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, mainly because all the exhibits are very well documented and it’s easy to follow the information.

If you need transportation…

In the absence of a guide with transportation, you can usethe tourist bus to get there. In this case, take the East route and get off at the Port Vell stop, which is just a few meters from the attraction.

The minimum time you should set aside for a visit to the Aquarium is approximately 2 hours; this will allow you to see the highlights and marvel at the beautiful creatures that live here. However, it’s also true that there’s plenty to see and do inside this attraction, as its 35 aquariums currently house no fewer than 11,000 specimens.

It’s no secret that the Aquarium building is a structure where space is used intelligently to make the most of every square meter, so if you have plenty of time and can spend a full afternoon exploring it at a leisurely pace, I assure you that you won’t get bored!

Before visiting the Aquarium or any other attraction in the city of Barcelona, it’s important to check the operating hours carefully, especially if they vary by season. The Aquarium is one of those attractions with changing hours throughout the year, so keep the following in mind during your visit.

• During April and May, and again in October, the hours Monday through Friday are from 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM. On weekends and national holidays in May, the hours are from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM; in April and October, from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM.
• During July and August, hours are from 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM every day due to the peak summer season in Barcelona.
• During June and September, hours are from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily.
• During the remaining months (January, February, March, and December), hours are from 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM Monday through Friday and until 8:00 PM on weekends and holidays. These are the coldest months and the winter season in Barcelona.

Here are some tips that could be very helpful during your visit to the Aquarium. If you want to have a fun-filled day with as few hassles as possible, keep the following in mind.

• Feeding the animals or throwing objectsis not allowed
• Buy your tickets in advance to avoid lines at the ticket office
• Check what’s prohibited at the Aquarium; keep in mind: bicycles, scooters, and kick scooters aren’t allowed inside, and pets and companion animals aren’t permitted
• You’ll need a good camera to take photos
• It’s a great attraction to visit in winter
• Visit the Aquarium right when it opens to avoid the crowds