Shark Reef Aquarium Tickets in Las Vegas: how to buy and prices

Las Vegas worships hedonism and adult entertainment in the casinos, but it also has attractions to enjoy with the family. The Shark Reef aquarium is one of them and here I tell you everything you need to discover it.

Matías Rodríguez

Matías Rodríguez

9 min read

Shark Reef Aquarium Tickets in Las Vegas: how to buy and prices

Entrada al acuario | ©Ken Lund

In addition to the best casinos and adult-oriented entertainment, Las Vegas has many family attractions among the things to see and do in the city. The Shark Reef Aquarium, one of the largest aquariums in the southwestern United States, is one such attraction and will amaze you with its exhibits.

Located off Mandalay Bay Beach on The Strip, the heart of the city, the Shark Reef Aquarium is an ideal choice if you're visiting Las Vegas with children

How much do tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium cost?

Euro tickets on a wooden table| ©Markus Spiske
Euro tickets on a wooden table| ©Markus Spiske

Tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium have a one-time fee of approximately 30 euros for adults, which includes access to the 14 exhibits and the Undersea Explorer VR Experience, an interactive attraction that combines virtual reality with the marine world in which all the endangered species that inhabit the aquarium coexist.

Unlike other attractions, such as the Stratosphere Tower or tickets to the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas, children's tickets are not half the price of adults' tickets, but at the Shark Reef aquarium they have a discount and a single price of approximately 23 euros for children between 5 and 12 years of age.

Children under 5 years old are free when accompanied by an adult. Ticket prices do not change during the winter or summer seasons.

Details of interest

  • Adult ticket price... Approximately 30 euros.
  • Ticket prices forchildren from 5 to 12 years old... Approximately 23 euros.
  • Aquarium location... 3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, at Mandalay Bay Beach.
  • Aquarium hours... Daily from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.

What types of tickets are available? Are there skip-the-line tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium?

gray shark underwater| © David Clode
gray shark underwater| © David Clode

There is only one type of ticket and the price depends on the age of the visitor, with adult tickets costing approximately 30 euros and children between 5 and 12 years old costing approximately 23 euros.

All tickets also include access to the Undersea Explorer VR Experience. This is an interactive show that combines virtual reality and the real marine world, and in which you can swim among whales and sharks and learn about the nooks and crannies of the planet's oceans.

It's also one of the brightest shows in Las Vegas, so in the subway tunnels you'll feel like you're on The Strip or Fremont Street.

Are tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium included in any of the city's tourist passes?

Famous Aquarium Tunnel| ©Patiigraphy
Famous Aquarium Tunnel| ©Patiigraphy

Tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium are not included in the Las Vegas Go City Sightseeing Pass, so even if you have purchased the tourist card if you want to visit the aquarium you will have to buy the ticket on your own.

The Shark Reef Aquarium, however, is centrally located and close to many of the attractions that are included in the Las Vegas Go City Pass, such as the High Roller Ferris wheel , which offers one of the best views of Las Vegas.

If you purchase the Tourist Card and plan to visit the aquarium on your own, you can organize an itinerary with the attractions in the area included in the Go City Pass and include the aquarium.

Please note that the complete tour of all the exhibits and the Undersea Explorer VR Experience show will take approximately two hours to complete.

Are there tickets that include the guided tour of the Shark Reef Aquarium and is it worth it?

Inside the Aquarium| ©Srikrishna Bingi
Inside the Aquarium| ©Srikrishna Bingi

The Shark Reef Aquarium is an interactive experience that does not require guided tours, although they are not available either. The tour through the 14 exhibits, through the subway tunnels and through the pools with sharks and other species of marine animals can be done on your own and informed by the signage.

When you visit Undersea Explorer VR Experience you will find an educational and immersive experience in which you will be guided by the aquarium's instructors and receive audio and video instructions. The same when it's your turn to live the virtual experience of swimming with sharks and whales.

Visit the Shark Reef Aquarium is one of the best tours in Las Vegas and the best thing is that you will not depend on a guide, but you will be able to discover it on your own.

Are there discounted tickets for the Shark Reef Aquarium?

people watching the fish in the water| © Tim B Motivv
people watching the fish in the water| © Tim B Motivv

There are no discounted tickets at the Shark Reef Aquarium and there is only one type of ticket that enables access to all exhibits and the Undersea Explorer VR Experience. Adults pay approximately €30 per ticket.

Children between 5 and 12 years of age are eligible for a discount, so each ticket is priced at approximately €23. Children under 5 years of age can enter for free.

Please note that unlike other attractions such as the Mafia Museum or the Titanic Exhibit in Las Vegas, the aquarium does not have priority admission or no queuing, except for people in wheelchairs.

Are there special children's tickets at Shark Reef Aquarium?

child watching the fish in the water| © Biljana Martinić
child watching the fish in the water| © Biljana Martinić

Unlike other Las Vegas attractions that include a 50% discount on adult tickets, the Shark Reef Aquarium does not have that benefit but does have tickets at a reduced rate for children between the ages of 5 and 12, for an approximate cost of 23 euros.

The aquarium is one of the top Las Vegas attractions to visit with children, just like the Madame Tussauds Museum and the Las Vegas Museum of Natural History, so if you visit this attraction with several of them the reduced rate could mean significant savings during your trip.

All children must be accompanied by an adult and children under the age of five can enter free of charge.

Why is it worth buying tickets online instead of at the box office?

person using a silver laptop| © John Schnobrich
person using a silver laptop| © John Schnobrich

By purchasing tickets online in advance you can secure a visit for you and your group at a fixed price.

If you plan to visit Las Vegas in December or in one of the high season months I advise you to book your tickets in advance because they may run out or not be available for the day you plan to visit.

I also recommend you to buy your tickets online to avoid queues at the box office at the time of your visit, to save time and money and also to be able to organize in advance an itinerary around the city.

If you visit Las Vegas during Christmas I also recommend that you buy tickets in advance, as it is one of the times when the city receives more visitors.

Shark Reef Aquarium Opening Hours

round analog clock| ©Sonja Langford
round analog clock| ©Sonja Langford

The Shark Reef Aquarium is open daily from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm and the opening hours are not changed during the winter and summer seasons, so you can plan your visit in advance without any problem.

The aquarium is located in downtown Las Vegas, very close to the hotel and casino strip, the Bellagio Fountains, the Eiffel Tower and other major attractions in the city, so you can combine your visit to Shark Reef with other activities.

How much time do you need to visit Shark Reef Aquarium?

A different world| ©Trey Ratcliff
A different world| ©Trey Ratcliff

You'll need between an hour and a half and two hours to tour the entire aquarium, including the 14 exhibits and the interactive Undersea Explorer VR Experience show.

If you are planning a stay of a few days in the city or want a quick tour, you can take the express tour that will take about an hour, although I do not recommend it because you will miss a lot of details.

Also note that when you buy your ticket you must indicate an entry time, which only has an hour margin, so after that period of time you could have surcharges on the cost of your ticket to continue to be valid.

When is the best time to visit the Shark Reef Aquarium?

Aquatic animals in their habitat| ©Richard
Aquatic animals in their habitat| ©Richard

You can visit the Shark Reef Aquarium year-round , as the exhibits are permanent and the hours do not change, although the best time to visit is in the summer, as you will find the Shark Reef an oasis to escape the heat of the desert that surrounds the city.

If you visit Las Vegas in summer, you can also enjoy the attractions of Mandalay Bay Beach, the resort located next to Shark Reef. If you visit Las Vegas in the winter, it is also a good plan to visit the aquarium to escape the coldest days.

How to get to the Shark Reef Aquarium?

blue and red bus parked| ©Jose Vazquez
blue and red bus parked| ©Jose Vazquez

You can get to the Shark Reef Aquarium on the Deuce bus to Mandalay Bay station and on the 119 bus to Reno station. By monorail you can get to the aquarium by getting off at MGM station.

It is also possible to get to Shark Reef on the Las Vegas hop-on-hop-off tour buses, which include a stop at the Mandalay Bay station on all of their routes.

What you can't miss at Shark Reef Aquarium

Shark Reef Aquarium| ©mark byzewski
Shark Reef Aquarium| ©mark byzewski

The Shark Reef Aquarium has one of the largest shark reserves in the United States. In total, its tanks contain more than 2,000 animals, including crabs, piranhas, moray eels, arowanas and parrotfish, as well as sharks of more than 30 different species.

In the aquarium you can also walk through two underwater tunnels that give you the sensation that you are walking under the sea, as well as visit the larger tank to touch horseshoe crabs and several species of rays.

Shark Reef's 14 exhibits can be visited during the museum's opening hours and the total tour of the aquarium will take you between an hour and a half and two hours.

At Shark Reef you can also enjoy one of the best shows in Las Vegas, the Undersea Explorer VR Experience, which is an interactive attraction that combines virtual reality with the real marine world of all the species that inhabit the aquarium. In this immersive show you can swim among whales and sharks, dive into the world's oceans and live an augmented reality experience.

Tips for visiting the Shark Reef Aquarium

people watching a fish in the tank| ©Nadine Marfurt
people watching a fish in the tank| ©Nadine Marfurt

Shark Reef Aquarium is one of the best options in Las Vegas if you're traveling with kids. Do not think, however, that the aquarium is just a pond with dangerous sharks, because it also includes interactive and sensory activities that I advise you not to miss.

If you plan to travel to Las Vegas in January or during Christmas, I recommend that you buy tickets in advance, because it is the busiest time of the year for tourists and if you are traveling with a large group it could happen that you do not get tickets for everyone, that you have to wait in long lines or that the price at the box office is higher.

Also keep in mind that the Shark Reef Aquarium is located on the main boulevard of the city, next to Mandala Bay Beach, a very popular artificial beach in Las Vegas during the summer, and some of the most popular attractions on The Strip, so if you organize an itinerary for your trip you can include a visit to the aquarium among other tours.

Finally, keep in mind that the aquarium has an average tour time of between an hour and a half and two hours, so I advise you to take the time to see it in its entirety and do not miss the Undersea Explorer VR Experience show.