Hurghada Grand Aquarium 2026: Tickets, Prices, Hours

Quick answer: A foreign adult ticket to the Hurghada Grand Aquarium costs US$35 walk-in or US$32 as an advance online rate paid on arrival, children aged 4 to 9 pay US$17.50 and under 4s go free (about 1,820, 1,660 and 910 EGP at roughly 52 EGP to the dollar, approximate; checked 17 October 2026). It opens daily from 09:00 to 20:00, with last entry at 18:00, and the sharks are fed at 11:00 and 15:00. Allow two to three hours.

Some older listings and AI answers still give a 23:00 close, so confirm on the day. The aquarium suits families with young children, non-swimmers and anyone who needs a cool indoor morning between beach days. It sits on the Magawish village road, between the Mercure and Rixos hotels, south of central Hurghada and about 12 minutes by car from the airport in light traffic. One ticket covers the aquarium, the mini zoo, the rainforest, the rope bridge, the shark feeding and the Whales Valley exhibit. For everything else to do in town, start with our things to do in Hurghada guide.

Hurghada Grand Aquarium quick facts

Tickets and prices

The venue publishes its foreign visitor prices in US dollars. We read them on 17 October 2026:

A few things worth knowing before you go:

• The lower advance rate for online reservations is for international visitors only, and nothing is paid upfront. You pay at the gate on the day. The venue does not show a separate advance price for children.
• You can pay in Egyptian pounds, US dollars, euros or sterling, in cash or by card, at the gate.
• Egyptian and resident rates exist but are not published as visible prices. Foreign students need a residence ID for the resident rate. Foreign spouses of Egyptians pay the Egyptian rate with an official marriage certificate. Visitors with a disability ID get 50% off for the ID holder only, and school groups of 25 or more get group rates.
• The age bands are slightly inconsistent. One of the venue's pages says children are 4 to 9, another says 4 to 10. Adults are 10 and over on both, so if your child is exactly 10, expect to pay the adult rate and ask at the desk.
• The venue gives no date for its last price change, so check again close to your visit.

What does a package add? The ticket is the same aquarium either way. What a package adds is the day around it: hotel pickup at a fixed time, a driver who waits while you are inside, no haggling for a taxi on the main road, and one less thing to organise with tired children. That matters most if you are staying in Makadi Bay or Sahl Hasheesh, or travelling with small children. Our Hurghada Grand Aquarium Entry Tickets start from 1,812 EGP per person (about US$35, approximate; from-price listed on 17 October 2026) and are non-refundable. The transfer options are in the booking table further down.

What is inside the Hurghada Grand Aquarium

The aquarium opened on 23 January 2015. It is bigger than most people expect: more than 1,200 animals across 24 galleries, about 3,500 cubic metres of fresh and salt water, and more than 40,000 square metres under cover. You walk round at your own pace; there is no guided route.

• The underwater tunnel. The highlight is a 24 metre walk-through tunnel with nurse sharks, eagle rays, stingrays and turtles swimming over your head. Take it slowly; there is no rush to move on.
• The Ocean tank. The largest tank holds about 1,800 cubic metres of water.
• The galleries. Reef fish, corals and invertebrates in themed galleries, with both saltwater and freshwater species.
• The rainforest. A man-made indoor rainforest with free-flying birds and iguanas.
• The mini zoo and rope bridge. An open-air mini zoo of rescued animals: monkeys, reptiles, an ostrich and a walk-through aviary where you can feed the birds. A rope bridge runs above it. This part is outdoors, so wear comfortable shoes and avoid the midday sun in summer.
• Whales Valley. A single whale display inspired by Wadi Al-Hitan, the desert valley known for its whale fossils. It is a representation, not the site's fossils, so don't come expecting a museum.

The rules are simple: no flash photography, no pets and no twin prams. The venue says the site is wheelchair accessible except for the rope bridge, and parking is free.

Shark feeding times

The sharks are fed twice a day, from 11:00 to 12:00 and from 15:00 to 16:00. The venue says the schedule can change without notice, so ask at the desk when you arrive. The feeding is included in your ticket.

If you are a certified diver, you can get into the tank yourself. The Dive with Sharks session costs US$125 (checked 17 October 2026), lasts 35 minutes and runs at 11:00 or 15:00. You need an Open Water certificate or equivalent plus some open-sea dives behind you. Entry to the aquarium and zoo is included, and GoPros are not allowed.

Is the Hurghada Grand Aquarium worth it?

Yes, if you have children under 10, someone in the group who can't or won't swim, or a windy or very hot day to fill. One ticket gets you the shark tunnel, the rainforest, the mini zoo and the shark feeding, a short drive south of central Hurghada.

The aquarium or a snorkel trip?

They do different jobs. A snorkelling boat trip puts you on a real reef in open water, with wild fish around you instead of behind glass. If everyone in your group can swim and the sea is calm, the reef wins. Read our Hurghada snorkelling trips guide to pick one.

The aquarium wins when someone in the group can't or won't swim, when your children are too young for a boat day, when the wind is up, or when you want a half day that fits around the pool. Many families do both: the reef on a calm morning, the aquarium on the day the boats don't go.

Getting there

The aquarium is south of central Hurghada, on the Magawish village road between the Mercure and Rixos hotels. The venue also gives its address as Villages Road and as Km 12 Safaga Road. Drive times at free-flowing speed, from a routing estimate on 17 October 2026 (allow more in traffic):

Your options:

• Uber operates in Hurghada, and the venue says Uber, local taxis and public buses all run along the main road outside.
• A taxi from the main road. Agree the fare before you get in. The UK Foreign Office advises women travelling alone to take extra care in taxis, especially at night, and to share the driver and trip details with someone.
• A ticket-and-transfer package with hotel pickup at a fixed time and the same driver back.

How long you need and the best time to go

The venue gives one to two hours in one place and two to three in another. Two to three hours is the honest figure if you walk the tunnel properly, see a feeding and spend time in the zoo.

Time your arrival around a feeding. Get there around 10:30 for the 11:00 feed, or around 14:30 for the 15:00 feed. Late morning is also cooler for the outdoor zoo than the middle of the afternoon. Don't arrive much after 16:00, or a late start squeezes the visit.

Because it is open on public holidays and most of it is indoors, the aquarium is a good plan for a windy day when the boats are cancelled, or for the hottest hours of a summer day.

Visiting with kids

This is where the aquarium makes most sense. Under 4s go free, 4 to 9 year olds pay the child rate, and almost everything is at a child's eye level: the tunnel, the bird feeding, the monkeys. The venue asks parents to supervise children throughout. Twin prams are not allowed, so bring a carrier if you have two small ones. Pack water and a hat for the outdoor zoo.

Booking options with This is Egypt

These are the Grand Aquarium products on our site, with prices from their pages on 17 October 2026 (from-prices per person in EGP as listed; USD is approximate at 52 EGP/US$):

One thing to avoid: some Hurghada city tours include a stop at a different, older aquarium in town. Check the product says Grand Aquarium if this is the one you want. You can browse more in our Hurghada excursions collection or on the Hurghada page.

If you would like the tickets and a hotel transfer sorted in one go, tell us your hotel, date and how many adults and children on WhatsApp and we will come back with a price.

Sources and dates: ticket prices, hours, last entry, feeding times, exhibits, visitor rules and the shark dive come from the aquarium's own published pages, read on 17 October 2026. Drive times are free-flow routing estimates from the same day. Taxi and shark advice is from the UK Foreign Office travel advice for Egypt, read on 17 October 2026. Our product prices are from our own listings on that date.