Hurghada Grand Aquarium review: tickets, shark feeding and tips

The Hurghada Grand Aquarium is a well-organised, clearly priced aquarium and mini zoo on the southern hotel strip — not a reef, and no substitute for a day on the water, but the best plan we know for a morning when the wind keeps the boats in, for children too young to snorkel, or for the hours after a half-day boat trip. Book it on its own site for the $32 online rate; the platforms charge about the gate price.

What the Hurghada Grand Aquarium is

The aquarium calls itself "The Red Sea in Glass"; the operator named on its site is Red Sea In Glass Hurghada Grand Aquarium L.L.C. It sits on Villages Road in south Hurghada, between the Mercure and Rixos hotels — the road that runs past the Magawish hotel area. The company runs two websites, hurghadagrandaquarium.com and hurghadaaquarium.com, which take bookings.

It is not one of the reefs this site covers, and it has nothing to do with Gota Abu Ramada, the snorkeling reef that boat crews call "the Aquarium". Nor is it Dolphin World, the dolphinarium in Makadi Bay — see our Dolphin World review for that.

What's inside

The ticket covers everything on site; the visit is self-guided and takes one to two hours.

• The marine aquarium with a 24 m underwater tunnel: sharks, rays and Red Sea reef fish. The aquarium says it has more than 1,200 animals.
• Shark feeding daily from 11:00 to 12:00 and from 15:00 to 16:00 (times may change).
• A rainforest with birds, reptiles and plants, and a rope bridge.
• A mini zoo with monkeys, birds and desert wildlife, including rescued animals.
• Whales Valley, a replica of the ancient whale Basilosaurus with a sound-and-light show, inspired by the fossil site of Wadi Al-Hitan.
• A freshwater aquarium.
• "Dive with Sharks", an add-on with instructors. No price is published; ask at the desk.

Phone photos are allowed without flash. There are cafeterias, and you may bring your own food. Pets are not allowed.

Hurghada Grand Aquarium tickets and prices

The aquarium's own pages also list a 50 % discount for disability-card holders and resident rates with a residence ID. Egyptian citizens get 10 % off and pay at the gate. Walk-ins are welcome, and you can pay in Egyptian pounds, US dollars, euros or pounds sterling, in cash or by card. The booking page is qless.hurghadaaquarium.com.

The platforms sell the same entry:

Today Headout is $1 cheaper than GetYourGuide, and both are at about the gate price — so the aquarium's own online rate of $32 is the cheapest way in. The platforms make sense if you want everything on one account, or the platform's cancellation terms.

◔ Half day

GetYourGuide2 h

Entry Ticket: Grand Aquarium Hurgada

4.0 (501)

from $35Check dates

◐ Full day

Headout

Hurghada Grand Aquarium Entry Tickets

4.5 (46)

from $34Check dates

Hurghada Grand Aquarium on GetYourGuide →Hurghada Grand Aquarium on Headout →Prices checked on 20 October 2026

Opening hours, shark feeding and getting there

The aquarium opens at 09:00 and the last entry is at 18:00, public holidays included. Its pages have given different closing times over the years, so treat 18:00 as the time to be through the gate.

Plan around the shark feeding. Arriving shortly before 11:00 or 15:00 gives you the feeding first and the rest of the visit after. The afternoon session also suits the end of a half-day boat trip: back at the marina mid-afternoon, at the aquarium before last entry.

There is free parking. Buses, app taxis and street taxis pass on the main road; agree a taxi fare first or use an app ride. The aquarium sells a round-trip hotel transfer, paid in cash to the driver.

Accessibility and children

• Wheelchair users can reach everything except the rope bridge; there are no wheelchairs to borrow.
• Twin prams are not permitted — bring a single buggy or a carrier.
• Children under 4 go free and 4–9s pay half, so for a family with toddlers it costs far less than a boat day.

For very young children it pairs well with the Royal Seascope semi-submarine, which shows the real reef through windows about 3 m below the surface. Our Hurghada with children guide has the full list.

Hurghada Grand Aquarium reviews: what to check

The GetYourGuide entry listing is rated 4.0 from 501 reviews; Headout's 4.5 from 46. Before you go, check:

• Your ticket type — entry, not a transfer-only listing.
• The child's age — 10 and over pays the adult price.
• Shark-feeding times on the day — they may change.
• Your pram — twin prams are turned away.
• The add-on price for "Dive with Sharks", if you are tempted; it is not published.

How to book

The simplest route is the aquarium's own booking page: the $32 online rate is paid on arrival and can be cancelled free. Walking up and paying $35 also works. On the platforms, the GetYourGuide entry ticket and the Headout entry ticket cost about the gate price. The aquarium's own FAQ is at hurghadagrandaquarium.com.

When to go, and the alternatives

The aquarium is at its most useful when the sea is not. The north-westerly blows all year, and in strong wind the Red Sea Ports Authority closes the port, usually for one to three days — every boat stays in. That is the morning to come here. In July and August, when average afternoon highs are about 37 °C, an indoor morning is also a relief.

If your children are ready for the real thing, a calm-day yacht to the sheltered Giftun reefs or a short trip from our half-day and sunset page shows them the same fish in the wild. For prices across every boat format, see the prices guide.