# Hurghada Grand Aquarium > Hurghada Grand Aquarium is the city's big Red Sea aquarium: a 24-metre tunnel under sharks and rays, a mock rainforest and a mini zoo. It opens daily 9:00–20:00, last entry 18:00. Adults pay $35 at the gate or $32 booked online, children 4–9 $17.50. Allow 90 minutes to two hours. Web page: https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/hurghada-grand-aquarium - City: [Hurghada](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada), Egypt - YesGo score: 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Adult (10+): $35 at the gate, $32 booked on the official website - Child (4–9): $17.50 - Under 4: Free - Ticket includes: Aquarium and tunnel, rainforest, rope bridge, mini zoo, shark feeding, Whales Valley hall - Opening hours: Daily 9:00–20:00, last entry 18:00 - Closed: Never — open on public holidays too - Shark feeding: 11:00–12:00 and 15:00–16:00, may change without notice - Dive with sharks: $125, 35 minutes, 11:00 or 15:00, Open Water certificate required - Payment: EGP, USD, EUR or GBP — cash or card at the ticket window - Address: Villages Road (El Nasr Street), Km 12 Safaga Road, Magawish - Getting there: Taxi, Uber or Careem: ≈ 20–25 min from El Mina Mosque - Time needed: 90 minutes to 2 hours - Coordinates: 27.13370, 33.82170 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **24 m** — walk-through acrylic tunnel across the main tank — sharks and rays pass overhead (source: official aquarium website; Tonkosti) - **1,200+** — animals of about 100 species across the tanks, rainforest and mini zoo (source: official aquarium website; English Wikipedia; Tonkosti) - **23 Jan 2015** — opening day, after 48 months of construction (source: official aquarium website; English Wikipedia) - **≈ 3,500 m³** — of salt and fresh water in all the tanks (about 900,000 US gallons) (source: official aquarium website; English Wikipedia; Tonkosti) - **1,800 m³** — in the Ocean tank, the largest, which the tunnel runs through (source: official aquarium website; English Wikipedia; Tonkosti) - **24** — galleries of Red Sea reef fish, corals and invertebrates (source: official aquarium website; English Wikipedia) - **≈ 4 ha** — site area (9.8 acres) (source: official aquarium website; English Wikipedia; Tonkosti) - **3 founders** — Magdy Abdel Latif, Ali Abdel Razek and Mohamed Taha announced the private project in 2009 (source: official aquarium website; English Wikipedia) - **Whales Valley** — a Basilosaurus replica inspired by Wadi Al-Hitan, the UNESCO-listed fossil valley in Fayoum (source: official aquarium website; Tonkosti) - **Km 12** — of the Safaga road in Magawish, south Hurghada — about 10 minutes' drive from HRG airport (source: official aquarium website; Tonkosti) > **Last entry is 18:00, not 20:00** The aquarium stays open until 20:00, but **ticket sales and entry stop at 18:00**. Turn up at quarter past six after the beach and you will be turned away. To catch the shark feeding, arrive for **11:00 or 15:00** — that leaves plenty of time to see everything before closing. Feeding times can shift without notice. ## How much are Hurghada Grand Aquarium tickets? Prices are set in US dollars. **Adults (10 and over) pay $35 at the gate, or $32 if you book on the aquarium's own website.** Online booking needs no deposit: you get an e-ticket by email and WhatsApp, show it at the window and pay the online price there. You can cancel at any time. **Children aged 4–9 pay $17.50; under-4s go free.** The online rate is marked as an offer for international visitors. Everything is in one ticket: the aquarium and tunnel, the mock rainforest, the rope bridge, the mini zoo, the shark-feeding show and the Whales Valley hall. Extras cost more — the shark dive, professional camera fees and, according to unofficial sources, feeding some animals and camel rides. **Paying.** The ticket window takes Egyptian pounds, US dollars, euros and pounds sterling, in cash or by card, so a Visa or Mastercard from home works fine. Keep some small Egyptian pound notes for the taxi and tips. ## Is Hurghada Grand Aquarium worth it? The Grand Aquarium — branded “Red Sea in Glass” — is a privately built aquarium that opened on 23 January 2015 in Magawish, south Hurghada. It is not a water park, and not the small old Red Sea Aquarium in El Dahar. It holds about 3,500 m³ of water, 24 galleries and over 1,200 animals; the highlight is the **24-metre tunnel** through the Ocean tank, where nurse sharks, eagle rays and stingrays glide over your head. Our take: **worth it for families and for anyone who doesn't dive or snorkel.** It is the easiest way to see sharks, turtles and reef fish up close and dry, and a good fallback on a windy day when boats stay in port. If you are already snorkelling the reefs, the real sea gives you more, and $35 for 90 minutes is steep by Hurghada standards — foreign adults pay 300 EGP at [Hurghada Museum](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/hurghada-museum). ## What to see inside - **The underwater tunnel** — 24 metres of clear acrylic through the 1,800 m³ main tank: nurse sharks, eagle rays, stingrays and shoals of reef fish overhead. - **Shark feeding** — twice a day, at 11:00 and 15:00, included in the ticket. Get a spot by the tank a few minutes early. - **24 Red Sea galleries** — corals, reef fish, lionfish, turtles and invertebrates, plus some freshwater tanks. - **The rainforest** — a man-made jungle with warm, humid air, free-flying parrots and lizards, crossed by a rope bridge. - **The open-air mini zoo** — monkeys, birds, an ostrich and other animals, many rescued from around Egypt; you can feed the birds in the walk-through aviary. - **Whales Valley** — a Basilosaurus replica and a sound-and-light show inspired by Wadi Al-Hitan in Fayoum. The aquarium itself is clear that this is one display, not a fossil collection. ## Dive with sharks: price and requirements The big extra is a dive in the shark tank with an instructor. It lasts **35 minutes**, starts at **11:00 or 15:00** and costs **$125**, with aquarium and zoo entry included for the diver. Book on the official website and note your preferred time in the comments. The rule is strict: you need an **Open Water certificate** or equivalent and previous open-sea dives. Without one, watch the feeding through the glass instead. GoPro cameras are not allowed underwater. ## How to get to Hurghada Grand Aquarium 1. The aquarium is in south Hurghada, on Villages Road (El Nasr Street) at Km 12 of the Safaga road, in the Magawish area. Tell the driver “Grand Aquarium, Magawish”. 2. From El Mina Mosque in Sakkala it is about 13 km south along the coast road: Uber, Careem or a taxi takes roughly 20–25 minutes. Agree the fare before you get into a street taxi; app drivers often ask for cash. 3. From the Villages Road hotels it is 5–15 minutes by taxi; from Hurghada Airport (HRG) about 10 minutes. 4. Cheapest: the white city minibuses on the main road pass right by the entrance — there are no marked stops, so ask the driver. 5. Or book the aquarium's own hotel transfer when you reserve tickets: pickup from your lobby and back, paid in cash to the driver. Driving yourself? Parking at the entrance is free. ## Guided tour or on your own? Going independently is easy and cheaper: book online with no deposit and take an Uber to the door. Inside there is no guided tour anyway — the visit is self-guided, at your own pace. A tour with hotel transfer makes sense if you are staying further out — El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh or Makadi — or travelling with small children. It costs noticeably more than the ticket, so compare the tour price with $35 plus a return taxi. ## Aquarium or museum: which to pick in Hurghada | | Grand Aquarium | Hurghada Museum | | --- | --- | --- | | Adult ticket | $35 at the gate, $32 online | 300 EGP | | Children | 4–9 $17.50, under 4 free | Under 6 free | | Hours | 9:00–20:00, last entry 18:00 | 10:00–13:00 and 17:00–23:00 | | Time needed | 90 minutes to 2 hours | 60–90 minutes | | Best for | Kids and non-divers | Anyone curious about Egyptian history | Both are on El Nasr Street, about 3 km apart: aquarium in the afternoon, museum's evening session from 17:00. Prices and hours from the aquarium's official website and Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. ## Before you go - [ ] Booked on the official website — $3 off, pay on arrival - [ ] Card or cash: $35 per adult, $17.50 per child aged 4–9 - [ ] Small Egyptian pound notes for the taxi and tips - [ ] Arriving for the 11:00 or 15:00 shark feeding - [ ] Inside by 18:00 at the latest - [ ] Phone camera with the flash off - [ ] Comfortable shoes — the mini zoo is outdoors - [ ] Open Water certificate if you're doing the shark dive ## Hurghada by the water compared Every waterside place in Hurghada rated by YesGo. - [Hurghada Fish Market](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/hurghada-fish-market) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free entry; seafood sold by weight - [Hurghada Marina](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/hurghada-marina) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Sahl Hasheesh](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/sahl-hasheesh) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free - [El Gouna](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/el-gouna) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · No ticket; entry permit needed - [Hurghada Grand Aquarium](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/hurghada-grand-aquarium) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · $35, $32 online; kids 4–9 $17.50 - [Orange Bay](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/orange-bay) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Trip from $20 + park fee ≈ $5 - [Dolphin House](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/hurghada-dolphin-house) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Tours from $17 + ≈ $5 fee ## South Hurghada in a day: aquarium, museum, marina Shark feeding at 15:00, the museum's evening session from 17:00 three kilometres up the same street, then a walk round the marina. YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Hurghada Grand Aquarium](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/hurghada-grand-aquarium) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · $35, $32 online; kids 4–9 $17.50 2. [Hurghada Museum](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/hurghada-museum) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 300 EGP, students 150 3. [Hurghada Marina](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/hurghada-marina) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free ## Don't confuse Hurghada Grand Aquarium is not a water park, and not the small old Red Sea Aquarium on the El Dahar seafront in the north of town. This page is about the large “Red Sea in Glass” aquarium in Magawish, south Hurghada. ## Tips - Book on the aquarium's own website: no deposit, and you pay $3 less at the window. - Best timing: arrive for the 15:00 feeding, then wander — and you can still make the museum's 17:00 session. - Switch your flash off before you go in — it is banned, and professional cameras without a diffuser are not allowed. - For calmer tunnel photos, avoid the feeding hour — that's when everyone gathers at the main tank. - Twin buggies are not allowed and there are no wheelchairs to borrow, but the site is wheelchair accessible except for the rope bridge. - No pets, not even small dogs. - Spend the evening on the [Hurghada Marina](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/hurghada-marina) promenade or by [El Mina Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/hurghada/el-mina-mosque). ## Questions ### How much is Hurghada Grand Aquarium? Adults (10+) pay $35 at the gate or $32 booked on the official website; children 4–9 pay $17.50 and under-4s are free. The shark dive is $125 with entry included. ### What are the opening hours of Hurghada Grand Aquarium? Every day from 9:00 to 20:00, public holidays included. Ticket sales and entry stop at 18:00. ### How long do you need at Hurghada Grand Aquarium? 90 minutes to two hours. With a shark feeding and the mini zoo at an easy pace, up to three hours. ### How do I get to Hurghada Grand Aquarium? By Uber, Careem or taxi: about 20–25 minutes from the centre, 5–15 from the Villages Road hotels and about 10 from the airport. Minibuses run on the main road, and the aquarium offers its own hotel transfer. ### When is the shark feeding? Twice daily, 11:00–12:00 and 15:00–16:00. It is included in the ticket, but times can change without notice. ### Can you dive with sharks at Hurghada Grand Aquarium? Yes, if you hold an Open Water certificate or equivalent. The dive lasts 35 minutes at 11:00 or 15:00 and costs $125. ### Is Hurghada Grand Aquarium worth it? Yes for families and non-divers — sharks, rays and turtles a metre away. If you snorkel or dive the reefs anyway, the sea gives you more for the money. ### Can I pay by card? Yes. The ticket window takes cards and cash in Egyptian pounds, US dollars, euros or sterling. ### Do I need to book in advance? No — you can just turn up before 18:00. Booking online is still worth it: it costs $3 less and needs no payment upfront. ### Is the aquarium suitable for wheelchairs and strollers? The site is wheelchair accessible except the rope bridge, but there are no wheelchairs to borrow. Twin strollers are not allowed. ## How we checked The English core comes from English-language search results and related questions: tickets and price, opening hours, how long, how to get there, is it worth it, shark feeding, dive with sharks. Prices, hours, feeding times, dive terms, payment, rules and what the ticket includes come from the aquarium's official website. Third-party listings give other closing times (19:00, 21:00, 23:00) — we show the official 9:00–20:00 with last entry at 18:00. Opening date, water volume, animal numbers and founders are checked against the official site and English Wikipedia; the tunnel and site area also against Tonkosti. Travel times and minibuses are unofficial and marked “verifying”. ## Sources - Hurghada Grand Aquarium official website: Tickets, F.A.Q., Dive with Sharks, About, Contact, Terms and Conditions, exhibit pages - English Wikipedia: “Hurghada Grand Aquarium”; Wikidata Q28419476 - Tonkosti: “Aquarium in Hurghada” (Russian travel guide) - Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Hurghada Museum prices and hours - OpenStreetMap — locations of the aquarium, El Mina Mosque and the Red Sea Aquarium in El Dahar - Uber — Hurghada city page --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.