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Istanbul Aquarium, Florya

Istanbul Aquarium in Florya: the building with its İstanbul Akvaryum sign and flags at the entrance
Photo: Tarih, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
1,000 TL
Hours
Weekdays 10:00–19:00, weekends 10:00–20:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
2 h
With kids
Fine with kids
Adult ticket
1,000 TL
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Reduced
900 TL — ages 2–18, students, teachers, 65+, with ID
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Infants
Under 2 free
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Family ticket
3 people 2,900 TL, 4 people 3,800 TL
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Packages
With VR, exhibition or photo — from 1,500 TL
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Closed
No closing day listed — open daily
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Online tickets
Official İstanbul Akvaryum website, valid for a month
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Museum Pass Istanbul
Not valid — it's a private attraction
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Getting there
Marmaray to Florya Akvaryum, ≈ 30 min from Sirkeci
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Address
Yeşilköy Halkalı Cad. 93, Şenlikköy, Bakırköy
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Coordinates
40.96462, 28.80047YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

≈ 1,500species of marine and land animals
2 sourcesOfficial İstanbul Akvaryum websiteEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
1.2 kmroute, from the Black Sea to the Pacific
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaIstanbul.com
2011year it opened
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaWikidata Q2859182
15,000–17,000animals: 17,000 on the official site, 15,000 in encyclopedias
2 sourcesOfficial İstanbul Akvaryum websiteEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
Amazonrainforest zone inside the building
2 sourcesOfficial İstanbul Akvaryum websiteEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
≈ 7,000 m³of water in 64–66 tanks
2 sourcesEnglish Wikipedia (7,000 m³, 66)Russian and Turkish Wikipedia (6,800 m³, 64)
22,000 m²two-storey building
SourceEnglish, Russian and Turkish Wikipedia
6,000 m²of themed galleries for visitors
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
Floryain Bakırköy on the Sea of Marmara, ≈ 5 km from Atatürk Airport
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
Penguinsthe aquarium runs a penguin conservation programme
2 sourcesOfficial İstanbul Akvaryum websiteIstanbul.com

Istanbul Aquarium tickets and prices

An adult ticket is 1,000 TL. Children aged 2–18, students, teachers and over-65s pay 900 TL with ID; under-2s go free.

Family tickets are 2,900 TL for three and 3,800 TL for four. Packages add the Su Altı Kaşifi VR experience, the Giants of the Ocean exhibition or a photo, from 1,500 TL. The lower campaign prices on family tickets and packages are for Turkish citizens only.

Buy online on the official İstanbul Akvaryum website — the ticket is valid for a month from purchase. The Museum Pass Istanbul doesn't cover it.

Istanbul Aquarium opening hours

Open 10:00–19:00 on weekdays and 10:00–20:00 at weekends. The official site lists no closing day. The route takes 2–3 hours, so arrive at least three hours before closing.

How to get to Istanbul Aquarium

Step-by-step directions are below; the map shows where you arrive.

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destinationStreet view

Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map: on foot, by tram and by taxi. Your location isn’t stored.

More tips

  1. Take tram T1 to Sirkeci, or walk there from Sultanahmet in about 15 minutes.
  2. At Sirkeci, board a Marmaray train towards Halkalı — check the destination board.
  3. Get off at Florya Akvaryum, about 30 minutes later. Pay with an Istanbulkart.
  4. The entrance is a few minutes' walk from the station.
  5. Alternatives: bus BN1 from Eminönü to Florya (slower), or a taxi — 30–45 minutes from the centre depending on traffic.

Is Istanbul Aquarium worth it?

With children, or when it's pouring, yes — it's one of the best indoor half-days in the city. On a first two- or three-day trip without kids we'd skip it: the journey plus the route takes half a day that the old city and the Bosphorus deserve more.

What to see

  • The seas of Türkiye first: Black Sea, Bosphorus, Marmara, the Dardanelles and the Aegean.
  • The underwater tunnel with sharks and rays overhead — the showpiece.
  • The Amazon rainforest, with piranhas and birds.
  • The Liberty shipwreck and the Nautilus zone.
  • The South and North Pole zones and the penguins.
  • The Pacific and Panama at the end of the route, next to a café with sea views.

Istanbul Aquarium vs SEA LIFE Istanbul

Istanbul Aquarium (Florya)you are hereFlorya, Bakırköy, by the Sea of MarmaraStand-alone building, 1.2 km routeYes, Amazon zone1,000 TL2–3 hMarmaray ≈ 30 min
SEA LIFE IstanbulForum Istanbul mall, BayrampaşaAquarium inside a shopping mallNot confirmedOwn ticket, price verifyingShorter, verifyingMetro, route verifying

Going just for the aquarium? Choose Florya — it's bigger and the route is better. SEA LIFE makes sense if you're heading to Forum Istanbul anyway.

Before you go: checklist

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Tick what is ready — your ticks stay in this browser.

Istanbul by the water, compared

Every waterside place in Istanbul rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

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Kadıköy452 hFree18.9 km
Galataport401 h 30 minFree16.8 km
Karaköy401 h 30 minFree16.1 km
Arnavutköy331 hFree23.4 km
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Rahmi M. Koç Museum302 h550 TL15.1 km
Emirgan Park281 h 15 minFree26.5 km
Princes’ Islands245 h≈ 151 TL ferry each way29.3 km
Istanbul Aquariumyou are here212 h1,000 TL—

Aquarium morning, Golden Horn evening

The aquarium in the morning, the Marmaray back to Sirkeci, then the Spice Bazaar and Galata Bridge for sunset. Add them in one tap and YesGo fits in the timing, lunch and walks.

  1. Istanbul Aquariumyou are here2 h · 1,000 TL
  2. 267 min walk from the previous stopSpice Bazaar40 min · Free
  3. 8 min walk from the previous stopGalata Bridge20 min · Free
  4. 11 min walk from the previous stopGalata Tower1 h · Price: verifying

4 places · about 8 h 46 min with walks · 286 min on foot in total

Go · my route

How to do it right

  • With kids, the family ticket for four works out cheaper than single tickets.
  • Bring children's ID and student cards — no ID, no reduced fare.
  • Head back for the evening: Marmaray to Sirkeci, then walk to the Spice Bazaar and Galata Bridge.
  • Keep it as your rainy-day plan, when mosques and the Bosphorus don't appeal.
  • Want the real sea? A Bosphorus ferry beats any tank.

Questions

How much are Istanbul Aquarium tickets?

1,000 TL for adults, 900 TL for ages 2–18, students, teachers and over-65s with ID; under-2s are free.

What are Istanbul Aquarium opening hours?

10:00–19:00 on weekdays and 10:00–20:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.

How do I get to Istanbul Aquarium from Sultanahmet?

Tram T1 to Sirkeci, then the Marmaray towards Halkalı to Florya Akvaryum — about 30 minutes — and a short walk.

Is Istanbul Aquarium worth visiting?

With kids or on a rainy day, yes. On a short first trip without children, spend the half-day on the old city and the Bosphorus instead.

How long does Istanbul Aquarium take?

2–3 hours for the route, plus about 45 minutes each way from the old city.

Is there a family ticket?

Yes: 2,900 TL for three and 3,800 TL for four. The lower campaign family prices are for Turkish citizens only.

Where is Istanbul Aquarium?

In Florya, Bakırköy, on the European side by the Sea of Marmara, about 15 km west of Sultanahmet.

Istanbul Aquarium or SEA LIFE Istanbul — which is better?

Florya is bigger: a stand-alone building, a 1.2 km route and a rainforest. SEA LIFE is smaller and inside the Forum Istanbul mall — handy if you're going there anyway.

Is Istanbul Aquarium included in the Museum Pass?

No — it's a private attraction with its own tickets, sold online on the official site or at the door.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Official İstanbul Akvaryum website: fares, hours, address, transport, route themes, 29.10.2026
  • English, Russian and Turkish Wikipedia: Istanbul Aquarium; Wikidata Q2859182
  • English Wikipedia: Florya railway station — on the Florya Akvaryum Marmaray stop
  • Istanbul.com — Istanbul Aquarium: route, transport, time needed
  • Blooloop and Architizer — on SEA LIFE Istanbul (formerly Turkuazoo) in Forum Istanbul
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 29.10.2026 ·
How we checkedFares, hours, address and bus routes come from the official aquarium website. It lists no separate foreign-visitor fare; the lower campaign prices on family tickets and packages are for Turkish citizens only, so we show the full prices. No closing day is given, so that row is marked “verifying”, as are the Museum Pass and the Marmaray station (not named on the official site; Wikipedia and Istanbul.com give it). Sources disagree: 17,000 animals officially versus 15,000 in encyclopedias; 7,000 m³ of water in 66 tanks in English Wikipedia versus 6,800 m³ in 64 in Russian and Turkish; an opening in April or on 25 June 2011, so we give only the year. Zone counts differ too (16 in Wikipedia, 17–18 officially), so we leave them out of the facts. The shark tunnel is described by Istanbul.com and other guides but not named in the official theme list. We compare with SEA LIFE Istanbul without prices, which we haven't verified. Turkuazoo and SEA LIFE Istanbul are the same place under a new owner.

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