Walk into Dubai Mall and the first thing you see is the giant aquarium tank, sharks, rays and thousands of fish, all visible for free from the mall floor. So the honest question every visitor asks is: why pay for a ticket at all, and if you do pay, which of the three passes is worth it?
Here are the real prices, checked on the official website. Dubai Aquarium tickets are AED 199 (Silver), AED 269 (Gold) and AED 399 (Platinum), children under 2 enter free, and UAE residents currently get the Silver pass for AED 169. Most guides online still print the old ticket names and old prices, which is why the numbers never match when you reach the booking page. This guide shows what each pass actually includes, what the free view already gives you, and how to choose without overpaying.
Dubai Aquarium tickets at a glance
- Silver Pass: AED 199, tunnel, Underwater Zoo, Penguin Cove, AED 20 shop voucher.
- Gold Pass: AED 269, Silver plus glass boat tour, fish feeding, encounter discounts and dining vouchers.
- Platinum Pass: AED 399, Gold plus skip-the-line access and one free animal encounter.
- UAE residents: Silver at AED 169 (15% off) on the official site right now.
- Family saving: 4-for-3 pass, 4 Silver tickets for AED 597 instead of AED 796.
- Children: under 2 free; age 2 and over pay the pass price.
- Hours: Monday to Friday 11 AM to 9 PM; Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 9 PM. Last entry 8:15 PM every day.
- Where: Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, inside The Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai.
Prices checked on the official website, thedubaiaquarium.com. Checked: 22 October 2026.
Dubai Aquarium ticket prices: Silver, Gold or Platinum?
The three passes share the same core: the famous Aquarium Tunnel, the Underwater Zoo on the level above, and Penguin Cove. What changes as you go up is the extras, a boat ride over the tank, feeding sessions, queue skipping and an animal encounter. Here is the honest comparison.
| Pass | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Silver | AED 199 | Aquarium Tunnel, Underwater Zoo, Penguin Cove, AED 20 shop voucher |
| Gold | AED 269 | Everything in Silver + glass-bottom boat tour, fish feeding, discounts on animal encounters, dining vouchers |
| Platinum | AED 399 | Everything in Gold + skip-the-line access, one complimentary animal encounter |
| Silver, UAE resident offer | AED 169 | Same Silver pass, 15% off for UAE residents |
| 4-for-3 Pass (Silver x4) | AED 597 | Four Silver passes for the price of three |
| Annual Pass | AED 500 adult / AED 400 child | Unlimited visits for a year + a free first animal encounter |
Prices checked on the official website. Checked: 22 October 2026.
Which pass should you buy?
- Buy Silver if this is your first visit and you mainly want the tunnel and the zoo. It covers the full core experience, and for most visitors it is enough.
- Buy Gold if you are visiting with children. The glass-bottom boat ride over the main tank and the fish feeding are the parts children talk about afterwards, and the AED 70 jump over Silver is the fairest upgrade in the list.
- Buy Platinum only if you hate queues on a busy weekend, or you already planned to pay for an animal encounter. The included encounter is where Platinum earns its price. On a quiet weekday, Platinum’s skip-the-line is worth much less.
- Groups of four: do not buy four separate Silver passes. The 4-for-3 pass is AED 597, you save AED 199, a full ticket.
The combo tickets worth knowing
Doing the Burj Khalifa on the same Dubai Mall trip? The official site sells an Aquarium + At the Top combo for AED 279 (bought separately they total AED 358) and an Aquarium + Sky Views combo for AED 219 (separately AED 308). Same-day, same area, real saving. This is the combo to take if both attractions are already on your list.
The free view: what you get without a ticket
Dubai Aquarium is unusual because its biggest single sight is free. The main tank’s acrylic panel faces the mall concourse, and you can stand in front of it as long as you like, sharks, rays and whole schools of fish, no ticket needed. For a quick photo stop on a shopping trip, the free view may honestly be enough.
What the paid ticket adds is everything behind that panel: walking through the 48-metre tunnel with sharks over your head, the Underwater Zoo’s three zones (rainforest, rocky shore and living ocean), Penguin Cove, and on Gold and above, the boat ride across the top of the tank. Think of it this way: the free view is a window; the ticket is the visit.
Dubai Aquarium opening hours
- Monday to Friday: 11 AM to 9 PM (last entry 8:15 PM)
- Saturday and Sunday: 10 AM to 9 PM (last entry 8:15 PM)
The aquarium is open 365 days a year. Note that many older guides print much later closing times, 11 PM or even midnight. Those late-night hours are out of date. The official site now lists a 9 PM closing every day of the week, one more reason old guides do not match what you find when you book.
Best time to visit: weekday mornings are the quietest inside the tunnel. Weekends and evenings fill up, which is also when Platinum’s skip-the-line starts to make sense.
How to get there
The aquarium sits inside The Dubai Mall in Downtown Dubai. Take the Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall station, then follow the aquarium signs inside The Dubai Mall. If you are already visiting the Burj Khalifa or the Dubai Fountain, the aquarium is an easy same-trip add-on, which is exactly why the combo tickets above exist.
FAQs
How much are Dubai Aquarium tickets?
Silver is AED 199, Gold is AED 269 and Platinum is AED 399 on the official website. UAE residents currently get Silver for AED 169, and a 4-for-3 Silver pass costs AED 597 for four people.
Do children pay for Dubai Aquarium tickets?
Children under 2 enter free. From age 2 upwards, children pay the same pass price as adults. There is no separate child ticket, which is why the 4-for-3 pass matters for families. Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult aged 15 or over (check the official terms). Children under 2 enter free but cannot join some experiences, such as the Glass Bottom Boat Ride.
Can you see the Dubai Aquarium for free?
Yes, the main tank is visible for free from the Dubai Mall concourse. The ticket adds the tunnel walk-through, the Underwater Zoo, Penguin Cove and, on higher passes, the glass-bottom boat and animal encounters.
How long does a visit take?
Allow 1 to 2 hours for Silver, and up to 3 hours on Gold or Platinum if you add the boat ride and an encounter.
Is Dubai Aquarium worth it?
If you only have ten minutes, enjoy the free tank view. If you have an hour or more, especially with children, the Silver pass is fairly priced, and Gold is the best-value upgrade.
Prices and details checked on the official website. Checked: 22 October 2026. Offers like the resident discount can end without notice, confirm on the official site before booking.
The Dubai Tours and Safari editorial team researches and updates our Dubai and UAE travel guides, checking prices, timings and facts against official sources.
