A large indoor-outdoor marine park in the Magawish area of Hurghada, with a walk-through shark tunnel, Red Sea reef tanks, a rainforest zone and a reptile house — the town's best family day out when the sea is too rough, too cold or too hot. Spread over nearly 10 acres, it holds more than 1,200 animals across around 100 species — from nurse sharks, stingrays and green sea turtles to crocodiles, snakes and tropical birds. It's the easiest way to see the Red Sea's marine life up close without getting wet, and a brilliant half-day for families with young kids.
WHAT IT IS: Indoor-outdoor aquarium & marine zoo in Magawish, Hurghada
BEST FOR: Families with kids; a rainy-day, cold-day or hot-day option
HOW TO VISIT: Half-day trip from Hurghada with hotel pickup
DON'T MISS: The walk-through shark tunnel & Red Sea reef tanks
We send a lot of families here, and it's usually the same story: the kids are shattered from a morning on a boat, the wind has picked up, or it's a scorching August afternoon when nobody wants to be out on the water — and the Grand Aquarium saves the day. It sits in the Magawish area on the southern side of Hurghada, a big, modern complex you could easily spend two or three cool, shaded hours in. What surprises people is how much more it is than a room full of fish tanks: a walk-through shark tunnel, a steamy rainforest section, a reptile house full of crocodiles and snakes, and outdoor enclosures, all under one ticket. This guide covers what you'll see, rough prices, opening hours and how to fit it into your Hurghada holiday.
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What Is Hurghada Grand Aquarium?
Opened in 2015, Hurghada Grand Aquarium is one of the largest attractions of its kind on the Red Sea coast — around 9.8 acres of indoor and outdoor exhibits built around a huge tank system holding some 3,500 cubic metres of water, spread over two dozen exhibits. Think of it as part aquarium, part small zoo, part natural-history museum: you move from Red Sea reef displays to a tropical rainforest, past reptiles and desert-themed rooms, and out to open-air enclosures. Because so much of it is indoor and air-conditioned, it's genuinely comfortable at any time of day and in any weather.
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The heart of the complex is its marine collection, and this is what most people come for. The tanks are stocked heavily with Red Sea species, so you'll recognise the same fish you might see snorkelling off Giftun or Orange Bay — clownfish, lionfish, groupers, parrotfish and reef sharks — but here you can study them nose-to-glass while a guide explains what they are.
The shark tunnel & Red Sea tanks
The showpiece is the walk-through tunnel, where nurse sharks, stingrays, shovelnose guitarfish, eagle rays and green sea turtles glide over and around you through a curved acrylic tube. It's the single most photographed spot in the building and a guaranteed hit with children. The surrounding reef tanks recreate slices of Red Sea habitat, giving you a close, unhurried look at the fish that make this coast one of the world's great diving destinations.
Rainforest & reptile sections
Beyond the water, the aquarium widens into a small zoo. A humid rainforest zone brings in tropical plants, birds and freshwater life, a sharp and deliberate contrast to the desert outside. The reptile house is a favourite with older kids — crocodiles, snakes, lizards and turtles — and there are outdoor enclosures and themed rooms, including a 'Whale Valley' exhibit nodding to the fossil whales of Egypt's Western Desert and displays on Bedouin life. It adds up to far more variety than the name 'aquarium' suggests. For more ways to fill your days here, see our full things to do in Hurghada guide. Things to do in Hurghada
Local tip: go for the scheduled feeding times if you can — the shark and ray feeds are when the big tanks come alive and the guides are most animated. Ask at the ticket desk when you arrive, as times shift with the season.
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Hurghada Aquarium Tickets & Opening Hours
The Grand Aquarium is open daily, generally from around 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, with last entry roughly an hour before closing — worth double-checking locally, as hours flex with the season. On price, expect a gate ticket around $10–15 per adult, with reduced admission for children (cheaper still for under-6s). If you book an organised trip bundling round-trip hotel transfers, the all-in cost is more like €40–50 per adult and €30–38 per child depending on your resort's distance from Magawish. Prices change year to year, so treat these as a 2026 ballpark — but it's an affordable half-day for a family.
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The aquarium is an easy half-day trip from anywhere in Hurghada. It's in the Magawish district on the southern edge of town, a short drive from the main hotel strips of El Mamsha, Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay. You can take a taxi and buy your ticket at the gate, but the simplest option is a guided trip that includes hotel pickup and drop-off. Our Hurghada Grand Aquarium tour handles the transfers and entry for you, and because it only takes two to three hours it slots neatly around your beach and boat days — a snorkelling trip in the morning, the aquarium in the cooler late afternoon. Hurghada Grand Aquarium tourHurghada day tours
★ Want the aquarium sorted for you? Our Hurghada day tours include hotel pickup and drop-off, tickets and a guide — no taxis to haggle over, no queues to work out. Perfect for a relaxed family half-day. See our Hurghada day tours Hurghada day tours
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Best Time to Visit & Who It Suits
One of the aquarium's biggest strengths is that it works when the outdoors doesn't. On a windy day when snorkelling boats are bouncing around, in the cool of winter when the Red Sea is a touch chilly for swimming, or in the fierce heat of July and August when midday on the beach is punishing, an air-conditioned aquarium is exactly where you want to be. For the wider picture of Red Sea weather month by month, see our best time to visit Egypt guide. Best time to visit Egypt
As for who it's for: this is first and foremost a family attraction. Kids love the shark tunnel, the feeding sessions and the reptiles, and the indoor route keeps toddlers and grandparents comfortable. It's also a solid backup for couples and non-swimmers who still want to see the Red Sea's marine life. Dedicated snorkellers and divers may find it tame next to the real reefs offshore — but as a complement to a boat trip, or the kids' highlight of the week, it's hard to beat. If you're travelling with little ones, our guide to visiting Egypt with kids has more family-tested ideas. Egypt with kids
Allow two to three hours; it's mostly indoor and shaded, so no need to rush the heat.
Bring a light layer — the indoor halls are strongly air-conditioned, a relief in summer but chilly for some.
Cameras are fine; the shark tunnel is the photo you'll want, so keep some phone battery for it.
There's a café and gift shop on site, but bring water and any specific snacks for young children.
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Combine It With Hurghada's Other Highlights
The aquarium is best treated as one stop in a fuller Hurghada holiday rather than a day in itself. The natural pairing is a boat day to the islands: the Giftun Islands and Orange Bay offer the real snorkelling the aquarium previews from behind glass, while Mahmya Island is the picture-perfect beach day. Do the reef in the morning and the aquarium in the afternoon and you've covered the Red Sea from both sides. To pick the right base for a family trip, our where to stay in Hurghada guide breaks down the resort areas, and our Egypt family tour packages fold Hurghada into a wider itinerary. Giftun IslandsMahmya IslandWhere to stay in HurghadaEgypt family tour packages
If you'd rather not piece it together yourself, we can build the whole thing around you — beach, boat, aquarium and the sights of the coast, at your own pace. Our Red Sea travel packages combine Hurghada's water days with its family attractions, or we can design something entirely bespoke to your dates and ages. Red Sea travel packagesTailor-made Egypt tours
★ Travelling with kids to the Red Sea? Tell us your dates and your children's ages and we'll build a private Hurghada itinerary — aquarium, easy snorkelling, beach time and comfortable family hotels, all handled. Plan a tailor-made Egypt tour Tailor-made Egypt tour
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A gate ticket is roughly $10–15 per adult in 2026, with reduced prices for children and under-6s. If you book an organised trip that includes round-trip hotel transfers, expect about €40–50 per adult and €30–38 per child, depending on how far your resort is from Magawish. Prices change yearly, so confirm before you go.
It's open daily, generally from around 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, with last entry about an hour before closing. Hours can shift with the season and special events, so it's worth checking locally or with your tour operator on the day you plan to visit.
For families and non-swimmers, yes. It's the easiest way to see Red Sea marine life up close — sharks, rays and turtles in a walk-through tunnel — plus a rainforest and reptile zone, all air-conditioned. Dedicated divers may prefer the real reefs offshore, but as a half-day it's excellent value.
It's in the Magawish area on the southern side of Hurghada, a short drive from the main hotel zones. You can take a taxi and buy tickets at the gate, or book a guided trip with hotel pickup and drop-off included, which is the simplest, hassle-free option. Hurghada day tours
It's one of the best family attractions in Hurghada. Children love the shark tunnel, the feeding sessions and the reptile house, and because most of it is indoor and air-conditioned it stays comfortable for toddlers and grandparents in any weather. Allow two to three hours. Egypt with kids
Most visitors spend two to three hours, which is enough to walk the marine tanks, the shark tunnel, the rainforest and the reptile zone at a relaxed pace. It's easy to combine with a boat trip or beach afternoon, making it a flexible half-day rather than a full-day outing.
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