Istanbul Aquarium (Istanbul Akvaryum)

The Basics

More than 60 water tanks contain aquatic animals from the Red Sea, Pacific Ocean, Panama Canal, Aegean Sea, and elsewhere. Highlights of the aquarium include sting rays, sharks, caiman crocodiles, and a rain forest zone with poison frogs. All the exhibitions have information about the culture and history of each region, plus information about the fish and other life on display.

Things to Know Before You Go

• The Istanbul Aquarium is a must-visit for marine animal lovers, nature buffs, and families with children.

• Aquarium admission tickets, which provide access to all the exhibits and movie theaters, can be purchased in advance and delivered to your hotel.

• There are three cafés and a restaurant in the aquarium.

• The aquarium is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.

How to Get There

The Istanbul Aquarium is located in the Aqua Florya shopping complex, in the Bakirkoy neighborhood. You can take a metrobus, city bus, or metro to Yenibosna; the Marmaray underwater metro line to Kazlicesme; or a taxi straight there to the Aquarium.

When to Get There

The aquarium is open from 10am to 8pm daily. Turkish and religious holidays can affect opening hours, so check online ahead of your visit. The aquarium can get busy in the afternoon, so arrive earlier in the day to avoid the crowds.

Notable Aquatic Life at the Aquarium

The Istanbul Aquarium contains a large collection of fish, sharks, and other water animals. Look out for the balloon fish, the cownose rays, sand tiger sharks, red belly piranhas, and spotted garden eels. There are also gentoo penguins from the South Pole and capybara rodents, which hail from South America.