Oceanário de Lisboa
Oceanário de Lisboa
4.5
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
About
The Oceanário de Lisboa is a world-renowned public aquarium, an inspiring “window” into the ocean, establishing an emotional connection with the public, and encouraging positive personal relationships with the ocean. Oceanário de Lisboa is one of the largest aquariums in Europe -featuring over 15,000 marine creatures from 500 species! - and one of the most visited places in Portugal, just 10 min. away from Lisbon airport. It has been recognize for three times as the "best aquarium in the world" by TripAdvisor's Travellers'Choice. Visitors can see, among others, Magellanic penguins, sea otters, rays and several species of sharks and corals. The ticket includes three exhibits - and it contributes to the conservation of the ocean and marine biodiversity. This attraction is a popular stop on hop-on hop-off bus tours in Lisbon, including audio guides in several languages. – Tripadvisor
Duration: 2-3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Parque das Nações
This neighborhood was built up at the end of the 1990s mostly because of the Expo '98. The pavilions and structures that once were the home of all the Expo's attractions and exhibits are still culturally and artistically significant. In Parque das Nações you'll explore conference and concert pavilions, a shopping center, trendy restaurants and an enjoyable cable car ride you can't miss out on. On top of this, the amazing Lisbon Oceanarium (one of the most spectacular things you'll ever see in the city) will take your breath away: its respect and will to preserve natural wildlife is uncanny. Easily accessible by metro, bus or taxi from the city center, Parque das Nações is highly recommended for anyone who'll spend more than 3 days in the Portuguese capital.
How to get there
  • Oriente • 9 min walk
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See what travelers are saying
  • Casey C
    Essex, United Kingdom62 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful calm & informative experience.
    Visited the aquarium as it was listed a some of the top things to do whilst in Lisbon and I can see why. Could sit a watch the main tank for hours with the different species of fish, sharks & coral. Plenty of posts around to tell you information on each species. I was dubious about the otters, penguins being in a captive space but they explained the conservation and reasons why they were captive and helped put my mind at ease a little. Spent around 3 hours here which is a lot more than we thought. But you just find yourself standing and watching in silence for ages.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 20, 2023
  • Ellen L
    Chicago, Illinois35 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Spend the morning here!
    We went right in the morning and it wasn’t as crowded. It features a variety of different climates and is quite educational. The main tank is filled with all kinds of aquatic creatures and is the highlight of the aquarium- the sharks were our favorite! The otters were not out when we went but the penguins were.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 14, 2023
  • shearmi
    Norwich, United Kingdom7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A chance to appreciate the beauty of our oceans
    The main large aquarium is full of fish, sharks and rays. Really enjoyed spending 3hours walking around. Would highly recommend if you enjoy taking time to see the wonderful creatures of our oceans. Would also recommend booking the cable car experience at the back of it (as a Ticket add on).
    Visited April 2023
    Written April 23, 2023
  • Douglas R
    Digby, Canada214 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best aquarium I've seen
    We kept coming around to a different aspect of the central tank, with fish occupying their preferred niche. Informative but not didactic exhibits, with creatures I had not seen in other aquariums. Easy ride on the metro but a fair amount of walking to get to the aquarium proper. Signs primarily in Portuguese.
    Visited April 2023
    Written April 29, 2023
  • Julie M
    9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A beautiful, nature-friendly place - please go!
    We just loved the Oceanario! The focus is on conservation and education and the sea creatures are well cared for and in the case of the rescued sea otters - living the best life possible for them. There is so much to see and learn. We got there when it opened and spent over 2.5 hours there. It really is a very beautiful place. It was my favourite part of our break in Lisbon and I can't rate it highly enough!
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 18, 2023
  • lizzyLiverpool
    Liverpool, United Kingdom58 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Highlight of Lisbon trip for our 9 year old
    Highlight of our trip to Lisbon for our 9 year old. Great aquarium with impressive main tank and lots of side exhibits. The interpretation was good in English too. Are in cafe which was really good and not too expensive. Only downside was the otters who are one of the main “stars” we’re off show.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 29, 2023
  • GAR
    243 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Highlight of my entire trip
    This was my favourite thing I did in Portugal. I went for the penguins and the sea otters but the whole attraction blew me away! It’s very easy to navigate, pretty much a one way system, and there is so much to see! I also got the sense the animals are very well taken care of. The entry fee is expensive but certainly worth it for such a unique experience
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written November 13, 2023
  • prhightrees
    Dorridge, United Kingdom42 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A great few hours
    I haven't been to an aquarium before and didn't realise how interesting it would be. Tip..check online entrance before you go. Online it was €10 cheaper than buying at the counter although when we mentioned it to the staff, they helped us to buy it from the Web. Definitely worth a visit for adults and children..
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 1, 2023
  • r87baker
    21 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic
    Been lucky enough to visit aquariums all over the world and this has to be one of my favourites. The space the fish has is incredible, the layout flows really well when walking around. Definitely worth the enter fee
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 3, 2023
  • Farrahpalooza
    London, United Kingdom542 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Glorious And Emotional
    Never expected to feel emotional but this entire place is very moving. The highlights were: 1. Otters playing with a plastic snake and bathing 2. Sharks 3. The huge tank with different types of fish that you visit on 3 levels 4. Dragon fish 5. Jellyfish and sea nettles 6. Toads and frogs You really feel at one with nature and the ocean. Highly recommended
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 30, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles40,630 reviews
Excellent
26,313
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10,720
Average
2,901
Poor
489
Terrible
209

Philip M
Atlanta, GA244 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Chris and I visited here on Saturday.

The line across the drawbridge was somewhat organized.

The problems started once patrons arrived at the ticket counter which is physically inside the tower on the lower level.

Only one cashier was working on a busy Saturday afternoon. Ridiculous. We could see a mob of people at the glass window with lots of unhappy faces.

The cashier spoke English and claimed the credit card device was nonfunctional and therefore everyone had to pay cash. Many patrons were tourists like us and only had euros denominations of 20, 50 or more.

The cashier claimed that he didn’t have any small denomination bills or coins. Admission was six euros per person. So if you only had a 20 euro bill then the cashier pocketed the rest for himself. It’s inexcusable for a major landmark on a busy Saturday to demand cash and then lack sufficient change.

There were a group of tourists from Spain in front of us arguing with the cashier about the lack of change and calling him out about this dishonest situation.

A group of us in line ended up negotiating amongst ourselves for correct change in order to enter without walking away from our own money.

This cashier was smirking and laughing at us and other tourists unaware that we speak Spanish and some functional Portuguese.

The tower and views are amazing.

The stairwells are narrow and have a system of red and green lights to control traffic up and down the stairs. Many of the stairs are only 19 inches wide and can only permit one person in one direction.

There weren’t any employees enforcing the red and green lights resulting in frustrating gridlock inside the stairwells.

The employees are dishonest, disorganized and need to be replaced.

Bring lots of small bills and change then take a deep breath and prepare for frustration.

Written January 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sara M
Margate, UK15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Fabulous day out for all ages.
We took a taxi from the Baxia region - only 10E including the tip for 4 of us and dropped right outside.
The displays are amazinf and well structured, you could spend hours wandering around.
Great value for money.
There are some nice walks and bars and restaurants just outside as well.
Plenty to do for the whole day.
Written February 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LondonSeb
London, UK100 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
Great place to see. The main tank is very big and can be seen from many angles and several floors. Some great animals I had never seen before, like a giant fish divers inside the tank were feeding by hand.

However, was a bit too busy for proper social distancing, despite booking in advance for a specific 1 hour time slot on a weekday (Monday) at 11:00. I think they are letting too many people in at each slot/hour, and also let people aggregate at specific places. I surely wouldn't go there on a weekend.

Walking outside of the building and near the riverfront was nice too.
Written May 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lilsika
Atlanta, GA9 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
Don’t go on a rainy day!!!! We had booked online a week in advance but then it happened to be a very rainy day and all of Lisbon’s tourists seemed to go. We had to queue for half an hour to get in despite having already bought the tickets…inside it was so packed you couldn’t see anything and it didn’t feel safe at all…not to even mention the ongoing pandemic. We left after half an hour and if I could I’d want my money back. Horrific experience.
Written April 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Malgorzata
12,113 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
The building itself has an interesting modern architecture. The aesthetic shape of the building, well integrated into the space, fits perfectly into the surroundings. Also very aesthetic inside. We start our journey on the highest floor, that is on the surface, and then we go down a great spiral of stairs lower and lower, sinking into "big blue" in which aquatic animals, fish, crustaceans and others live. A large aquarium in the center of the building allows you to see all the big fish. In the smaller ones, you can admire the smaller and very small wonders of nature. Clear descriptions in two languages , Portuguese and English. Very polite and helpful staff. It is best to buy tickets in advance, online, because even after the season there are long queues before entering. There are two cafes in the oceanarium where you can have a lunch or just coffee and cakes.
Written November 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Natasha S
Belfast, UK68 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020
wasn't that interested by my husband really wanted to go. I was wrong. This place is fantastic and uttelry worthy of it's accolades. divided into different habitats and combining fish, birds, mammals, and vegetation you will be mesmerised by the colours, proximity and views of all the animals. a must for families with children. Highly recommend pre booking your slot especially at weekends - the queues were insane so we came back next day after booking a slot whilst int he queue.
Written October 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ckm818
Hong Kong, China256 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Most of the museums in Lisbon are closed on Mondays, but not this one.

We're lucky to have headed to this stretch of futuristic waterfront development where Oceanário de Lisboa remains open. If you wish to combine the visit with another adjacent children museum - Pavilhão do Conhecimento, a science and technology museum - you have to pick other day.

Of course, a half day's activity with 8000 marine creatures is good enough for our family. What else can we ask for?
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Borut A. SI
Ljubljana, Slovenia547 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
If you are in Lisbon, your must see this attraction - Oceanario. Ticket for adults are 19 eur (0-3 age free, 4-12 age 13€, +65 13€) and lasting all day, If you like to be the whole day in Oceanario. If you need, like we, near ticket office are lockers, where you put 1 eur in for using this locker. Show starts in upper flow of first building with audio visual part. After passing the bridge, there's the really Oceanario starts. Be prepared. Really amazing experience in two floor big aquarium full of salty water inside and animals which I never seen them before (shark, manta ray etc.). Oceanario has an educational part too, how to save our planet and more. I really recommend this place for young and old. Enjoy like we did.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Karolína P
Split, Croatia25 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
The museum itself is very nice but many school and kindergarten groups come there so it's a little noisy and busy. We were there on Friday at about 12 pm so maybe there is better time for visiting.

However I recommend this place if you want to see some beautiful animals.
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TACOB0B
United States1,131 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
We visited on a Saturday afternoon in early January. Admission was 18 euro pp. The aquarium was quite busy. It is a learning aquarium so there were school groups there even though it was Saturday afternoon. That being said the aquarium had a lot to offer and we highly recommend.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Oceanário de Lisboa - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Oceanário de Lisboa