Bristol Aquarium, on the Harbourside, is open every day except Christmas Day, currently 10am to 6pm (18 July to 31 August 2026). Standard adult tickets are £21.95, junior tickets £14.75, and last entry is always one hour before closing.
Ticket prices
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard (13+) | £21.95 |
| Junior (2–12) | £14.75 |
| Under 2s | Free |
| Concession (students, 65+, additional carers, proof required) | £19.95 |
| Family (2 Standard + 2 Junior) | £70.40 |
| Concession Family (2 Concession + 2 Junior) | £66.90 |
Note: junior tickets and memberships bought from 19 June 2026 onward cover ages 2 to 12 (previously 3 to 12), so under-2s go free and the junior band now starts younger. Bristol Aquarium does not offer an NHS or Blue Light discount.
Online tickets are flexible: once bought, they're valid for any one date within six months of purchase, so there's no need to lock in a specific day unless you want to. You can also just buy on arrival without pre-booking.
Opening hours
Hours change through the year, so check before you go rather than assuming. The current published seasonal times for 2026 are:
| Period | Hours |
|---|---|
| 5 Jan – 13 Feb | 10am–4pm weekdays, 10am–5pm weekends |
| 14 Feb – 17 Jul | 10am–5pm every day |
| 18 Jul – 31 Aug | 10am–6pm every day |
| 1 Sep – 1 Nov | 10am–5pm every day |
| 2 Nov – 18 Dec | 10am–4pm weekdays, 10am–5pm weekends |
| 19 Dec – 3 Jan 2027 | 10am–5pm every day (closed 25 Dec) |
Last entry is always one hour before closing, so on a summer day with a 6pm close, plan to be through the door by 5pm at the latest to see everything without rushing.
How long do you need?
Bristol Aquarium says the average visit runs one hour to an hour and a half. It's a fairly compact attraction compared to somewhere like Bristol Zoo Project, so don't plan a whole day around it on its own, but tickets are valid for the full day and you're allowed to leave and re-enter, which is useful if you want to break the visit up with lunch nearby.
What's actually inside
Highlights include the Underwater Tunnel, a 250,000-litre display with rays, eels and reef fish overhead, the Bay of Rays, the Amazon and Coral Seas displays, and the Botanical House, an indoor tropical garden that's the only one of its kind attached to a UK aquarium. There's a regular schedule of talks and feeds through the day, covering different displays depending on the day of the week, which is worth timing your visit around if you want more than a walk past the tanks.
Accessibility
The aquarium is a step-free, ramped attraction throughout, with accessible toilets and wheelchair hire available for a £20 returnable deposit. Registered carers accompanying a disabled visitor get free admission on a 1:1 basis, with proof of eligibility required (a Bristol Pink Card, Rainbow Resource Card, Access Card showing +1, Carer's Allowance letter, or a recent GP or consultant letter).
Getting there and parking
Bristol Aquarium sits on the Harbourside near We The Curious, so it pairs naturally with a wider harbourside day out. For driving in, check our parking guide for options nearby, and if you're coming by public transport our getting around Bristol guide covers bus and ferry routes into the centre.
Is it worth it?
For a family with young kids, especially on a wet day, it's a solid couple of hours indoors, and the tunnel and ray displays land well with children. If you're an adult without kids or you've already done a big aquarium elsewhere, it's a more marginal call given the standard ticket price, and it's worth weighing against Bristol Zoo Project or We The Curious if you're only picking one paid attraction on the Harbourside.
Tickets: online versus on the door
There's no discount for booking online over paying on arrival, the prices are the same either way, but booking ahead does mean you're not queuing at the till on a busy school holiday weekend. Since online tickets are valid for any date within six months, there's little downside to buying in advance even if your plans might shift, you're not locking yourself into one specific day.
Annual membership is also available if you think you'll visit more than two or three times a year, it works out cheaper than buying single tickets repeatedly across multiple trips, though the exact saving depends on how many people in your group are visiting and how often.
Booking around the weather
Because it's a fully indoor attraction, Bristol Aquarium is one of the more reliable wet-weather options on the Harbourside alongside We The Curious and Wake the Tiger. If you're planning a visit around uncertain summer weather, it's worth checking our Bristol in the rain guide for how to build a full day around indoor stops.