SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium Entrance Ticket

Reviews

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  anthonyp333 3

  12 Dec 2021

  Booked online to skip the queue. Read the fine print as you only skip the queue to buy tickets on site and it’s the smaller of two queues the longer one is the line to entry. When booking on line it will only allow x numbers on 15 minute time slots assuming that entry levels and crowds are managed. Not so. Anyone could get on the line and no advantages in booking online for a time slot expecting some organisation. Totally packed inside and difficult to see signs related to what is inside the smaller tanks. The larger underwater areas with sharks and penguins are a great site but be prepared to share with the crowds. A very expensive outing for a family of 4. Get the crowds down to a manageable level and it might make it at least more enjoyable.

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  celinebT1886XZ 5

  03 Dec 2021

  Amazing immersive and educational experience, the awuarium is much larger than it looks on the outside!

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  StephanieC2159 5

  02 Dec 2021

  Very very beautiful. The place was arranged nicely and there’s many different sea life. Think it’s a good place for a date :>

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  515beccym 4

  14 Nov 2021

  Had a really good time here. It hasn't changed a lot in the couple of years since I was last here but still one of my fav things to do in Sydney. Some beautiful big viewing areas

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  karenm642 4

  30 Jul 2021

  This place was quite easy to book online.. used the new govt DINE AND DISCOVER tickets.. so not too bad in price.. Great idea to stagger bookings and quite painless to get in after a short wait.. Of course there are millions of fish and it's all lovely to look at, but I had to feel sorry for the things.. the long large tanks actually have glass or perspex down the middle to keep some fish on one side away from the others, so its not as large as you would think.. poor sharks and rays just go up and back all day long.. same with the dugong.. The poor penguins.. terrible enclosure.. I felt so sorry for them.. Others were the same.. Great for children to see/ great access for prams and wheelchairs. nice gift shop... just rather the animals be in the wild.

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  blackeldo 3

  04 Jul 2021

  This is a good aquarium which holds visitors’ interest for the duration. But I have rated it AVERAGE. Why? Well just about every big city and major marine area now has a public aquarium, many of which are not lacking. I have spent time at Marine Life Park – Sentosa*, the Monterey Bay Aqaurium*, Reef HQ Townsville*, Crocosaurus Cove Darwin*, Caitns Aquarium* and Osaka’s Kaiyukan*. I don’t know which is best – but all are good (some excel in certain areas eg – crocs at Darwin, a killer whale at Osaka), making Sydney AVERAGE by their standards. At Sydney Sea Life the penguin display is pretty impressive and you can get up close and personal with lotsa sharks and other big fish – but I wouldn’t say it excels in any one area. The coral reef display is supposed to be world’s biggest but I personally think Townsville does coral reefs better. Sydney’s array of marine animals is impressive: rays, sawfish, sharks, seals, turtles, various jellyfish, a dugong, penguins of different sizes, thousands of fish, ditto marine reef and rock platform critters. Display areas are themed: eg Sydney Harbour Marine Life, Coral Reefs, Antarctic…..yada, This is a popular place. We arrived 1030 on a Sunday morning and the ticket line was at least 100m long – made up largely of families - “Finding Nemo” has sure made fishies and the underwater popular with kids. So we gave the place a miss (I hate crowds), returning 1430 on a Friday afternoon - timed on the basis that school excursion groups would be finished. Worked a charm – few people in line. Entry was thus pretty painless although I have to say that the combination of our SENIORS’ CARDS and DINE AND DISCOVERY VOUCHER seemed to throw the cashier and she ended up charging us $10 too much. Nevertheless the Aquarium’s Seniors’ discount is a genuine save rather than the token effort of many places and the overall deal given the D&D voucher was still pretty sweet. Sydney Sea Life Aquarium is older than a lot of the other places mentioned above (I first visited in the ‘80s) and several displays have been added since. This could explain why transition from one zone to the next is not always as seamless as other places. Similarly, the cafe area near exit is spacious but does not take full advantage of the harbourside location, overlooking more a side alley rather than the out front passing parade of people, ferries, other boats…. yada. Maybe the cafe’s outside tables have a better orientation – but the cold windy late Autumn afternoon discouraged finding out. Also near the exit was a very attractive gift shop area. Kids will go berserk over the range of soft sea critter toys available – even if they missed the clownfish in the coral reef area they will find plenty of Nemos here – and can even take one home, parents permitting. Adults may prefer the array of maps, charts and books. TIPS: WHEN TO ARRIVE This is one popular attraction so it is wise to avoid busy periods. I’ve already indicated weekends are popular with families and weekdays 10.00 – 14.00 in term with school excursion groups. HOW LONG SHOULD YOU SPEND? If your dance-card is crowded you could get away with an hour and still check everything out. We took 2 hours but sea-life nerds etc could spend much longer. ACCESS - is a plus. My favourite is to jump on the PYRMONT BAY FERRY at Circular Quay or one of the stops along the way for quick access incorporating a mini-cruise of the central harbour including a pass under the bridge. The ferry stop is about 250m north of the aquarium. Closer is a bunch of private harbour-cruise ferry peers. A lot of these have hop on hop off tickets – this is a great place to do that. If you have 40-50 minutes to spare WALK from the QUAY on a scenic harbourside route under the bridge, past the WALSH BAY FINGER WHARVES* (lotsa alfresco dining along here), the BARANGUROO GARDENS* and the new CROWN CASINO/HOTEL/RESIDENTIAL TOWER* (which has gotta be the most spectacular building in Sydney). LIGHT RAIL comes right into the area with a stop at the EXHIBITION CENTRE* (start at CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION*): HEAVY RAIL stops are at WYNYARD and TOWN HALL up in the city – each about 10 minutes walk. Pretty soon here will be a stop on Sydney’s new METRO rail at BARANGAROO STATION 8 minutrs north near the casino. There are heaps of PARKING STATIONS within the precinct. Curbside parking is not great. NEARBY ATTRACTIONS I’m not going to list the dozens of attractions in this area. A read thru other readers’ posts on this page will give you a good idea as will the many Darling Harbour* websites and online maps. Some places are free, others paid admission. What must be mentioned is the whole bunch of alfresco cafe/restaurants/bars just north of the aquarium, many with those big gas-fired outside heaters for cooler weather, which attract a big crowd after work plus on weekends. Great places to check the passing parade of people, boats, ferries etc. ACCOMMODATION There is no shortage of accommodation in the harbour precinct. Ditto surrounding areas like CHINATOWN*, the CBD*, THE ROCKS*. My favourite place to stay is across the harbour at NORTH SYDNEY, a 10 minute ferry hop from DH. TOILETS Found part way around the route inside and at the cafe area near the exit. *TRIPADVISOR has info/user review pages on all.

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  leungalex 5

  20 Jun 2021

  An attraction really worth a visit in the heart of Sydney CBD. The undersea tunnels and Penguin exploration alone was worth the price, plus pleny more to see. A very enjoyable experience. Make sure your camera is ready. There are a lot more penguins than I expected, so cute to watch them up close and personal.

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  DaveRees2000 3

  27 Apr 2021

  A well structured aquarium given where it is located. A great approach to education of all ages and a good breadth of species. Ultimately the space seems too small for dugong and the turtle looked extremely depressed just stuck not moving against a corner of the tank 😟

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  Tinewolf9 5

  23 Apr 2021

  Perfectly positioned on the waterfront in Darling Harbour the aquarium is really easy to find with plenty of parking options nearby. There queues weren't too bad considering it was a Saturday and the staff were working hard to get everyone in quickly and safely. The aquarium itself has a wide variety of fish and animals to enjoy, with vibrant information displays throughout. The highlight, as you'd imagine, were the underwater tunnels and seeing the sharks and sting rays swim overhead. The penguins, towards the end of the visitor journey, were a pleasant surprise! The staff were all really helpful and friendly and those giving talks were knowledgeable and engaging (even though they must deliver the same talk multiple times each week)! There's lots of promotions available for family tickets which make it an affordable. For those concerned about COVID, there are a lot of signs telling visitors to socially distance, alcohol gel provided a numerous points and staff in position to stem the flow of visitors at certain points. I would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Sydney looking for something to do for a couple of hours.

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  Harald E 3

  12 Apr 2021

  We visited the Sydney Aquarium on Sunday, 11/4/21. We brought 2 8 year old twin grandsons from the country. The big city and the Aquarium were a great experience for them. Just one small point caused some concern. On our way out of the aquarium we had to traverse the souvenir shop. Both boys had some spending money and, of course, they went shopping. What a disappointment when they got to the checkout to discover that their money was no good, only plastic would do. I believe strongly that children that age should learn the value of money and understand that once it is spent it is gone. A credit card with, in their eyes, unlimited funds will prepare them only for a lifetime dependence on the banks. We made them leave without their new treasures. I realise, the current excuse is Covid and the required hygiene. This seems a rather weak excuse as the aquarium is full of handrails which everyone touches, interactive displays where every child presses every button and, in the gift shop, all the merchandise that everyone handles.

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