27. April 2025
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The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi

110 AED
The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi
4.6

Rating

 4.6/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very nice aquarium
  • Nice arrangement and large basins
  • Good services

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Glass bottom boat tour

The United Arab Emirates are developing that rapidly – any time you go there, there is something new (or something you have missed the last time). On my most recent visit to Abu Dhabi, I had a look to the National Aquarium Abu Dhabi. By far not the latest attraction, as it opened in November 2021. Nonetheless, I take you on a visit now. It is the third aquarium-alike place I visit in the city, after the smaller one in the Abu Dhabi History Museum and Sea World Abu Dhabi.

 

The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi – Location & Admission

The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi is located on the Southern shore of the Al Qana Marina district, quite Southeast of the downtown part of the U.A.E. capital. The Grand Mosque and the lovely Wahat Al Karama are not too far away from there. The marina is a really beautiful place, which is also featuring multiple restaurants and cafes. There is a bus station nearby (Khaleej Al Arabi St / Bus Interchange, multiple bus lines), but you finally likely rather end up by car. The marina district offers a wide variety of parking, a garage and outdoors. Apart from valet parking, parking was free on all parking lots. The Visit Abu Dhabi Bus is also connecting to this area.

The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi opens daily from 10:00 to 22:00 hrs. The general admission for adults is 110 AED, roughly 27 EUR at the time of writing. Apart from animal encounters, you can also have an upgrade with a small guided tour (total price 140 AED) or a ride with the glass-bottom boat (total 160 AED). All attractions together are 190 AED.

 

The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi – The Visit

The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi spans over two levels. However, the general admission part is only on ground level. Upper level features special exhibitions and a cafe. Thereby, the attraction is split into differently themed zones, each focusing on a different region or aspect of maritime life. For example, your visit starts with the U.A.E.’s National Treasures and the Red Sea Wreck. The presentation is nice, there is information on touch screens in Arabic and English.

While you initially just run into fish and maritime life, you can later also explore birds, reptiles or mammals. For example, there are Capybara, puffins, otters and certain kinds of snakes. Of course, zoos are always a bit of subject to criticism due to caging animals, but I feel that the conditions in the large aquarium are really nice. Of course, you cannot exit the National Aquarium in Abi Dhabi without crossing the major basin through a tunnel.

 

The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi – The Boat Ride

While I really liked visiting the National Aquarium and had a very good time there, I was not absolutely happy with taking the glass bottom boat ride as well. The experience is rather short, you are circling on the top of the major basing for less than ten minutes, including boarding and leaving the ship. The view is reasonable. One factor for that is that the glass bottom unavoidably tends to be a bit scratchy, just due to dirt people have on their shows. Also the animals are able to swim freely, so that it is a bit of luck whether they approach the boat or not.

After the boat ride, you also pass a gallery of maritime life photographies, which I felt being really nice, though.

 

The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi – Services

The attraction hosts two stores, one at the lower and one at the upper floor. The upper floor one is significantly smaller, though. The upper floor one hosts a nice cafe-alike bar, which also offers nice views. There is an additional one on the ground floor as well.

 

The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi – My View

The main exhibition of the National Aquarium Abu Dhabi is really nice. Furthermore, it is much cheaper than Sea World Abu Dhabi, which is of course a major peer in the city. I really liked it there, also because it is not that much flooded by tourists.

 

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