Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Aquarium
4.5
10:00 - 17:00
Monday
10:00 - 17:00
Tuesday
10:00 - 17:00
Wednesday
10:00 - 17:00
Thursday
10:00 - 17:00
Friday
10:00 - 17:00
Saturday
10:00 - 17:00
Sunday
10:00 - 17:00
About
Discover over 65,000 amazing animals like rescued sea otters, sea lions, and other extraordinary aquatic species in the heart of Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park. Immerse yourself in the breathtaking natural beauty of Canada’s largest aquarium, featuring 120 world-class exhibits, thrilling 4D Theatre experiences, interactive displays, daily educational animal programs, 60+ years of marine mammal rescue stories, and so much more. From the enchanting waters of local Canadian habitats to the exotic wonders of the Amazon rainforest, learn about the incredible diversity of the animal kingdom around the world!
Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Stanley Park
Stanley Park is Vancouver's premier spot to get up close and personal with nature and animals. The grassy expanse offers outdoor teahouses and stunning views, beachfront hideaways and splash parks. It is a typical getaway spot for friends and families, especially as it is home to Vancouver's aquarium, and some of its best equestrian outlets.
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See what travellers are saying
  • Emma
    Portsmouth, United Kingdom21 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant Aquarium, would love to return
    I was really looking forward to visiting this aquarium on my trip to Vancouver and it didn't disappoint. We found parking quite easy and not too far from the entrance and I thought the entrance price was value for money. All the animals and marine life looked well cared for and healthy and there was plenty of information around with regards to what we were seeing. In particular my favourites were the sea otters and the sea lions. I could have spent hours there but my 3yr old wanted to go round at 100mph so didn't stay as long as I wanted to but intend to come back when we next visit Vancouver again. To me it's second only to Monterey Aquarium in California. Highly recommended if aquariums are your thing.
    Visited May 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written 8 April 2023
  • Andrew H
    West Seneca, New York3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Otter This World!
    Lot's of amazing aquatic wildlife and exhibits that truly captivates the Pacific Northwest in all of it's glory. As someone whose from the Northeast, it was definitely and eye opening experience and a perfect time for people of all ages. The exhibits were well maintained, the animals looked healthy and the staff was very friendly. Plenty of shows and attractions as well. One unique exhibit was their otter sanctuary for rescued otters which will bring a smile to anyone's face. Overall, great way to kill a few hours in the city!
    Visited May 2022
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 April 2023
  • Eddie T
    Calgary, Canada109 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice place to visit, though pricey and crowded
    The aquarium is huge and well maintained. It requires a few hours to go through all the exhibits, which offer a nice selection of species to look at. There are restaurant/cafe facilities on site, which are very expensive though this is somewhat expected given that this is a touristy spot within one of Vancouver's most touristy locations (Stanley park). Aside from the exorbitant admission cost, another consideration before visiting is that it gets extremely crowded. The crowding element results in long lineups to enter, and also in a parking nightmare which may include a very long walk from parking to the entrance of the building. Worth a visit if you can arrive early enough to beat the crowds.
    Visited April 2023
    Written 17 April 2023
  • Trip1313
    Midland, Canada48 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Raining?????? Why not visit the aquarium!
    Went to the Aquarium after walking through Stanley park when it started pouring rain. It was great! The jelly fish and the way they are illuminated in their aquariums are incredible. The otters and seals are extremely entertaining - great to be able to watch them above the water and then as they swim underwater.
    Visited April 2023
    Written 22 April 2023
  • Nikki W
    88 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very cool aquarium
    There are lots of cool animals here that you don't normally see at aquariums, like several types of jellyfish and coral reefs. That said, the price is pretty steep for how large it is; I took my time and I saw everything in under 2 hours. I'd say check it out if you're really into marine life or have kids to entertain.
    Visited June 2023
    Written 13 June 2023
  • clf51
    Waterloo, Canada285 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth the visit
    The aquarium is in Stanley Park which is a huge park in Vancouver. We walked to the aquarium from our Sutton Place Hotel. It's a large aquarium, easy to find, with a small snack place inside. There were lots of school age children there so it can get quite noisy. We loved it.
    Visited June 2023
    Written 14 June 2023
  • Mark
    Asheville, North Carolina2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Displays were gorgeous!
    Their displays were dazzling!! Everything was neat and clean and all the staff was very pleasant! I thought it was one of the best aquariums I've ever seen. It didn't have a lot of huge displays. But it did have a large quantity of displays and they were gorgeous!
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 15 July 2023
  • Robert D
    2,718 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent place to spend a few hours
    The Vancouver Aquarium is a nice place to spend a few hours. Many of the animals on exhibit are native to British Columbia, but they also have species from around the world, including an extensive Amazon exhibit. Part of the aquarium is outdoors and you can watch the sea lions and seals being fed. These marine mammals have been rescued after they have been injured. Inside. I enjoyed the Nature's Ninjas exhibit about tricks animals use to avoid becoming someone's dinner. There was a live presentation in which an animal was brought out for visitors to touch. There was a huge exhibit on the Amazon, including a walk-though rain forest. It is quite easy to spend a few hours here.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 20 July 2023
  • Kärt K
    12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great place for the whole family
    The place itself is nicely packed so the distance to travel from one place to another is fine even for small kids. The different sections are very interesting: the animals as well as the text. We loved the sea lions and it was nice to hear a bit about them. The short film was fun and educational! Thank you!
    Visited June 2023
    Written 21 July 2023
  • The Dickson Gang
    Edinburgh, United Kingdom12 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Afternoon visit to Aquarium
    Very enjoyable trip with a vast array of marine life and knowledgeable and helpful staff throughout. We managed to see everything and the shark 4D experience was great fun. The only reason I've marked one star less than full was because it was very very busy all over the aquarium and we had to jostle for position at a couple of things here and there. I would, however still recommend and would definitely return tho.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 21 July 2023
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles8,606 reviews
Excellent
4,686
Very good
2,720
Average
907
Poor
200
Terrible
93

CCC
California96 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
It was fun! We had an amazing time looking at the Japanese Sea Nettle and the white jelly fish. It’s so relaxing to be around fishes and water. I only wish they have bigger space and other water animals to add in the future. Overall, we enjoyed the rest of our tour.
Written 3 March 2024
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.

Jen W
Fenton, MI173 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
The aquarium was easy to find, very clean and well organized. There was a well rounded variety of exhibits/animals, but I expected more from Canada’s “largest” aquarium. There was staff outside with lots of cool information about the seals and otters. He was very engaging and fun for the children.
Written 22 February 2024
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.

Lizzy
Ontario, Canada12 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
I was worried the kids were going to find it too "young" for them but I was wrong! They explored ever exhibit and we ended up there for roughly 4hrs. My 9 year old's favourite was the massive frog exhibit with a dome where you can get inside a tank to explore. Much to my surprise the preteen loved watching and learning during the live shows. The trainers are engaging and entertaining. My oldest loved the opportunity to touch live ocean life.
There is a restaurant on site, and of course it's pricey, but the food is very good for Cafe food.
We went when it first opened on a Thursday thinking it would be pretty quiet. We were wrong! Not sure if this place is ever not busy but it has large open spaces so it didn't feel crammed.
Written 19 February 2024
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.

Odyseey
New York City, NY53 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
Vancouver aquarium is a relatively small aquarium but it does have some good exhibits mainly the Amazon and local fish exhibits
Written 4 January 2024
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.

Dimitris L
Sydney, Australia45,458 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
Vancouver Aquarium is a great place to visit particularly for families with young children. There are so many things to see, so many different types of water creatures. It is in Stanley Park and very close to the city.
Written 17 December 2023
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.

C man!
Atlanta, GA6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Friends
This is a really nice little aquarium in the middle of the woods in Stanley park. It's not too far from downtown and the exhibits are both cute and well described. The price also isn't bad, running for about 33$ USD a person. Love the otters and seals!
Written 16 December 2023
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.

Christinia J
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
Such a cool place to bring the family! There was so much to see. We were able to catch the polar express 4K show and highly recommend it!
Written 26 November 2023
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.

Stewarts Vacation
1,035 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
The real highlights of this aquarium were the feeding and training experiences. The knowledgeable and passionate staff were very informative and entertaining in their presentations, and interacted expertly with their audiences. My top tip would be: for visitors to find out the times for the otter feeding, sea lion training, jellyfish and seal feeding on arrival at the aquarium, so as not to miss out on these experiences. The Wet Lab was most interesting and hands on. The layout of the aquarium was easy to follow and the exhibits had clear signage. We loved the Graham Amazon Gallery. The only food outlet open on the day we visited was the Courtyard Cafe where we had a coffee. It was a wonderful day learning about Canada and BC's aquatic life.
Written 12 November 2023
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.

Derrick Oblitey M
East Brookfield, MA3 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
It was OK, I was expecting more it was sort of basic. I live in Massachusetts and had been told that this was better than the Boston aquarium, I did not find that to be true. The parking was terrible and theplace was crowded. They did have some nice displays and thier 4 d show was good
Written 27 October 2023
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.

evisonn
42 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
The Aquarium was a surprising find in Stanley Park. Thought it worth a look to while away a couple of hours but it was so good we spent the day there. The sea otters were so good to watch their constant activity. The tanks were well lit and the glass kept clean so photo opportunities abounded.
Written 24 October 2023
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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VANCOUVER AQUARIUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Vancouver Aquarium