Sea Life Aquarium Istanbul

Remember

• Present your digital Istanbul Tourist Pass at the ticketing counter to get access to the aquarium.

• Any additional activities (e.g., diving, feeding the sea creatures, etc.) are not included.

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Among the many touristic attractions in Istanbul, Sea Life Istanbul may be one of the most unique places to visit. Rated as the 5th biggest aquarium in the world, it draws the attention of everyone from every age group regardless of their interest in sea life. If you are also willing to experience Sea Life Centre Istanbul Aquarium with its countless interesting sea creatures and observation areas, keep on reading for everything you have to know about it before your trip.

About Sea Life Istanbul

Sea Life Aquarium Istanbul is a part of the Sea Life franchise, the biggest chain of commercial aquariums in the world. They have more than 50 spots all around the world, including USA, Europe, Asia, Australia and many more. They are owned by Merlin Entertainments.
Sea Life Istanbul was opened in October 2009 in the shopping center Forum Istanbul in Bayrampasa. Its initial name was Turkuazoo, but after a short time, it became the property of Merlin Entertainment, who owns many valuable brands like Madame Tussauds and Legoland.

It is the biggest aquarium in the whole Europe. It has 8,000 m3 total water volume housing more than 15,000 sea creatures belonging to more than 500 different species and covers a total 55,000 m2 area. The entire facility is disabled-friendly, so you can access every area with your baby carriage or disabled chair. There are elevators for transportation between floors and Sea Life Istanbul can provide you with a baby carriage or disabled chair from the information desk. There are baby care rooms, masjids and safety deposits too if you need them. You can’t bring your own food with you to the facility, but you can buy snacks, sandwiches and drinks from the café inside or you can eat at one of the many restaurants inside the Forum Istanbul.
Among the sea creatures you will see in Sea Life are the 2 largest sharks in Turkey. Not only that but you can observe more than 60 sharks belonging to 15 different species, such as the sand tiger, zebra and hammerhead sharks. Some other examples of the species living there are the large 3-meter-long rays, the horseshoe crabs, and the arapaima, which attracts attention with its large 1.5-meter-long tongue.

Sea Life Istanbul also has the only private Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center in Turkey. They bring in and treat the wounded sea turtles that were found in nature. Another interesting part is the stingray bay, where you can see the large, beautiful rays with faces that look like they are smiling. You can also see jelly fish tanks around the facility, on top of the café, gift shop and children’s area. Sea Life Istanbul can not only be a magical trip to the wonders of the ocean, but it can also host one of your special events like birthday parties, where they give juice, cake, pizza and gifts to the participants.

Where is Sea Life Aquarium Located?

Sea Life Istanbul is located in the Forum Istanbul shopping center. This shopping mall is very easy to get to, since it is just outside the Kocatepe metro stop. You can reach this stop by either using the M1A Yenikapi – Ataturk Airport or the M1B Yenikapi – Kirazli metro line.
If you cannot use the metro, the second easiest way to get to the Sea Life Istanbul is using the IETT buses like 32, 32A, 32M or 32T, all of which stop near the Forum Istanbul Shopping Mall.

To go to the Sea Life Istanbul from the Anatolian side of Istanbul, you can use the Marmaray to go to the Yenikapi stop. From there, transfer to either the M1A Yenikapi – Ataturk Airport or the M1B Yenikapi – Kirazli metro lines, and you will be able to go to the Kocatepe station easily.
If you are not close to any of the stops of the Marmaray, you can use the metrobus. You can get on one of the 34, 34AS, 34BZ, 34C, 34G or 34T metrobuses to go to the Merter stop and transfer to the M1A Yenikapi – Ataturk Airport metro line from there.

Sea Life Aquarium Opening Hours

Sea Life Istanbul is open between 12 AM and 6 PM every day of the week, but the last entry is at 5 PM. Also, we advise you to get your tickets online to skip the crowded ticket lines and take advantage of the online ticket discounts.
Sea Life Aquarium entrance fee can change depending on your ticket type. There is a %20 discount on online Forum Istanbul Aquarium price, so unless you decide to visit the place last-minute, it is advised that you get your tickets online. For a single adult, an Istanbul Sea Life Aquarium ticket price is 55 Turkish Liras online. If you want a Madame Tussauds Istanbul ticket too, you can get a 2 Attractions Ticket for 79 Turkish Liras online. For a Legoland Discovery Centre Istanbul ticket on top of these, a 3 Attractions Forum Istanbul Aquarium ticket price is 95 Turkish Liras. If you are travelling with your kids, choosing one of the 3 Family Packs may make more sense since they include your children as well as other activities. The Sea Life Aquarium Istanbul price of these combined tickets may range from 212 Turkish Liras to 276 Turkish Liras depending on your choice. If you are going to visit with a group that has more than 10 guests, the ticket price for each individual goes down to 68 Turkish Liras.
Of course, if you want to visit all of these places along with many other cultural and historical spots in Istanbul, you can get an Istanbul Tourist Pass, in which all of these are already included.

Other than visiting the many stores, cafés and restaurants of the large Forum Istanbul Shopping Mall, the next best thing you can do near Sea Life Istanbul is visiting the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Istanbul with your kids. It is the first LEGOLAND in Turkey and has many entertaining and educational sections for your kids like Kingdom Quest, Creative Workshop and Merlin’s Apprentice Ride.