UAE aquariums compared: Dubai, Lost Chambers, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi

Sharjah Aquarium is the cheapest of the four UAE aquariums we compare, at AED 25 for an adult and AED 15 for a child. Next come the National Aquarium Abu Dhabi from AED 55 on Headout, Lost World Aquarium from AED 65 at Rayna and Dubai Aquarium from AED 142 at Rayna (checked 2 November 2026). Official adult prices are higher: AED 110 in Abu Dhabi, from AED 95 at Lost World and AED 199 at Dubai Aquarium. Lost World is the aquarium that used to be called Lost Chambers.

If you are weighing Dubai Aquarium against Lost Chambers, the short version is this: Dubai Aquarium is a walk-through tunnel and underwater zoo inside Dubai Mall, and Lost World is a set of 14 themed chambers at Atlantis with a live mermaid show.

UAE aquariums compared

Aquarium	Cheapest adult price	Child price	Size and highlights	Time needed	Best for
Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo	AED 142 at Rayna (AED 199 official)	Same as adult from age 2	48 m tunnel, 140+ species, Underwater Zoo, Penguin Cove	About 2 hours	First-timers, a Burj Khalifa pairing
Lost World Aquarium (ex Lost Chambers)	AED 65 at Rayna, AED 68 on Headout (from AED 95 official)	Child rate ages 3 to 7, amount not shown	14 chambers, 65,000+ animals, Ambassador Lagoon, mermaid show	1 to 2 hours	Shows, Atlantis and Palm days
Sharjah Aquarium	AED 25, official only	AED 15 (ages 2 to 12)	About 100 species in 21 tanks on two floors, touch pool	1 to 2 hours, our estimate	Tight budgets, young children
National Aquarium Abu Dhabi	AED 55 on Headout, a sale (AED 110 official)	No child price shown	10 zones, about 46,000 animals	About 2 hours	The biggest collection, evenings

Prices are for adults at the lowest slot each seller showed. Reseller prices change, so trust the “Prices in this guide” box on the day.

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

Dubai Aquarium is inside Dubai Mall. Its tunnel is 48 m long, and Tiqets says the aquarium holds more than 140 marine species, including sharks and rays. Beyond the tunnel are the Underwater Zoo, the Rainforest and Penguin Cove & Nursery. The shark and marine life viewing panel outside can be seen without a ticket.

The official Silver pass is AED 199 for anyone aged 2 or over, with children under 2 free. Headout and Tiqets match that price, GetYourGuide starts at AED 213, and Klook lists only its AED 400 Platinum pass. Rayna lists AED 142, which we re-read on 3 November, but it does not mention the AED 20 shop voucher that comes with Silver.

The operator says the tunnel takes 15 to 30 minutes and the Underwater Zoo 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, so allow about two hours. Hours are Monday to Friday 11:00 to 21:00 and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 21:00, with last entry at 20:15. See our Dubai Aquarium ticket guide for the Gold and Platinum tiers and the Dubai Aquarium prices. If you are also going up the Burj Khalifa, read our Burj Khalifa and Dubai Aquarium combo guide, where the pair is from AED 319.

Lost World Aquarium (formerly Lost Chambers)

Lost Chambers closed in August 2025 for a rebuild and reopened on 27 October 2025 as the Lost World Aquarium, at Atlantis The Palm. The official page describes 14 reimagined chambers with more than 65,000 marine animals, projection mapping on 1,900 LED panels and the Ambassador Lagoon, one of the region’s largest open-air aquariums. Gulf News adds that the lagoon is 10 m deep and hosts a live mermaid show. Our data lists the show at 12:00, 14:00, 17:00 and 19:00 daily.

Dubai Aquarium vs Lost Chambers. Dubai Aquarium is a tunnel-and-zoo visit in a mall, with more than 140 species. Lost World is a themed walk through chambers, with an open lagoon and scheduled shows. Dubai’s official price is AED 199 against Lost World’s “from AED 95”, and at Rayna the gap is AED 77 (AED 142 against AED 65). Rayna says most visits take 1 to 2 hours, so Lost World is also the shorter outing.

The price is the messy part. The official booking page shows “from AED 95”, a floor price with no visible adult and child split, and Gulf News reported a day pass of AED 125 at the reopening. Klook is AED 135, Tiqets and GetYourGuide AED 170, Headout AED 68 and Rayna AED 65. Headout and Rayna sit well below the official price, with struck-through prices of AED 195 and AED 135, and neither says when the discount ends. Treat the AED 65 to 68 as a sale, not a standard price.

Children aged 3 to 7 pay a child rate, those aged 8 and over pay the adult rate, and under 2s are free. Children under 12 need an adult. Check the hours: the official page says 11:00 to 20:00 in its FAQ and 10:00 to 21:00 in its page data, and Rayna and Tiqets say 10:00 to 21:00. Parking is at P19 with a free shuttle, and the aquarium is signed from The Avenues. The waterpark plus aquarium combo starts at AED 290 officially, covered in our Aquaventure guide. Current prices are on the Lost World Aquarium page.

Sharjah Aquarium

Sharjah Aquarium opened on 6 June 2008 and has about 100 species in 21 aquariums on two floors, holding 1.8 million litres of water. The operator lists clownfish, seahorses, moray eels, rays and reef sharks, a touch pool and a turtle rehabilitation programme. Main tank feeding is at 10:00 from Saturday to Thursday, and shark feeding runs from 13:00 to 13:30 on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday.

The joint ticket with the Sharjah Maritime Museum next door is AED 25 for adults and children aged 13 and over, AED 15 for ages 2 to 12, and free under 2. A family of two adults and two children aged 2 to 12 pays AED 80. Seniors aged 60 and over and people with disabilities enter free with one companion. Entry is free on International Museum Day (18 May) and UAE National Day (2 and 3 December).

Hours are Saturday to Thursday 08:00 to 20:00 and Friday 16:00 to 20:00, with different hours in Ramadan. It closes on 29 and 30 Ramadan, the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the 9th of Dhul Hijjah and the first day of Eid al-Adha. We found no standalone ticket on Klook, GetYourGuide, Tiqets or Headout, so the official price is the price. The operator gives no visit length, and our 1 to 2 hours is an estimate. See the Sharjah Aquarium page.

National Aquarium Abu Dhabi

The National Aquarium opened at Al Qana in November 2021. Gulf News called it the region’s biggest at the time, and the official site says it holds about 46,000 animals across 10 zones. Official tickets are AED 110 for general admission. The combo with The Butterfly Gardens is AED 150, AED 170 with a glass-bottom boat tour, and the All Access ticket is AED 199. Online tickets are valid for two weeks from purchase.

Headout shows AED 55, which is half the official AED 110 and is flagged as a sale, though the page does not say when it ends or whether it is limited to residents. Klook lists AED 83 and Rayna AED 99.

The aquarium opens daily from 10:00 to 22:00. The official FAQ puts the average visit at about two hours, while Klook suggests 3 to 5 hours with the extras. No child price is shown. Children under 12 must be with a paying adult aged 16 or over, and people of determination and one companion get 50 percent off. See the National Aquarium prices. If you are building an Abu Dhabi day, our Abu Dhabi day trip guide covers the other main tickets.

Which aquarium for which traveller

• Lowest cost: Sharjah Aquarium, at AED 25 for an adult and AED 15 for a child, with the museum included.
• First visit to Dubai: Dubai Aquarium. It is in Dubai Mall and pairs with the Burj Khalifa.
• Children aged 3 to 7: Lost World has a child rate and scheduled shows. The amount is not shown, and Dubai Aquarium charges the adult price from age 2.
• A Palm Jumeirah or Atlantis day: Lost World, ideally booked with Aquaventure.
• Rainy day or an evening visit: the National Aquarium, which stays open to 22:00.
• The biggest collection on a day trip: the National Aquarium. See our Abu Dhabi day trip guide.
• Families watching the budget: our guide to Dubai attractions with kids compares child fares.

How to book them cheapest

1. Open the price table for the aquarium you want, starting with the Dubai Aquarium, Lost World, Sharjah or National Aquarium page.
2. Treat the lowest Lost World and National Aquarium prices as sales. Check the cancellation terms and dates before paying, because the Headout tickets cannot be cancelled or rescheduled.
3. Buy Sharjah from the operator, as nobody else sells it.
4. Check opening hours on the day, because Lost World’s two sources disagree.
5. If you are also going up the Burj Khalifa, compare the combo, from AED 319, with separate tickets before you buy.