Visiting the Oceanario de Lisboa

The Oceanário de Lisboa is one of Europe’s best aquariums, and one of Lisbon’s most popular attractions for families. Built for Expo 98, it’s centred on a huge open-ocean tank seen from all sides. Here’s everything you need to know before you visit.

Quick answer: the Oceanário is in Parque das Nações, by Oriente metro station. Tickets are from about €25.50 for adults (up to about €30 for morning entry), with discounts for children and families. Allow 2 to 3 hours, and go early or late to avoid school groups. See Oceanário tickets.

Why go

The Oceanário isn’t a long row of small tanks. The whole building is designed around one giant central tank, so you keep coming back to it from different angles and levels as you walk through the four ocean habitats. It works for toddlers and adults alike, and it’s one of the best things to do in Lisbon on a hot or rainy day.

What you’ll see

• The central tank: a giant open-ocean tank, about 7 metres deep and holding around 5 million litres, with sharks, rays, shoals of fish and sunfish, visible from both floors.
• Four ocean habitats around it: the North Atlantic, Antarctic, Pacific and Indian oceans.
• Sea otters playing in the Pacific habitat, the stars of the show.
• Penguins in the Antarctic habitat.
• Temporary exhibitions, included in the normal ticket. In 2026, Sea Monsters, with life-size models of prehistoric ocean predators, runs in the main atrium until 1 November.

How the visit works

You start on the upper floor, where each corner habitat has both an above-water and a below-water section: seabirds on the North Atlantic rocks, penguins on the Antarctic ice, otters in the Pacific and a tropical reef in the Indian Ocean. You then go down a level and see the same habitats from underwater, with the central tank always in view through large windows. Smaller tanks along the way show creatures such as jellyfish and seahorses. The permanent exhibition is called “One Planet, One Ocean”, with more than 500 species. Takashi Amano’s long-running underwater forest exhibition closed in 2026 after ten years.

How long it takes

The permanent exhibition alone takes about 1.5 to 2 hours at a normal pace. Add a temporary exhibition and a coffee and you’re looking at 2 to 3 hours.

Tickets and opening hours

• Hours: usually open every day from 10am to 8pm, with last entry an hour before closing. Hours are shorter on some holidays, such as 24 and 31 December, and on 25 December and 1 January it opens at 11am.
• Prices by time slot: in 2026, adults pay about €29.90 for entry from 10am to 11:30am, €27.70 from noon to 3:30pm and €25.50 from 4pm to 6:30pm, so going late saves a few euros per person.
• Children and seniors pay less: children aged 3 to 12 from about €15.50 and over-65s from about €17.70. Babies under 3 go free.
• Flexible tickets without a fixed time, valid for 7 days, are sold at a higher price (about €41 for adults).
• Lisboa Card: check whether it currently gives a discount here before you count on it. See is the Lisboa Card worth it?

Tips

• Timing: weekday afternoons are usually quieter; weekends and rainy days are busiest.
• Tickets: buy online to skip the queue.
• Accessibility: step-free with lifts. Visitors with a certified disability of 60% or more go free, and a companion pays less. See accessible travel.
• Rainy day: perfect. See Lisbon on a rainy day.
• Buggies: the route is step-free, so you can bring one in.
• Bags: paid lockers are available, and there are baby-changing facilities.
• Photos: turn off your flash. It bounces off the glass and disturbs the animals.
• Food: there’s a café inside, and plenty more choice in the Vasco da Gama shopping centre next to Oriente station.

Around Parque das Nações

• The cable car along the river.
• The Pavilion of Knowledge science museum, also good for kids.
• The riverside promenade and the Vasco da Gama Bridge.

See Parque das Nações.

Getting there

Take the red metro line to Oriente (it’s also close to the airport), then walk about 10 minutes through the park. Trains to Porto and the Algarve also stop at Oriente. From the Baixa, change to the red line at Alameda; the whole trip takes about 25 minutes. A taxi or ride-hailing car from the centre takes about 15 to 20 minutes outside rush hour. Several Carris buses, such as the 728 and 744, stop nearby, and drivers will find large car parks by the aquarium and Oriente station. See the Lisbon public transport guide.

Next door: the Pavilhão do Conhecimento science centre

The science centre is in Parque das Nações, a short walk from Oriente metro station and next to the Oceanário. Ticket prices change with the exhibitions, so check the current price before you go. Allow about 2 hours. Combine it with the aquarium and the riverside cable car for a full family day.

What you’ll find

• Interactive exhibitions: experiments, puzzles and hands-on displays.
• Areas for younger children.
• Temporary exhibitions on science and technology.

Tips

• Weekends and school holidays are busiest.
• Hours: it usually opens later at weekends than on weekdays, so check before you go.
• Rainy day: one of the best indoor options. See Lisbon on a rainy day.
• Combine with the Oceanário: do the aquarium in the morning and the science centre after lunch.

Around Parque das Nações

The riverside promenade, the cable car and the Vasco da Gama Bridge. See Parque das Nações.

A family day in Parque das Nações

• Morning: arrive at the Oceanário as it opens, before school groups.
• Lunch: picnic by the river or eat at the shopping centre.
• Afternoon: the Pavilhão do Conhecimento, or the cable car along the river and a play in the waterside gardens.

FAQ

How much does the Oceanário cost?

In 2026, adults pay about €25.50 to €29.90 depending on the entry time, children aged 3 to 12 from about €15.50, and under-3s go free. Entry after 4pm is cheapest.

How long do you need at the Lisbon Oceanário?

About 1.5 to 2 hours for the permanent exhibition, or 2 to 3 hours with a temporary exhibition and a coffee.

Is the temporary exhibition included in the ticket?

Yes. The standard ticket covers the permanent exhibition and the current temporary exhibitions, including Sea Monsters until 1 November 2026.

Is the Oceanário free with the Lisboa Card?

No. It isn’t one of the card’s free entries, so check for any current discount before you buy.

More: Lisbon with kids and things to do in Lisbon.

See also: Lisbon Zoo.

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