Is the Dubai Mall Aquarium free to visit?

The Ground Floor glass panel is free. The walk-through tunnel and Underwater Zoo costs AED 140 adults, AED 100 children (3–12). Under 3 free.

What is included in the Dubai Mall Aquarium tunnel ticket?

The AED 140 ticket covers the 48m tunnel with 270-degree views and full Underwater Zoo access (King Croc, penguins, otters, piranhas, seahorses across three ecological zones).

Can you dive with sharks at the Dubai Mall Aquarium?

Yes. A guided shark dive costs AED 500+ for PADI Open Water certified divers. A cage snorkel alternative starts from AED 300. Both require advance booking.

What animals are in the Dubai Mall Underwater Zoo?

King Croc (750kg saltwater crocodile), gentoo penguins, otters, arapaima, piranhas, seahorses, starfish, sharks, and rays — over 140 species and 33,000 animals total.

How do I get to Dubai Mall Aquarium by metro?

Red Line to Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall station. A climate-controlled bridge connects directly to the mall. The aquarium is on the Ground Floor, approximately 5 minutes from the metro entry.

Dubai Mall Aquarium and Underwater Zoo – Visitor Guide 2026

At a Glance

Essential Information

Mall Viewing

Free

Huge glass panel visible from Ground Floor

Tunnel + Zoo — Adults

AED 140

48m tunnel, 270-degree views + Underwater Zoo

Tunnel + Zoo — Children (3–12)

AED 100

Under 3 free

Opening Hours

10am – 11pm Daily

Last entry approximately 10pm

Location

Ground Floor, Dubai Mall

Near main fountain entrance

Metro

Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall

Red Line — climate-controlled bridge to mall

Overview

What to Expect at the Aquarium

The Dubai Mall Aquarium is a 10-million-litre suspended tank on the Ground Floor of Dubai Mall, home to over 140 species and more than 33,000 aquatic animals. The tank's massive glass viewing panel — 32.88 metres wide and 8.3 metres tall — is free to view from the mall concourse at any time during mall hours.

The paid ticket grants access to the 48-metre walk-through tunnel beneath the tank (270-degree views of sharks, rays, and thousands of fish swimming overhead) and the Underwater Zoo on the floor above, divided into three ecological zones: Rainforest, Rocky Shore, and Living Ocean.

For certified PADI divers, a shark dive in the main tank is available. This premium experience requires advance booking and costs AED 500 and above.

Aquarium underwater tunnel with sharks and rays swimming overhead

Highlights

Top Experiences

The 48-Metre Walk-Through Tunnel

A 48-metre acrylic tunnel passes through the base of the main tank, providing 270-degree views with sharks, rays, and thousands of fish swimming immediately above and alongside visitors. Wide enough for pushchairs. Allow 20–30 minutes for the tunnel section alone.

Underwater Zoo — Three Ecological Zones

Included with the tunnel ticket. The Rainforest zone has otters, arapaima, and piranhas. The Rocky Shore zone covers seahorses and starfish. The Living Ocean zone displays open-ocean species including sharks and large rays viewed up close through floor-to-ceiling panels.

King Croc

A 750kg saltwater crocodile housed in a dedicated enclosure within the Underwater Zoo. Visible from above and side-on through reinforced glass. One of the largest crocodiles in captivity in the region and consistently one of the most popular resident animals with younger visitors.

Penguin Colony

A colony of gentoo penguins lives within the Underwater Zoo's rockery zone. Feeding sessions at scheduled times during the day allow visitors to watch the penguins being fed by keepers. Penguin encounter add-on experiences for closer interaction are available at additional cost and require advance booking.

Free Mall Glass Panel

The 32-metre-wide glass panel on the Ground Floor is one of the largest aquarium viewing windows in the world. Fully visible from the mall concourse, it provides excellent views of the tank's sharks and rays without any ticket. Particularly spectacular when viewed from the upper mall level looking down.

Shark Dive (PADI Certified)

For qualified PADI Open Water divers: a guided dive inside the main tank with sand tiger sharks. Costs AED 500 and above; lasts approximately 45 minutes in the water; all dive equipment provided. Advance booking required. Non-certified visitors can book a cage snorkel experience from AED 300 as an alternative.

Costs

Tickets and Prices

Ticket / Experience	Price (AED)	Notes
Mall glass panel viewing	Free	Ground Floor, Dubai Mall; all mall opening hours
Tunnel + Underwater Zoo — Adults	AED 140	48m tunnel + full Underwater Zoo access
Tunnel + Underwater Zoo — Children (3–12)	AED 100	Under 3 free
Tunnel only — Adults	AED 95	Walk-through tunnel without Underwater Zoo
Tunnel only — Children (3–12)	AED 70	Tunnel access only
Shark dive (PADI certified)	AED 500+	In the main tank; advance booking required
Cage snorkel experience	AED 300+	Non-certified alternative; advance booking required
Penguin encounter (add-on)	AED 120+	Close interaction; limited daily slots; book ahead

Transport

Getting to Dubai Mall Aquarium

Dubai Mall is one of the best-connected destinations in Dubai with direct metro access and a dedicated taxi drop-off zone.

Metro (Red Line)

Take the Red Line to Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall station. A climate-controlled bridge connects directly to the mall — no outdoor walking. The aquarium is on the Ground Floor near the main fountain entrance, approximately 5 minutes from the metro bridge. Journey from Union Station (Deira): approximately 20 minutes.

Taxi / Uber / Careem

Request "Dubai Mall Aquarium entrance" or "Dubai Mall Ground Floor fountain entrance." Fare estimates: from Dubai Marina AED 30–45, from Deira AED 30–40, from Airport T3 AED 45–60, from Al Fahidi AED 25–35. A dedicated taxi queue is available at the main entrance for return trips.

Driving and Parking

Dubai Mall has over 14,000 parking spaces. The aquarium is closest to Car Parks P1 and P2. Parking is free for the first 4 hours with a mall spend of AED 200+, otherwise AED 20 per hour. On weekends, arrive before 10am to avoid queuing for parking.

From Burj Khalifa

Dubai Mall is directly connected to Burj Khalifa via a covered walkway — no need to go outdoors. If combining with the Burj Khalifa observation decks (AED 139–399), the aquarium is approximately a 10-minute walk through the mall from the Burj Khalifa lobby entrance. The Dubai Fountain is also viewable free from the mall terrace.

Expert Advice

Visitor Tips

1
View the tank from the mall for free before deciding to buy a ticket. The free glass panel view from the Ground Floor concourse is genuinely impressive and gives you a clear sense of the tank's scale. If you are on a tight budget, this free view alone is worth the visit to Dubai Mall.
2
Buy tunnel tickets online to save queue time. Online purchases bypass the physical ticket counter, which can have 20–30-minute queues on busy weekends. The price is the same online but the time saved is significant, especially on Friday and Saturday.
3
Visit the tunnel mid-morning (10am – 12pm) for the best photographs. Crowds in the tunnel are lightest in the first two hours after opening. The tank lighting creates excellent photography conditions. By 2pm on weekends the tunnel becomes more crowded and harder to photograph without other visitors in frame.
4
Book the shark dive or penguin encounter several days ahead. Both premium experiences have limited daily slots and sell out regularly, particularly during school holidays. Online reservation through the Aquarium website is the only reliable way to secure a slot.
5
Combine with a Burj Khalifa visit and the Dubai Fountain show. Dubai Mall is the hub for three of Dubai's most popular attractions in one visit. The Dubai Fountain show (free to watch from the terrace) runs every 30 minutes from 6pm to 11pm. Timing the aquarium visit before 6pm and staying for the fountain show is a well-paced full evening.
6
Do not skip the Underwater Zoo with your tunnel ticket. Many visitors spend time in the tunnel and exit without visiting the Underwater Zoo upstairs. The Zoo includes King Croc, the otter habitat, the penguin colony, and the rainforest zone — an additional 30–45 minutes of genuinely engaging content that is already included in your AED 140 ticket.

Explore More

Nearby Attractions

Ski Dubai

Indoor ski slope at minus 4 degrees Celsius in Mall of the Emirates. Slope tickets from AED 220. Red Line metro direct from Dubai Mall station.

Old Dubai Guide

Historic Bur Dubai and Deira. Al Fahidi neighbourhood, Dubai Museum (AED 3), and the AED 1 abra creek crossing. Green Line metro.

Gold Souk Dubai

200+ gold and diamond shops in Deira. World-competitive prices due to low UAE taxes. Green Line metro to Gold Souk station.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Dubai Mall Aquarium free to visit?

The enormous glass panel on the Ground Floor of Dubai Mall is entirely free to view. No ticket is required and it is visible from the mall concourse during all mall opening hours. The paid experience — AED 140 adults, AED 100 children (3–12) — covers the 48-metre walk-through tunnel and the Underwater Zoo. Children under 3 enter both free of charge.
What is included in the Dubai Mall Aquarium tunnel ticket?

The AED 140 adult ticket includes the 48-metre walk-through tunnel with 270-degree panoramic views and full access to the Underwater Zoo above. The Zoo contains three zones: Rainforest (otters, arapaima, piranhas), Rocky Shore (seahorses, starfish), and Living Ocean (sharks, rays). It also includes views of King Croc, the penguin colony, and scheduled feeding sessions.
Can you dive with sharks at the Dubai Mall Aquarium?

Yes. A guided shark dive is available for PADI Open Water certified divers at AED 500 and above. The experience lasts approximately 45 minutes in the 10-million-litre main tank with sand tiger sharks, and all dive equipment is provided. Advance booking through the Aquarium website is required. Non-certified guests can book a cage snorkel experience from AED 300 as an alternative.
What animals are in the Dubai Mall Underwater Zoo?

The Underwater Zoo is home to over 140 species and 33,000 individual animals. Key residents include King Croc (a 750kg saltwater crocodile), a colony of gentoo penguins, Asian small-clawed otters, arapaima, piranhas, seahorses, starfish, and various shark and ray species. The three ecological zones each present a distinct marine and freshwater ecosystem.
How do I get to Dubai Mall Aquarium by metro?

Take the Red Line to Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall station. A fully climate-controlled pedestrian bridge connects the station directly to the mall with no outdoor walking required. Once inside, the aquarium is on the Ground Floor near the main fountain entrance, approximately 5 minutes from the metro bridge connection. Signage throughout the mall directs visitors to the aquarium.

Dubai Mall Aquarium and Underwater Zoo