Istanbul Aquarium

Sharks swim in overhead tunnels and stingrays, clownfish, and red belly piranhas wriggle by at Istanbul Aquarium, home to over 1,500 sea and land creatures. With 16 geographical zones set out in 64 tanks holding 6,800 m3 of water, the numbers at this Florya neighborhood aquarium are impressive. From Red Sea to Pacific Ocean, Panama Canal to the Aegean, you can see the creatures that call these underwater worlds home. There's also a rainforest zone where you can spot poison frogs and come up close to the caiman crocodiles who are fed at 4pm every Saturday.
As you walk through Istanbul Aquarium, you'll see there are touch screens with information available in Turkish and English so you can learn more about the resident fish, animals and their habitat. Every day except Monday, at 11am you can see the sharks being fed, and the smaller fish are fed at 3pm every day. The aquarium has three cafes where you can relax, one of which faces the aquarium's Panama Canal, and it's also home to a 5D movie theater where you'll get to experience special fog, wind and water effects.

Practical Info

Entry to the Istanbul Aquarium costs 35 TL, and 5D movies cost 7.5 TL for the first movie, 10TL for the second. The aquarium is open from 10am-7pm on weekdays and from 10am - 8pm on weekends. Housed in the Aqua Florya shopping complex, the Istanbul Aquarium is hard to miss. To get there, take the train to Florya station and walk in the direction of Yeşilköy — you’ll reach the aquarium after 800 meters.