Antalya Aquarium Day Trip – Shark Tunnel and 40 Themed Tanks

When the beach is too hot, the sky is grey or the children simply want something new, the sea can come to you instead. The Antalya Aquarium in Konyaaltı keeps more than 10,000 marine animals under one air-conditioned roof, and its showpiece is a walk-through tunnel 131 metres long – among the longest anywhere – where sharks and rays drift silently above your head.

From the Mediterranean to the Amazon

About 40 themed tanks lead you on a route around the world’s waters. You start with the kind of fish you can spot while snorkelling off Alanya, pass colourful tropical reefs and glowing jellyfish, and reach a rainforest river where piranhas and giant turtles live. The deep shark basin, home to sand tiger sharks, is the moment most children are waiting for.

Hands-on moments

At the touch pools children – and plenty of adults – can feel what a sea creature’s skin is like, and the staff’s feeding presentations show the animals at their liveliest. Photos are allowed in most areas, though flash may be restricted in some. Cafés and restaurants inside the complex serve snacks and lunch, which are paid separately.

More under the same roof

The building has further attractions you can add on site for an extra fee: Snow World, an Ice Museum, the Wild Park with its reptiles and an XD cinema. With roughly three and a half hours at the complex, there is time for one or two of them if the family still has energy.

How the day runs

We collect you at about 08:30 in the Alanya area – a little later in Side and Manavgat – and the drive to Antalya takes about two hours from Alanya, less from Side. The evening before, your driver confirms the exact pickup time. You are at the aquarium from around 10:30 to 14:00 and back at your hotel at about 16:00. Adults pay €70, children aged 3–11 €65, and under-3s are free. For another big family day, try the Land of Legends park or meet dolphins up close at Sealanya.