Conveniently located in the heart of Darling Harbour, Sea Life Sydney Aquarium can transport you to the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Harbour and even take you on a Penguin Expedition.

Getting to Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

Not to be confused with Manly Sea Life Sanctuary, this aquarium is located in the heart of Darling Harbour, which makes getting there super easy. If you’re staying in the CBD, you can easily walk to Darling Harbour, otherwise, you can opt for public transport such as the iconic Sydney ferry.

How much does it cost?

For up to date entry prices, please click here to go to their website.

What about the Merlin Annual Pass?

You might only think an annual pass is worth it if you’re a local. However, if you’re visiting Sydney and planning on visiting a few attractions, it might be worth you getting a Merlin Annual Pass. Included in the pass is:

• Access on all days and all times including public holidays
• Includes privilege pack, packed full of goodies and discounts
• 10% discounts in attraction gift shops
• 20% discounts off food and drink
• $10 off Magic Memories souvenir photo packs
• 20% off all Tours and Experiences *Excludes Shark Feed Xtreme at Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary
• 20% off Kids’ Birthday Parties
• $2 Coffee or Tea (where sold)

And if you’re travelling to Queensland, Victoria & NZ, you can use your pass at some of the attractions there as well. Detailed below is a full list of attractions included with the Merlin Annual Pass:

Sydney & NSW

1. SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
2. WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
3. Madame Tussauds Sydney
4. Sydney Tower Eye
5. Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary (closing summer 2017)
6. Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures

Victoria

1. SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
2. Otway Fly Treetop Adventures

Queensland and Auckland, NZ

1. SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast
2. WILD LIFE Hamilton Island
3. Kelly Tarlton’s SEA LIFE Aquarium (Auckland, NZ)

How long does it take to get through the aquarium?

You can comfortably get through the aquarium in around 2 hours, however, I suspect if you have children this may take a little longer! Something to keep in mind though, if you go on the weekend or during school holidays, you should expect to wait around 30 minutes for the Penguin Expedition exhibit. Personally, I think it is worth it, but it is worth noting that the ‘ride’ is only a couple of minutes long so it quite a long wait.

Planning your visit

There are numerous guide talks and animal feeds that you can jump on which are included in the ticket price.  For an up to date list of talks and walks, click here.

There are some incredible exhibits in the aquarium, see below a few of our favourite photos from our visit.

“There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” – Charles Dudley Warner