Israel Aquarium, Jerusalem – Attraction for all Seasons
Israel Aquarium in Jerusalem is an excellent place for animal lovers. Moreover, it is also devoted to protecting marine habitats.
Notes:
- If you want information about the Eilat aquarium, check out Underwater Observatory Marine Park.
- Check out Zoos and Aquariums in Israel for additional information about animals and wildlife.
Map
Israel Aquarium is located at Aharon Shulov 1, Jerusalem, near Jerusalem Biblical Zoo.
Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit
Interactive map of the area:
Here is the map of the Israel Aquarium:
Note: you can click on the map to enlarge it.
The Israel Aquarium is situated in one big building. The structure is divided into thirteen different spaces. And they are all placed conveniently on a loop trail. Completing this trail takes about two hours.
Directions
If driving, enter the “Israel Aquarium” or the above address into the navigation app. Moreover, there are many free parking spaces near the entrance.
If you arrive by public transport, here is a link to Moovit, where the endpoint is set. Thus, change the starting point to your location, and you will get the updated directions. Also, I want to mention the train station near the zoo (named after the zoo). Walking from the train station to the aquarium will take 10 – 15 minutes.
Opening Hours
Sunday – Thursday, and Saturday: 09:00 – 17:00
Friday: 09:00 – 16:00
Previously, you were required to purchase tickets in advance for a specific time slot. This requirement is no longer listed, but I would advise purchasing tickets at the official site (see the tours section).
Note: The last entrance is allowed up to two hours before closure.
Tours
There are aquarium tours in English and Hebrew. And when you are looking for available time slots, you can search for days with tours. These tours are included in the ticket price.
When we visited, we did not register for one of the tours. But there were guides at each station. They provided short explanations, and we joined those short sessions.
Entrance Fee
Adult – 62 NIS
Child (3 – 18 years old) – 51 NIS
Zoo members: Adult – 48 NIS, Child – 38 NIS
Student, soldier, or senior – 51 NIS
Note: ticket prices were updated in January 2023. In any case, recheck the official site before visiting.
Coupons and Discounts
In January 2023, I searched for coupons online and found only the following deal:
- Yerushalmi – 54 NIS per adult and 45 NIS per child
Also, you can look for a coupon at the following places:
- cuponofesh
- htzone
- yours
- behatsdaa
- hist.org.il
- And different worker’s associations.
Contact Information
Phone: 073-3399000
Email: info@israel-aquarium.org.il
Facebook page: @israelaquarium
About Israel Aquarium
The Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium, Jerusalem is a public aquarium in Israel inaugurated on 19.6.2017. The aquarium focuses on Israel’s marine environment – the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as on the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The Israel aquarium was built by the Tish Family Zoological Gardens (the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem) and is located next to it, but stands on its own as a separate tourist attraction. The aquarium will open to the general public for running in the period during the summer of 2017.
Source: Wikipedia
Entrance Hall
You can see a small Koi pond with sitting places and a small shop near the main building.
The whole attraction is inside an airconditioned building, making it perfect for visiting during bad weather (rainy or hot). On one occasion, we visited the Israel Aquarium on a rainy Saturday.
One important note before entering the Israel Aquarium: you are allowed to photograph, but the use of flash is forbidden. So, disable flash before entering.
The entrance hall includes an information booth and locker room. This hall contains the first exhibit – a schooling display with hundreds of fish swimming to the right and marking the beginning of the route.
Source: Wikipedia
You can find the information booth, lockers, and basic information like “what is a fish” at the entrance.
As you can see, all explanations are in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.
Four Seas of Israel Gallery
Next in line, after the entrance hall, is the Four Seas of Israel Gallery.
This gallery presents the seas of Israel – the Sea of Galilee, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee exhibit displays cichlid fish (Jordan Saint Peter’s fish), and the Dead Sea has a dry exhibit framed. In the Mediterranean Sea exhibit, presented in seaside ruins that resemble the Caesarea area, contains gilt-head sea bream (Denis) fish. In the Red Sea, several dozen lionfish of two species fascinate by gliding up and down a central column of colorful corals.
Source: Wikipedia
The aquarium in the center represents the Red Sea, which can be accessed through Eilat. Also, it is worth mentioning that you can find Underwater Observatory Marine Park in Eilat.
The Dead Sea or Salt Sea is a saltwater lake that lies in the Great Rift Valley lake is located at the lowest point on earth (4