Best Aquarium in London (Sealife London Review)
Are you wondering what the best Aquarium in London is? Interested in the Sealife Aquarium in London?
Awesome, you are on the right track! The Sealife London Aquarium is one of the best aquariums in London. It attracts more than a million visitors each year and is the largest aquarium in London.
My family just went and loved it! It is so conveniently located near other popular tourist sites that it is very easy to add to your London itinerary!
I am excited to give you my Sealife Aquarium review and let you know if Sea Life Aquarium is worth it!
Let’s explore all of the fun things to do at Sealife Aquarium.
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We thank Merlin Entertainment for giving us the opportunity to visit Sealife, we also want you to know that all opinions in the post are our own.
Directions to London Sea Life Aquarium
Sea Life Aquarium is located in an awesome spot near the London Pier and the South bank of the River Thames. It is right next to the London Eye and Shrek’s Adventure.
Sea Life Aquaium London Closest Tube Station
The closest train station to one of the best aquariums in London is Waterloo. If you are taking the train you will want to get off at the Waterloo Station. It is about a 5-minute walk from the train to Sea Life Aquarium London. This is the nearest station.
Embankment and Charing Cross Stations are on the North side of the River Thames. If you get off at these stations you will be walking 10-15 minutes across the Hungerford Bridge.
Westminster Station is another option if you want to see Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament up close before you head to the London Sea Life Aquarium. It is only an 8-minute walk from the train to Sea Life centre London.
London Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
Another option if you are already in the city is to jump on a London Hop on Hop off bus as there is a stop near the London Eye, SeaLife Aquarium, London Dungeon, and the Shrek Adventure.
You will want to book your tickets to the London Sea Life Aquarium ahead of time. When you book your tickets you will book a reservation for a specific time you will arrive.
You can also buy a anytime entry ticket. This is a little more money but will allow you the flexibilty of coming when you want.
Should I Book London Aquarium Tickets in Advance?
Yes! Absolutely! There are lots of ticket options. If you book online you will save a lot of money compared to getting tickets at the door! The standard ticket price is 28 pounds per adult online. If you book at the gate is closer to 40 pounds per adult.
If you are looking for the best deal be sure to ask me in my Facebook Group. I love working with Merlin Entertainment and they often send me special discount codes and offers.
Attractions Near the Sea Life Aquarium
There are some fun activities located next to the London Sea Life Aquarium such as the Shrek Adventure, London Eye, and the London Dungeon.
You can purchase a discounted Multi Attraction Ticket for Sea Life Aquarium and your choice of other attractions nearby.
You can Book a more in depth and deluxe London Aquarium experience that includes a virtual reality ride.
We did the London Eye, Shrek Adventure, and the Sea Life Aquarium all in one day.
Book London Sea Life Aquarium Tickets
I highly recommend booking your tickets ahead of time so that you save money on your experience.
Sea Life London Aquarium Hours
Sea Life opening hours and closing hours depends on the day of the week and time of the year. It can range from 9:30 am and closing as late as 7:00 pm. It is often opened later during school holidays.
Let’s explore all of the areas and themed zones inside this London Aquarium. Remember you can go at your own pace!
1. Shark Walk
If you love aquariums than you might be excited about the shark walk. There are a few species of sharks to keep an eye out in the London Aquarium.
The coolest sharks is the Sand Tiger Shark also named the Grey Nurse Shark and the Ragged Tooth Sharks. These are the shark with the big teeth.
The look like they would eat you up pretty easily but actually they are not a threat to humans.
They are constantly swimming in the shark tank. If they stop swimming they will sink to the bottom of the tank.
These were my favorite sharks to see.
There are also bottom dwellers and Nurse Sharks, Zebra Shark and Black Tip Reef Sharks.
The Shark Walk at the London Sea Life Aqurium is really cool. This tank is huge and you and can view it from many angles getting a great idea of what the depths of the ocean might feel like.
2. Ray Lagoon
The stingray exhibit at the Sea Life London Aquarium is pretty cool.
The Undulate Stingray is what you will be able to view. They have spots on them. When we went, there was a worker in this area who does a presentation about the exhibit.
3. Open Ocean and Ocean Tunnel
The open ocean and ocean underwater tunnel probably will be one of the best areas for kids. It is a glass tunnel with full views of sea life.This underwater world full of marine life and different species that dwell at the depths of the ocean is amazing.
This is a great place to hang out for a while and observe all the sea creatures!
It is amazing how you can walk through a tunnel and have sealife all around you. The open ocean is a darker area simulating a night ocean expeirence, which gives a cool feeling as you walk around looking at everything.
4. Coral and Sea Horse Kingdoms
The Coral Kingdom at the London Sea Life Aquarium was impressive. I don’t think I have seen that many clown fish in one spot. I love seeing all the tropical fish!
The picture doesn’t do it justice! There were a ton of fish everywhere. I love seeing the coral reef habitats.
There are also sea horses, weedy seadragons, and pipe fish nearby.
5. Rainforest Adventure
The Rainforest Adventure includes some crazy creatures. The dwarf crocodile, the dart frog, and pirahanas.
The Sea Life Aquarium London has one of the largest exhibits of pirahanas and what is even cooler is they are the rare meat eating ones.
This area is really neat to see some animals you may never actually come in contact with in your lifetime.
6. Polar Adventure
Adorable is the word I would use to descripe the Polar Adventure. The penquins are so cute! These penquins are Gentoo Penguins from the southern hemisphere.
Gentoo pengins are not endangered species like some penguin species. My favorite part is just watching them run around! They love to swim and slide and waddle around.
The Polar Adventure also includes the orca whale and the polor bear. I think I missed the polar bear. He must have been hiding.
If you want a unique experience look into the virtual experience offered in this zone.
7. Shark Reef and Ocean Invaders
The Ocean Invader section of Sea Life London Aquarium was magical. There were so many jellyfish!
The display is pretty mezmorizing! There are all sorts of bright colors reflected on the Jellyfish! It will give you the wow factor!
This was one of my favorite sections. It just seemed like there were thousands of jellyfish all around you.
Sea Life Aquarium in London Review
Overall my experience at Sea Life London Aquarium was great. I have a family with 4 kids and they all enjoyed it.
Even my teens had to stop at the penquin exhibit and take it all in for a little while. The sea turtles were also pretty cool!
My younger kids wanted to stop and enjoy the hands on experiences throughout the aquarium. They also loved the gift shop.
I thought is was the best aquarium in London and really it beat a lot of other aqauriums I have been to throughout the world.
I would reccomend going for sure if you have younger kids and are looking for things to do in London with kids!
We did this experience because we were on mission to stay awake on our first day after a 10 hour international flight. It was the perfect activity to keep us alert and moving!
Ready to Visit the Best Aquarium in London?
Hopefully, this has given you a great overview of what to expect when you visit one of the best aquariums in London.
If you have kids this is one of the best things to do in London. We loved adding this to our London itineary.
If you are looking for more incredible experiences and London activiites your kids will love be sure to do the London Hop on Hop off bus tour and explore all of the Harry Potter sites!
Facebook Community
If you have any questions join my Facebook Travel Community. You can ask any questions you have about upcoming trips and everyone is happy to help you plan your trip. I also try to give exclusive travel deals that companies send me. It is a great group to join!
