Frequently Asked Questions

Please ensure to wear shirts and footwear at all time.

Service animals are permitted with a evidence of legal documentation and an identification jacket for your service animal for the General Admission Entry. For the safety of your pet and our animals, pets are not allowed in our facility.

Cairns Aquarium is the number #1 visitor attraction in Cairns. Located right in the city centre and only 7 minutes from the Cairns Airport, the Cairns Aquarium offers a glimpse into the incredible underwater life of the Great Barrier Reef, Wet Tropics Rainforests, River systems and mangroves.

The Cairns Aquarium is Cairns most visited attraction. As the only Aquarium in the world to just showcase the fish and aquatic animals of the reef, rainforest and rivers, its an ideal learning experience to see aquatic wildlife before a trip to the reef.

The Cairns Aquarium is the ideal indoor experience during wet, humid or even windy weather while your are in Cairns.

The Cairns Aquarium is the perfect experience for the whole family while in Cairns. With an onsite turtle hospital and living coral biobank as well as free daily educational talks, a visit to the Cairns Aquarium is suitable for the whole family.

The Cairn Aquarium provides a great opportunity for seniors to get up close with the underwater creatures of the Great Barrier Reef and tropical waterways. Level floors, easy tank viewing, seated amphitheatres, couches, elevators and escalators, make the Cairns Aquarium ideal to enjoy for all family members.

Once you’ve paid for General Admission into the Cairns Aquarium, there are free educational talks right throughout the day where you will learn all about river monsters, denizens of the deep, sharks and rays, and the Coral Sea.  For customers to the onsite aquatic themed restaurant, you can also enjoy watching reef fish swim around in the restaurant’s 70,000 litre marine tank.

Night at the Aquarium is the perfect night time experience while in Cairns. Arriving at the Cairns Aquarium at 5:45pm, the 1.5 hour tour starts at 6 pm and concludes at 7:30pm. You’ll learn about and see the reef, rainforest and river life – in a nocturnal setting – and you’ll learn about which fish and animals move about after dark. Night at the Aquarium is followed by a two course chef prepared diner in our aquatic themed restaurant.

The Cairns Aquarium is the very best place for a guaranteed experience with sharks of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral sea. In the Cairns Aquariums Oceanarium, you’ll see 7 species of Sharks, some up to three metres long. Everyday at 11:00 am is a shark and ray educational talk followed by a shark ad ray feeding session.

It can be difficult to see sharks on the Great Barrier Reef but they are guaranteed to be seen at the Cairns Aquarium. The Cairns Aquarium’s species on display include: Grey Reef Sharks, Leopard sharks, Black tip reef sharks, White Tip reef sharks, Tawny Nurse shark, Shovelnose shark, Epaulette shark and Bamboo shark.

Skyrail, Kuranda Scenic rail and the Cairn Aquarium can be booked as a day package on the Cairns Aquarium website.

The best way to learn about the Great Barrier Reef prior to your trip is to visit the Cairns Aquarium. With over 16,000 Reef and river fish on display, 180 educational signs, educational talks throughout the day and guided afternoon and night tours, the Cairns Aquarium provides a snapshot of the very best elements of the Great Barrier Reef.

The Cairns Aquarium has an incredible souvenir store where you can purchase a huge array of items such as cups, t-shirts, magnets, toys, key rings, cards, food and homewares as a souvenir of your experience in Cairns.

Students and seniors receive discounted entry to the Cairns Aquarium.

RACV or RACQ members receive a 10% discount of General Admission tickets at the Cairn Aquarium. Please present your card to the Cairns Aquarium ticketing counter to receive discounted admission.

Companion card holder receives concession price upon presentation of a Companion Card and accompanied carer gets free of charge per Companion card for General Admission entry only. (Excludes any Guided tours, Packages or Optional tours)

The Cairns Aquarium opens at 8:15am for visitors booked on the Aquarium by Sunrise Tour. For General Admission bookings, entry is between 9:30am and 3:30pm every day of the year. For visitors booked on the Aquarium by Twilight tour, this starts at 3:15 each day and for visitors booked on Night at the Aquarium tours, this starts at 6:00pm Monday through Saturday and the tour concludes at 7:30pm

The Cairns Aquarium has established the Worlds first living Coral Biobank. The facility houses all 450 species of hard coral from the Great Barrier Reef as a conservation program to ensure that there is genetic material to repopulate impacted sections of the Reef in case of damage or bleaching. You can help protect the reef by booking a behind the scenes tour to see the Living Coral Biobank. All proceeds from ticket sales are used to house, feed, maintain, and protect the live corals in the biobank.

Climate change impacts the health of the Great Barrier Reef through rising sea temperatures which is the leading cause of coral bleaching. You can learn about the impacts of climate change on the reef by listening to educational talks at the Cairns Aquarium during the day, take part in the Aquarium by Twilight guided tours, Night at the Aquarium Guided tours or behind the scenes guided tours of the Living Coral Biobank at the Cairns Aquarium.

Coral bleaching is a process by which corals expel symbiotic colourful algae from their tissue when the surrounding water temperature heats up. You can learn about Coral Bleaching by listening to educational talks at the Cairns Aquarium during the day, take part in the Aquarium by Twilight guided tours, Night at the Aquarium Guided tours or behind the scenes guided tours of the Living Coral Biobank at the Cairns Aquarium

The Cairns Aquarium has established the World’s first living Coral Biobank. The facility houses all 450 species of hard coral from the Great Barrier Reef as a conservation program to ensure that there is genetic material to repopulate impacted sections of the Reef in case of damage or bleaching. You can help protect the reef by booking a behind the scenes tour to see the Living Coral Biobank. All proceeds from ticket sales are used to house, feed, maintain, and protect the live corals in the biobank. You can also make a direct donation to the Cairns Aquarium to support educational programs aimed at reef conservation and climate change mitigation.

The Cairns Aquarium has a volunteer program where you can volunteer your time and work with live corals, sea turtles, baby sharks and interact with the public.

Cairns best restaurant is Dundees at the Cairns Aquarium. Famous for its succulent dishes, enjoy Chef prepared gourmet meals while enjoying a full wall marine scape backdrop

The Cairns Aquarium is pleased to provide the best dining experience while you are in Cairns. Home to Dundees at the Cairns Aquarium, enjoy a compete range of Australia’s finest cuisine, with sustainably sourced seafood, local meats and produce, vegetarian, vegan and all dietaries catered for..

Dundees at the Cairns Aquarium offers the very freshest seafood Australia has to offer. For lovers of fresh seafood, try the Great Barrier Reef platter, a seafood tower of the most enjoyable food you’ve ever had.

Cairns is one of the best holiday experiences in Australia. With the world class Cairns Aquarium, the 5 star Crystalbrook collection hotels, the Reef, Rainforest and gourmet dining experiences, a visit to Cairns is a must for any one looking for a safe, enjoyable and memorable holiday experience.

The best holiday experience in Cairns is a visit to the Cairns Aquarium. With over 16,000 fish and aquatic organisms from the Great Barrier Reef, Rainforests and Rivers, it’s the perfect place to visit prior to a trip out to the Great Barrier Reef itself.

The Cairns Aquarium is ideally located right in the heart of Cairns and just minutes walk from all city hotels.

The Cairns Aquarium is conveniently located just 7 minutes drive from the Cairns Airport. If you are checking out early from your hotel and have a bit of time before your flight, visit the Cairns Aquarium before you depart. Luggage storage is available at the Cairns Aquarium.

The Cairns Aquarium has an onsite sea turtle hospital. For an additional $20 per adult or $14 per child, go behind the scenes and learn about the 7 species of sea turtle on the Great Barrier Reef, what they eat, what they look like and the threats and impacts they face. They met the actual Sea Turtles in care at the Sea Turtle Hospital. All ticket proceeds are used to care and rehabilitate sick and injured Sea Turtles prior to their release back to the wild.

The Cairns Aquarium offers many live coral displays so you can see the beautiful and colourful coral communities of the Great Barrier Reef while you are in Cairns.

The Cairns Aquarium is a great experience for children of all ages.

The Cairn Aquarium has paid storage facilities for luggage.

Most people spend 1.5-2 hours enjoying the Cairns Aquarium.

The Cairns Aquarium has dedicated Great Barrier Reef fish and coral displays. You can also learn about the Great Barrier Reef by listening to free educational talks during the day or by enjoying an Aquarium by Twilight or Night at the Aquarium guided tour.

The Cairns Aquarium is located at 5 Florence Street, Cairns which is right in the heart of Cairns.

The Cairn Aquarium is a must see experience when visiting Cairns. It’s the perfect way to see and experience underwater life from the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, coastal mangroves, rainforest and freshwater waterways.

The very best night experience is the cairns Aquarium’s Night at the Aquarium guided tour and 2 course dinner experience. Using specialised ultra violet and infra-red spectrum lighting, see and learn about the reef, rivers and rainforest night life as you’ve never seen before.

Reef trips and Cairns Aquarium two day packages can be booked on the cairn Aquarium website.