Genoa Aquarium: tickets, discounts, dinner with the dolphins and curiosities (2026 guide)
Some places in Genoa you recognise from people's faces before you even see them: children with their noses pressed against the glass of the tanks, school groups queuing from first thing in the morning, adults falling silent in front of the dolphins as if time had stopped for a moment. This is the Aquarium of Genoa, the most visited attraction in the city and one of the best-loved in Italy.
In this guide you'll find everything you need to plan your visit: how much it costs, how to spend less, how the Emotional Dinner among the dolphins works, the special behind-the-scenes experiences and a few curiosities that not many people know. At the end, as always, we also tell you how far our homes are from the Aquarium: one is just a 7-minute walk away.
Online tickets from €26 for adults: the price changes with the date and time slot, so it pays to book online and in advance. Prices and dates updated on 23 September 2026.
Orange and white clownfish among the tentacles of a sea anemone in an Aquarium tank Purple sea anemones spread over the rocks in a tank at the Genoa Aquarium Surgeonfish swimming among the tentacles of a large orange anemone at the Genoa Aquarium Moray eels among the rocks in a tank at the Genoa Aquarium Jellyfish floating in an illuminated tank at the Genoa Aquarium Scorpionfish camouflaged on the bottom of a tank at the Genoa Aquarium Seahorses clinging to a rope in a tank at the Genoa Aquarium Moorish idol with yellow and black stripes among the corals at the Genoa Aquarium Penguins seen from underwater on a rock in the pool at the Genoa Aquarium
How much does the Aquarium of Genoa cost
The online price "from €26" applies to adults aged 13 and over. Children aged 4 to 12 pay from €16, children up to 3 get in free, while over-65s, military personnel and people with disabilities pay from €20. Prices are dynamic and change depending on the day you choose: if you want maximum flexibility, the Flexi ticket costs €38, is valid for a full year and can be changed once up to two hours before the booked time.
If you want to see more, there are official combo tickets:
PianetAcquario (Aquarium, Bigo and Biosphere): from €37 for adults.
Aquarium + Children's City (Città dei Bambini): from €42.
AcquarioVillage (all attractions): from €51.
Annual pass: from €95.
How to spend less
The trick is to choose a fixed-date ticket and buy it online on the official website, comparing a couple of days: on weekdays it's more relaxed and you avoid the crowds. At weekends, early morning and late afternoon are the quietest time slots. A tip for larger families: with two paying adults and at least three children aged 4 to 12, the third child gets in free.
We'll tell you the truth about discounts, as we always do: the official ones today are designed for residents (Wednesdays at €17 for people living in Genoa and its province). For tourists we found no seasonal discounts, so be wary of the "up to 50% off" codes going around on coupon websites: they don't appear on the Aquarium's official website. The promotions that are actually running are always listed on the official Discounts and Promotions page.
Dining inside the Aquarium: the Emotional Dinners
Yes, you can have dinner at the Aquarium of Genoa, and it's an experience our guests always tell us about with shining eyes. The Emotional Dinners (Cene Emozionali) take place in the Cetacean Pavilion, with the dolphin tanks as a backdrop: €89 per person (wine and drinks excluded), a choice of seafood or meat menu, and a soprano singing live while the dolphins swim just a few steps away. The official website describes them as "leading actors with their spectacular presence", and those who have tried it agree.
Places are limited, 80 per evening: arrival is between 8:00 and 8:30 pm and the evening ends at 11:30 pm. The next dates are Saturday 21 November and Saturday 12 December 2026. Bookings are made through C-Way (010 2345666, info@c-way.it), paying on confirmation; cancellation is free up to 5 working days before.
If you stay with us at Acquario House, after dinner it's 550 metres on foot (7 minutes) to your bed. No taxi at midnight.
The Aquarium also offers other dinners depending on the season: in summer, evening visits and the sunset dinner on the deck of the Nave Blu ("Gusto a bordo" restaurant); on New Year's Eve, a special dinner in the Cetacean Pavilion, as in 2021 and 2025. The 2026 New Year's Eve programme should be checked on the official website.
Special experiences
Behind the Scenes: 45 minutes in the technical areas, €8 for adults and €5 for children, groups of up to 15 people, every hour from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm (every day at weekends, on public holidays and during school holidays). Book at least one working day in advance; pushchairs are not allowed.
Face to face with the dolphins: €100 for adults and €89 for children (aged 6 and over), 1 hour 45 minutes, at 8:40 am, every day except Monday and Friday. You don't touch the dolphins: you watch a training session from a reserved spot. Maximum 5 participants, book at least 3 working days in advance.
Face to face with the penguins: €60 for adults and €40 for children (aged 6 and over), 1 hour 30 minutes, at 1:30 pm, Monday and Thursday to Sunday.
Night with the Sharks: you sleep in front of the shark tank, but only for children aged 7 to 11.
Curiosities about the Aquarium of Genoa
Born for the Columbus celebrations. It opened in 1992, for the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America. The building is by Renzo Piano, the interiors by Peter Chermayeff, and from the outside it looks like a great ship moored at the pier.
Numbers. Around 10,000 animals of 400 species and over 33 million visitors in thirty years, on average more than a million a year.
A real ship. Since 1998 the Aquarium has expanded into the hull of a moored ship, the Nave Blu, which houses the Biodiversity Pavilion.
The Cetacean Pavilion arrived by sea. It was built afloat in the dry dock of La Spezia, completed in Voltri and set in place in Genoa on 28 June 2013. It is 94 metres long, has a curved acrylic tunnel of about 15 metres underwater and can house up to nine dolphins. It opened on 27 July 2013.
Manatees. On 10 September 2015 the first manatee calf born in captivity in Italy was born here. The Aquarium is the only facility in Italy, and one of 10 in Europe, to house them. Legend has it that they inspired the myth of the mermaids.
The Bigo. Renzo Piano's panoramic lift, opened on 15 May 1992, rises to 40 metres while rotating 360 degrees. Its name comes from the "bighi", the port's cranes.
Sea turtle moving through the acrylic tunnel at the Genoa Aquarium Sea turtle moving through the acrylic tunnel at the Genoa Aquarium Sea turtle moving through the acrylic tunnel at the Genoa Aquarium Sea turtle moving through the acrylic tunnel at the Genoa Aquarium Sea turtle moving through the acrylic tunnel at the Genoa Aquarium Sea turtle moving through the acrylic tunnel of the Genoa Aquarium Sea turtle moving through the acrylic tunnel of the Genoa Aquarium Sea turtle moving through the acrylic tunnel of the Genoa Aquarium
Where to stay near the Aquarium of Genoa, the city's biggest tourist attraction.
The Aquarium of Genoa is the most visited attraction in the city, and if it's the heart of your trip it makes sense to choose where to stay accordingly. P&P House has four apartments in Genoa: here we tell you where they are and which one suits you best depending on what you're looking for, but we'll say it straight away: if the Aquarium is your priority, the choice is almost obvious.
How to choose the right home for your Aquarium holiday.
If the Aquarium is the main reason for your trip, and you want to walk there and back without a care (including an Emotional Dinner in the evening), Acquario House is the most convenient choice. If you prefer a modern neighbourhood by the sea and don't mind a short bus or car ride, the Waterfront homes are a great middle ground. If you're travelling as a family and also want sports facilities and a more residential setting, Arena Albaro House is about an hour away from the Aquarium by public transport but offers other advantages.
For all the details about the Aquarium (tickets, opening hours, Emotional Dinners, special experiences and curiosities) you'll find our complete guide: Aquarium of Genoa: tickets, discounts, dinner among the dolphins and curiosities.
Book directly on our website: no extra fees, and if you have questions about which home to choose, just write to us and we'll answer personally.
Living area of Arena Albaro House View of the Waterfront di Levante Bedroom at Waterfront Porto Antico House
Acquario House, our little gem a stone's throw from the Aquarium of Genoa.
Acquario House is the home we always recommend to our guests when they write to tell us they're coming to Genoa mainly for the Aquarium. It's in the historic centre, in Salita San Siro, inside the building of the historic Marescotti di Cavo pastry shop: a cosy nest in the most authentic Genoa, the Genoa of the caruggi (the narrow alleys), a stone's throw from the Porto Antico.
The distance speaks for itself: 550 metres, a 7-minute walk to the Aquarium entrance.
It's also the right home if you book an Emotional Dinner in the Cetacean Pavilion: when the evening ends late, you're home in a 7-minute walk, without looking for a taxi at midnight.
For those coming to Genoa for the Aquarium, Acquario House is more than an apartment: it's a home away from home, a convenient base for enjoying the city on foot, without worrying about getting around.
Book directly on our website: no extra fees, and if you have questions about which home to choose, just write to us and we'll answer personally.
Bedroom at Acquario House The view over Piazza Fossatello from Acquario House The kitchen at Acquario House
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Aquarium of Genoa cost? Online tickets start from €26 for adults and from €16 for children aged 4 to 12. Under-4s get in free. The price changes with the date.
What are the Aquarium of Genoa's opening hours? The Aquarium is open every day of the year, from 9 am to 8 pm, with last entry at 6 pm. In summer and over the Christmas period there are evening openings and special programmes, so it's worth checking the opening hours on the day of your visit.
How long do you need to visit the Aquarium of Genoa? Allow at least three hours. If you add the Biosphere and the Bigo with the PianetAcquario ticket, plan for half a day.
Can you have dinner inside the Aquarium of Genoa? Yes: the Emotional Dinners in the Cetacean Pavilion cost €89 per person (wine excluded). The next dates are Saturday 21 November and Saturday 12 December 2026, with booking through C-Way.
Are there discounts for tourists? We found no seasonal discounts for tourists. The real savings come from buying a fixed-date ticket online, visiting on weekdays and the free third child for families with at least three children aged 4 to 12.
Which home is closest to the Aquarium of Genoa? Acquario House, in the historic centre: 550 metres, a 7-minute walk.
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