The aquarium in Sochi is an all—season entertainment for children and adults. Why does not everyone like the modern Sochi Discovery World Aquarium complex? How to enjoy visiting the Sochi Aquarium, about the inhabitants of the underwater world, shark feeding show with photos and videos. A walk through the Resort town in Adler.
- How to get
- Tickets and schedule
- Underwater world
- Recommendations
- The resort town
Sochi Aquarium is the largest aquarium on the southern coast of Russia. It is also officially called the Great Adler Aquarium and Sochi Discovery World Aquarium (SDWA).
How to get to the Sochi Aquarium
The aquarium is a half-hour drive from the center of Adler and an hour from the center of Sochi. The address of the aquarium: Sochi, Adler district, Lenin St., 219a/4 “Resort town”. You can get to the Sochi Aquarium by bus, transfer or car:
- from Adler by bus № 60, 105, 117, 124, 125, 134 to the Izvestia bus stop, go back to the pedestrian bridge, cross the road
- from Sochi by bus No. 100, 105, 124, 125 to the Rosneft gas station stop, go ahead
- from Adler and the Olympic Park by transfer to the entrance to the aquarium for 100 rubles per person, tickets to the aquarium from the driver for cash without queues, phone 8-918-611-84-19
- Route by car GPS coordinates: 43°28’19.6″N 39°53’49.5″E
- car rental in Sochi
Sochi Aquarium: ticket price and schedule 2024
Tickets to the Sochi Aquarium are sold at the box office and at distributors at the same price. You must have a document confirming the age of the child or benefits with you.
Ticket prices
- Adult: 1200 rub
- Children 4-11 years old inclusive: 700 rub
- Children under 4 years old: free of charge
- Discounted ticket: 500 rubles (for disabled people of groups I and II, children with disabilities)
The ticket is valid for one visit until the end of the year, so it can be purchased in advance. We bought tickets at the footbridge on the way to the aquarium. You can pass through the turnstiles using a barcode, stay inside and move between the halls as much as you want, but enter and exit only once. Along with the ticket, a memo is issued-rules of conduct.
Work schedule
During the summer season, the Sochi Aquarium is open daily from 10:00 to 19:00. Off-season from 10:00 to 18:00, weekends: Monday, Tuesday.
Official website and phone number
- Official website: www.sochiaquarium.ru
- Phone: +7 862 246-33-56
The underwater world of the Sochi Aquarium
The Sochi Aquarium was opened at the end of 2009. The two-storey building with an area of 6,000 m2 consists of 13 themed areas, a 44-meter tunnel, 30 aquariums and 5 million liters of water. If you find yourself in the aquarium in the summer, you will immediately feel a pleasant coolness, but you do not need to dress warmly, we went in shorts and T-shirts.
The first aquarium area is dedicated to freshwater fish. Colored koi carp swim in the lakes, which can be fed. Capsules with food are sold in the vending machine. This part is well lit, beautiful photos are taken on the bridge, among the rainforest and waterfalls.
Some fish seem familiar from home aquariums, others you just won’t see: piranhas, sturgeons, inhabitants of the Amazon, Ecuador, and Australia rivers — more than 100 species.
The marine area of the Adler Aquarium is even more exotic. The subdued light and the noise of the sea immerse you in the atmosphere of the underwater world. Turtles, moray eels, fish and mammals of various sizes, colors and degrees of danger swim in large aquariums. Information signs tell about all the inhabitants of the aquarium, you can also take a guide.
The central part of the Sochi Aquarium is a transparent acrylic tunnel. It hosts show programs. Don’t miss it!
Show program schedule
- 11:00-11:30 and 15:00-15:30 — fabulous sea heroes: Mermaids, Poseidon, Ichthyander.
- 14:00-15:00 — fish feeding. Previously, this show was called “Feeding sharks”, now the sharks are fed separately off schedule.
During the winter holidays at 14:25 — Santa’s underwater show
We have come to the beginning of shark feeding. The show unfolds in front of the main viewing window with an area of 24 m2. A professional diver feeds not only the sharks, but also all the inhabitants of the tunnel.
Sharks and big fish snatch food right out of your hands, moray eels rub against a person like pets, Masha the sea turtle pushes with its mass and pushes everyone apart. At the end, the diver picks up a white shark from the bottom and swims away with it. Very impressive!
A walk inside the tunnel is no less interesting. The water surrounds visitors from three sides, sharks swim directly overhead. We waited for the Mermaid show to start. Two girls in costumes with fish tails swam among the inhabitants of the aquarium, sat on the remains of the “Sunken Ship” and took pictures through the glass with the audience.
Sochi Aquarium offers additional services: diving with photography, children’s birthday, original holiday greetings, marriage proposal. There is a cafe and a slot machine room in the lobby on the ground floor.
After the paid area of the aquarium, you pass the turnstiles and enter the gift shop. Branded and ordinary Sochi souvenirs are sold here: T-shirts with SDWA symbols, soft toys, shell products, ship models…
In front of the entrance to the store on the street there is a pirate from Treasure Island, with whom everyone is photographed. You can relax and make a wish on the benches of luck, love, money, happiness, health, reconciliation.
From the reviews on the Internet, it is clear that not everyone likes the Adler Aquarium. The main complaints are about the high ticket price and the size of the exhibition. I hope that you will have a great time with my advice.
Recommendations: how can I enjoy visiting the aquarium in Adler?
- The best time to visit is 14:00-16:00
- In order not to queue, buy tickets from distributors
- Read the rules of conduct, turn off the flash
- Come to the free aquariums
- Read the information boards, there are a lot of interesting things there
- 5-10 minutes before the start of the fish feeding show, take a seat at the observation window
- Take pictures with fabulous characters in the tunnel
- Wear something white to glow in the dark
- Feed the koi carp
- Find the funnel of desires and launch the coin
The resort town
We had time to walk around the Resort town, on the territory of which the Adler Aquarium is located. The first thing that comes across on the way is the sculptural composition “The City of Fairy Tales”.
Mosaic pools-fountains with figures of fish and marine animals were built in 1973 according to the project of Zurab Tsereteli. This work has received many awards, and now requires serious restoration.
A well-maintained park with subtropical plants is located in the center of the Resort town, there is also a pump room with mineral water “Plastunskaya”, which you can collect for free in your container or buy a plastic cup. Opposite the dino pump room is the Lost World Park with life-size moving dinosaur figures.
Most of the territory of the Resort town is occupied by the largest sanatorium and resort complex on the Black Sea coast “Adler Resort”, consisting of 4 buildings: Coral, Dolphin, Neptune, Smena. The Adler Resort has its own swimming pools, beaches, a medical center, and sports grounds. It is more profitable to make reservations through a tour operator to see prices.
Perhaps, after visiting the aquarium in Adler, you will want to continue the marine theme. The Adler Dolphinarium is also located in the Resort town. The show lasts 45-55 minutes, for children under 5 years old for free.
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