Hurghada Grand Aquarium — Attraction in Red Sea

33 euros to watch animals suffer. It was heartbreaking to see such magnificent creatures confined to tiny, inadequate enclosures. The turtles, which can live for decades and are meant to roam freely in the vast ocean, were trapped in a small tank with hardly any space to move. Even worse, the mantas showed visible wounds on their heads, a clear sign of poor care and stressful conditions. Birds and other animals were also kept in small cages, looking distressed. This place shows no respect for animal welfare, and it was deeply disappointing. Definitely not worth the visit.

Reply 21.09.2025:

Dear Hurghada Grand Aquarium,

Thank you for your detailed response to my review. I appreciate you taking the time to explain your mission of rescue and rehabilitation, which is a noble cause.

However, I must address your question: "What experience or knowledge do you have about caring for rescued animals?" As a tourist, I have no obligation to be an expert in animal conservation. My role as a visitor is to observe and learn. My perspective is formed not by professional knowledge, but by common sense and empathy.

I have visited numerous aquariums and marine centers around the world, including the Oceanário de Lisboa and facilities in Brazil. In these places, the focus on animal welfare and educational engagement is paramount, with well-documented rescue stories and clear information provided for every exhibit.

This exposure has taught me what a healthy, well-cared-for animal looks like, and what a truly educational experience should be.

This brings me to my second point. You state your mission is to "educate guests about conservation and stewardship of marine life." However, your facility fails to deliver on this promise.

Exhibit information, such as the names of the fish, is often unreadable from a normal viewing distance, making it impossible to learn anything without using a smartphone to get up close and take a photo.

This is a fundamental flaw for a place that claims to be a center for education.

Ultimately, my visit was heartbreaking. Regardless of whether the animals were rescued, they were clearly in distress.

The enclosures seemed inadequate, and the visible wounds on the mantas were deeply concerning, even if they were "old injuries."

The overall impression was of neglect, not professional care.

Finally, I must add that the price of 33 euros is completely unjustified for this experience. While I understand that prices are different for tourists and locals everywhere, the practice of charging a "tourist price" in Egypt often feels less like a fair exchange and more like an attempt to extort visitors.

For the suffering I witnessed and the lack of educational value, this price is simply outrageous.

Best...

Great aquarium but you might get ripped off. This place left us with very mixed emotions.

First off, I echo what is said in the reviews about the zoo part of the park which is really nothing like a zoo. Its animals in small cages and you can question if they are treated well although I cant say I saw any form of animal mistreatment. Its not something I would pay for.

Second, be very careful when you buy a ticket. They charge a high price of 31.5 EUR or 33 USD already. But if you dont have cash in EUR or USD and you want to pay by card or EGP they will charge you 1550 EGP which is 1,5 times the price of the EUR or USD value which is just crazy! Their argument 'you cant pay in EUR or USD by card' is not true for other venues in the neighbourhood and Apple Pay was also not possible. So you get ripped off before even entering the aquarium. Its just bizar that they get away with it. I would advise to bring cash or buy a ticket up front in either EUR or USD or with a fair exchange rate.

The aquarium itself is nice and up to standards. A fair price would be around 15-20 EUR even with a tourist premium on top. Be mindful that if you want to see the feeding you need to first travel through the zoo and that takes you 5-15 minutes to get to the aquarium area. The aquarium area takes about 30-60 minutes to visit. I have to say that we were surprised that there are divers in the aquarium who actually grab sharks for photos, which most likely does not feel appreciative to the shark. At least not normal - and that shouldnt be a debate!

Overall we had a mixed experience and luckily our kids didnt know about the price nor the treatment of the animals. Would I go again? No - looking at how I was scammed. Maybe - looking at what the aquarium had to offer but for a different price.

NOTE: dear Hurghada Grand Aquarium, I have noticed you respond to reviews posted here. I DO NOT want a follow up or reply from you. This review is to warn other travellers about the pro's and con's of your venue. This review is written truthfully without any intention of revenge and reflects what many are already saying about your company. You can choose to fix it for future travellers or decide to keep running your...

In response to the business’s reply:

Thank you for your, albeit quite lengthy reply, it honestly comes off as a defensive self-congratulatory rant rather than an acceptance of genuine feedback as you mentioned. Accepting and addressing my concerns and others in the reviews such as the cleanliness, smell, lack of educational material and disinterested animals would have given you a modicum of respect that you think deserve by sheltering these animals. I have no doubt that it takes massive effort to care for and run a facility of this magnitude but to deflect from points such as cleanliness, which isn’t a luxury it’s a basic concept, and go on a personal attack mission using snarky replies such as “think you can? Of course not” or “Your expectations which seem quite high” says a lot about you and further proves my point that management and staff need to be retrained. So no amount of “dedicated team” will cover for the greasy glass, foul smells , mislabeled exhibits, and depressed animals. If your instinct is to attack a guest with no agenda that points out his own experience and real issue then maybe it’s not the guests who are misunderstanding, as it’s your staff, upkeep, operations and your own responsibility how your facility comes across. I stand by every word in my review and now see I was too generous with my 3 stars.

I bid you change your ways at least for the sake of the animals.

While it provides a unique experience to see wildlife up close, the exhibit lacks any true depth on what you can learn about them with only a little paper hanging beside each tank or cage that doesn’t capture your interest to read. Staff are almost nowhere to be seen and the underground exhibits unfortunately smell due to poor ventilation and greasy glass and floors that haven’t been cleaned in a long time. Quite overpriced for what is offered. I can only imagine what the fish and animals go through as they look positively depressed and neglected. The aquarium could benefit from lively trained staff and better supervision rather than just trying to sell you overpriced professional...