Cairns Aquarium: Opening Hours, Ticket Prices, Daily Talks and Where to Park at 5 Florence Street (Cairns, QLD)

Cairns Aquarium at 5 Florence Street is open every day of the year from 9:30am to 3:30pm, with last admission at 2:30pm, and an adult general admission ticket costs $61 as of November 2026. The aquarium says it is one block from the Cairns Esplanade and within walking distance of most major hotels. Cairns is in Queensland and stays on Brisbane time all year (AEST, UTC+10).

This guide uses the General Info page, ticket and FAQ pages on the aquarium’s own website, read on 9 November 2026, together with Cairns Regional Council’s parking pages.

What are the opening hours?

The aquarium’s General Info and FAQ pages say it is open daily, including all public holidays, from 9:30am to 3:30pm, with last admission at 2:30pm. The aquarium’s Turtle Rehabilitation Centre page uses older wording, “open daily 10am to 3pm, last admission at 2pm”. The two pages disagree, so this guide uses the General Info and FAQ pages.

Separate guided experiences run on their own times. The FAQ says the Aquarium by Twilight tour starts at 3:15pm Monday to Saturday and ends at 5:15pm, and the Night at the Aquarium tour starts at 6:00pm Monday to Saturday and ends at 7:30pm.

How much does it cost?

The aquarium lists these prices for self-guided general admission, which it says takes about two hours. A recognised Seniors, Student, Pension or Carer card is required at entry for the concession price.

Ticket	Who	Price
Adult	Ages 15 and over	$61
Child	Ages 3 to 14	$35
Concession	Seniors, student, pension or carer card	$48
Infant	Ages 2 and under	Free
Family	2 adults and 2 children	$173

The aquarium’s FAQ says RACV or RACQ members get 10% off general admission tickets with their card at the ticketing counter, excluding family tickets and not combined with other offers. A Companion Card holder pays the concession price, and their accompanying carer enters free for general admission only; the page says this excludes guided tours, packages and optional tours.

The aquarium also sells an annual pass, valid for 365 days, at $151 for an adult and $434 for a family, with prices valid until 31 March 2027. The pass can only be bought at the admissions counter, not online.

What time are the daily talks?

The aquarium says all educational presentations and the marine touch tank are included in a general admission ticket. These are the times it lists.

Talk	Times	Where
River Monsters	10:00am and 12:00pm	River Monsters Amphitheatre (Ground Floor)
Denizens of the Deep	10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:00pm	Deep Reef Amphitheatre (Level 1)
Life of Sharks and Rays	11:00am and 1:00pm	Oceanarium (Ground Floor)
Curious and Coloured	11:30am, 1:30pm and 2:30pm	Coral Sea Amphitheatre (Ground Floor)
Marine Touch Tank	10:00am to 3:00pm	Marine Touch Pools (Level 1)

The FAQ adds that the 11:00am shark and ray talk is followed by a shark and ray feeding session. It names the sharks on display as grey reef, leopard, blacktip reef, whitetip reef, tawny nurse, shovelnose, epaulette and bamboo sharks. The last talk starts at 2:30pm, the same time as last admission.

Is there a turtle hospital tour?

The Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre is at the aquarium and is described as a not-for-profit, volunteer-run charity that cares for rescued sea turtles. A 30-minute guided Turtle Hospital Tour runs daily at 11:30am and 12:30pm and is added to a general admission ticket: $20 for an adult and $14 for a child aged 3 to 14. The aquarium says to arrive 15 minutes before the start, that flash photography and touching the turtles are not allowed, and that children must be supervised by an adult at all times. It also says all proceeds from the tour go towards food, medicine, veterinary care and operating costs. Companion Cards are not accepted for this tour.

Where do I park?

The aquarium says 3-hour free on-street parking is available close to the attraction, along with metered spaces, a drop-off zone and disabled car parks near the main entrance. The public bus terminal is one block away on Lake Street, according to the aquarium.

Cairns Regional Council’s parking pages say on-street parking marked with a free or time-only sign has no fee. Paid on-street parking is marked “Meter” and costs $2.40 per hour as of November 2026. Time limits and fees apply from 8:30am to 6pm on weekdays and 8:30am to 2pm on Saturdays; outside those hours, kerb-side parking is free with no time limits, and all day on Sundays and public holidays. The council’s meters take Australian coins (not 5c), Visa and Mastercard with a $1 minimum, and give no change; you can also pay with the Easy Park app. The meters are “pay by plate”, so you do not need to return to your car with a ticket.

The aquarium’s hours of 9:30am to 3:30pm fall inside the council’s weekday time-limited hours. Our Cairns council parking guide lists the council’s off-street car parks and their fees.

What is inside?

The aquarium says it is home to more than 16,000 aquatic animals in nine key ecosystems across 11 zones, covering animals and habitats of Tropical North Queensland, the Wet Tropics Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. It lists a 10-metre Deep Reef Tank, a 360-degree Oceanarium, a 20-metre underwater tunnel, a mangrove boardwalk and a large freshwater exhibit among its features, and says you can see freshwater fish, pythons, emerald tree monitors, crocodiles, reef fish, sharks and rays. It describes admission as a single entry.

Are there evening tours?

Yes. The aquarium sells Aquarium by Twilight, a guided after-hours tour of about three hours priced from $89 as of November 2026, and Night at the Aquarium, a 90-minute tour that starts at 6:00pm after you arrive at 5:45pm and is followed by a two-course dinner in the aquarium’s restaurant, according to its FAQ. The aquarium prices and times these separately from general admission.

Is it accessible?

The aquarium describes itself as a fully accessible facility with elevators, ramps and accessible bathrooms. It says guide and service dogs are welcome with proof of certification, and that pets are not allowed. Free wheelchair hire is listed on its Turtle Rehabilitation Centre page. Bathrooms are on the Ground Floor and Level One, and the aquarium has small rental lockers and toilets with change tables.

What else should I know?

The aquarium’s dress code is that shirts and footwear must be worn at all times. Its FAQ describes the aquarium as an indoor experience for wet, humid or windy weather. It says it is about 7 minutes from Cairns Airport, and that Skyrail, Kuranda Scenic Railway and the aquarium can be booked together as a day package on its website; our Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail guide covers the train and cableway timetables and closure dates.

Sources

• Cairns Aquarium — General info (read 9 November 2026)
• Cairns Aquarium — General admission
• Cairns Aquarium — Daily presentations
• Cairns Aquarium — Turtle Rehabilitation Centre tours
• Cairns Aquarium — FAQs
• Cairns Aquarium — Annual pass (prices valid until 31 March 2027)
• Cairns Regional Council — On-street parking

Featured image: Cairns Aquarium, July 2020 (photo: Chris Olszewski / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added). The photos in this guide were taken in earlier years and may not show current exhibits.

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Cairns Aquarium or Cairns Regional Council. Hours and prices are as the aquarium and the council listed them on 9 November 2026.