Fakieh Aquarium & Dolphin Village is the only public aquarium in Saudi Arabia — and for a family in Jeddah it is the easiest win on the calendar: an air-conditioned marine world right on the Corniche, with a dolphin show the kids will talk about for weeks. This page is the practical family plan the aggregator listings never bother with: today’s opening hours, what the aquarium and dolphin-show tickets actually cost for adults and children, when the dolphin show runs, whether to walk in or book ahead, and a fixed-price ride there and back — so you turn up open, priced, and unflustered.
Fakieh Aquarium at a glance
| What it is | Saudi Arabia’s only public aquarium, plus Dolphin Village (dolphin show) |
| Where | Jeddah Corniche, Al-Hamra / “fax lakes” area — ~20 min from the airport, ~15 min from central Jeddah |
| Opening hours | Sat–Wed 10:00–23:00; Thu/Fri + prayer closures to confirm |
| Aquarium tickets | ~SAR 64 adult / SAR 53 child (Cobone-listed 2026); independent listings ~SAR 60–70 adult |
| Dolphin-show tickets | ~SAR 80 adult / SAR 70 child · under-2 free |
| Family angle | Strollers/wheelchairs fine (ground-floor wide walkways); modest dress; flash restricted on some tanks |
| Where to be dropped | Direct Corniche-frontage entrance — no circling; a round-trip waiting driver makes it a half-day |
| Best plan | Late-morning or after 18:00 (cooler + show times); allow 2–3 hours incl. the dolphin show |
What is Fakieh Aquarium?
Fakieh Aquarium is Saudi Arabia’s only public aquarium — the country’s first and largest collection of marine life, sitting right on the Jeddah waterfront in Al-Hamra. Its Dolphin Village adds a live dolphin show, which is the part most families come for. Because it is indoors and air-conditioned, it also works as the indoor / rainy-day / heat-of-summer plan for a Jeddah day, and it pairs naturally with the rest of the Corniche. The official site (hours, prices, timings, phone) is fakiehaquarium.com — always worth a look the morning you plan to go.
Tickets & prices (aquarium vs dolphin show)
There are two ticketed experiences, and they are priced separately:
| Experience | Child | Adult |
|---|---|---|
| Aquarium tour | ~SAR 53 | ~SAR 64 |
| Dolphin show (Dolphin Village) | ~SAR 70 | ~SAR 80 |
- Under-2s are free.
- Discounted vouchers: third-party deal sites (Cobone) list the figures above, but those vouchers are date-restricted (typically valid Sat–Wed only) — check the terms before buying.
- Independent listings quote a slightly wider band for the aquarium (~SAR 60–70 adult), so treat the table as “around this” rather than a hard guarantee.
- Verify the on-door price at fakiehaquarium.com before you go. Prices are the attraction’s, not ours; we never invent or mark up a ticket.
Opening hours & dolphin-show timings
- Aquarium hours: listed as Sat–Wed 10:00–23:00; confirm Thursday/Friday and prayer-time closures.
- Dolphin show: runs at fixed showtimes posted at the desk — there is no reliable published grid online, so confirm the day’s show times when you arrive or by phone the same day.
- Booking: walk-in to the ticket desk is normal; deal-site vouchers must be booked per their rules. If a specific dolphin showtime matters to you, call ahead (+966 55 759 8239).
Planning the family half-day
- How long to allow: about 2–3 hours including the dolphin show — longer if the kids linger at the touch tanks.
- Best time slot: late morning, or after 18:00 when the Corniche cools and the evening crowd arrives.
- Make it a day: Fakieh sits on the Corniche / Al-Hamra frontage, so it pairs directly with the waterfront and fountain evening — see the Jeddah Corniche guide.
- Indoor backup: if the weather turns (rain, dust or peak-summer heat), Fakieh and the nearby mall are the two reliable indoor family options — see the Red Sea Mall guide.
- More family ideas: the Jeddah day trips guide covers Obhur’s resort beaches (day passes) if you want sand and sea; the amusement-park angle (Atallah Happy Land) folds into this family half-day.
Getting to Fakieh Aquarium by taxi
- Where the driver drops you: the aquarium sits on the Corniche frontage in Al-Hamra — direct kerbside drop at the entrance, no walking through a car park.
- Run times: ~20 minutes from Jeddah airport (JED), ~15 minutes from central Jeddah.
- Parking: there is on-site parking if you drive, but for a family day the low-stress move is a fixed-price ride with a waiting driver — one price, the driver stays while you do the aquarium + show, then takes you on.
- The ride: in-town sedan at our approved fixed in-town fare — see the Jeddah taxi service rate table. (Metered-taxi comparison: a metered city cab runs a base of ~SAR 13 plus ~SAR 2.7/km, so a 5 km hop is ~SAR 26.5 before waiting time and any peak surcharge — our price is fixed and quoted before you ride.)
FAQs: Fakieh Aquarium Jeddah
What are Fakieh Aquarium’s opening hours? Listed as Sat–Wed 10:00–23:00; Thursday/Friday and prayer-time closures should be confirmed at fakiehaquarium.com or by phone (+966 55 759 8239) before you go.
How much are Fakieh Aquarium tickets? Around SAR 64 adult / SAR 53 child for the aquarium and SAR 80 adult / SAR 70 child for the dolphin show (Cobone-listed 2026); under-2s free. Confirm the current on-door price at fakiehaquarium.com.
Is the dolphin show included in the ticket? No — the aquarium tour and the dolphin show are ticketed separately. Check the day’s showtimes at the desk or by phone.
How long does a visit take? About 2–3 hours including the dolphin show.
Is Fakieh Aquarium good for young children? Yes — it’s a family venue with wide, stroller-friendly walkways and free entry for under-2s. It’s also a handy indoor option for hot or rainy days.
How do I get to Fakieh Aquarium? A fixed-price private ride is the easiest way — ~15 minutes from central Jeddah and ~20 minutes from the airport, with a waiting driver if you want to combine it with the Corniche. See the Jeddah taxi service.
Continue planning
- The city guide: Jeddah travel guide
- Same waterfront: Jeddah Corniche & beaches guide
- More family days: Jeddah day trips: Obhur, Taif & Yanbu
- Indoor backup: Red Sea Mall guide
- Dress & photo norms: Culture essentials
- Book the family ride: Jeddah taxi service
Sources: fakiehaquarium.com (official venue and phone); cobone.com (2026 ticket listings); gulfmagazine.co / bayut.sa (independent ticket range); gobytaxi.com (in-town meter, 2026).