Bristol Aquarium

Win a Fossil Box for your school!

To celebrate Ancient Eggsplorers at Bristol Aquarium this spring, we are giving away 5 educational fossil boxes to visiting schools!

Created by The Fossil Box Project, a part of Earth Heritage Trust, the Fossil Box is a fascinating educational resource allowing teachers to bring real fossils into the classroom for hands on learning.

To enter the competition: simply send in a Bristol Aquarium school trip booking between now and the 4^th May using our online booking form.

Type the word FOSSIL in the Additional Notes box.

Each box includes 30 real fossils, lesson plans and more! Find out more, and enter our competition here

What We Offer Visiting Schools:

Traverse our bio-zones with thousands of creatures to explore as well as our one-of-a-kind giant botanical house. Our range of tours are designed to be fun, hands-on, and educational.

On your trip to Bristol Aquarium your educational package includes:

• A tour of our aquarium on the theme of your choice
• An animal feeding session
• An engaging, interactive workshop
• A dedicated lunch space for your group

And, you’re welcome to stay and explore our seven exciting bio-zones for the rest of the day!
If you want to just visit with your class without a tour, self-guided visits are also available.

Why Choose Us for an Educational Visit:

Located on Bristol Harborside, Bristol Aquarium boasts 7 different bio-zones with animals from all over the world. This unique opportunity offers you the chance to learn whilst face to face with nature. You will discover native species from our UK seas, octopus, jellyfish, lobsters and seahorses from the depths of the ocean. You can uncover the secrets of poison dart frogs, piranhas, sharks and stingrays. Plus discover Jurassic plants and exotic flora of the amazonian jungle of our giant botanical house!

Subjects and Topics Covered:

As well as exploring a wide range of animal biology and geographical habitats on your visit, on your tour you will be able to choose from three inspiring themes.

🐠 Under the Sea
Perfect for primary learners, this tour offers a fun introduction to ocean life. From coastlines to coral reefs, students will explore different habitats and learn about animal diets, behaviours, and adaptations. Workshop: Amazing Adaptations

🌿 Plants & Fish
Uncover the wonders of the rainforest in our giant botanical house! Your students will discover amazing plant life and learn how animals and plants work together to survive and thrive. Workshop: Rainforest Detectives

🌊 Save Our Seas
Help your class understand the vital importance of ocean conservation. We’ll look at both the positive and negative impacts humans have on marine environments — from pollution and plastics to coral bleaching and climate change. Workshop: Coral Reefs and Climate Change

Group Sizes Catered For:

We can cater for groups big or small. Bookings with more than 30 students will be split into two groups, and tours require a 20 minute interval between start times. e.g. A group of 50 students will be split into 2 groups of 25, with the first group’s tour beginning at 10:20, the second group’s tour beginning at 10:40.

Itineraries, Resources, and Workshops:

A typical school day at Bristol Aquarium
Leave school at 09:00
Arrive into Bristol City Centre at 10:00am
Coach drop off at Explore Lane BS1 5LL.
A short walk across Millennium Square will bring you to Anchor Square and our main entrance.
Enter at 10:20am, lead teacher to arrange payment by cheque, cash or card at the admissions desk; supporting adults arranging bags and coat removal using the storage provided.
Toilet stop with hand washing.
Entry through to the displays at your booked time (e.g. 10:40am, 11:00am), you will be unable to go through until your booked time. Tours are 1 hour long or a self-guided visit is as long as you would like it to be!
Toilet stop with hand washing.
Lunch time slot and space will be assigned to you on arrival, with a reserved area marked out.
Re-entry through the displays available after your lunch until the time you need to leave.
Toilet stop with hand washing.
A short walk back to the coach pick up at Explore Lane BS1 5LL.
A safe trip back to your school.

Pricing Information:

Education Prices (with vat)
Educational Child (Off Peak: Sep – Apr)
£7.95
Educational Child (Peak: May-Aug)
£8.50
Concession (Age 18+)
£18.64
Adult (Additional to free ratios)
£20.45
Guided Tour & Workshop (Max. 30 children, approx. 1 hr)
£50.00
Higher education Guided Tour & Workshop with Aquarist (Max. 30 children, approx. 1 hr)
£80.00
Carer for disabled child (1:1 only)
FREE

Facilities:

Dedicated lunch area/base for your trip.
Accessible toilets throughout the aquarium as well as in our rear foyer, next to our schools area.
Café
Gift shop

Accessibility and Disabled Facilities:

Details of on-site accessibility can be found here https://www.accessable.co.uk/bristol-city-council/access-guides/bristol-aquarium

Opening Hours:

Schools may choose a start time in 20-minute increments between 10:20am – 1:40pm
Monday – Friday
Please note – school times may be unavailable if already booked to avoid overcrowding. Please visit our website for more details.

Seasonal Opening Times to the general public – last entrance into the aquarium is 1 hour before closing.
January 2 – February 14: 10am-4pm weekdays, 10am – 5pm weekends.
February 15 – July 21: 10am – 5pm every day.
July 22 – August 31: 10am – 6pm every day.
September 1 – November 2: 10am – 5pm every day.
November 3 – December 19: 10am – 4pm every weekday, 10am-5pm every weekend.
December 20 – January 4 2026: 10am – 5pm every day (Closed December 25)

Bristol Aquarium is open every day, including all bank holidays. We’re closed only on Christmas Day.