Hurghada Oceanographic Institute and Aquarium: Hours and Ticket Price

Updated on October 18, 2026

Hurghada's marine museum and aquarium is housed in the research station of the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF), founded in 1928 by the British professor Cyril Crossland and run for forty years by the Egyptian oceanographer Hamed Gohar, who gathered here the collections of Red Sea animals and plants. The place is small, modest and little visited: you come for the history of Red Sea research, not for a show. It is in the north of the city, away from the El Dahar district, and should not be confused with the Hurghada Grand Aquarium, a commercial attraction.

Highlights

The specimen hall

One of the buildings holds preserved animals: fish, sharks, molluscs and a manta ray whose wingspan is impressive. The display is old-fashioned, with signs sometimes in English only.

The stuffed dugongs

Stuffed dugongs, rare marine mammals of the Red Sea, are on show in the museum. They are a reminder of the wildlife that still lives off the Egyptian coast.

The aquariums and Professor Gohar's house

Another building shows live fish and turtles in tanks; a third is devoted to Professor Gohar's personal belongings, photographs and fish preserved in jars. It is the most telling part for understanding the history of the place.

Practical info

Tips

Prices and hours differ between sources: one guide gives 30 Egyptian pounds and 10am-4pm, two older traveller reviews give 50 pounds for foreigners. Bring cash and confirm on the spot. Hotels do not offer an excursion: you have to come under your own steam, and the entrance is poorly signposted from the Hurghada–Ismailia road. Travellers find the facilities ageing: if you only do one aquarium visit, the Grand Aquarium is more complete; here, allow less than an hour. The information comes from guides and traveller reviews, not from the institute's website, and could not be confirmed officially: check before you come.

How to get there

The museum is in the north of Hurghada, in the Al Aheya area, at about 27.284° N, 33.772° E. According to one guide a taxi from the centre costs a few dollars: agree the price before getting in. By minibus, first go to the El Dahar terminal, then change for a minibus to Al Aheya.