Aquarium is 25% OFF after 3pm + FREE on your birthday!

Specials, memberships & more at the Two Oceans Aquarium

Last updated: Tuesday, 7 October 2025

Cape Town’s otherworldly Two Oceans Aquarium, with jellies grown in a behind-the-scenes lab, penguins preening, and tiny ocean organisms you can only see with a microscope, offers some excellent specials and discounts. From annual memberships with unlimited visits to afternoon discounts and free birthday visits, there’s plenty to make use of, if you’re in the know.

Did you know that jellyfish appeared in the ocean about 600 million years ago? Image: Two Oceans Aquarium

25% OFF, FREE ENTRY SPECIALS

The After 3pm special, which is 25% off, gets you entry to the Aquarium at the best time to visit. It's valid during the South African public school terms (not school holidays). Things quiet down after 2pm once the school groups leave.

The special is valid on tickets bought on-site after 3pm and used on the same day. This means if you’re an adult, you’ll pay R200 (instead of R265), while the cost for children and pensioners would be R147 (instead of R195).

Plus, all South African citizens get free entry to the Aquarium on any day of their choosing during the month of their birthdays. You can repeat this experience every year if you want to!

See guitarfish, rehabilitated sea turtles, blue stingrays, and more for free on your birthday. Image: Two Oceans Aquarium

UNLIMITED VISITS, EXCLUSIVE EVENTS & MORE

Another excellent way to experience the Aquarium is through a membership. If you visit the Aquarium just three times, you’ll make back the cost of the membership.

A yearly membership means unlimited visits, discounts on experiences like scuba diving (PADI-certified and expert-led dives in the ocean), and invites to exclusive events - think family sleepovers and special speaker nights!

How do the family sleepovers work?
These take place every quarter. Each sleepover is themed with a puppet show, craft activity, a movie, and hot chocolate station. Guests also receive a free welcome drink and buffet breakfast.

You can set up “camp” next to your favourite exhibit. Make sure to bring a picnic supper, your own mattress, sleeping bag, and pillow, as well as toiletries and a change of clothes.

What can I expect at a speaker night?
The Aquarium invites experts in their fields to provide informative talks about a variety of topics, from frogs to Cape fur seals. Those attending have access to the Aquarium after hours and receive a free welcome drink. There’s also a cash bar serving drinks and light meals.

Memberships make great gifts
Membership per year is R595 for adults, R460 for teens, and R292 for kids aged four to 13. Kids under four get in for free, any day and any time!

Why not gift a membership to friends and family? Find out how to do this via the Two Oceans Aquarium website.

Members-only sleepover events include puppet shows, craft activities, and a movie. Image: Two Oceans Aquarium

MORE INSIDER TIPS FOR THE BEST EXPERIENCE

Feeding time fun on all your visits 
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 12pm, you can watch the stingrays and fish being fed at the I&J Ocean Exhibit.The African penguins are fed daily at 11.30am and 2.30pm, and the ragged-tooth sharks are fed on Saturdays at 12pm.

Interactive experiences most people don’t know about
The Touch Pool and the Microscope Exhibits are free and super underrated. At the Touch Pool, you get hands-on with marine life, and over at the microscope station, you’ll spot tiny ocean organisms you’d never see with the naked eye!

Kids’ favourite exhibits and activities
Kids love the Microscope Exhibit, the glow-in-the-dark Jelly Gallery, the touch pool, and the Nemo cylinder exhibit, where they can be truly immersed amongst the clownfish.

Tips when visiting
Skip queues by buying your ticket online or purchasing a membership card (you’ll be allowed to skip the ticket office and queues completely). Follow the arrows to avoid human traffic jams and ensure you see all sections (otherwise you may miss some!). 

Get more insider tips from the Two Oceans Aquarium team.

Watch the sharks getting fed on Saturdays at 12pm as part of general access. Image: Two Oceans Aquarium

VISIT THE AQUARIUM

Two Oceans Aquarium is open: Monday to Friday, 9.30am - 6pm, Saturday + Sunday, 9am - 6pm
Find it: Dock Road (by the Watershed), V&A Waterfront
Entry fee at Two Oceans Aquarium: R265 for adults, R195 for pensioners and students, R120 for children 4 to 13, and free for kids under 4
Cost of membership: R630 for adults, R488 for teens, pensioners and students, R310 for kids aged four to 13
Contact on: 021 418 3823, aquarium@aquarium.co.za, @2OceansAquarium

By Marie-Claire De Villiers

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