Shark Reef Aquarium Las Vegas: how to buy and prices

Visiting the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas is one of the must-do's on your agenda if you decide to visit this corner of the American desert. Read on to find out all the secrets about buying tickets to this modern and impressive place.

Keyvis Montilva

Keyvis Montilva

8 min read

Shark Reef Aquarium Las Vegas: how to buy and prices

Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas | ©terren in Virginia

Undoubtedly, Las Vegas is a destination that is all about experimenting with new things, with no prejudices and no strings attached. In this context, tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas are an excellent alternative for you and your companions. Especially if you want to enjoy a quieter, more family-friendly plan that has no connection whatsoever with the debauchery of the casinos that abound in every corner of the city.

The best advice I can give you is to buy your tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas in advance. For your convenience, many websites offer them with the best prices and the most convenient conditions on the market. So you can add this impressive aquarium to your list of things to see and do in Las Vegas from a distance.

What are the ticket prices for the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas?

Aquarium Entrance| ©Ken Lund
Aquarium Entrance| ©Ken Lund

If you book your tickets for the Shark Reef Aquarium on the Hellotickets website you can get them for approximately 29 ¤ per person. This rate is available at a discounted rate of $2 per person. Which can represent a very significant saving when it comes to a trip with more than 5 people.

Something that distinguishes the quality of the online service is the immediate confirmation of your purchase. As well as the offer of a validity per ticket purchased that allows you to arrive up to 59 minutes after the date and time indicated on your ticket.

You also have at hand the facility to book the same day of your visit without having to queue at the ticket office of the place. However, you must bear in mind that you will not be able to collect your tickets until two hours after the transaction.

Children under 4 years of age have free admission to the establishment. Without a doubt, this is a corner of Las Vegas that stands out for its excellent inclusion of a member of the family who is going through this particular stage of childhood.

Where to get tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas

Hotel where the Aquarium is located| ©Ken Lund
Hotel where the Aquarium is located| ©Ken Lund

The first option you have at your disposal to find tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas are on official ticket and tour websites such as Hellotickets where you can book several months in advance or even during the 24 hours before your visit.

There is also the option of buying tickets at the aquarium's ticket office, which is located inside the Mandalay Bay Hotel casino on Las Vegas Boulevard, Nevada.

However, this alternative can be a little complex at certain times of the year, as in high season it will mean long hours of que uing to even get to the point of payment. This restricts the time you could spend planning your day at this travel destination.

There are thousands of websites offering you discounts or competitive rates, but there is really no guarantee that there are the same benefits on all of them. Nor is there any guarantee that there are no surprises that will alter the final figure on your bill.

Is it possible to take a guided tour?

Inside the Aquarium| ©Srikrishna Bingi
Inside the Aquarium| ©Srikrishna Bingi

Guided tours throughout the 14 exhibits at the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas are not really necessary and are not really available.

But the reality is that each of the exhibits revolves around an immersive, educational experience that uses video and audio resources to help visitors learn about the marine animals they are seeing in the giant tanks in a more fun way.

In addition, many corners of the facility have their own guide who explains to the audience the distinctive characteristics of that particular exhibit in relation to the rest of the aquarium.

What kind of activities are included with each ticket to the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas?

Shark Reef Aquarium| ©Holiday Point
Shark Reef Aquarium| ©Holiday Point

As the name suggests, tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas give you access to a large grouping of sharks in one of the largest aquariums in North America. To be more specific, you'll meet 100 sharks of 15 different species in different exhibits.

In addition, you'll be able to see more than 30 of them together in a tank that holds an impressive 4.9 million litres of saline water. And this is specifically through two underwater tunnels that give you a very unique and immersive experience that will make you feel like you're another fish in the sea.

This aquatic oasis in the middle of the desert in the western United States also offers an equally captivating variety of other marine animals and aquatic reptiles.

Touching some of these species is an activity that is within your reach with the purchase of a ticket to the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas. For stingrays and horseshoe crabs are on display so kids and adults alike can get a little more familiar with their nature.

A tank full of jellyfish, a replica of a sunken temple in the middle of the sea, angelfish, parrotfish, fugu, green saws and even piranhas. All this at your fingertips by scheduling a visit well in advance through the purchase of tickets on a secure and reliable website.

Are there any discounts for the age of the visitor or the number of people in the group?

Famous Aquarium Tunnel| ©Patiigraphy
Famous Aquarium Tunnel| ©Patiigraphy

Tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas offer a significant price adjustment depending on the age of the visitor. As mentioned, children under the age of four are admitted free of charge.

At the same time, the approximate ticket price for 5-12 year olds is 28% cheaper than an adult's ticket. So it is likely that the ticket price will always be around 21 US dollars, at least if you decide to buy them in advance through a digital portal.

Included access to the Undersea Explorer VR Experience

Impressive Aquarium| ©rustler2x4
Impressive Aquarium| ©rustler2x4

Both children's and adult fares also include exclusive access to the Undersea Explorer VR Experience. This is an innovative attraction of this aquarium that incorporates virtual reality with a visit to the marine world where all these endangered species live.

Swim among whales and sharks and dive to the deepest corners of the world's oceans. These are some of the virtual immersion experiences that you can experience in the Undersea Explorer VR Experience.

In turn, the whole show is given thanks to a synchronisation of auditory and visual reality together with various programmed movements in seats with dynamic movements. These are very similar to those installed in many of the mechanised attractions at the Disney and Universal parks in Orlando, Florida.

Are tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas included in any of the city's tourist passes?

Aquarium Fish| ©Dutch Boyd
Aquarium Fish| ©Dutch Boyd

As an attraction relatively outside the regular Vegas Boulevard circuit of eye-catching attractions, it is unlikely that tickets to the Las Vegas Shark Reef Aquarium are included in any of the city's tourist passes.

However, its existence within the Mandalay Bay Hotel does make it a destination that is closely associated with other iconic sites in the city. The hotel is one of the first hotels heading north on the famous avenue on which most of the city's luxury hotels and casinos are located.

That means that the famous Welcome To Las Vegas sign is just a few metres from the entrance of this golden tower, which has one of the best views in Las Vegas.

The only man-made beach in the city is also located within the grounds of this hotel. So planning a day that is mainly focused on some plans to do with kids in Las Vegas is greatly facilitated by the existence of these two attractions in the same place.

Do the ticket prices for the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas remain the same throughout the year?

Jellyfish| ©daryl_mitchell
Jellyfish| ©daryl_mitchell

The recommendation to buy tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas in advance has a very strong basis and support. As the websites assure you that you will be assured of a frozen rate from this very moment, no surprise amounts or anything like that.

The truth is that these tickets tend to stay around the same number for most of the year. However, that doesn't mean that in the context of the high season they can't receive an inflationary adjustment and thus surprise you by having to spend a lot more money on that plan for your trip.

This would mean less money to continue touring the best tours and excursions from Las Vegas with your family.

Is it possible to buy an extra last minute ticket at the Shark Reef Aquarium ticket office in Las Vegas?

Shark Reef Aquarium| ©mark byzewski
Shark Reef Aquarium| ©mark byzewski

If necessary, you can buy a last minute ticket for the Las Vegas Shark Reef Aquarium on the same day you are scheduled to visit. However, just because you already have a pile of admission tickets purchased does not mean you will get preferential attention in line.

In fact, depending on the season, it could be a real headache, as taking a good amount of time along with the rest of the tourists who have left their ticket purchases to the last minute is practically a guaranteed reality.

The price is another issue that has no guarantees, because as I mentioned before, there are likely to be readjustments due to high season or other issues such as inflation. In reality, Las Vegas is always full of visitors seeking fortune in its casinos or love in its express weddings, so recognisable and iconic in popular culture.

Are there any special conditions for access to the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas?

A different world| ©Trey Ratcliff
A different world| ©Trey Ratcliff

Visiting the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas does not require any specific conditions. If you focus on a more specific level, there is only the fact that teenagers and children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is responsible for them.

In addition, you have to be very clear that the ticket has a well-defined validity, for a specific time, on a specific date. If you do not go at that time, you will have to try to change your ticket at the ticket office of the venue, but there is no guarantee that a favourable solution will be found.

How long are tickets to the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas?

Komodo Dragon| ©David Oppenheimer
Komodo Dragon| ©David Oppenheimer

You can arrive up to 59 minutes late at the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas and still be within the time frame of your ticket. But 1 hour late is a significant change and a very different policy applies.

On the other hand, the average tour of the site takes visitors 1 hour and 30 minutes if they were to visit the entire facility.

Although if you wish, it can take much longer than this, as it is understood that it is one of the few attractions in the city that really keeps the young and old in your family entertained.

It's also a great option to use the rest of the day to visit the best museums in Vegas, making learning fun. A great example of this idea is to try visiting the Madame Tussauds Museum or touring the Las Vegas Museum of Natural History. Both are full of entertaining exhibits and activities for children, adults, teens and seniors.