Tropen Aquarium in Hamburg, Germany

During our trip to Hamburg, we visited the Tierpark Hagenbeck to get truly unique, “animal” experience! We couldn’t leave without also taking a trip “under the sea”. The Tropen Aquarium in Hamburg, Germany is yet another amazing place for families, so you won’t want to miss it!

Get all the information about visiting Tierpark Hagenbeck HERE!!

This post is sponsored by the Tierpark Hagenbeck and Tropen Aquarium. I want to thank them for allowing me to visit their amazing, animal areas. All thoughts and comments are my own. This post may also contain affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I may make a commission if you click on a link and make a purchase. Thanks for your support!

Entrance to Tropen Aquarium

As soon as we walked into the aquarium building, we saw lots of beautiful carvings against the wall with a large statue. It gave a very tribal vibe to the place. The carvings were actually large boxes where your items could be stored if you were visiting Tropen Aquarium as a large group. It was a nice touch to hide them behind tribal symbols.

The door that led from the lobby to the aquarium was also cute decorative. We were very excited to see what lay just beyond them!

Storing your coats and bags while visiting Tropen Aquarium

Before you go into the aquarium, you have the option of storing your things in a locker. I highly recommend using these since it can be warm inside this building. The lockers are also very neat since they have different pictures of animals on them.

Visiting the jungle of Tropen Aquarium in Hamburg, Germany

After we passed through the tribal doors, we were in an area that didn’t have any animals, but it set the stage for the world we were about to enter. It looked like we were in a village with a staircase that led up along a building with windows. The scene was actually a facade, but it helped our minds transition from Germany to Africa.

Do you love lands of make-believe? Check out the Playmobil Fun Park in southern Germany!

Getting help on our journey to Africa

A sign on the wall, in German, asked that visitors take their time to look at each section. It encouraged us to find as many animals as possible, since many of them blended in with their surroundings. My boys are always up for a challenge and began to make a game of it.

They enjoyed pointing out all of the fish, turtles, lizards and snakes that they found. One such snake was so long that part of it was out of the water, and the other part was in the water. The way the tank was set up, you could see it in its entirety from start to finish. Little brother wasn’t sure he wanted to see its head. We were just glad that the glass wall separating us from that huge snake was there. Yikes!

We love being in nature, especially on our Oyster Safari in Denmark. Check it out HERE!

The “African village”

The pretend “African village” also had some fun ways of attracting the boys’ attentions. They could look at objects under a magnifying glass, feel snake skin, smell different plants, hear different animals noises and crawl under the dirt.

All of which, my boys enjoyed exploring! At one point, you felt that you were in a hut above the water, over looking a beautiful waterfall with plants and flowers all around. It was truly a tranquil spot. Just beware of the hungry crocodiles below!

We love indoor water areas, especially at Lalandia, Scandinavia’s Largest Indoor Water Park!

Under the Sea at the Tropen Aquarium

Then, it was time to leave the village behind and discover the underwater part of the aquarium. Here, you got the feeling that you were walking onto a submarine with a periscope and round windows looking out towards the fish. There was also a small hut that sat on the water showing you what sea live lived below.

The Amazing Fish Tanks of the Tropen Aquarium

After a short walk on the ship, we saw a larger, rectangular tank that had lots of small fish and beautiful coral. It felt as if we were peeking in the real life of the movie “Finding Nemo”. With some benches across from the tank, we were able to relax a bit and take our time looking at all the different types of fish.

Another great place to “find Nemo” is at the Kattegatcentret Aquarium in Denmark!

Another larger tank was quite spectacular. As we were walking along the walkways, this tank seemed to have come out of the nowhere, housing larger fish, stingrays and even sharks. They had the inside of the tank decorated with what looked like the submarine ship that we had entered not long before.

It really was impressive to see. Across from the tank, there was a small section of benches that resembled stadium seats which allowed for a perfect view from any spot. Computers screens at the bottom of benches allowed visitors to learn more about the creatures in the tank.

What to eat at the Tropen Aquarium in Hamburg, Germany

After leaving the fish behind, we stepped out to another part of the village where they had a snack stand and lots of tables. This was a perfect spot to get a cool drink before leaving for the day. It offered a nice view of the water, hut and plants, and it, of course, was the perfect temperature.

The Makalali Lodge Snack Stand at the Tropen Aquarium has a variety of foods from pasta dishes, baked potato dishes, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, sausage plates, coffees, and a variety of cold drinks.

Overall Impressions of the Tropen Aquarium

We were so glad that we decided to see both the Tierpark Hagenbeck and the Tropen Aquarium. We loved how we felt transported to another place in the world with each new section. The sea creatures were nice to look at, but the entire atmosphere of the aquarium was very exotic and fun. I loved that there were many activities and hands-on play for my kids, as well as a great snack stand!

We will definitely be going back for another visit and would highly recommend a day trip to Tierpark Hagenbeck and Tropen Aquarium to anyone wanting to have a truly unique zoo/aquarium experience.

Plan Your Visit to Tropen Aquarium in Hamburg, Germany

Address: Lokstedter Grenzstraße 2, 22527 Hamburg, Germany

Website: https://www.hagenbeck.de/de/tropen-aquarium/tropen-aquarium/dastropenaquarium.php

Telephone: +40 53 00 33-0

Email: info@hagenbeck.de

Getting to the Tropen Aquarium: You can easily get to the zoo/aquarium by subway or bus. Check out their map here for directions.

Parking at the Tropen Aquarium: If you are driving, you can find a nice parking garage across from the entrance. Be sure to have cash on-hand for the parking garage. They don’t take credit cards.

Discounts to the Tropen Aquarium: If you are looking for a discount to Tropen Aquarium, you can get that with the Hamburg City Card. This is also a good deal for transportation during your stay in Hamburg. This card will pay for itself after two uses. We bought the “group” ticket for 12,20 Euros (2019 prices) for our family of 4 and used it on buses, trains and ferries. You can find prices here.

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