- Operating hours: Daily 10am–6pm, including public holidays, per official schedules.
- Last entry: Doors close at 5:10pm, even though the venue closes at 6pm.
- Typical visit length: Most visitors spend about 2 hours on the full route.
- Best time of day to go: Earlier or mid-day works best for a full first visit.
- Happy Hour timing: Late-entry tickets start at 5pm and suit sampler visits only.
Aquatis Aquarium Vivarium
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Quick overview
- Ways to experience: Choose standard entry and explore the aquarium-vivarium at your own pace.
- Entry process: Enter through the AQUATIS SA access terminals by scanning your online ticket on your phone or a printed copy. Online ticket holders can go directly to the tour route without stopping at the cash desk.
- When to book: There is no stated advance-booking requirement. However, booking online before your visit lets you bypass the cash desk and can be cheaper than buying at the venue.
- Good to know: If you leave the tour route for a break, keep your ticket and tell the cashier when you plan to return. You can rejoin the aquarium through the ticket office.
See how your AQUATIS visit unfolds
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Arrive & enter
Arrive at AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium Lausanne and scan your online ticket at the access terminals. Once inside, follow the marked visitor route into the aquarium.
Begin with Europe
Start with European freshwater environments and follow the route through displays representing rivers, lakes and wetlands. The path gradually moves from familiar temperate habitats toward warmer regions.
Continue through Africa & Asia
Follow the route into African and Asian freshwater environments, moving between aquariums and vivariums. The displays shift from river habitats to tropical environments as you continue through the circuit.
Move through the Americas & Oceania
Continue into the American and Oceanian sections, following the same one-way visitor route. The journey takes you through freshwater environments shaped by different climates, landscapes and waterways.
Stop for a break
Pause at the picnic area located midway through the route, or leave the aquarium for a meal. Food is not included with admission; re-entry is handled through the ticket office.
Resume & complete the circuit
Return to the route and continue through the remaining habitats and vivariums. Follow the marked path through the final displays before reaching the end of the exhibition.
Exit & browse the shop
Finish the aquarium route and make your way toward the exit and AQUATIS shop. You can browse the shop before leaving, with no additional aquarium admission required to enter it.
Things to know before booking your AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium tickets
- Booking window: No advance booking is required. Online tickets are more cost-effective and let you bypass the cash desk for direct entry through the access terminals.
- What’s included: Explore freshwater habitats representing five continents, spread across 46 aquariums, vivariums and terrariums with around 240 species, including 8,000+ fish, reptiles and amphibians. Allow about 2 hours.
- What’s not included: Guided tours and special activities are not part of standard admission and require separate booking.
- Entry process: Enter AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium Lausanne at Route de Berne 144 and scan your mobile or printed ticket at the access terminals. Online tickets bypass the cash desk, not security or ticket validation.
- Accessibility: The aquarium and its facilities are wheelchair accessible, with accessible toilets, lifts and a dedicated pushchair passage. Wheelchairs are available by prior reservation.
- Policies & rules: Open daily 10am–6pm, with last entry at 5:10pm. No food is allowed on the route; guide dogs are welcome, while other pets are not. Flash photography is prohibited.
Highlights of your Aquatis aquarium-vivarium Lausanne experience
A freshwater journey across five continents
From the first gallery onward, the route feels like moving with a drop of water across the world. One room opens into another through darkened corridors and glowing tanks, so each continent arrives as a change in light, scale, color, and motion rather than a separate checklist stop.
Plan your AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium experience
- Location: AQUATIS sits in Lausanne-Vennes, not Geneva, directly above M2 Vennes.
- Address: Route de Berne 144, 1010 Lausanne, Switzerland | View on Maps
Getting there:
- By metro: Take M2 to Vennes; the entrance is about 1–3 minutes away.
- From Lausanne station: Ride M2 toward Croisettes; total metro travel is about 10 minutes.
- By car or taxi: Use A9 exit Lausanne/Vennes; drop-off and parking are at the complex.
- Restrooms: Wheelchair-accessible toilets are listed on-site.
- Parking: A 1,200-space car and two-wheeler parking facility sits below the complex.
- Food options: Restaurants are available on the platform area of the complex.
- Picnic break: A picnic area is noted mid-course on the official visit page.
- Gift shop: The store sits at the end of the exhibition route.
- Arrival flow: Online ticket holders can head to access terminals instead of the cash desk.
- Scan your mobile or printed ticket at the AQUATIS access terminals and keep it with you throughout the visit.
- The aquarium is open daily from 10am to 6pm, with last entry at 5:10pm.
- Eating and drinking are not permitted along the exhibition route. Use the designated picnic area or onsite dining facilities.
- If you leave during your visit, inform staff before exiting. Re-entry is handled through the ticket office.
- Photography is permitted, but flash photography is not allowed.
- Only assistance and guide dogs are permitted inside; other pets are not allowed.
Visitor tips
- Avoid skirts and dresses: Some sections of the route have mirrored flooring, so trousers or longer bottoms are more comfortable.
- Keep your ticket after entry: If you leave during your visit, you’ll need to go through the ticket office to arrange re-entry.
- Plan your meal around the route: The picnic area is midway through the visit, making it a useful break point rather than something to save for the end.
- With young children, use the midway picnic break: The route takes about 2 hours for most visitors, but a planned stop at the picnic area midway gives children a chance to reset before continuing through the remaining habitats.
- Bring a light layer: Some aquarium and vivarium areas can feel cooler than the surrounding building, particularly when you spend longer at individual displays.
- Use the stroller passage: If visiting with a pushchair, use the dedicated passage at the access terminals. The full route is stroller-accessible, but there is also a designated stroller parking area if you prefer to leave it behind.
Frequently asked questions about AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium Lausanne tickets
AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium is in Lausanne, not Geneva. The official address is Route de Berne 144, 1010 Lausanne. This matters for both ticketing and navigation, especially if you’re arriving by taxi or entering the venue into maps.
No. Aquatis Hotel and AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium share the same branded complex, so they’re easy to confuse. The hotel sits next to the attraction entrance, but aquarium tickets cover only the self-guided visit unless your booking clearly says otherwise.
Standard AQUATIS Aquarium Vivarium tickets include general admission to the self-guided route. That covers the full freshwater circuit across five continents, including 46 aquariums, vivariums, and aquaterrariums. No guide, exclusive zone, or verified premium access is included.
Most visitors spend about 2 hours inside. That makes AQUATIS better as a compact indoor outing than a full-day plan. If you want to see the full route comfortably, don’t treat it like a quick 45-minute stop.
Current published hours are 10am to 6pm daily, but doors close earlier at 5:10pm. That cutoff matters because AQUATIS says most visitors spend about 2 hours inside, so late arrivals will have a much shorter visit.
Not in the usual fast-track sense. Online tickets let you bypass the cash desk and scan directly at the access terminals, but you still need to complete the entry scan. No dedicated priority lane or verified security fast-track has been published.
Yes. AQUATIS accepts mobile or printed tickets at the access terminals. Keep the barcode clearly visible on your phone screen before you reach the entrance, since a dim screen or unopened ticket email can slow down entry.
The Happy Hour ticket is a discounted late-entry option for AQUATIS Lausanne. It starts at 5pm, with last entry at 5:10pm, inside normal opening hours. It gives access to the same route as standard admission, just with far less time.
Usually only if you want a quick sampler. AQUATIS says the average visit lasts about 2 hours, so a 5pm entry naturally compresses the experience. For a first proper visit, standard admission is usually the less rushed and more practical choice.
Yes, some reduced fares require proof and cash-desk handling rather than direct scan-in. For example, AVS/AI pricing is listed as cash-desk only with proof. If you need a special rate, don’t assume you can go straight to the access terminals.
Take the M2 metro to Vennes. The attraction sits directly above the metro exit, so the final walk is minimal. From Lausanne station, the operator says the trip takes about 10 minutes once you connect to the M2 toward Croisettes.
Yes. AQUATIS parking is available in the 1,200-space car and two-wheeler facility below the complex, near P+R Vennes. If you’re driving, use the Lausanne/Vennes exit from the A9 and follow signs for the AQUATIS complex.
Not as free-flow re-entry. If you leave the route to eat, staff ask you to inform them and then rejoin through the aquarium-vivarium ticket office. It’s better to plan one continuous visit rather than assume you can step in and out freely.
