Oceanário de Lisboa: a guided tour can be added to your ticket for €5

An add-on offered when booking

The official page dated August 12, 2026 presents a very concrete change for visitors to Oceanário de Lisboa: when buying a ticket for the standard visit, certain time slots may now display a guided-tour option. The principle remains simple. The visitor selects an entry time, then, if that time is close to a scheduled guided tour, the option can be added to the cart during the online purchase process.

This add-on does not replace the self-guided visit. It accompanies it. The stated aim is to enrich the route with explanations from a Marine Educator, helping visitors discover curiosities, stories and information about marine habitats and species. For the visitor, the practical result is clear: a standard visit can become a narrated experience without changing the main logic of the admission ticket.

What the option changes during the visit

The way Oceanário describes the offer emphasizes the role of the mediator. The guided tour is led by a Marine Educator and is designed to help visitors better understand the habitats, marine species and certain secrets of the place. In the visitor journey, then, this is not just extra access, but a more accompanied way to read the spaces and the animals on display.

For an English-speaking visitor preparing a trip to the Lisbon Oceanarium, the important point is that this option is part of purchasing a visit to Oceanário de Lisboa, and not a separate mandatory package. The official page states that the add-on is shown only when the selected session is compatible with the available times. If the option does not appear, it means the chosen time does not correspond to an available guided tour.

The price shown is also straightforward: the guided tour costs €5 more per person. This amount is added to the ticket for the visit to Oceanário de Lisboa. The main website also notes that online tickets benefit from a 5% discount and that tickets are displayed from €25, but the guided option described on the news page remains an add-on at €5 per person.

Times according to language

The announced guided tours are offered in Portuguese and English. In Portuguese, the times shown are 11:15 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. In English, the times indicated are 11:15 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. This distribution explains why the option does not appear for every entry slot: it depends on the proximity between the selected session and one of these scheduled tours.

Capacity is limited too. Each guided tour can welcome a maximum of 25 participants. This cap gives the option a more structured character than the self-guided visit and makes time compatibility even more important at the moment of purchase. The visitor is not simply choosing a language: they must also find a time when a guided place is available.

How the purchase works

The purchase journey described by Oceanário is based on an automatic suggestion. When a visitor buys their visit ticket and the selected entry time is close to an available guided tour, the add-on appears during the booking process. They can then simply add it to the order to include this guided experience.

The absence of a suggestion is therefore not presented as a technical error. The official FAQ indicates that if the option does not appear, it is because no available guided tour corresponds to the chosen time. The page also points to an alternative: the different guided tours at Oceanário de Lisboa can be consulted separately, outside this automatic suggestion when buying the ticket.

After purchasing the add-on, a second confirmation email is sent for the guided tour. This proof must be presented on arrival. The practical rule to remember is therefore twofold: the main ticket provides access to the visit, while the second email confirms the guided add-on purchased in addition.

The meeting point not to miss

The official page also specifies the meeting point. Participants must go to the meeting point located near the entrance to Oceanário de Lisboa, at the time of the guided tour. This detail is essential, because the add-on is tied to a precise time and to a session with maximum capacity.

The information is especially useful for visitors planning a day in Parque das Nações. The main website places Oceanário de Lisboa at Doca dos Olivais, in this Lisbon district. It also indicates that the venue is open every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with last entry at 7 p.m. under the current displayed hours.

To get there, the practical information mentions Oriente station on the red metro line, as well as several buses: 705, 725, 728, 744, 708, 750, 759, 782 and 794. The site also indicates on-site parking possibilities and names several car parks in the area, including Parque Oceanário, Parque da Doca, FIL, Torre Vasco da Gama and Parque da Estação do Oriente.

An option within an already dense offer

The guided tour is added to a set of experiences already highlighted by the site. The homepage notably presents the backstage guided tour, displayed at €40 per adult, as well as Dormindo com Tubarões from €60 per person, children’s birthdays and the Oceanário de Lisboa + Telecabine experience. The €5 add-on described in the news item stands out for its positioning: it directly complements the standard visit at the moment of booking.

The visit context remains that of a venue open throughout the day, with permanent and temporary exhibitions. The homepage highlights the permanent exhibition Un Planeta, Um Oceano, as well as temporary exhibitions such as Monstros Marinhos, Universo Submerso and Florestas Submersas. It also presents the venue as 100% accessible, with free WiFi, a baby-changing room, ramps, elevators, lockers, restaurants and a shop.

In this context, the practical novelty lies less in a new exhibition than in a journey choice: turning a self-guided visit into an accompanied experience when the time slot allows. The visitor keeps access to the Oceanário de Lisboa visit, but can add a guided reading of the habitats and marine species for €5 per person, within the limits of the announced times, languages and 25 places.