Welcome to Bristol Aquarium! Take your first step into the seas with our educational trips!
With your reduced admission rate you will encounter a diverse range of life under the sea from native UK species, tropical reef fish and some larger-than-life characters!
At a small additional charge, our National Curriculum-led educational package boasts a unique insight into our oceans with industry knowledge, engaging sessions, and an exclusive fish feeding experience!
Please note: bookings with more than 30 students will be split into two groups, and tours require a 20 minute interval between start times. e.g. A group of 50 students will be split into 2 groups of 25, with the first group’s tour beginning at 10:20, the second group’s tour beginning at 10:40.
Educational Packages in Detail
Save our Seas
Save our Seas is a guided tour aiming to encourage children to connect to the natural world by observing aquatic creatures up close. The tour includes discussion of positive and negative human impacts on the aquatic environment including marine pollution and the prevalent issue of plastics to coral bleaching and global warming.
The tour also includes an exclusive fish feeding experience to encourage the children to connect to the natural world.
Plants and Fish
As well as learning about our fantastic fish, in this guided tour your students will branch out (pun slightly intended) into the world of plant life and fish habitats.
Your class can explore our Urban Jungle as our tour guides dive into the subject of rainforests, photosynthesis, plant anatomy and how fish live, grow, and interact with their environment. This experience allows yours students to be surrounded by different ecosystems as they learn about them, including: native UK waters, the ocean floor, the amazon river and colourful coral reefs.
We are very proud to be the only aquarium in the UK with a giant botanical house, which contains our Rocky Shores and Amazing Amazon exhibits. Here you can find our Bay of Rays and Amazon River tanks as well as a jungle of fascinating flora from coffee trees and pineapple plants to prehistoric ferns and a gigantic monstera which engulfs our Amazonian waterfall.
The tour includes an exclusive fish feeding experience and a “Rainforest Detective” workshop on “Plant Power” to encourage the children to connect with the natural world. This tour is aimed at Key Stage 2 age students.
A typical school day at Bristol Aquarium
- Leave school at 09:00
- Arrive into Bristol City Centre at 10:00am
- Coach drop off at Explore Lane BS1 5LL
- A short walk across Millennium Square will bring you to Anchor Square and our main entrance
- Enter at 10:20am, lead teacher to arrange payment by cheque, cash or card at the admissions desk; supporting adults arranging bags and coat removal using the storage provided
- Toilet stop with hand washing
- Entry through to the displays at your booked time (e.g. 10:40am, 11:00am), you will be unable to go through until your booked time. Tours are 1 hour long or a self-guided visit is as long as you would like it to be!
- Toilet stop with hand washing
- Lunch time slot and space will be assigned to you on arrival with a reserved area marked out
- Re-entry through the displays available after your lunch until the time you need to leave
- Toilet stop with hand washing
- A short walk back to the coach pick up at Explore Lane BS1 5LL
- A safe trip back to your school