Grab your band of ocean explorers for a daring expedition at the Blue Planet Aquarium. Dive above and below the waves and see what you can see... in the sea!
Much like David Attenborough’s documentary, this award winning aquarium gets you right up close to water-bound beasties including over 1,500 fish and amazing sharks. If you keep your eyes open, you'll find all sorts of different creatures lurking from octopus and electric eels to stingrays and caiman crocs!
Intrigued? Let's plunge straight into our guide for Blue Planet Aquarium...
Things To Do & See
Marine life is a truly fascinating part of life on Earth. There are so many unusual and beautiful creatures to see, each with their own majestic qualities. Kids can uncover all kinds of unique aquatic life like the Zebra Shark and the Arabian Bamboo Sharks. Whether it's a colourful coral cave or a tiny fish like the Archer fish, kids will love getting up close with each delicate aquatic creature.
Step into the deep blue and immerse yourself in the breathtaking underwater tunnel. Did you just see a large shark-shaped shadow move past the tunnel floor? Watch 10-feet sand tiger sharks drift and dart over your head as well as many other awesome sharks in the shark tunnel! You'll be so close you can count their teeth - you might be there for awhile though...
Did you know that the Blue Planet Aquarium is home to Europe’s largest collection of sharks? If they can handle swimming alongside a modern-day monster, kids can even opt in for a shark-dive experience. Packages are available for daredevils of different levels and ages. The thrills then continue in the 'danger' zone, Venom, while the whole team can enjoy daily shows at the Aquatheatre.
Have your little ones recognised some of the 'Finding Nemo' cast in the aquarium tanks? Learn about Clownfish, Regal Tangs and Sting Rays as you walk around the aquarium. Spot beautiful starfish and many other fascinating aquarium animals and species of fish in the underwater safari.
Shiver me timbers! Have you washed up on the Pirate adventure playground? Get marooned on a shipwreck filled with slides, monkey bars, rope bridges and lockouts. Watch out for the crocodile below! The sea battered wreckage is also located right next to the ice cream parlour...
Don't forget to hit up the gift shop before you leave and take a lovely little souvenir home with you!
Food & Drink
Have you had your daily dose of exotic freshwater life? Exploring collections of sharks, tropical fish, sea anemones, poison dart frogs, and red bellied piranhas can really take it out of you! Pull up a chair and go deep sea dining in the Nautilus Kitchen. Tuck into an array of freshly prepared hot and cold food, snacks and drinks to suit every hungry tummy. Enjoy mouthwatering pizzas alongside many other family favourites.
As the Blue Planet Aquarium is situated in Cheshire Oaks there are lots of great nearby restaurants too like Chiquitos, Miller and Carter Cheshire, Pizza Hut and many more family favourites.
Discounts Available!
Blue Planet Aquarium is available on our
membership! Make sure to save some pennies before you visit this attraction and join our DOWTK family. Our membership
saves up to 58% off top UK attractions,
restaurants and retail. Psst, it's a great thing to use during school holidays.
Travelling & Parking For Visitors
Great news! There are many travel options for families who are visiting. Check out each travel option below...
CAR
If you’re driving to us, make sure you look out for the Blue Planet Aquarium brown tourist information signs. We’re located right next door to
Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet. For Sat-Nav users, enter the details
CH65 9LF.
From
Manchester, take the M56 to Junction 15, and then follow the brown tourism signs on the M53 up to Junction 10.
From
Liverpool, take the M53 Junction 10, coming in towards the shopping outlet.
From
Chester, take the A56 and M53 to the A5117, before exiting the M53 at Junction 10.
From
Macclesfield, follow the M6 and M56 to the A5117 in Cheshire West and Chester, exiting the M53 at Junction 10.
Parking
We have ample parking onsite for aquarium visitors to use. Parking is charged as £2.75 per vehicle (regardless of length of stay). If you make a purchase in our café, you get a free hot drink on showing your car parking ticket!
Approximate drive times:
- Manchester City Centre 1 hour
- Liverpool City Centre 35 minutes
- Chester City Centre 20 minutes
- Macclesfield 1 hour
BUS
You have a number of different options to reach us by bus. Take the Stagecoach X1 service from Chester Bus and Chester Railway Station, or Stagecoach service 1 from Liverpool City Centre. This service runs every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday, or every 60 minutes on Sunday.
There are also regular bus services run from Liverpool, Chester, Ellesmere Port, and North Wales to Blue Planet Aquarium and Cheshire Oaks.
From Liverpool take the no. 1 bus from Sir Thomas Street.
From Chester take the no. 1 bus from the Central Bus Station.
TRAIN
If you’re travelling to us by train, the nearest railway station is
Ellesmere Port, about 2 miles away. Regular services run from Chester and Liverpool Lime Street Underground Station (Wirral Line).
- Meet sea creatures in multiple ocean environments
- Europe’s largest collection of sharks!
- See daily shows at the Aquatheatre