Last weekend we visited Aquatis Aquarium-Vivarium Lausanne, the largest freshwater aquarium-vivarium in Europe. It’s full of interesting creatures from all over the world, some of which my kids had never seen before, including a large Komodo dragon. Even though the animals are the main attraction, education about freshwater eco-systems, water conservation and environmental issues is a big part of the experience. They are very clever in using technology and multi-media displays to get kids excited about learning.
We made a weekend of it, staying overnight in the adjacent Aquatis Hotel, very comfortable and convenient. I loved the restaurant and my kids loved the fun playroom with a pool table and foosball. They offer a very attractive family package, which includes a child’s room, breakfast and entrance to the aquarium (details below).
Here’s my review of the aquarium and hotel, with tips based on our visit so you have a great time when you go.
Note: Thanks to Aquatis Aquarium-Vivarium Lausanne and Aquatis Hotel who sponsored our visit, which we enjoyed very much. All opinions expressed here are our own.
| Location: | Lausanne, Western Switzerland |
| Address: | AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium, Route de Berne 144, 1010 Lausanne |
| Car: | 2hr20 from Zurich, 1hr10 from Bern, 50 mins from Geneva |
| Train: | M2 Metro to Lausanne, Vennes 2hr25 from Zurich HB (CHF 75 return with half-fare) 1hr25 from Bern (CHF 37 return with half-fare) 1 hr from Geneva (CHF 25.80 return with half-fare) |
| Open: | Open every day. April thru October, 9:00 to 18:00, Nov thru Mar 10:00 to 18:00. |
| Price: | Adult CHF 29, Child CHF 19, under 6 free. Family rate 2 Adults 2 Children CHF 79 |
| Services: | cafe and restaurant, picnic room, lockers, stroller accessible |
| Website: | www.aquatis.ch |
First a little video of our visit.
Our Impressions
Since you can get an official description of the exhibits on the Aquatis website, I’ll focus on what we liked and things that are of particular interest to families.
First, I really appreciated how roomy the aquarium was, with wide halls and possibility to wander back and forth, instead always pushed forward with the tide. Some aquariums we’ve visited have narrow one-way paths that are difficult to manage with strollers and small children that run away in a crowd. Not the case at Aquatis. Plus there were plenty of toilet opportunities inside the aquarium, which is critical with children.
They have a nice variety of interesting animals, but important to know that it’s a different mix than you would see at a salt water aquarium. Since the focus is on freshwater, you’ll see some “boring” lake fish that are a little drab. But don’t worry! It gets more exciting the farther you go into the museum, with lots of interesting creatures to observe.
Initially my kids were disappointed they didn’t have sharks. Then they saw this crazy skeleton mouthed fish and sat watching it for a long time and I didn’t hear another word about sharks after that. It’s a big place, so make sure you leave enough time and energy to enjoy the last third of the museum, which my kids thought was the most interesting.
The aquarium is full of interactive displays and educational information. Thankfully all the exhibits are in English (and German & French), though some videos have English subtitles which you may need to read for younger children. Be aware that some rooms and exhibits can be a bit loud and stimulating, which might bother very young children.
The aquarium is stroller friendly and most tanks are easy for little kids to see into, with big plate glass reach low to the floor, peepholes at their level, or stools for them to sit or stand on.
There are lots of land animals as well, mostly reptiles and amphibians, including this Komodo dragon, which was very impressive. We happened to be there on the one day a month they feed it a big prey animal, in this case a wild boar that was hit by a car. It was a little disturbing, but also fascinating, to watch the dragon tear apart the carcass. The info sign said scientific studies conducted in zoos show that the sight of dead prey (including intestines) does not lead to psychological problems in children. But you know your child so be aware that this might be happening and talk to your child about it.
One very cool part of the museum is that many 3D displays on the ceilings that are reflected in mirrors on the floor. However, as noted on their website, don’t wear a skirt! Everyone will have a nice view of your underwear. I had read this before my visit but didn’t think about it again until I saw the mirrors and was glad I had worn trousers.
Aquarium Opening Times & Entrance Fee
Aquatis is open April thru Oct 9:00 – 18:00. From Nov to Mar, it opens a bit later at 10:00.
Entrance to Aquatis is CHF 29/adult, CHF 19/child 6-15, under 6 free. Family rate for 2 adults 2 children CHF 75. They offer birthday parties, guided tours, and workshops.
See current prices, operating time & offers here.
Where to eat
Aquatis has a self-service cafe and a full-service restaurant, both of which connect to the open air patio with a splash fountain, where lots of kids were getting a bit wet on the hot day.
It’s important to note that you cannot leave and re-enter the aquarium. So plan to eat enough before your visit, probably about 2 hours. We had traveled there that morning by train, arriving at 10:00. We went directly into the aquarium and after about an hour, my kids were very hungry. But we couldn’t leave and come back. We would have stayed longer in the aquarium but after about 2 hours, we just had to eat. In retrospect, we should have had a snack at the cafe and run around the patio a bit before going into the aquarium. Then have a late lunch after our visit.
For lunch, we ate at Le Piranha, the self-service cafe next to the aquarium. It’s the typical self-service fare you might expect, chicken nuggets, burgers, fries, pizza, etc, nothing special. They also have some pre-made salads and sandwiches, with vegetarian options, which are a little more appealing. I had a slice of quiche and a caprese salad with pesto, which was pretty good.
For dinner, we ate at the Restaurant Aquatis, which is part of Aquatis Hotel. This was a big step up, really delicious, pretty food. We should have eaten there for lunch! Of course, it’s more expensive but well worth it in my opinion. And the children’s menu is affordable and better value than at the self-service restaurant. After my son’s salad arrived, it was so good, I flagged down the waiter and ordered a starter for myself.
I would go back to Aquatis Hotel just for the food. Below is my roasted scallops and potato mash with a super yummy foam sauce and veg, a ridiculously inadequate description of this lovely dish. I licked that plate clean.
If you prefer to bring your own food, there is a picnic room near the entrance of the Aquarium and lockers to store your food during your aquarium visit.
Where to stay
Lausanne is a bit far from Zürich, so it’s nice to stay overnight and enjoy the Lausanne area instead of driving there and back in one day. There’s so much to do in this area that it would make a nice long weekend destination.
We stayed in the Aquatis Hotel, directly adjacent to the aquarium, which made our stay very convenient. They offer a family package: when you book a room for the adults, you get an additional room for the children for free. It also include entrance to the aquarium and breakfast. At CHF 199 for a standard room, this is a very good deal!
Details for the family package here.
We stayed in the family suite, which had a double bed, a single bed and a double bed sofa pullout. It was nice to have plenty of room to spread out and all be together. We loved this beautiful glacier photo that is backlit above the bed (you can turn off the light).
My boys favorite part was the play room, which had a pool table, Foosball table, Nintendo Switch, and a play corner with toys for little kids. My boys spent all their extra free time that evening and the next morning at the pool table, laughing and competing, so happy. It was nice they could make noise somewhere else and not bother anyone. Next to the playroom, there is a kitchenette, with a microwave, bottle warmer, and sink which really helps parents of small children.
My boys are still talking about the breakfast, which was much nicer than some of our recent hotel stays, with lots of variety. They loved the freshly baked pain-au-chocolat and plenty of cereal choices. I liked the yummy selection of cheese, bread and fresh fruit, among other things.
The Aquatis Hotel is only a 10 min metro ride from the center of Lausanne. With your hotel stay, you get the Lausanne Transport Card, which gives you free travel on the metro and buses in Lausanne and discounts at lots of attractions. This would be a great weekend trip for the family.
See current Aquatis Hotel offers here.
How to get there
Aquatis is located in Lausanne in western Switzerland. It is easily accessible by car or public transportation.
By public transport: Take a train to Lausanne. Exit the station, cross the street and follow signs to the M2 Metro, direction Epalinges, Croisettes. The Metro is downstairs under the street. It comes about every 6 mins. Take the Metro to Vennes. Aquatis and the Aquatis Hotel are directly above the metro stop.
SBB has a Combi Railway offer that gives you a 20% discount on your trail travel and aquarium entrance. Offer valid through Dec 2019.
By car: Drive to Vennes on the A9, taking exit Lausanne-Vennes. Take Route de Berne towards Moudon/Epalinges then follow P+R Vennes. The parking lot is directly below the aquarium.
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