Otaru Aquarium Penguin Walk 2026: Guide & Visitor Info

How to Get to Otaru Aquarium from Sapporo

A Must-See: The Penguin Walk

When you think of Otaru, the Music Box Museum and the Canal usually come to mind,

but just a short bus ride away lies Otaru's hidden gem,

the Otaru Aquarium!

It's quite different from your typical city aquarium,

so even if you're not usually a fan of aquariums,

I highly recommend checking it out.

While the Asahiyama Zoo is arguably the most famous for its penguin walk,

it can get incredibly crowded.

However, Otaru Aquarium has fewer tourists,

and even better, the Penguin Walk happens four times a day,

giving you plenty of chances to enjoy the penguins!

Otaru Aquarium

Operating Hours: 10:00 AM ~ 4:00 PM

Admission Fee: ¥1,300

The Penguin Walk is only available during the winter season,

and this year it starts on December 13, 2025,

and ends on February 23, 2026.

Please note that after the winter season ends, the aquarium will close for a few weeks

for maintenance and preparation!

The admission fee is ¥1,300. If you book in advance,

you won't need to get a physical ticket;

you can enter directly with a QR code.

Book Otaru Aquarium Tickets Here

How to Get There

To get to Otaru Aquarium, first,

head to Otaru Station Bus Stop, Platform 3,

and take either the No. 10 or No. 11 bus.

It takes about 20 minutes, and the adult fare is ¥240.

Japanese buses don't accept credit cards;

you can only use IC transit cards like Suica or Pasmo, or cash.

You board through the back door and exit through the front,

and for IC cards, you simply tap once when boarding and once when exiting.

If paying with cash, you pay when you exit. If you only have a 1,000 yen bill,

you can exchange it for coins using the change machine, then pay your ¥240 fare.

Penguin Walk

The Penguin Walk takes place four times a day: 11:30 AM, 12:40 PM,

1:30 PM, and 2:40 PM.

Since they walk a full loop, you can see them no matter where you stand,

and the walk lasts approximately 10-15 minutes.

As soon as you enter the aquarium, take the elevator,

and you'll immediately spot the Penguin Zone.

The Penguin Zone is on the right; keep going straight for the Dolphin Zone.

When I visited Otaru, much of the snow had melted, which was a bit of a shame,

but just watching the penguins waddle was still incredibly heartwarming...

There were some penguins walking in a neat line,

and some that broke formation and waddled toward people.

Even if they come close, you must absolutely not touch them.

The staff members will take care of bringing them back.

Aren't they just incredibly adorable?

Waddling around, haha!

Since they go through all areas, no matter where you stand,

you'll be able to see everything. You don't need to keep moving around.

With four shows a day, seeing it just once felt like a missed opportunity,

so we ended up watching both shows.

Dolphin Show

The Dolphin Show runs at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM,

a total of 3 times a day, but it might change on the day

depending on the dolphins' condition.

Indeed, on the day I visited, the 1 PM show was canceled.

Before our dolphin friends made their appearance, there was a seal show!

I'm sure they were just asking for the food in the trainer's hand,

but it looked so cute, like they were waving hello.

I had heard that the front seats get a lot of splashes, so I was a bit worried,

but even though I sat in the second row from the very front,

I didn't get splashed at all.

The dolphin show was incredibly fun and amazing to watch,

but I couldn't help but feel a little sad for them at the same time... ㅠㅠ

There's also a seal feeding time,

but visitors don't feed them directly;

it's when the zookeepers feed them while also showing off some tricks.

There's only one feeding time at 2:30 PM, and the timing was a bit awkward,

so I missed the show and only saw them swimming around.

Besides these, it was great to see fish species that are usually hard to spot,

like stingrays, jellyfish, and sharks.

While it's not a massive facility,

there's a pretty diverse range of marine life,

and honestly, even if you only go to see the Penguin Walk,

I think it's a great place. Highly recommend it! :)

▼Book Otaru Aquarium Tickets Here▼

Otaru Aquarium Ticket Discounts, Opening Hours, Reviews [2026] | Trip.com3ha.in

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