Nausicaá, the Centre national de la mer (France’s national sea center), stands on the seafront of Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais). It opens every day from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, except on 25 December and during its annual closure in January, and a visit takes 4½ hours on average according to the venue. An adult ticket costs €30 in low season and €31.50 in high season. Here you will find the hours, prices, the three routes, train and bus access, and a simple method for avoiding the crowds.
Nausicaá combines well with a stay on the Opal Coast or a stop in northern France: our guide to visiting Lille can serve as a starting point, and our travel in France page covers the other regions.
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Nausicaá: key facts
- Hours: every day from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm; closed 25 December; open 2 pm to 6:30 pm on 1 January; annual closure from 4 to 29 January 2027 inclusive — checked on 23 October 2026 on nausicaa.fr
- Last ticket sale: same-day tickets are sold until 1½ hours before closing
- Full price (1-day ticket): adult (over 12) €30 in low season, €31.50 in high season; child aged 3 to 12 €23 or €24.50; free under 3 — checked on 23 October 2026 on nausicaa.fr
- Booking: not compulsory, but an online ticket guarantees entry in busy periods and lets you go straight to the turnstiles after the security check
- Length of visit: 4½ hours on average according to Nausicaá
- Address: boulevard Sainte-Beuve, 62200 Boulogne-sur-Mer
Tickets: where to buy them and which discounts apply
Buy your tickets from the official Nausicaá ticket office or at the desks. The visitor rules state that tickets are neither exchangeable nor refundable and that resale is prohibited, on site and online: a ticket bought from an unauthorized resale site may therefore be refused. A ticket is valid for a single entry only.
| 1-day ticket | Low season | High season |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (over 12) | €30 | €31.50 |
| Child (ages 3-12 inclusive) | €23 | €24.50 |
| Under 3 | Free | Free |
| Special adult rate* | €26.30 | €27.80 |
| Special child rate* | €19.30 | €20.80 |
The low- and high-season dates are in the calendar published on the prices page. Nausicaá also advertises a « 2nd day for €5 » offer, valid the day after your visit, useful if you do not want to see everything at once. An annual pass is offered from €50. Guided tours (behind the scenes of the Haute Mer tank, rays and sharks of the Grand Bassin) cost €13.60 extra; the audioguide is €4.20.
Payment methods: ANCV Chèques-Vacances (French holiday vouchers) at the desks (no change given) and Chèques-Vacances Connect online; Sodexo vouchers are not accepted.
Opening hours and closures
- All year: 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, every day.
- 25 December: exceptional closure.
- 1 January: 2 pm to 6:30 pm.
- Annual closure: 4 to 29 January 2027 inclusive (check the dates for later years on the official website).
- End of ticket sales: 1½ hours before closing, i.e. 5 pm on a normal day.
Best time to visit Nausicaá and avoid the crowds
Nausicaá advises arriving as soon as it opens, at 9:30 am, or after 3 pm on busy days (weekends, bridge days, school vacations). It also notes that attendance is generally lower on fine-weather days. As the aquarium is indoors, it is often a fallback outing when it rains on the coast: a gray day during school vacations is the busiest scenario. In Paris, our guide to the Aquarium de Paris at Trocadéro is a point of comparison for a shorter outing.
As the visit lasts more than four hours, the time when it gets dark matters if you then want to walk on the beach or along the harbor. The table compares closing time (6:30 pm) with sunset on the 15th of each month in Boulogne-sur-Mer.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | On leaving at 6:30 pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:49 | 17:16 | 8 h 27 | dark or nearly dark on exit |
| February | 08:06 | 18:09 | 10 h 04 | dark or nearly dark on exit |
| March | 07:08 | 18:57 | 11 h 50 | still daylight after exit |
| April | 07:00 | 20:48 | 13 h 48 | still daylight after exit |
| May | 06:05 | 21:35 | 15 h 30 | still daylight after exit |
| June | 05:40 | 22:08 | 16 h 28 | still daylight after exit |
| July | 05:57 | 22:01 | 16 h 04 | still daylight after exit |
| August | 06:40 | 21:14 | 14 h 34 | still daylight after exit |
| September | 07:28 | 20:08 | 12 h 40 | still daylight after exit |
| October | 08:15 | 19:02 | 10 h 46 | still daylight after exit |
| November | 08:08 | 17:07 | 8 h 59 | dark or nearly dark on exit |
| December | 08:48 | 16:48 | 8 h 00 | dark or nearly dark on exit |
In practice: from April to September, you can follow an afternoon visit with a stroll at sunset on the neighboring beach. From October to March, plan your outdoor walk before going in.
What to see: the visitor routes
Nausicaá presents three routes, free-flowing with no set order:
Voyage en Haute Mer (Voyage to the High Seas)
The best-known route, organized around the Grand Bassin, with its gray sharks and manta ray. The big window measures 20 m (66 ft) long by 6 m (20 ft) high, 38 cm (15 in) thick and weighs 54 tonnes (about 60 US tons), according to Nausicaá’s FAQ. The « Destination Abysses » area is devoted to deep-sea creatures.
Des Rivages et des Hommes (Shores and People)
A tour of the world’s seas: North Sea, Mediterranean, tropics, Californian coasts. It includes the tropical lagoon, the « Échappée tropicale » area (exotic fish, corals, mangroves) and the sea lions, whose medical training session is included in the ticket.
The immersive room
A shorter experience devoted to the planet’s climate machine, which often ends the visit.
Nausicaá advertises an average of more than 10 activities a day; the day’s program is displayed on the website. The map can be downloaded from the routes page.
Suggested route for the time you have
- 2 hours: Voyage en Haute Mer only, with a long pause in front of the Grand Bassin.
- Half a day (4½ hours): all three routes, starting with Haute Mer at opening, before the groups arrive.
- Two days: the « 2nd day » offer lets you come back the next day for the activities you missed.
Getting there
- Train: Boulogne-Ville station is served from Paris-Nord, Lille and Brussels-Midi. It is a 30-minute walk or a 10-minute bus ride from Nausicaá, according to the venue. A « TER + Nausicaá » pack bundles train, bus and admission.
- Bus: line F of the Marinéo network, direction « Baston », stop « Nausicaá », from the town center or the station.
- Car: A16 motorway, exit 29 (Boulogne-Port) or 32 (Boulogne-Nord – Nausicaá). Several Q-Park lots are nearby; the Capécure hub parking is free.
- Bicycle: Nausicaá is on the Vélomaritime / EuroVelo 4 and holds the Accueil Vélo label; racks and lockers near the building.
- Motorhome: 30 spaces at the Moulin Wibert car park, on the cliffs between Boulogne and Wimereux.
Accessibility and services
With the elevators, almost all of the « Voyage en Haute Mer » and « Des Rivages et des Hommes » exhibitions are accessible; only the « diamond » area is not, but it can be glimpsed. Nausicaá holds the Tourisme & Handicap label, offers specific rates on presentation of a disability card, and has a hearing loop at the desks. The visit may take longer in high season, as the elevators are in heavy demand.
On site: baby carriers on loan, compact stroller rental (€3.90), changing tables, infirmary, free Wi-Fi, lockers (€1 coin returned), and a self-service and a restaurant at the level of the tropical lagoon.
Common mistakes (based on the visitor rules)
- Bringing your dog: pets are refused; only guide dogs and assistance dogs are admitted.
- Taking photos with flash or a selfie stick: both are prohibited.
- Arriving after 5 pm: sales stop 1½ hours before closing.
- Planning a January visit without checking: the center closes for almost a month.
- Keeping a knife or an aerosol in your bag: security checks (France’s Vigipirate security plan) are carried out at the entrance.
- Smoking or vaping in the open-air parts of the visit: it is prohibited throughout the center.
What to see nearby
Boulogne-sur-Mer is on the Opal Coast, between Calais and Le Touquet. To extend your trip in the north, see our guide to things to do in Lille. For another stretch of coastline, our page on the cliffs of Étretat details access and tides.
Frequently asked questions
What are Nausicaá’s opening hours?
Nausicaá is open every day from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, except on 25 December. On 1 January, it opens from 2 pm to 6:30 pm. There is an annual closure in January (4 to 29 January 2027 inclusive).
How much does Nausicaá cost?
The 1-day adult ticket costs €30 in low season and €31.50 in high season; €23 or €24.50 for a child aged 3 to 12; free under 3 (prices recorded in October 2026).
How long does a visit to Nausicaá take?
4½ hours on average according to Nausicaá. Allow 2 hours if you only do the Voyage en Haute Mer route.
Do you need to book Nausicaá?
It is not compulsory, but an online ticket guarantees entry in busy periods and avoids the queue at the desks.
How do you get to Nausicaá without a car?
Take the train to Boulogne-Ville, then bus line F (stop Nausicaá) or walk 30 minutes.
What is the best time to visit Nausicaá?
At opening (9:30 am) or after 3 pm on busy days, and preferably on a fine-weather day, when attendance is lower according to the venue.
Our sources
- Nausicaá (nausicaa.fr): opening hours, access and tips; prices; visitor routes; visitor rules, consulted on 23 October 2026
- Astronomical calculations: NOAA solar algorithm, IANA Europe/Paris time zone, applied by Destination de Voyage to the GPS coordinates published by Nausicaá (15th of each month, year 2027)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices and hours may change: check the official website before you go.