Varna Dolphinarium: show times, ticket prices and what to expect

The Varna Dolphinarium is a show hall with a seawater pool in the northern part of the Sea Garden, and the only one of its kind in Bulgaria. Right now, from 10 October to 9 April, there is one dolphin show a day at 12:00, Tuesday to Sunday; tickets from 1 November to 31 March cost €14 for adults and €11 for children aged 2–12 (official site, as of 2 November 2026). You buy tickets directly from the Dolphinarium, online at dolphinariumvarna.bg or at the box office; we do not sell them.

Where is the Dolphinarium?

It stands among the trees at the northern end of Varna’s Sea Garden, in the area called Saltanat, with a view over Varna Bay. The building is a light glass-and-aluminium cube about 30 m long and 14 m high, designed by a team under the architect Simeon Saraliev (Visit Varna). It opened on 11 August 1984, according to the Dolphinarium itself (Visit Varna gives 19 August). Bulgarian Wikipedia lists about 1,200 seats and a main pool 12 × 15 m and 6 m deep, filled with Black Sea water pumped from 150–160 m offshore.

Show times by season

The current schedule is published on the official site and by Visit Varna:

Period	Shows
10 October – 9 April	12:00
10 April – 14 May	12:00, 15:30
15 May – 25 June	10:30, 12:00, 15:30
26 June – 3 September	10:30, 12:00, 15:30, 17:00
4 – 24 September	10:30, 12:00, 15:30
25 September – 9 October	12:00, 15:30

There are no shows on Mondays: the Dolphinarium says the dolphins rest that day. The site does not state how long a show lasts, so allow time for the seal photos and the café afterwards.

Ticket prices (as of 2 November 2026)

Ticket	1 Apr–14 Jun	15 Jun–15 Sep	16 Sep–31 Oct	1 Nov–31 Mar
Adults	€19	€26	€19	€14
Children 2–12	€14	€23	€14	€11
VIP adults	€23	€31	€23	€20
VIP children 2–12	€20	€26	€20	€18

Children under 2 go free. VIP seats are the blue seats: the first three rows of the central sector, facing the stage and the pool. Filming or photographing the show with your own camera needs a €3 photo permit. The Dolphinarium says these prices are final, with no extra taxes or fees.

How to buy tickets, and what if a show is cancelled?

You can buy online on the official site, at the box office or from a ticket machine on site. Online tickets come as a PDF by email; the FAQ says the barcode can be shown on a phone screen at the gate, enlarged to about 5 × 2 cm. Note down the secret code shown after payment: with it and the date you can download your tickets again if the email does not arrive. To move tickets to another date, write to [email protected].

If a show is cancelled because a dolphin is ill, giving birth or not cooperating, the Dolphinarium may offer an extra show on another day, for which your ticket stays valid. If you would rather have your money back, box-office tickets are refunded on the spot and online payments go back to your card account by bank transfer.

Swimming with dolphins (May to October only)

In the small pool, visitors play trainer and do some of the show’s routines with a dolphin. It is offered only from May to October, so not in winter. The 2026 prices on the attractions page were €105 (Tue–Thu) or €155 (Fri–Sun) in May and October, €155 in June and September, and €180 in July and August. Key rules from the Dolphinarium:

• Minimum age 12; under-18s need written consent from at least one parent.
• You must be able to swim at a basic level; life jackets are provided. The pool is 3 m deep and 21–24 °C all year.
• Up to six participants at a time; companions cannot join, and only the in-house photographer takes pictures (€8 per photo).
• Pay in advance, arrive at the box office 15 minutes early, and bring swimwear, a towel and flip-flops. No alcohol beforehand; pregnant women are advised not to take part.

What else is there?

The Dolphinarium names its five bottlenose dolphins as Kimbo, Dolly, Yoana, Bimbo and Flipper, the youngest, born to Dolly and Kimbo. Two South American sea lions, Leo and Bianca, live in their own pool; the Dolphinarium says they do not perform in the shows but meet visitors in the foyer after each show for photos. The café has portholes onto the pool, so you can watch the dolphins underwater, and a terrace over the bay. There is also a souvenir shop, and the Dolphinarium hosts private events such as birthdays.

How to get there

• On foot: from the centre head to the sea, enter the Sea Garden and walk north with the sea on your right. The Dolphinarium puts it at about 30 minutes through the park.
• Bus: the official site lists lines 9, 14, 39 and 409 from the centre and 9 and 409 from Golden Sands; Visit Varna names the stop Delfinariuma. Check live times on Varna Traffic.
• Car: follow the blue DOLPHINARIUM signs. Parking is about 700 m beyond the park entrance towards Golden Sands; walk back along the park alley and allow about 30 minutes extra.
• From the resorts: the Dolphinarium gives road distances of 6 km from Sts Constantine and Helena, 16 km from Golden Sands and 35 km from Albena.

The animal welfare debate

Keeping dolphins for shows is contested. After a dolphin calf born at the Dolphinarium died in August 2019, the UK charity Marine Connection reported claims that it died during a show, asked the Mayor of Varna to investigate and backed calls by Bulgarian campaigners for the facility’s closure; the operator, Festa, denied that the calf and its mother were in the show pool at the time. The campaign group Dolphin Project argues that the pool is too small and that the dolphins never go outdoors. These are the positions of campaign groups; we found no published official inspection report either way. Meanwhile the Dolphinarium remains, in the words of national broadcaster BNT, one of the most popular attractions on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast (BNT).

Tips for your visit

• In winter the single 12:00 show suits a morning walk through the Sea Garden; remember there is nothing on Mondays.
• In high summer book online for the 10:30 or 17:00 show to avoid the midday heat on the walk.
• Combine it with the rest of the park: see our Sea Garden guide, the Varna museums with hours and prices and the top 10 sights in Varna.