The Best Family-friendly activities in Dubai: Everything Under the Sun

Dubai doesn’t typically spring to mind as an answer to the question, “Where should we take the kids on vacation?”

However, the more you look into it, the better this sparkling desert city looks like a family-friendly destination.

Think of it as a hipper Las Vegas -- a global tech and finance center, as well as the host site for top-drawer sporting events, concerts, and more. And while flights are long, there are plenty of them, and they’re relatively affordable. In fact, the only thing Dubai lacks are a couple thousand slot machines.

Here are some of the top family attractions in this jewel of the Emirates.

Theme and water parks 

IMG Worlds of Adventure: The world's largest indoor theme park has six different zones devoted to characters from Marvel and Cartoon Network, as well as zones centered around activities that are more thrilling (haunted houses and dinosaurs) and bouncy. It’s one of the best places in Dubai for kids to burn off energy and interact with stuff they love.

Dubai Parks and Resorts: A huge theme-park complex with more than 100 rides and parks within parks, including:

• Motiongate Dubai: Hollywood-created and -inspired rides, including the truly awesome John Wick rollercoaster 
• LEGOLAND Dubai: All the brick fun and play you can handle, amazing displays of LEGO art, plus a waterpark 
• Real Madrid World: The world’s first soccer-themed park, with activities and rides built around one of Europe’s top soccer teams
• Indoor play areas
• Three hotels and more than 20 shops and 50 restaurants

Aquaventure Waterpark: Billed as the world’s largest waterpark, this mega-splash complex at Atlantis The Palm resort lets visitors careen down steep waterslides, ride a lazy river, or bask on a private beach. Upscale opportunities include jet ski rentals and hands-on dolphin encounters.

Wild Wadi Waterpark: A smaller waterpark than Aquaventure but still plenty of fun, with rides and a wave pool. 

VR Park Dubai: A virtual-reality theme park inside The Dubai Mall. Great for older kids.

Also Read: Travel Insurance and Theme Parks: What You Need to Know

Outdoor and nature experiences 

Dubai Safari Park: Home to more than 3,000 animals, including lions, elephants, and giraffes, the park also has desert and African habitats where animals can be seen in near-native surroundings. 

Green Planet Dubai: An indoor rainforest with exotic birds, sloths and reptiles, plus more than 3,000 different species of plants and flowers. The biosphere offers camping opportunities as well as the chance to be a zookeeper for a day.

Dubai Miracle Garden: Billed as the world’s largest floral garden, the dazzling outdoor displays boast more than 150 million blooming flowers, and feature massive sculptures (like a to-scale Emirates A380 jetliner) made entirely of flowers. 

Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary: This expansive preserve is a breeding ground for crustaceans, mammals, and fish, and one of the world’s best places to see pink flamingoes. 

Dubai Fountain Show and Lake Ride: To say this is like Las Vegas doesn’t begin to do justice to these spectacular water shows. Gondola-like boat rides let you get up close and personal. 

Also Read: Top Safari Destinations Worldwide: From Africa to Borneo

Beaches and relaxation 

JBR Beach and The Walk: A beachfront promenade with playgrounds, restaurants, shops, and water activities, starting with simply cooling your heels in the surf. 

Al Mamzar Beach Park: A family-friendly beach and marina with picnic spots, three large pools, food kiosks, rentable chalets, palm and coconut trees, and playgrounds. 

Dhow cruises: Dinner cruises on the country’s traditional boats with live entertainment and stunning skyline views. 

Also read: 10 Beach Safety Tips for Your Summer Vacation

Unique experiences

Desert safaris: Take dune buggies out into the desert, where you can ride camels or sandboards, spot local wildlife, watch the sunset, and enjoy a Bedouin-style dinner under the stars. 

Ski Dubai: Yes, there’s snow in Dubai … indoors. Inside the Mall of the Emirates is an indoor snow park where you can snowboard, ski, and even interact with penguins. 

Ain Dubai: They do go big in Dubai – in this case, with the world’s largest observation wheel. As you might expect, the views of the city are mind-blowing. 

As you can see, there is so much for families to do in Dubai. A vacation this merits big travel protection – especially a package of travel insurance and assistance services from Generali Global Assistance.

We’ve helped protect family vacations worldwide for decades; we have the experience to help protect your family trip to Dubai.

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Cultural and educational attractions 

Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo: If you’re going to go to the Dubai Mall, you may as well check out this amazing aquarium, which features a walk-through tunnel where you’re literally surrounded by exotic marine wildlife. 

KidZania Dubai: A mini-city that mixes education and play in fun ways, KidZania features more than 40 role-playing activities where kids can be surgeons and firefighters, and even run a radio station. 

Museum of the Future: A fascinating way for kids and adults to interact with future and near-future technologies like planet colonization, immersive reality and environmental stewardship. 

Dubai Frame: Just what it claims to be: a giant golden frame that lets you look one way to see old Dubai and another way to see the new city. A luminous glass walkway lets you be literally surrounded by the city on all sides. 

Etihad Museum: Yet another architectural marvel, this hands-on history museum provides historical background about the founding of the United Arab Emirates and the key figures in its development, past and present. 

Also Read: What to Look for in a Luxury Trip: Comfort, Convenience, and Costly Experiences