Best Things to Do in Dubai with Kids: Safari, Yacht, Waterparks, Ages

The six best things to do with kids, ranked

#1

Lahbab Red Dunes, hotel pickup in a 4x4 Ages 5 and up, from $45

The desert safari and the camp

Dune bashing with the intensity turned down for families, sandboarding on the Big Red dunes, a camel ride and falcon photos at sunset, then Al Khayma camp with air-conditioned tents, a BBQ buffet, henna, the fire show and Tanoura. 7 hours door to door, back late in the evening, no prepayment. Not recommended for infants under 3.

#2

Dubai Marina, the pier behind Al Majara Tower All ages, from $32 a seat

One hour on a yacht

Hourly departures through the Marina canal, along JBR and Bluewaters and a photo stop in front of Ain Dubai, on a premium yacht with a red carpet at the pier and a crew that helps with photos. Children of all ages welcome under adult supervision, life jackets for every size, chilled water included, check-in 20 minutes before departure.

#3

Atlantis, Palm Jumeirah; Wild Wadi in Jumeirah A full day of slides and the lazy river

Aquaventure and the waterparks

Aquaventure at Atlantis is the waterpark day, with The Lost Chambers aquarium in the same resort for the shaded hour; Wild Wadi beside Burj Al Arab is the other park. Reach Atlantis by the Palm Monorail, about 15 minutes and roughly AED 20-30 return, and buy tickets on the official sites, where the height rules for the big slides are listed.

#4

Dubai Mall, Atlantis, Mall of the Emirates, Zabeel Park Escaping the heat between noon and 4 PM

The aquariums and the indoor afternoons

The Dubai Aquarium's giant viewing panel is free to look at from the mall floor and going inside is about AED 150 and up; add Ski Dubai's snow park at Mall of the Emirates, The Green Planet's indoor rainforest, the Dubai Frame (about AED 50) and the Museum of the Future (about AED 150, book ahead) for the hot hours of any day.

#5

JBR, Kite Beach, Palm West Beach, Al Mamzar November to April, flagged swimming

The beaches

JBR Beach with The Walk and The Beach behind it and the tram at the back is the family default; Kite Beach has the kites and Burj Al Arab on the horizon; Al Mamzar Beach Park has a calm lagoon for small children. Days are 20-30°C and the sea 20-24°C in winter; swim only at the flagged stretches, because the open beaches have rip currents.

#6

Dubailand, 25-35 minutes by taxi Late October to spring, evenings

Global Village and the seasonal parks

Country pavilions, street food, shows and a funfair, open roughly from late October to late April or early May with dates that change every year, and Dubai Miracle Garden next door for the daytime, roughly November to May. About 25-35 minutes and AED 60-90 by taxi from Downtown or the Marina; check the season dates and tickets on the official sites.

The best things to do with kids, by age

Dubai is an easy city with children: everything is air-conditioned, the taxis take cards, and the two experiences families remember most are both organised from the hotel door. The desert safari is the big day, from $45 per person with pickup included, best from about age 5. The hour on a yacht in the Marina is the easy one, from $32, for every age, with life jackets on board. Around those two, the waterparks, the aquariums, the beaches and Global Village fill the rest of the week depending on the season and the children's ages.

The table is the whole list with the age rules and costs; the sections below are the detail, and the last one puts every minimum age in one place.

Third-party prices and dates are approximate; check the official site or app before you go.

The desert safari: the day they talk about

Ask a family what they remember from Dubai and it is the desert. Our full-day desert safari collects you at the hotel in an air-conditioned 4x4 (Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman), drives 45-60 minutes to the Lahbab Red Dunes and gives the children the afternoon: 30-45 minutes of dune bashing with the driver adjusting the intensity to the car, so a family gets a gentler ride than a group of friends, then sandboarding on the Big Red dunes, a camel ride and falcon photos as the sand turns gold.

After sunset, Al Khayma camp: air-conditioned tents, a BBQ buffet with vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, unlimited water, soft drinks, tea and Arabic coffee, henna, and the fire show, Tanoura and belly dance. It is a 7-hour outing that ends late in the evening, so plan a lazy morning the next day. From $45 per person, $65 with the 30-minute quad bike ride, and no prepayment: you agree the date on WhatsApp and pay on the day. The age rules:

• Under 3: not recommended; dune bashing is a rough ride, and the same goes for pregnant mums and anyone with back or heart problems.
• From 5: the sweet spot; younger children can come along but get more from the camp than from the driving.
• Under 12: accompanied by an adult on the camel ride.
• Quad bikes: the optional 30-minute self-driving session ($65 per person for the safari with the quad) needs no driving licence, and children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
• Motion sickness: the front seat for the queasy one, a tablet 30 minutes before pickup and no heavy meal 2-3 hours before.

Desert safari with kids goes through the day hour by hour, including bedtime and what to pack.

One hour on a yacht: the easy win

If the safari is the big day, the 1-hour shared yacht tour is the easy one. Departures are hourly from the marina pier at Level P, Al Majara Tower, Dubai Marina; you check in 20 minutes before, shoes come off to protect the decks, and the yacht cruises the Marina canal, along JBR and Bluewaters, stops in front of Ain Dubai for photos and comes back with the whole skyline in view. From $32 per person, children of all ages welcome under adult supervision, life jackets on board for every size, chilled water included. No food is served on the 1-hour cruise, so feed them first.

Two things to know: full prepayment secures the slot, because the hourly departures sell out, and every guest, children included, needs an original passport or Emirates ID for the Coast Guard check. The pier is a short taxi from DMCC metro station or a walk from the Marina hotels. The Marina and JBR waters are usually calm; if a child is prone to seasickness, give the medication 30 minutes before boarding.

For one family or two together, a private charter from AED 400 per hour lets you set the pace: the 40 ft Tres takes up to 10 guests with a 3-hour minimum, and the yachts with a cabin, the 48 ft Orion from AED 800 per hour or the 53 ft Daphne for up to 17, run 2-hour minimums. The family rules are firm: children under 10 wear life jackets on deck and in the water, babies under 2 stay in the saloon or cabin with a parent, swimming is in daylight at anchor within three metres of the boat, and there is no jumping while moving. Yacht charter with kids picks the boat by family size.

Aquaventure, Wild Wadi and the waterparks

Aquaventure at Atlantis on Palm Jumeirah is the waterpark day, and it is a full day: slides, a lazy river and pools, with The Lost Chambers aquarium in the same resort for the hour when everyone needs shade. Wild Wadi, beside Burj Al Arab in Jumeirah, is the other waterpark and the closer one for families staying in Jumeirah. Tickets change with the season, so buy on the official sites and check the height rules for the big slides before you promise anything.

Getting to Atlantis: the Palm Monorail from the Gateway station at the base of the trunk, about 15 minutes and roughly AED 20-30 return, which children like almost as much as the park; or a taxi, about 20-30 minutes and AED 35-50 from the Marina, 25-35 minutes and AED 50-70 from Downtown. In Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld on Yas Island is the equivalent; our Abu Dhabi day stops on Yas for a Ferrari World photo and lunch at Yas Mall but does not include park entry, and Abu Dhabi with kids explains what fits in the 9-hour day and what needs a day of its own.

Aquariums, snow and the indoor afternoons

From May to September the days are 38-45°C, and even in the cool months the hours between noon and 4 PM are for indoors. The Dubai Aquarium in the Dubai Mall is the first stop: the giant viewing panel is free to look at from the mall floor, going inside is a paid ticket of about AED 150 and up, and the Dubai Fountain outside plays every 30 minutes from about 6 PM when you come out. The Lost Chambers at Atlantis is the second aquarium, best paired with Aquaventure.

Then the rest of the indoor list: Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates, a snow park with a chairlift and sledding slopes on the Red Line at Mall of the Emirates station; The Green Planet at City Walk, an indoor rainforest under a dome with canopy walkways; the Dubai Frame in Zabeel Park, about AED 50, with the old city through one side and the new one through the other; and the Museum of the Future on Sheikh Zayed Road, about AED 150, which sells out on weekends, so book ahead.

In summer, plan the family day as indoors at noon, the pool at 4 PM and the safari, the yacht or the Fountain after dark. Our tours run all year: the 4x4s and the camp tents are air-conditioned, water is included, and the safari is an afternoon-to-evening outing rather than a midday one.

Beaches for families

November to April is beach season: 20-30°C days and the sea at 20-24°C in winter, 26-30°C by April; in summer the water reaches about 33°C and the beach is an early-morning place. JBR Beach is the family default, with The Beach and The Walk behind the sand for cafés and shade, the tram at the back and the footbridge to Bluewaters for the walk to Ain Dubai, the landmark of the evening photo. Kite Beach in Jumeirah has the kites, a long promenade and Burj Al Arab on the horizon. Palm West Beach faces the Marina skyline. Al Mamzar Beach Park, at the Deira end of the city, has a calm lagoon and palms and is the quiet choice for small children.

Swim only at the flagged stretches; the open beaches have rip currents. Best beaches in Dubai has the facilities and how to reach each one; the short version is that the tram serves JBR and a taxi serves the rest.

Global Village, Miracle Garden and the seasonal parks

Global Village is the family night of the cool season: pavilions from dozens of countries, street food, shows and a funfair in Dubailand, roughly from late October to late April or early May, with dates that change each year. Dubai Miracle Garden next to it is the daytime equivalent, the flower park with the aircraft covered in petals, roughly November to May. Both are 25-35 minutes by taxi from Downtown or the Marina, about AED 60-90 each way; check the season dates and ticket prices on the official sites.

The theme parks, IMG Worlds of Adventure indoors in Dubailand and Motiongate and Legoland at Dubai Parks, each need a full day and full-day energy; check tickets and height rules on the official sites. Put Global Village and the desert safari on different days rather than the same one: the safari ends late, and the village is best after dark too.

Age rules, heat and the family logistics

The rules families ask about, in one place:

The Abu Dhabi day works with children from the 8:00 AM pickup: 9 hours, the Grand Mosque before the heat, the BAPS Mandir, the Corniche, a Ferrari World photo stop and lunch at Yas Mall, from $45 per person with bottled water on board and no prepayment. Families with small children often take the private car, $245 for up to 7, to set their own pace.

Heat is the other rule: water is included on all our tours, the 4x4s and the camp tents are air-conditioned, and the safari and the yacht both avoid the midday hours. Book the balloon one to two weeks ahead if the children are 7 or older; for younger ones, the balloon age limits guide has what families do instead. Dubai with kids turns this list into a 5-day plan, and the free SB AI planner lays it out on the map with our tours in place.

FAQ

Recommended Dubai tours for this guide

Recommended tour

Full-Day Desert Safari in Dubai

It is the slow-travel version of the classic safari: more time on the dunes, sunset without the crowds and a full evening programme at a premium camp with air-conditioned tents, unlimited drinks and a large BBQ buffet with vegetarian and gluten-free options. Everything is arranged from the hotel door — a licensed English-speaking driver, the 4x4, the camp and the shows.

Duration

7 hours

Area

Lahbab Desert, Dubai

Format

Full-day desert safari

Best for

families, couples and first-time desert visitors who want the full evening programme

From $45 per person No prepayment

View tour

Recommended tour

Dubai Marina Shared Yacht Tour

It is the most stylish way to see the skyline without paying for a private charter: a premium yacht with spacious decks and 5-star hospitality, a red carpet at the pier and the crew helping with photos against JBR and Ain Dubai. Full pre-payment secures your slot — the hourly departures sell out — and the yacht leaves strictly on time.

Duration

1 hour

Area

Dubai Marina

Format

Shared 1-hour sightseeing cruise

Best for

families, couples and anyone who wants the Marina skyline from the water without a private charter

From $32 per person Full prepayment

View tour

Recommended tour

Abu Dhabi City Tour from Dubai

It is the classic capital day in one organised loop: the mosque before the midday heat and crowds, the newly opened BAPS Mandir, the skyline from the Corniche, Bedouin history at Heritage Village and a photo op at Ferrari World. Transport, a licensed guide, mosque registration assistance and bottled water are included; the $45 shared tour covers all free-entry sites, and a private VIP car for up to 7 people is $245.

Duration

9 hours

Area

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Format

Full-day guided city tour (shared or private)

Best for

families, seniors and first-time visitors who want the capital's landmarks in one day

From $45 per person No prepayment

View tour

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