Mushrif Park Dubai: Bike Trails, BBQ, Hiking and a City Forest

If you want greenery, shade and a bike ride at the weekend without driving far out of the city, go to Mushrif Park. It’s one of the largest parks in Dubai, but it feels more like a forest: tall ghaf trees, shaded avenues, picnic lawns, trails and a whole network of bike tracks. It’s 20–25 minutes by car from Downtown.

Visitors barely know about Mushrif, but residents come here as families: cycling in the morning, barbecue at lunch, an evening walk under the lamps. Below I explain what’s here, where you can grill and how to spend a whole day in the park.

In short

Question	Answer
Where	East Dubai, next to Mushrif and Al Khawaneej, about 16 km from the centre
Getting there	20–25 minutes by car from Downtown; no metro nearby
Entry	3 AED per person or 10 AED per car
Hours	Usually 8:00–22:00 on weekdays, until 23:00 at weekends; trails from morning to evening
Time needed	From 3 hours to a full day
Best season	October to April
What to bring	Water, barbecue food, a helmet (if you bring your own bike), mosquito spray for the evening

What Mushrif Park is

Mushrif National Park opened in 1982, and in more than forty years a real urban forest has grown here. Its backbone is the ghaf tree, the national tree of the UAE. Dubai Municipality describes the forest here as one of the largest urban ghaf forests in the emirate.

The park has everything for a quiet family day: lawns, playgrounds, sports fields, a swimming pool, horse riding and a ropes course. It isn’t an amusement park or a waterfront: people come here for the shade, the air and the space. At weekends whole families spread out blankets on the lawns, while weekday mornings are almost empty.

The avenues of Mushrif: shade almost all day, so you can walk here even in the warmer months. Photo: Tashmetova808, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Cycling: Mushrif Hub and 50 km of trails

The big news of recent years is Mushrif Hub, which Dubai Municipality opened in May 2025. It’s a centre for cyclists and hikers right inside the park:

• 50 km of mountain bike trails at three levels: green for beginners, blue for intermediate riders, red for experienced ones;
• a skills area for practising technique, and a bike wash;
• cafes and restaurants, changing rooms, showers and a mosque;
• lighting, so you can ride in the evening too.

You can bring your own bike or rent one on site: according to Dubai Municipality, the hub has rental points. Prices vary between operators, so check on the spot. A helmet is mandatory.

If you’ve never ridden mountain trails, start with the green trail: it’s designed for beginners. The blue and red trails are for people who are already comfortable on a mountain bike.

The Young Rangers kids track

In December 2025 the Young Rangers track opened next to the hub: 1.5 km for children under 12. It has logs, bridges, arches, small berms and rock “gardens”. The track is free and open every day from sunrise to sunset. For a child who already rides confidently, it’s the best place in the city to try a “real” mountain trail.

The 9.7 km hiking trail

For walkers, Mushrif Hub has a 9.7 km mountain hiking trail, the first of its kind in central Dubai. It has sections of different difficulty, so you can do a short loop with children or the whole route. Set off in the morning and bring water and closed shoes: the trail runs over sand and stones, and it has less shade than the park’s avenues.

Barbecue: where you can grill

Barbecue is the main reason families spend a whole day at Mushrif. The rule is simple: grill only in the designated areas. They’re marked, with tables and shade nearby. A grill in the wrong place in a Dubai park can cost you a 500 AED fine.

Worth knowing:

• at weekends the good barbecue spots are taken early, so arrive in good time;
• bring your own charcoal, grill, food and water;
• put cold coals and rubbish in the bins;
• if you don’t feel like cooking, eat at the cafes and restaurants of Mushrif Hub.

What else is in the park

• International Village. Thirteen models of traditional houses from around the world: a small walk “around the world” for children.
• Swimming pool. Paid separately, handy in the warmer months.
• Aventura Parks. A ropes course with ziplines among the trees, with tickets separate from park entry. It usually closes in summer, so check the schedule.
• Horse riding. Also paid separately.
• Playgrounds and sports fields all over the park.

The arch at the entrance to International Village, with its models of traditional houses from different countries. Photo: Angela Manthorpe, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

A plan for the day

A realistic day from October to April:

1. 8:00–8:30: arrive. The morning is cool, the trails are quiet and there are still spots at the barbecue areas.
2. 8:30–10:30: cycling. Adults on the green or blue trail, children on Young Rangers.
3. 10:30–11:30: rest in the shade, coffee at the hub or a walk to International Village.
4. 12:00–15:00: barbecue and a picnic on the lawn.
5. 15:00–17:00: the pool or the ropes course for anyone with energy left.
6. Evening: a walk along the avenues under the lamps, then home.

If you’d like to add something unusual to the weekend, Al Khawaneej with its Quranic Park and food trucks is right next to the park: I’ve put it into a separate half-day plan. For the desert and flamingos, head to the Al Qudra Lakes instead.

How to get there

By car or taxi is easiest: the park is in east Dubai, off Al Khawaneej Road, about 16 km from the centre. There’s no metro nearby. The car parks by the gates are large but can fill up by noon at weekends. Pay for entry at the gate or online in advance on the Dubai public parks site.

Common mistakes

• Arriving at midday in summer. From May to September it’s hot in the daytime even in the shade. In summer people come early in the morning or in the evening.
• Grilling on any lawn. Only in the barbecue areas, or you’ll be fined.
• Going straight to the red trail. Even experienced riders should do the green or blue trail first to get used to the sand.
• Forgetting about the hours. The schedule changes on holidays and in Ramadan, so check it before you set off.

More weekend ideas: Parks in Dubai · Best walks in Dubai · Cycling in Dubai · Splash parks for kids · Beach clubs · Padel in Dubai · Tennis courts · Al Qudra Lakes.

Mushrif is a good example of how Dubai is more than skyscrapers and malls. If you’d like to see both the modern city and its quieter side, message me and I’ll put together a route for your dates and interests.