UAE with Kids

A morning at Emirates Park Zoo in Abu Dhabi: breakfast in a space where the giraffes come right up to you, and you can treat them to apples, lettuce and cucumbers. After breakfast come feeding the hippo, camels and zebras, an African drumming show and full-day zoo admission.

• About 2 hours, daily at 08:00-10:00 or 09:00-11:00.
• A maximum of 6 guests.
• The menu includes a children's breakfast.
• Easy to combine with the Louvre or teamLab on the same day: a transfer with a driver for 10 hours is 915 AED.

Programme, menu and prices →

• The Green Planet: an indoor tropical biodome in Dubai with sloths, toucans, bats and piranhas. A good choice for little ones and in the heat. Adult 145 AED, child aged 2-10 130 AED.
• Dubai Safari Park: a large zoo with a safari zone, home to lions, tigers, cheetahs, zebras and ostriches. Half a day, suited to children aged 6-14. The new season starts in October 2026. Ticket 125 AED.
• Al Ain Zoo: the largest zoo in the UAE, with more than 4,000 animals. A full day out with hotel transfer, a jeep safari and tickets for 2,220 AED for 1-4 guests.
• Horse riding: Arabian horses and ponies for children, 60 minutes with an instructor, transfer included. 610 AED per person.

All options with photos →

• Dubai Mall Aquarium: a huge aquarium with sharks and rays, an underwater tunnel and an underwater zoo with penguins. Children under 2 go free. Aquarium and penguins 190 AED (199 AED at the ticket office); with a glass-bottom boat and fish feeding 290 AED (299 AED at the ticket office).
• The Lost Chambers Aquarium at Atlantis: underwater halls themed on the lost city of Atlantis, with sharks, rays and thousands of fish. Adult 135 AED, child (aged 3-7 and under 1.2 m) 110 AED. With the Aquaventure waterpark: adult 359 AED, child 309 AED.
• Swimming with dolphins: 60 minutes including the briefing, for confident swimmers aged 6 and over. A child who is not confident in the water can meet the dolphins without swimming, or stand chest-deep in the water. Adult (8 and over) 825 AED, child aged 6-8 660 AED.
• The Crocodile Park: more than 250 Nile crocodiles, feeding time and a museum about crocodiles. Adult 95 AED, child aged 3-11 75 AED.

For older children, the Atlantis aquarium offers snorkelling (from age 6) and diving with sharks (from age 10); prices are on the Prices page.

The Dubai Mall Aquarium pairs well with the Burj Khalifa: a ticket to level 124 that includes the aquarium is listed under Observation decks.

• LEGOLAND and LEGOLAND Water Park (Dubai): for children aged 2-10.
• Motiongate (Dubai) and Warner Bros. World (Abu Dhabi): for older children and cartoon fans, with fast rides.
• IMG Worlds (Dubai): fully indoor, a good choice in the heat.
• SeaWorld (Abu Dhabi): for all ages; bring a warm layer.
• Ferrari World (Abu Dhabi): for guests from 140 cm tall who love speed.
• Water parks: LEGOLAND Water Park for children up to 10, Wild Wadi for a compact site with a beautiful view, Yas Waterworld for space and short queues, and Aquaventure, the world's largest, with long queues.

Children under three enter free. One Dubai Parks and Resorts park is 315 AED, two parks in one day 375 AED.

All parks, with my prices and ticket-office prices →

• Traditional safari in vintage 1950s Land Rovers, with no extreme dune driving and no quad bikes: the calm choice for families. Child aged 5-11 695 AED.
• Sonara camp: sandboarding, camel rides, archery, a children's cinema under the stars and a children's menu. Children up to and including 5 go free, ages 6-12 from 280 AED. A transfer with a calm desert drive and a chance to see wildlife is 1,500 AED per vehicle for up to 5 guests.
• Desert safari with dune driving, from age 3, best for older children who love speed. If your child gets carsick, choose a private vehicle: you sit in front and set the pace yourself. Private from 1,100 AED per vehicle for up to 6 guests.
• Overnight in the desert: the traditional safari with a night at the camp. Child aged 5-11 995 AED.

With children under five, the traditional safari and the overnight safari need a private vehicle.

• Helicopter: children fly from the age of 2, at the full fare. Three options: take off from Atlantis, near Burj Al Arab or fly over Abu Dhabi. Check-in closes 45 minutes before departure.
• Balloon over The Palm: a tethered balloon that uses helium instead of fire, 10 minutes with a 360° view. Children under 3 fly free, and there is a child ticket for ages 3-11.
• Balloon over the desert: from the age of 5 and 120 cm tall; the season ends on 31 May.

Abu Dhabi

• Louvre Abu Dhabi: free for under-18s, adult ticket 70 AED. The museum has its own Children's Museum.
• teamLab Phenomena: an immersive digital art museum where visitors become part of the installations. Adult 165 AED, child aged 4-12 55 AED. Heels are not allowed, and some rooms are knee-deep in water, so wear clothes you can roll up.
• Natural History Museum: dinosaur skeletons, minerals, and the nature of the Arabian Peninsula and the planet. Free for under-18s, adult ticket 70 AED.
• Zayed National Museum: the story of how seven emirates united and the legacy of the UAE's founder. Free for under-18s, adult ticket 70 AED.

Dubai

• Museum of the Future: interactive floors about space, nature and the technology of the future, with a floor for children. 169 AED, free under 3.
• Etihad Museum: how the UAE came to be in 1971, told in interactive halls next to Union House, where the union agreement was signed.
• Aya Universe: rooms of light, sound and projections that children run through as if on another planet. 125 AED with me, 135 AED at the ticket office, free under 3.
• ARTE Museum: an immersive digital art museum with waterfalls, ocean and flowering gardens projected onto the walls and floor. Adult 129 AED, child (aged 4-17) 69 AED.
• House of Hype: an interactive space in Dubai Mall, with themed rooms full of games, light and photo spots.
• Madame Tussauds: a wax museum on Bluewaters Island with stars of film, music and sport. Adult / child (aged 2-11): 130 AED / 110 AED with me, 150 AED / 130 AED at the ticket office.

A children's city in Dubai Mall where a child picks a job, such as pilot, firefighter, doctor, chef or journalist, completes the task and earns a salary in the local currency, kidZos, to spend on the spot.

Easy to combine in one day with the Dubai Mall Aquarium and the Burj Khalifa. Ask me for current ticket prices.

• Burj Khalifa, level 124 with the Dubai Mall Aquarium: 309 AED, child (aged 3-8) 275 AED; at 10:00-15:30 and 19:00-23:00.
• Sky Views: an observation deck 220 m up, with a glass slide. Adult 89 AED, child (aged 3-8) 69 AED. Teenagers from 12 can do the edge walk around the outside of the building, on a safety line.
• The View at The Palm: Palm Jumeirah from level 52. Adult 110 AED, child (aged 4-12) 75 AED; at 10:00-15:30 and 19:00-21:00.
• Dubai Frame: a 150-metre frame with a glass floor at the top, old Dubai on one side and the skyscrapers on the other. Adult ticket 55 AED.

Sunset tickets cost more, so with children it is easier to go in the daytime or evening.

An aqua show by Dragone at Al Habtoor City, with acrobats, aerial stunts and high dives, on a stage that turns into a pool in seconds.

• Child tickets are for ages 2-12; children under 2 are not admitted.
• Bronze seats: adult / child 269 AED / 219 AED with me, 279 AED / 229 AED at the ticket office.
• Silver, Gold, Platinum and VIP seats are closer to the stage and cost more.
• Booking less than 24 hours ahead costs more.

Every seating category is on the Prices page.

Sea fishing in Dubai: half a day on the water for the whole family.

• A private boat for 4 hours, up to 7 guests: 1,645 AED per boat (1,835 AED at the ticket office).
• Group fishing: 180 AED per person (200 AED at the ticket office).

• Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates: real snow in the middle of the desert, with sledging, skiing, snowboarding and an area for little ones. It is about -1 °C inside, and warm clothing is handed out at the entrance. From age 2. Classic ticket 260 AED (265 AED at the ticket office).
• Glow Garden and the dinosaur park: an evening park of glowing sculptures and life-size dinosaurs. 75 AED (80 AED at the ticket office), free under 3.
• Miracle Garden: a garden of millions of flowers, with flower arches and sculptures. Open from autumn to spring. Adult 100 AED, child (aged 3-12) 85 AED.
• Global Village: a park that brings together the cultures of 90+ countries, with pavilions, street food from around the world, shows and rides. Open in the winter season, October to April; the evenings have the best atmosphere.
• Dhow cruise along the Dubai Marina canal, 20:30-22:30, from 149 AED, child from 129 AED. Group cruises →
• A private yacht for a couple of hours with the whole family: yacht catalogue →
• Aura Skypool on level 50 of The Palm Tower: normally 12 and over only (ages 12-18 with an adult). Children from 6 can join Family Swim, from 2 December 2026 to 6 January 2027, on Wednesdays and Sundays at 6:00-9:00 and on Wednesdays at 20:00-23:00; one child aged 6-11 comes free with each adult. Details →
• XLine zipline in Dubai Marina, for teenagers at least 130 cm tall and weighing 45-100 kg.