A stopover in Dubai with kids on the way to Europe, especially if you’re on the 14 hour flight from Sydney is well worth it!  It has a diverse range of family-friendly activities that will fill your days during a Dubai stopover with kids – from theme parks and desert safaris, to luxury malls and of course, the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. I reckon three days is a good amount of time to transition into the new time zone and be able to explore. 

Before you go:

Make sure to sign up for a VPN to protect your data, give you access to sites from home and let you access blocked sites. We use Express VPN – it costs around $12 a month and if you sign up for a year it’s only $8 a month. Read why you should always use a VPN when traveling here.

And of course, always get travel insurance. We use Covermore. I’ve use them for 22 years and they’ve always been amazing. Always read the PDS as after Covid restrictions we all need to be especially careful.

Dubai with kids:

We spent three days in Dubai and we were chock-a-block with amazing activities! Here are our favourite things to do on a stopover in Dubai with kids. 

Ski Dubai:

A ski field and resort inside the Mall of the Emirates, this is a fabulous activity for families – even if you can’t ski (like us)!  We did everything we could like tobogganing, sledding, riding the chair lift and rolling downhill in the giant snowball. You can ski and snowboard here which is quite incredible really and so very Dubai.

Em had one of the best times of her life!

We spent three hours at Ski Dubai and it was so, so much fun! And the best part was we walked out and into the warmth of the mall. We used the Ski Dubai Snow Classic Pass which gave us unlimited rides and included suit and boot hire. You can buy discounted tickets here on Klook and jump the queue. You need to BYO gloves but buy them there for around $20 each.

Dubai Mall  – Fountain Show, Kidzania and more! 

Each evening you can head to the Dubai Mall for its world-renowned fountain show, choreographed to music and truly a spectacular experience. It’s the worlds largest choreographed fountain system and a must-see while you’re in town. 

We love Kidzania and Emmie has spent many days role playing as an adult working to earn money and experience the joy of a job well done at Kidzania’s in Asia. We didn’t get a chance to visit Kidzania Dubai Mall but it’s a great stopover option for families as the kids can run around enjoying themselves while mum and dad have a rest.

There is so much to do here like the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo plus shopping and restaurants and this incredible indoor fountain, 24 metres tall and covered with sculptures of divers, all in different poses as they leap from the waterfall.

Burj Khalifa 

A trip to Dubai is not complete without a visit to the Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building with incredible views out across the Emirate plus an outdoor viewing platform. This dazzling building can be seen from all over Dubai and it’s mind blowing to be almost a kilometre high in the sky. And wow, it cost US$1.5 billion to build! The Burj Khalifa goes to show that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. 

It’s not cheap to go to the top, but you can get discounted tickets here on Klook for just over $50 AUD.

For $55 you can buy tickets to the top of the Burj Khalifa plus a pass to the Aquarium OR a three course meal You can check out the options here. 

Desert Safari

Ohhh we loved this evening adventure in vintage jeeps through the desert! Platinum Heritage is an excellent choice for your safari because it doesn’t do sand duning which is causing erosion and impacting the wildlife that lives in the desert.

If you love Vintage Mercedes then Al Marmoon Bedouin Experience is another fabulous choice.  We drove around the dunes, learn about bedouin eagle training, and ate dinner in a bedouin camp, with entertainment, henna tattooing, and delicious food.

They even had shisha for the very adventurous and we lay on cushions under the stars and finished the night with fresh fruit and date deserts. 

Black Tap Restaurant 

We visited Black Tap restaurant in the Jumeriah Al Naseem for one of the best burgers I’ve ever tased and incredible signature shakes covered with lollies and chocolates and even cakes! The restaurant is located on one of the worlds fanciest five star resorts, right on the beach and with views of the Burj Al Arab. 

Aquaventure Waterpark at Atlantis the Palm

This huge water world is a waterpark dream come true at Atlantis The Palm and is definitely worth a day trip. We had so much fun on the huge slides, floating down the river and over rapids, swimming and exploring the different sections. There are scary HUGE slides here and of course the slide that through an aquarium! Amazing! The many kids splash areas are fabulous fun for smaller – and bigger – kids and parents are allowed down some of the slides here too. 

Highly recommended for a day out! We only spent a few hours here and it is definitely worth a day in itself. You can buy discounted tickets here at Klook with the added benefit of no queues! 

Atlantis the Palms ‘The Lost Chambers’ Aquarium

Only a few minutes walk from Aquaventure, this aquarium is beautiful and easy to wander around, with so many excellent exhibits to watch. Emmie’s favourite was the huge eels, and we loved the lounges and cushions set up in front of the main aquarium so guests can sit and watch the sharks, mantas and marine life swim past.

Dubai Parks and Resorts

Legoland

 

Did you know Dubai has its own Legoland complete with a miniature Dubai built from lego and replicas of the worlds tallest buildings. Rides are definitely suited to younger kids but older kids will also love spending time here.

Legoland Waterpark

With its lazy river, water sides, wave pool and tube rides the Legoland Waterpark is just so much fun. Grab lego bricks and float around the park or slide on the many slides and swim in the wave pool. Loved it!

Motiongate Dubai

We loved Motiongate, still within the Dubai Parks & Resorts complex, and a world of Dreamworks with everything from a Smurfs Village – with a rollercoaster and kids climbing area – to the amazing How to Train your Dragon ride Dragon Gliders, a Hunger Games roller coaster called the Capitol Bullet Train that is just insane and so much more to enjoy. If you’re a movie fan then this is going to be even more fun for you with character meet and greets and incredible theming throughout the park, And if you get too hot just pop over to the Legoland Waterpark for a dip! You can buy a one day ticket for two parks here or buy individual tickets to Legoland, Bollywood and Motiongate here.

You can also explore the Bollywood theme park here at Dubai Parks & Resorts, and organise free shuttles from your hotel to the park and even better there is a resort here that you can stay at for super easy park access. 

Dubai Frame 

This awesome new addition to Dubai is a huge picture frame  – the biggest picture frame on the planet of course – with views out one side to the old town and the other to modern Dubai.  Make sure to get there before 6pm when the sun starts setting for the best views. 

Where to stay:

We spent three days in Dubai and could easily have spent more. We stayed at the incredible Palazzo Versace Dubai and it was so beautiful with everything absolutely perfect from the lobby and lounge, to our incredible suite, the swimming pools and especially the staff. The attention to detail, the amazing Versace fabrics, dinnerware and scents were just beautiful and the staff were so lovely, we adored it. Even the air smells good here!

There are three swimming pools including a special kids pool and an adults only pool, plus gorgeous lounge and dining areas. It’s close to transport and yet secluded and quiet for relaxing and taking time out from a hectic Dubai schedule.

Our room was stunning and we felt so special here. 

The fine dining here was something else too. We ate dinner at both Enigmas and Vanitas restaurants and were thoroughly spoilt. 

You can find Palazzo Versace information prices here and Dubai hotels and prices here. 

Getting around:

There are so many ways to get around Dubai. There is now a monorail, a tram and a tramline connecting the city to its prime attractions, plus there are affordable taxis and a solid Uber network – ours picked us up in the airport in a fancy car, suit and drivers hat!  

Check out the hop on hop off bus passes – this one is valid for five days and well worth it for convenience, access and ease – but this Dubai helicopter tour would be the ultimate way to experience Dubai!

Dress:

Dubai is incredibly international and you will see people wearing all kinds of clothing, some bordering on or way past the limits of respect. However, it is important to be respectful in the Muslim country and so I made sure to wear t-shirts and long pants and dresses that touched the knee and covered my shoulders. It’s okay for kids to dress casually. Also note that there is a huge element of luxury in Dubai and even going to the mall can be a very fancy affair. Take care with your clothing, but the most important element is to maintain a respectful dress while in your host country. 

You can also use Dubai as a base to explore more of the United Arab Emirates by making day trips from Dubai and venture further afield to islands, out into the desert or into neighbouring countries of Oman and Abu Dhabi – check out this awesome day trip!  If you’re not traveling through Dubai, check out these cities for a stopover on your way to Europe.

When to go:

Always check the dates for Ramadan when it is forbidden to eat or drink in public during the day and there are restrictions upon activities and events.

Thank you so much to Dubai Tourism and Visit Dubai for hosting our trip.