Dubai with kids

Travelling with children? Dubai has more for kids than you might think. Here are 8 family favourites, with ages, prices and opening hours, plus ideas for a rainy day and practical tips.

Dubai Frame Indoor

A glass-floored sky bridge 150 m up and three short galleries: quick enough for small attention spans.

👧 Ages: children from 3 pay the child price; under 3 free; under 12 must stay with an adult
🎟️ Price: Adult AED 50, child (3–12) AED 20, under 3 free
🕗 Hours: Daily 08:00–21:00
⏱️ Visit: ~1 h
💡 Tip: Strollers and large bags must be left at the Gate 4 counter. Children must not be sat on the railing.
📍 Zabeel Park Gate 4, Sheikh Rashid Road, Dubai
Map Website
🚶 Near Dubai Frame: 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo Indoor

A 48-metre walk-through tunnel with sharks and rays, plus penguins, and all of it air-conditioned.

👧 Ages: all ages; child prices not published on the ticket page
🎟️ Price: Silver pass AED 199 (tunnel, Underwater Zoo, Penguin Cove, AED 20 shop voucher); Gold AED 269; Platinum AED 399
🕗 Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–21:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–21:00; last entry 20:15; open 365 days
⏱️ Visit: ~2 h
💡 Tip: Tickets can be bought at the counter or online. Dubai Mall parking is free for 4 hours on weekdays, 6 at weekends.
📍 The Dubai Mall, Doha Street, Downtown Dubai, Dubai
Map Website
🚶 Near The Dubai Mall: 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk

Etihad Museum Indoor

A short, air-conditioned story of how the seven emirates became the UAE, with film and touch screens.

👧 Ages: children under 5 free
🎟️ Price: Adult AED 25, student AED 10, children below 5 free
🕗 Hours: Daily 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:00)
⏱️ Visit: ~1.5 h
💡 Tip: The museum has a family visit option on its booking form.
📍 Jumeirah 1, Jumeirah Road, Dubai
Map Website
🚶 Near Etihad Museum: 🚶 1.0 km · 12 min walk

Zabeel Park Outdoor

A big city park with children’s play areas, bike hire and a running track; the Dubai Frame is inside.

👧 Ages: children under 2 free
🎟️ Price: AED 5 for adults and for children above 2; under 2 free; several people can share one ticket
🕗 Hours: 08:00–23:00 (the page lists a Sunday time; other days not shown)
⏱️ Visit: ~1.5 h
💡 Tip: Max metro station is about a 10-minute walk. Go in the early morning or after sunset in the heat.
📍 Zabeel, Dubai (Gates 1–3; Dubai Frame at Gate 4)
Map Website
🚶 Near Zabeel Park: 🚶 0.8 km · 10 min walk

Dubai Garden Glow Outdoor

Life-size animatronic dinosaurs and a glowing fantasy park: a good evening outing for children.

👧 Ages: children under 3 free (search listing; not on the official page read)
🎟️ Price: Entry ticket AED 73.50 (Dinosaur Park and Fantasy Park)
🕗 Hours: Summer timing Wed–Mon 16:00–21:00, closed Tuesday (except public holidays)
⏱️ Visit: ~2 h
💡 Tip: It opens late afternoon, so it suits the cooler hours; about 2 hours for both parks.
📍 Zabeel Park, Gate 3, Dubai
Map Website
🚶 Near Dubai Frame: 🚶 0.5 km · 6 min walk

Al Mamzar Beach Park Outdoor

Five beaches, three swimming pools and play areas in a 106-hectare park: a full beach day at a low price.

👧 Ages: children under 2 free
🎟️ Price: AED 5 for adults and for children above 2; under 2 free; car entry AED 30
🕗 Hours: 06:00–23:00 (the page lists a Sunday time)
⏱️ Visit: ~3 h
💡 Tip: Al Qiyadah metro station serves it. It lies in the north-east, far from the other areas of this planner.
📍 Al Mamzar Beach Street, Al Mamzar, Dubai
Map Website
🚶 Near Al Mamzar Beach Park: 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk

Ski Dubai Indoor

Real snow, a penguin encounter and a cold escape from the heat, inside a mall.

👧 Ages: the official page names an Autumn Camp for ages 4–10; prices and height rules not read
🕗 Hours: Mon–Thu 10:00–23:00, Fri 10:00–00:00, Sat–Sun 09:00–00:00
⏱️ Visit: ~2.5 h
💡 Tip: Mall of the Emirates parking is free for 4 hours per Parkin.
📍 Mall of the Emirates, Al Barsha, Dubai
Map Website
🚶 Near Ski Dubai (Mall of the Emirates): 🚶 0.2 km · 2 min walk

Wild Wadi Waterpark Outdoor

Slides, a wave pool and a lazy river in the shadow of the Burj Al Arab.

👧 Ages: the ticket page has a child category for those below 1.1 m
🕗 Hours: Daily 10:00–18:00
⏱️ Visit: ~4 h
💡 Tip: Bring sun cream and go early: the sun is strong at midday even in October.
📍 Jumeirah Road, next to Burj Al Arab, Umm Suqeim, Dubai
Map Website
🚶 Near Wild Wadi Waterpark: 🚶 0.1 km · 2 min walk

Tips for families

Children under 5 travel free on public transport

The RTA service page says children under 5 need no nol card and ride the metro, tram and bus free. RTA's fare table says "5 years old and below": the age limit is worth checking with RTA. Children aged 8 to 11 need a parent's permit to travel alone; under 8 is not recommended without an adult.

Free ages are low in Dubai

Under 2 is free in the Dubai Municipality parks (Zabeel, Al Mamzar), under 3 at the Dubai Frame, under 5 at the Etihad Museum. Carry a passport copy or the children's ID in case of questions.

Plan around the heat

The Dubai Frame site showed 38 °C on 11 October 2026. Do outdoor sights and parks early in the morning or after sunset, and keep midday for the aquarium, Ski Dubai, museums and malls, which are air-conditioned.

Strollers

Large bags and strollers must be left at the Gate 4 counter at the Dubai Frame. Other venues' stroller rules were not read.

The Museum of the Future is closed

The museum is temporarily closed while it prepares a new chapter (notice on museumofthefuture.ae, October 2026). A search summary of its FAQ says it reopens in the first quarter of 2027: check before you plan around it.

Plan your trip → Put these places in a day plan with walking times.

More guides

Checked: 11 October 2026. Prices and hours can change; check the official site before you go.