Things to Do in Dubai With Kids, and How Much of It Is Currently Shut
Fourteen things to do in Dubai with children, checked against the operators' own sites in August 2026, and the first finding is how much of the list is not currently available. Both Legoland parks are temporarily closed, Dubai Safari Park and Global Village are out of season until October, and Motiongate's own website is down. What is open is largely indoor, which in a Dubai August is the only sane way to plan anyway.
Legoland Dubai and Legoland Water Park are both temporarily closed with no reopening date. Dubai Safari Park and Global Village are closed for the season and return in October 2026. Wild Wadi is open daily 10:00 to 18:00 despite a neighbouring hotel still publishing that it is closed. Children aged 5 and under travel free on all Dubai public transport. Dubai gates by height, not age, at 90, 100, 110, 120 and 130 cm depending on the attraction.
What should we actually do in Dubai with kids?
Check what is open before you plan anything, because a third of the standard Dubai family list is currently shut. In August the honest answer is indoors: the Dubai Aquarium under the mall, Ski Dubai's snow park, IMG Worlds, KidZania and the Green Planet all work at 45 degrees. Measure your children first, because Dubai gates rides by centimetres rather than age, and a child at 110 cm gets a materially different day from one at 125.
The 14 things worth doing, easiest first
Easiest first, and in Dubai stamina means heat more than distance. The National Center of Meteorology's own city bulletin for late August forecasts daytime highs in the mid-forties with overnight lows still in the low thirties, which is the number that actually breaks an outdoor plan. Everything below is marked for whether it has an indoor answer, because between June and September that is the only question that matters.
Ground floor of The Dubai Mall, Downtown
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo
A ten-million-litre tank with a walk-through tunnel, plus an Underwater Zoo upstairs. Inside the mall, so the whole visit is air conditioned. Nearest transit: Dubai Mall on the Red Line via the link bridge.
Easy on everyone90 minutes to two hoursWorks from about 2 upward, though the tunnel is dark and enclosed- Cost
- Silver AED 209, Gold AED 269, Platinum AED 399, with a UAE-resident offer showing AED 178 on the Silver tier.
- Booking ahead
- Not required. Open year round.
- If it rains
- If it rains: It is itself the default hot-afternoon answer in Dubai, and the mall around it extends the day indefinitely.
City Walk, Al Wasl
The Green Planet
An indoor rainforest biodome built around a living tree, where animals move freely past visitors rather than sitting behind glass.
Easy on everyoneTwo to three hoursStrong from 3 to 10, and the free-roaming animals are whyThe Adventure Trail play area caps at 150 cm and 70 kg, and requires closed-toe shoes- Cost
- Adults AED 175 for ages 11 and up, juniors AED 150 for ages 2 to 10, and free under 2.
- Booking ahead
- Not required, though a Kids Go Free promotion was running when we checked.
- If it rains
- If it rains: It is itself the answer, and an unusually good one because a rainforest dome is the opposite of the street outside.
Zabeel Park, between old and new Dubai
Dubai Frame
A 150-metre picture frame with a glass-floored skybridge, looking at old Dubai one way and the towers the other. Nearest transit: Al Jafiliya on the Green Line.
Easy on everyone60 to 90 minutes including the walk through the parkGood from about 5 to 12. Under-5s get nothing from the history galleries- Cost
- Adults AED 50, children aged 3 to 12 AED 20, free under 3, and free for people of determination with two companions. Two adults and two children is AED 140.
- Booking ahead
- Not required, but note the stroller rule: large bags and strollers must be left at the Gate 4 counter, and children under 12 must be accompanied.
- If it rains
- If it rains: The Frame itself is air conditioned, but the approach walk across Zabeel Park is not, which matters at midday in July.
Al Barsha South, beside the Miracle Garden
Dubai Butterfly Garden
Climate-controlled domes holding thousands of butterflies, small enough to do properly in an hour and cheap by Dubai standards.
Easy on everyone60 to 90 minutesThe sweet spot is 3 to 9: gentle, short and visually immediate- Cost
- General admission from AED 50 as full-day access, with no separate child price published.
- Booking ahead
- Not required, and it is the year-round alternative when the Miracle Garden next door is out of season.
- If it rains
- If it rains: It is itself the answer for this corner of the city, and the operator publishes availability throughout the year in climate-controlled domes.
Level 52 of The Palm Tower, Palm Jumeirah
The View at The Palm
An observation deck 240 metres above the Palm, looking down the fronds. The Palm Monorail serves the tower; there is no Metro on the Palm.
Easy on everyone45 minutes to an hour6 and up. There is nothing to do but look, so a toddler is bored in ten minutes- Cost
- Standard admission from AED 110, with a second published figure of from AED 75 shown alongside it.
- Booking ahead
- Timed slots. Book ahead at sunset, which is when everyone goes.
- If it rains
- If it rains: It is indoors and air conditioned, and it is the practical summer alternative to walking the Palm.
Level 2 of The Dubai Mall
KidZania Dubai
An indoor role-play city where children take scaled-down jobs and earn a park currency, inside the mall.
A solid half dayThree to four hours minimum to be worth the ticketThe operator's own band is 4 to 16 and it is honest120 cm is the line for independent access: children under 120 cm must be accompanied by an adult- Cost
- No standard day price renders on the operator's own pages, because the ticket selector loads client-side. Check at the desk or in the mall app before you plan a budget around it.
- Booking ahead
- Note the rule that catches people out: adults must be accompanied by a child aged 2 to 16 to enter at all. You cannot go in without one.
- If it rains
- If it rains: It is itself an indoor attraction, in the mall, so it is the hot-afternoon answer.
Inside Mall of the Emirates
Ski Dubai
An indoor ski slope and snow park at minus four degrees, with tubing, a chairlift and penguins, while the city outside sits in the forties.
A solid half dayTwo to three hours in the snowRealistically 5 to 12 for the Snow Park, and the height gates decide the rest90 cm with an adult for the sliding hill and tubing run, 100 cm for the bobsled, 125 cm for the zorb and bumper cars, 125 to 200 cm for the Mountain Thriller and 150 cm for the chairlift- Cost
- Snow Park Pass AED 249 for unlimited access to the park and rides. A two-hour slope pass is AED 499, with a discounted AED 374.25 shown when we checked.
- Booking ahead
- Book online. Measure the children first, because five separate height gates decide what the ticket actually buys.
- If it rains
- If it rains: It is the most dramatic fallback in the city, a fifty-degree swing from the street to the slope.
City of Arabia, on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road
IMG Worlds of Adventure
The largest indoor theme park in the region, fully air conditioned, with Marvel and Cartoon Network zones and a dinosaur valley. No Metro, so a taxi.
A solid half dayA full dayBest from 8 upward. Under-6s are poorly served, because most of the rides gate them out120 cm on the Lost Valley Tree House and similar gates across the thrill rides- Cost
- General park admission AED 365 with no child price at all: one flat rate whatever the age. The IMG Kids Zone is AED 50 for an hour or AED 100 for a day, and requires a general park ticket on top.
- Booking ahead
- Note the hard rule: outside food and drink including water bottles are banned outright and there are security checkpoints, which changes what a day costs a family.
- If it rains
- If it rains: It is itself the strongest August answer in Dubai, and the largest indoor space on this page.
Jumeirah Road, Umm Suqeim
Wild Wadi Waterpark
The original Dubai waterpark, thirty rides across a compact site opposite the Burj Al Arab, and the most forgiving of the big parks for younger children.
A solid half dayFive to six hours covers it comfortablyThe most forgiving big waterpark here for a 4 to 7 year old91 cm on Juha's Dhow, 110 cm on the Master Blasters, Burj Surj and Wipeout, and 120 cm on Jumeirah Sceirah and Tantrum Alley- Cost
- Day pass from AED 149 for UAE residents and from AED 199 for non-residents. Open daily 10:00 to 18:00.
- Booking ahead
- Book online. Note the contradiction below before you book a neighbouring hotel for access to it.
- If it rains
- If it rains: None. It is entirely outdoors, so in July and August the water is the only relief and the queues are not.
Bluewaters Island, off Jumeirah Beach Residence
Ain Dubai
The world's largest observation wheel, a 38-minute rotation in an enclosed air-conditioned cabin.
Easy on everyoneAbout 90 minutes including check-in5 and up. A 40-minute enclosed rotation with nothing to do defeats a toddler- Cost
- Views from AED 145 in a shared cabin, Views Plus from AED 195 adding snacks and a fast queue.
- Booking ahead
- Book ahead, and check it is running on the day. This wheel has closed and reopened before, and as recently as April 2026 its own homepage carried a closure notice.
- If it rains
- If it rains: The cabins are air conditioned, so the ride is a heat escape. The walk across Bluewaters to reach it is not.
The Crescent, Palm Jumeirah, at Atlantis
Aquaventure Waterpark
The largest waterpark in Dubai, with record-height slides, a lazy river and private beach. No Metro serves the Palm Crescent.
A whole day, and they will be finishedA full dayBest from about 8, and genuinely best once a child clears 120 cm120 cm is the general gate: the operator states access to certain rides is restricted to those over 1.2 metres- Cost
- No day-pass figure renders on the operator's own pages, because prices load from a separate booking host that did not respond. Check the current rate before you plan a budget.
- Booking ahead
- Book online. Note that anyone over 1.2 metres pays the adult rate, so a tall nine-year-old pays full price for a park where the biggest slides may still gate them out.
- If it rains
- If it rains: None on the park itself. The Lost World Aquarium in the same complex is indoors and sold separately.
Al Barsha South, next to the Butterfly Garden
Dubai Miracle Garden
Around 150 million flowers arranged as sculptures and arches, entirely outdoors. Red Line to Mall of the Emirates, then a bus.
A solid half dayTwo hours of walking and photographs4 and up, and honestly it is an adults-and-photographs attraction- Cost
- Not published on the operator's own site, which routes ticket purchase through a WhatsApp checkout showing no adult or child amount anywhere.
- Booking ahead
- Check the season before travelling. The operator publishes that opening is seasonal and does not publish the dates.
- If it rains
- If it rains: The Butterfly Garden next door, which is domed, climate controlled and open all year.
Al Warqa 5, eastern Dubai
Dubai Safari Park
A 119-hectare park across six zones with a Kids Farm and desert safari drives. Centrepoint on the Red Line, then a short taxi.
A whole day, and they will be finishedA full day, in seasonWorks from 2 upward in season, and the Kids Farm is the reason- Cost
- In season, a Safari Park Pass is AED 50 covering park entry and all six zones, with a bundle upgrade at AED 67 more.
- Booking ahead
- Closed now. The operator publishes that it is closed for the season and that Season 8 tickets will be available later, so do not plan a summer day around it.
- If it rains
- If it rains: None on site, which is precisely why it closes for the summer rather than trying to trade through it.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, on the Dubai edge
Global Village
A seasonal cultural park of country pavilions, funfair rides and street food, entirely outdoors and built around the cool months.
A whole day, and they will be finishedFour to five hours, all of it outdoorsBest from 6 upward. Under-4s will be asleep before the evening shows- Cost
- Not published for the coming season. The operator states Season 31 tickets will be available later in the year.
- Booking ahead
- Closed now. Season 30 ran 15 October 2025 to 31 May 2026, and the operator says see you in October 2026.
- If it rains
- If it rains: None. It is entirely outdoors, which is why the season runs October to May rather than year round.
What parents ask about Dubai
Is Legoland Dubai open?
No. Both Legoland Dubai theme park and Legoland Water Park are temporarily closed, and the operator's own site renders opening times today as Closed with a notice that the parks are temporarily closed. Legoland Hotel remains open, which is the part that catches families: it is entirely possible to book that hotel and arrive to find both parks shut. No reopening date is published, and this is an open-ended closure rather than a seasonal one, so treat any itinerary built around Legoland Dubai as out of date until the operator says otherwise.
Is Wild Wadi open or closed?
Open, on the evidence of its own site, which publishes daily hours of 10:00 to 18:00 and sells day passes from AED 149 for residents and AED 199 for visitors. The confusion is real and worth explaining: Jumeirah Beach Hotel next door still publishes on its own site that Wild Wadi will remain closed until further notice. Two operators, two answers. Wild Wadi now carries Dubai Holding Entertainment branding while the hotel is a Jumeirah property, so the likeliest reading is that the hotel's bundled access ended rather than the park. Do not book that hotel for the park without confirming what your rate includes.
Do children pay for the Dubai Metro?
Not until they are six. RTA lists children aged five and under as free on all nol card types, across the Metro, tram and buses. Above that, fares run by zone rather than by age: on a Silver nol card it is AED 3 within one zone, AED 5 across two adjacent zones and AED 7.50 beyond that, with a Gold card costing roughly double for the premium carriage. The card itself is AED 25 including AED 19 of stored credit. The practical catch is not the fare but the coverage: several of the biggest family attractions, including the Palm, Aquaventure, IMG and Global Village, have no Metro at all.
Getting around with children
Children aged five and under travel free on everything, and above that Dubai charges by zone rather than by age. A Silver nol card costs AED 25 with AED 19 of credit on it and then AED 3 for a single-zone journey, AED 5 across two adjacent zones and AED 7.50 for anything longer. The Gold card is the same purchase price and roughly double the fare, for the front carriage. What the Metro does not do is reach the places families most want: there is no station on the Palm Crescent for Aquaventure, none at Dubai Parks and Resorts, none at IMG Worlds and none at Global Village. Budget for taxis on those days, and remember that in July and August the walk from the car park is the part that hurts.
Where to base yourself in Dubai
Stay near a Red Line station if you want the aquarium, Ski Dubai and the Frame without a taxi every day, because those three are the reliable indoor options and the Metro reaches all of them. The Palm is a different trade: better beaches and resorts, no Metro, and a monorail that serves the tower rather than the Crescent.
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What to skip
Check what is open before you book anything, because a large part of the standard Dubai family list is currently unavailable and the reasons differ. Legoland Dubai and Legoland Water Park are temporarily closed with no date, while Legoland Hotel stays open and keeps selling. Dubai Safari Park is closed for the season and returns for Season 8. Global Village finished Season 30 on 31 May and returns in October. Motiongate's own website renders nothing but a maintenance notice, though the parent site still lists it as operating, which is a contradiction we record rather than resolve. Two more things worth knowing before you pay: the Lost Chambers Aquarium at Atlantis has been rebuilt and rebranded as the Lost World Aquarium, so older tickets and guides name a product that no longer exists under that name, and IMG Worlds bans outside food and drink including water bottles outright, with security checkpoints, which changes what a family day there actually costs.
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