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Dubai was a country we frequently had a layover while traveling between the US and India. While we had the misconception that Dubai was all about shopping and malls and was extremely hot, we were pleasantly surprised with the abundance of family friendly options in the city and neighboring areas. Below is our day-by-day itinerary for 10 days in Dubai with kids (aged 10 & under)
Day 1: Landed in DXB and took a cab directly to Legoland Resort, located in Dubai Parks and Resorts
Day 2: Full day at Legoland Dubai. We received free entry passes because we stayed at the Legoland resort. If you haven't stayed at Legoland Resort in the past, it is definitely worth doing it atleast once. It was our second time, the first being in Malaysia. Both our girls are big into Lego and they absolutely loved their time at the resort. There are great activities within the resort and the staff are very friendly and great with the kids. Please note, Riverland is not what it used to be. While still very pretty, it is quite deserted after covid. Most of the stores/restaurants are closed, except for a Chickadees and McDonalds.
Day 3: Full day at Motiongate park, which is themed after various Hollywood studios and characters like Dreamworks (How to train your Dragon, Kungfu Panda, Shrek), Smurfs etc. After the park, we drove to Abu Dhabi and checked-in to a hotel at Yas Island
Day 4: Half day at Ferrari World and half day at Warner Brothers World. We took the 1 day 2 parks pass, which in retrospect probably was a cramped experience. Ferrari World had a good range of rides, enough to keep us busy the whole day. WB World on the other hand, is something that can be fully experienced in half day.
Day 5: Back to Dubai, we check-in to Courtyard Marriott near Mall of Emirates in Al Barsha. After settling in, we spent the rest of the day in Mall of Emirates
Day 6: We started the day with a half-day visit to Ski Dubai where the kids spent the day playing in snow, tubing, and sledding. After grabbing lunch, we headed out for the desert safari. Most operators go dune bashing for 40 minutes, we found one that does a 25 minute session costing 90 AED a person, after which we were taken to their camp in the desert. They have food, beverages and a small show around 8pm, so for about 3 hours we just chilled and put our feet up and walked in the desert for a little but skipped the optional camel ride, ATV ride and sandboarding. I strongly advice getting a VIP table for 50 AED extra as this includes unlimited food and beverages with better seating and an air cooler. The operator we used were called Planet Adventure and I highly recommend them.
Day 7: Sunday was for outlet shopping at Dubai Outlet Mall, which was about a 30 min (75 AED drive). The stores were limited in choice, but we found some great deals in adidas, puma, columbia athletic wear etc.
Day 8: Today was for Aquaventure Waterpark near Atlantis. It was a hot day, being entirely outdoor. But the theme park is a must-visit for adults and kids-alike. If anyone in your group celebrated or is about to celebrate a birthday within 7 days, they get free entry into Aquaventure Waterpark along with 20% off for 2 accompanying friends.
Day 9: With our last free day in Dubai, we took the metro to Dubai mall and visited the Burj Kalifa. Please note, while the Metro technically runs until midnight, the last departure from Dubai mall is around 23:15pm and the metro literally shuts down at midnight.
Day 10: Our last day in Dubai was essentially packing and heading to the airport. Be warned, the immigration line was insanely loooong. The security line wasn't that bad however. So factor that delay into your check-in plans.
Overall conclusion: Dubai is an extremely fun place to visit with family. There are plenty of activities to keep children of all ages as well as adults occupied, with amazing food options and plenty of shopping deals.
Some tips & quick info:
* Legoland Resort and Atlantis offer free park tickets if you stay there.
* Average cost of a dish is 50 AED, starting from 15 AED for a shawarma to 80 AED for steak or fine dining.
* Check out Katerina Bakery, available in multiple locations. They have some amazing pastry, especially the honey cake.
* Check out My Shawarma in Al Barsha, which is recommended by locals for delicious shawarmas and rice bowls and very affordable, possibly the cheapest and equally delicious meal in all of Dubai.
* Abu Dhabi is strict about masks in public and an RTPCR report for adults is required to enter public places and restaurants.
* Planet Adventure is highly recommended for Desert Safari
* Dubai mall has an ice skating rink while Mall of Emirates has Ski Dubai for skiing and snow play.
* Most malls are open till midnight from Friday to Sunday, while also offering the best deals on these days.
* The country is one of the safest I have travelled to and women can travel alone with ease.
* The fountain near Burj Kalifa is nice, but nothing exceptional. They have fountain shows every 30 mins after 6pm but only lasts a few minutes.
* Other theme parks we missed this time include IMG adventure park which has a Marvel World and Cartoon Network world.
* Riverland in Dubai Parks and Resorts isn't what it used to be and is quite deserted.
* The Immigration authorities at the airport handed us free sim cards from Du, which was valid for 24 hours, after which additional minutes can be paid for. Luckily for us, we were offered a complimentary 3 day extension, so between 2 sims, we had 8 free days of free 4G (or 5G if your phone supports it)
* And most importantly, the people of Dubai are extremely nice so long as you are respectful of their land and culture.
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Olivia Zoey
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Hotel Supplies
I found this blog very informative, Keep up the good work. Hotel Supplies in Dubai.