Budget-Friendly Places For Families With Kids - Dubai, UAE
Dubai is a real-life playground for both adults and kids. Like anything, the more money you spend, the more over-the-top fabulous your experience will be. Though it’s so fun to go to the big adventure parks like Lego Land, Ferrari World (in Abu Dhabi), and Bollywood, it’s usually a big family outing and done only once in a while. If you’re looking for more accessible and less expensive places to explore on the weekends or even after school, keep reading!
Before getting into our list, I suggest downloading QiDZ to your phone. It’s an app that has discounts on so many kid/family-friendly activities all around the UAE, not just in Dubai. They even have a section for free activities, advice on where to play outdoors, as well as downloadable worksheets to print and do at home with your kids. Also, the places we’ve been to so far are free for kids 3 and under, so that is a bonus too!
Budget-Friendly Places for Families With Kids
The Green Planet - Dubai
The Green Planet is an indoor rainforest consisting of 3 to 4 floors, with various animals and reptiles on each. It was so much fun and we definitely enjoyed it just as much as Olivia did. Starting at the top with a visit to the dark bat room, there is a spiral walkway leading down to the bottom floor where you’ll find animals native to Australia. We had our stroller with us, but if it’s not a must for you, I recommend leaving it behind. The walkway is narrow and there was a bit of stroller traffic on our way down - but - totally doable if you do need it.
Be sure to check your QiDZ app for specials as The Green Planet is often on there!
2. Dubai Garden Glow & Dinosaur Park - Dubai
Dubai Garden Glow is a place we always read about but never thought of visiting - before we had Olivia. Now with a child, it’s a place we knew we wanted to check out, so we made it a “big” night-out. We usually don’t do too much in the evenings, so it was exciting for us to be out at dark and have Olivia out with us. It was her first big activity past dark! The park opens at 5 pm, so we spent some of the afternoon at JBR Marina first because it’s a place we always love to visit and spend time at. We stopped for coffee and treats, then drove to the gardens as the sun was setting.
With Covid around, we love when a place isn’t busy so we can fully enjoy it and let Olive roam around freely. The park wasn’t busy at all, so it was perfect. We visited the garden glow section of the parks first which was like stepping back in time to when we lived in China. China loves its light and art installation parks, and we admittedly, love to visit them. The garden glow section is pretty large so leave extra time to walk through that part. There are food stalls at both parks if you want to stop for drinks or snacks as well. Eventually, you will enter the dinosaur section - or you can walk back to the entrance and start the dinosaur section from there (which I recommend doing to get the full effect and photo ops).
Our daughter loved both parks, but surprisingly really enjoyed the dinosaurs. It was pretty dark in that area and with the growling dino audio and semi-realistic movements, we thought she’d for sure be scared! As I mentioned, there weren’t many lights around the dinosaurs, so going from the beautiful gardens to the dinosaur was a bit lackluster. It may be best to do the dinosaur section first with the sun still out, then move to the gardens as it gets darker out.
We bought our tickets through QiDZ, and opted for the garden and dinosaur park tickets but there was also an option to add the 3D room they have too.
3. Chillout Ice Lounge - Dubai
We have always wanted to go to an ice lounge, but never made it to one. So when we saw the special for Chillout Ice Lounge, which we didn’t even know existed in Dubai, we were all about it. Olivia thought we were going to Elsa’s ice palace, so she had her own reasons for being excited about it. The lounge is located in Times Square Center mall, which is actually such a nice place with unique shops. And when we went, there was a Christmas market set up throughout the mall which was a fun surprise. If you’re taking kids there are cafes, a few toy stores, and a new favorite children’s store of mine - Eggs n Soldiers - so you can spend some time walking around the mall while defrosting after the lounge.
It’s best to make reservations before going (which I didn’t know until we arrived), so luckily we got there right when they opened at 10 and ended up being the only ones there. One ticket includes complimentary hot cocoa or hot tea and they also have food available for purchase. We were given a jacket, hat, and gloves - and they had a jacket that for the most part fit our 2-year-old. We brought extra-warm clothes and hats just in case they didn’t fit her, and we wore pants and long sleeve shirts for an extra layer of warmth. The temperature was -6 C / 21 F. Being bundled up and drinking a hot bevy, helped us stay decently warm. The coldest part was taking off a glove for pictures, otherwise, we were pretty comfortable and lasted 30 minutes in there. We felt that was the perfect amount of time for us to see everything, take photos, and have our drinks.
This was another deal we found on the QiDZ app, so check prices there first if you plan to go!
4. Kite Beach - Dubai
Kite Beach is our favorite spot in Dubai. There are other beaches to go to in the city, but the laid back vibe at Kite Beach is like no other. It reminds me a lot of Venice Beach in LA. You can be yourself at Kite Beach, dressing however you want while enjoying the beach, boardwalk and eateries. We initially went during the middle of summer in July (now we know why no one was there - aside from Covid) and we were drenched in sweat after just 15 minutes of being outside. So, it wasn’t that enjoyable and the ocean at that time of year is so hot itself that it’s not very refreshing. Fast forward to November, the weather is perfect, more shops are open as Covid restrictions have loosened, and everyone just wants to be outside. It’s best to get there early in the morning when parking isn’t a hassle, and you can snag a good spot while still distancing yourself from others.
There are so many food and drink options, with both food trucks and restaurants along the boardwalk. There are rentals to kitesurf, paddleboard, and jet ski, and there is an outdoor climbing/bungee area for kids and adults. On the other side of the main beach road is XDUBAI Skatepark - you can schedule a session on their website.
There is something for everyone at this beach, even if it’s just swimming in the ocean and playing in the sand. It’s a must-do!
5. Exploring The Desert - Dubai & Sharjah
For day trips outside the busy cities, check out our blog post on Unique Places Off The Beaten Track. They are all free of charge, and will get your family outdoors and in the sand - which most every kid would love!
