Best Theme Parks in Dubai

If you are thinking of things to see and do in Dubai, the image of an extremely luxurious activity in one of the many skyscrapers of this famous city probably comes to mind. However, diversity is something that defines the activities here and theme parks have become one of the most important hallmarks of the entertainment offerings of the largest city in the United Arab Emirates.

With this in mind I invite you to read on, as I will share with you all the facts you need to know about Dubai's theme parks. This will allow you to choose one that perfectly suits your budget, your interests and also your family entertainment needs.

The Indian film industry is characterised by the beauty of its aesthetics and the sheer number of viewers it has within India. Its cultural influence is so great that in Dubai there is a park dedicated exclusively to Bollywood's biggest hits and this is one of the best places to visit in the city. At least if you're looking for an entertaining experience that's definitely different.

There are all sorts of attractions on the premises and as you can imagine they are all architectural spectacles. At the same time, you should know that the park is divided into five different zones and each of them is dedicated to different Hollywood film genres.

Among the most important attractions are the free fall machines, the carousels and the giant Ferris wheel that offers a privileged and panoramic view of the entire park. In fact, a simple stroll through the different themed areas of the park is already something entertaining, as they look like something straight out of an Indian film set.

Keep in mind that some of the restaurants in this place can be considered as one of the best places to eat in Dubai, as Indian food is one of the best cuisines in the world. If you are travelling by private car you should know that free parking on the premises is also included in the park's entrance fee.

Interesting details

• Price: Tickets usually cost around €85 per person.
• Location: Bollywood Parks™ Dubai - Sheikh Zayed Rd - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
• Opening hours: The park is open every day of the week from 12 noon to 9pm. Saturdays and Fridays are an exception, as it extends its closure until 10pm.

The world of movies continues to gain relevance in Dubai's theme parks and another of the best known and most entertaining in the city is the Motion Gate. It is one of the largest theme parks in the Middle East and is directly inspired by Hollywood films just as Bollywood Park is inspired by the Indian film industry.

The park is divided into four different zones and all of them are related to major Hollywood studios. Columbia Pictures, Smurfs Village, DreamWorks and Lionsgate are the names of each of these sections of the park and in all of them you will find mechanised rides or roller coasters as well as live shows of your favourite movie characters.

Keep in mind that The Hunger Games, John Wick and Heist are just some of the Hollywood franchises that have inspired the creation of the mechanised rides in this park. There's a Shrek swamp ride and even a roller coaster from the animated film Madagascar.

On the other hand, although this park can easily keep you busy throughout your day , it doesn't mean you have to waste your evening enjoying some of the things to see and do at Dubai Marina. With around six hours or so you'll have enjoyed all the park's attractions and so at around six in the evening you could head back to your accommodation for a little rest.

Details of interest

• Price: Tickets per person cost approximately £85 and there is no distinction in the price for children or adults.
• Location: Park and Resorts - Sheikh Zayed Rd - Dubai - United Arab Emirates.
• Opening times: The park is open daily from 11am to 8pm except Saturdays and Fridays when the opening hours are extended to 9pm.

Dubai is a place that proves that modern engineering is perfectly capable of generating wonders that even alter the natural order of weather. Ski Dubai fits this description, as it is the largest indoor ski resort on the planet. This means that this site creates the incredible spectacle of seeing real snow in the middle of the desert and in this case it is thanks to careful temperature control and an impressive architectural structure.

Keep in mind that the constant temperature at this site is -4°C and if you want to enjoy this you have the option of sliding down five different slopes that are located throughout the 20,000m² of this impressive theme park. There are alpine stations where you can sip a hot chocolate and eat typical Swiss dishes. Just as if you were really in the European mountains.

Also of note is the park's main slope, which is about 400 m long and has a drop of about 60 metres. The entrance fee includes the equipment you would need to cope with the temperatures here, such as winter jacket, gloves, helmet and boots, as well as skiing equipment. If you're in the mood for more extreme fun, you can also opt for a sandboarding session in the breathtaking dunes of the Dubai desert.

Interesting details

• Price: Tickets are not age-adjusted and cost around £65 if you arrive directly at the site or go up to around £97 or £98 if you want a shared transfer from your accommodation
• Location: Sheikh Zayed Rd - Al Barsha - Al Barsha 1 - Dubai - United Arab Emirates.
• Opening times: The theme park's opening hours change throughout the week, with Saturdays and Sundays open from 9am until midnight. Monday to Thursday it is open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on Fridays it is open from 10 a.m. to midnight.

The Atlantis Hotel is one of the most impressive structures in Dubai, not only for its beauty but also for its location. It is located at the northern end of the famous artificial island of the Palm Jumeirah. Also within the structure of this famous hotel is the Atlantis Aquaventure water park, which year after year wins the award for one of the best structures of its kind in the world.

If you decide to visit you will find Atlantis themed slides or you can surf artificial waves on one of the most powerful machines on the planet. You could also ride through the famous rapids of a river that is artificially created around the site or you could even go on a shark safari.

Keep in mind that this park holds the Guinness World Record for the most slides in a water park. Among the more than 100 that exist throughout the facilities I can highlight with special enthusiasm the glass tunnels. These will make you feel as if you were at the bottom of the ocean. They pass through gigantic pools filled with sharks, rays, piranhas, lobsters and even some marine mammals.

It also has The Lost Chambers aquarium in Dubai

This majestic hotel also boasts one of the most impressive aquariums on the planet. It is a facility with a large collection of tropical fish and sea creatures that swim in ponds directly inspired by the ancient mythological Atlantis.

The name of the aquarium is The Lost Chambers and you can purchase tickets directly to this site or you can also combine them with a pass that gives you access to the Atlantis Aquaventure Park.

Interesting details

• Price: The combined ticket price for the Aquaventure Park and Aquarium is approximately €100 per person. Children between 3 and 7 years of age pay approximately £86.
• Location: Atlantis The Palm - Crescent Rd - Dubai - United Arab Emirates.
• Opening hours: The park is open daily from 9:30am until 6pm.

Legoland is a theme park franchise that has a presence in different parts of the world. However, as in Dubai everything is done in a big way, you can imagine that the facilities of this site have nothing to envy to those of other tourist destinations around the world.

This site has more than 60 million bricks of this famous construction game and throughout the structure there are more than 15,000 sculptures that are accompanied by some 40 interactive games. The live shows and the presence of themed characters are also another of the great attractions of Legoland Dubai.

Keep in mind that the park is divided into different sections of which I can highlight Factory, where you can see how these mythical bricks are created. Imagination is another of the most entertaining, as it is the place where vehicles are built and can even be driven by the participants.

Legoland Waterpark

At the same time, in Dubai there is the Legoland Waterpark which has about 20 different slides and a couple of other attractions. So visiting it is a good opportunity for family fun if you're looking to take advantage of the country's high temperatures for a session of refreshing and entertaining water games.

Details of interest

• Price: Entry to each is around €80 per person. However, I can point out that there are tourist passes that combine two parks in the Dubai Parks And Resorts complex for around €100 per person. This would mean that by paying €100 you could enter Legoland Water Park as well as Legoland Dubai.
• Location: Sheikh Zayed Rd - Dubai - United Arab Emirates.
• Opening hours: The park opens daily from 10am until 6pm from Monday to Thursday. This is due to the fact that on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays it is closed until 7pm.

IMG World Of Adventures was one of the first theme parks in all of Dubai and is now one of the largest and most visited of them all. It stands out among other alternatives because all the attractions are covered and that is a direct protection from the high temperatures that define this place. The park as such is divided into five different epic zones.

It is actually the largest indoor theme park in the world and has the capacity to receive about 20,000 visitors per day. Among its attractions are those focused on the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as the entire section that is directly inspired by the Cartoon Networks TV channel.

Interesting details

• Price: Tickets cost approximately 80 euros per adult, while children up to 105 cm tall get in for free.
• Location: E311 Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Rd - City of Arabia - Dubai - United Arab Emirates.
• Opening times: the park opens daily at 12 noon until 10pm Monday to Thursday. On weekends it is open until 11pm.

Although Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi is not a theme park located in Dubai , it is one of the best attractions when it comes to amusement parks for tourists visiting the city.

Ferrari World excursions from Dubai have become a staple for those who want to visit the largest theme park on the planet, which stands out for its unique theme inspired by the famous top speed car company.

Of this type of excursions I can highlight that they include a round trip with a pick up directly from your hotel. As well as a guided tour that will allow you to see the palaces of the royal family, the headquarters of the Louvre museum in the Middle East and also the famous leaning tower of Abu Dhabi. The park's famous roller coaster, which is the fastest in the world, is also a highlight.

Details of interest

• Price: the price of the excursion is usually around 230€ per person while the entrance fee to the park is around 85€ per person. This means that at the end of the day the tour is a very convenient and cost-saving experience, as it also allows you to see the most attractive aspects of Abu Dhabi.
• Location: Yas Island - Yas Leisure Dr - Yas Island - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates.
• Opening hours: The park is open every day of the week from 12 noon until 8pm.

Play DXB is a park known for its wide range of virtual reality games. It is actually the largest virtual reality complex on the planet and is located in the Dubai Mall, which is also the largest shopping mall in the world.

If you visit it you can enjoy more than 30 attractions in which it is very easy to confuse what is reality and what is fictitious. Keep in mind that the space is divided into two floors and I can't stress enough the fact that the fun is accessible and interesting for all ages.

There are horror experiences, there are also other sports experiences and there are some virtual reality games with too much focus on adventure. If you have no idea how to get to the Dubai Mall it would be advisable to read some articles about how to get around Dubai, as this city is quite big and a bit complex if you don't go without a private car.

Interesting details

• Price: You can enter for free if you wish and if you are only looking to see the attractions. However, each of them have prices ranging from £10 to £50, and you can even spend around £100 per person in one afternoon
• Location: The Dubai Mall - Financial Center Rd - Downtown Dubai - Dubai - United Arab Emirates.
• Opening hours: This virtual reality park is open every day of the week from 10am to midnight.

In a city as hot as Dubai you can never have enough water parks and for exactly this reason another of the best theme parks is Laguna Water Park. This site stands out among others for being a little more modest with its pretensions and only has four environments, one for surfing, one for relaxation, one for slides and one for a simple swim in themed pools.

Its location is extremely convenient as it is in the La Mer Beach area and in fact has a direct connection to this part of Dubai's coastline. This park also boasts an impressive man-made river. After all these pools and beaches, though, you'll probably want to get a little closer to the origins of this community. A camel ride in Dubai could be a good option for your afternoon if you decide to visit this park during the morning.

Details of interest

• Price: the entrance fee to this park is quite cheap, as paying around 50€ per person you are entitled to a daily pass that would also include free buffets with quite nice and convincing meals.
• Location: La Mer - Jumeirah - Jumeirah 1 - Dubai - United Arab Emirates.
• Hours: this park is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.

As Dubai seems to be a city where the impossible can be achieved, there is a park that focuses exclusively on natural flower displays in the style of Dutch tulip fields or the rose gardens of some American cities. This place is called Dubai Miracle Garden and consists of a carefully developed exhibition that forms the largest natural flower garden on the planet.

As you can imagine, weather conditions play against a place like this and that is why it is only open from November to mid-May. However, if you happen to be in the city on any of these dates, you can't miss out on visiting this space of more than 72,000 square metres full of aromas and colours. These end up creating real spectacles of urban landscaping.

Details of interest

• Price: access to this site is quite cheap, as tickets usually cost around 22€ for adults and around 18€ for children between the ages of three and 12.
• Location: Street 3 - Al Barsha - Al Barsha South - Dubai - United Arab Emirates.
• Opening hours: it is only open during part of the autumn and during winter, which is logical, as this is the best time to travel to Dubai from a climatic perspective. If you are there during these times you could visit from 9am to 9pm. On Saturdays and Sundays it extends its closure until 10 PM.