Best places in dubai | top places interesting things to do in dubai UAE

 

The Burj Khalifa

Best Places To Visit In Dubai With Family in 2021 For A Holiday Like None Other!

 

Dubai is an excellent choice for a family holiday. It is one world-class city that delivers stellar hospitality, amazing adventures, and a shopping experience like none other. Offering a perfect blend of tradition and modernity, there are a lot of interesting places to visit in Dubai with family. Ranging from natural to man-made, there are marvels in this city that no family should ever miss on their holiday and to help you find those marvels, we bring you the top 17 Dubai places to visit with family. Make sure you visit all these places with your family to live some of the best days of your life with your loved ones while on a Dubai city tour.

• Legoland Dubai – Relive Childhood Dreams
• Legoland Water Park – Refreshing Moments
• Motiongate Dubai Theme Park – Exciting Hours
• Bollywood Park Dubai – Your Favourite Stars
• Aquaventure Waterpark – Adventure At Par
• Ski Dubai – Best Skii Resort
• Dubai Creek – Sneaking Old Days
• Jumeirah Beach Park – Mesmerizing Ambiance
• Burj Khalifa – At The Top Sky
• The Dubai Fountain – Time To Celebrate Vacation
• Desert Safari Dubai – Adventurous Expedition
• Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo – Enthralling Encounters
• Dubai Miracle Garden – Treat For Eyes
• Dubai Marina – Perfect Dining Experience
• Wild Wadi Water Park – A Fun Place
• Global Village – Explore The World
• Kite Beach – Emerald Water Of Arabian Gulf
• Ferrari World – Fasten Your Belts
• IMG World Of Adventures – Best Theme Park
• Kidzania Dubai – An Exciting Treat
• Dubai Dolphinarium – Enjoy With Dolphins
• Dubai Garden Glow – Explore The Beautiful Garden
• The Green Planet By Meraas – A Treat For Wildlife Lovers

1. Legoland® Dubai

Legoland Dubai is every child’s dream come true and we believe, a parent’s too for we have all played with Lego bricks in the past and created so many things and memories. Those toys have now come to life in the form of a fully featured amusement park that not only offers the best of lego-themed rides, shows, building experiences, restaurants, and games, but also a lot of entertainment options at Dubai Parks and Resorts. For those who want to spend a perfect day having fun with their loved ones, Legoland is one of the best places to visit in Dubai with a toddler.

• Timings: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday to Wednesday; 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Thursday and Friday
• Entry Fee: AED 295 or INR 5,137
• Location: Sheikh Zayed Road, Opposite Palm Jebel Ali – Dubai – United Arab Emirates

• 2. Legoland® Water Park

• Specifically designed for kids aged 2-12, this water park at Dubai Parks and Resorts offers pure excitement in the form of water slides and rides for an epic adventure! With over 20 unique water slides and LEGO® themed attractions, LEGOLAND® Water Park is one of its kind in the entire city. Whether you choose to get drenched at the Joker Soaker, try building your very own LEGO® raft to float over the lazy river, undertake a joyous splash safari, or simply slip, dip, and slide your way down on any of their endless attractions, you’re sure to end up having a lot of fun! You child is bound to leave with a huge smile on his face after a day at this amazing waterpark!

Timings: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday to Wednesday; 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Thursday and Friday

Entry Fee: AED 240 or INR 4,180

Location: Sheikh Zayed Road, Opposite Palm Jebel Ali – Dubai – United Arab Emirates

Ski DubaiLocated in the Mall of Emirates, the Ski Dubai is one of the finest places to see in Dubai with family. It is very hard to imagine a ski resort in a desert but the genius people behind it have managed. Travelers can enjoy skiing, tobogganing, snowboarding, and even play with Snow Penguins. One of the most entertaining family attractions in Dubai, this is one is a must for all.

Timings: 9:00 AM – 12:00 AM

Entry Fee: From AED 160 or INR 2786 to AED 510 or INR 8833 (depending on adult or kid, rides, and other inclusions)

Location: Sheikh Zayed Road – Dubai – United Arab Emirates

Dubai Creek

One of the oldest and finest places to go with family, the Dubai Creek offers experiences that take you back in time. The creek and its ferries offer a unique way to explore the city and one can use water taxis here to look at various points of attraction. Dhow Cruise is one of the most famous tours here and is surely a must try for those who want to experience the grandeur of Dubai from a laid back perspective. Families can enjoy sumptuous meals and in boat entertainment as they continue with their boat ride.

Location: Dubai Creek, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

See Dubai's Famed Cityscape at Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa

Dubai's landmark building and major tourist attraction is the Burj Khalifa, which at 829.8 meters is the tallest building in the world and the most famous of the city's points of interest.

For most visitors, a trip to the observation deck on the 124th floor here is a must-do while in the city. The views across the city skyline from this bird's-eye perspective are simply staggering.

The slick observation deck experience includes a multimedia presentation on both Dubai and the building of the Burj Khalifa (completed in 2010) before a high-speed elevator whizzes you up to the observation deck for those 360-degree views out across the skyscrapers to the desert on one side and the ocean on the other.

Nighttime visits are particularly popular with photographers due to Dubai's famous city-lights panoramas.

Buy your Burj Khalifa "At the Top" Entrance Ticket in advance to avoid long line-ups, especially if you are planning to visit on a weekend.

Back on the ground, wrapping around the Burj Khalifa, are the building's beautifully designed gardens, with winding walkways. There are plenty of water features including the Dubai Fountain, the world's tallest performing fountain, modeled on the famous Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas.

2. Sneak in Some Shopping at Dubai Mall

Dubai Mall

Dubai Mall is the city's premier mall and one of the city's best places to visit for a day of shopping and indoor activities to keep the kids busy. It provides entry to the Burj Khalifa, as well as the Dubai Aquarium.

There is also an ice-skating rink, gaming zone, and cinema complex if you're looking for more entertainment options.

The shopping and eating is endless, and there are nearly always special events such as live music and fashion shows within the mall. The most famous of these are the annual Dubai Shopping Festival in January and February and the Dubai Summer Surprises Festival in July and August.

Location: Doha Road, just off Sheikh Zayed Road

3. Discover UAE history at Dubai Museum

Dubai Museum

Dubai's excellent museum is housed in the Al-Fahidi Fort, built in 1787 to defend Dubai Creek. The fort's walls are built out of traditional coral-blocks and held together with lime. The upper floor is supported by wooden poles, and the ceiling is constructed from palm fronds, mud, and plaster.

In its history, the fort has served as a residence for the ruling family, a seat of government, garrison, and prison. Restored in 1971 (and again extensively in 1995), it is now the city's premier museum.

The entrance has a fascinating exhibition of old maps of the Emirates and Dubai, showing the mammoth expansion that hit the region after the oil boom.

The courtyard is home to several traditional boats and a palm-leaf house with an Emirati wind-tower.

The right-hand hall features weaponry, and the left-hand hall showcases Emirati musical instruments.

Below the ground floor are display halls with exhibits and dioramas covering various aspects of traditional Emirati life (including pearl fishing and Bedouin desert life), as well as artifacts from the 3,000- to 4,000-year-old graves at Al Qusais archaeological site.

Address: Al-Fahidi Street, Al-Fahidi

4. Walk through History in Al Fahidi Quarter (Old Dubai)

Bastakia (Old Dubai)

Bastakia (Old Dubai)

The Al Fahidi Quarter (previously known, and sometimes still referred to as the Bastakia neighborhood) was built in the late 19th century to be the home of wealthy Persian merchants who dealt mainly in pearls and textiles and were lured to Dubai because of the tax-free trading and access to Dubai Creek.

Al Fahidi occupies the eastern portion of Bur Dubai along the creek, and the coral and limestone buildings here, many with walls topped with wind-towers, have been excellently preserved.

Wind-towers provided the homes here with an early form of air conditioning - the wind trapped in the towers was funneled down into the houses. Persian merchants likely transplanted this architectural element (common in Iranian coastal houses) from their home country to the Gulf.

Lined with distinct Arabian architecture, the narrow lanes are highly evocative of a bygone, and much slower, age in Dubai's history.

Inside the district, you'll find the Majlis Gallery, with its collection of traditional Arab ceramics and furniture (housed in a wind-tower) and the Al Serkal Cultural Foundation, with a shop, café, and rotating art exhibitions (located in one of the historic buildings).

5. View Traditional Architecture at Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum House

Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum House

Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum was the Ruler of Dubai from 1921 to 1958 and grandfather to the current ruler. His former residence has been rebuilt and restored as a museum that is a fine example of Arabian architecture.

The original house was built in 1896 by Sheikh Saeed's father, so he could observe shipping activity from the balconies.

It was demolished, but the current house was rebuilt next to the original site, staying true to the original model by incorporating carved teak doors, wooden lattice screens across the windows, and gypsum ventilation screens with floral and geometric designs.

Thirty rooms are built around a central courtyard with wind-tower details on top.

Inside are the exhibits of the Dubai Museum of Historical Photographs and Documents, with many wonderful old photographs of Dubai from the period between 1948 and 1953.

The marine wing of the museum has photos of fishing, pearling, and boat building. Throughout the building there are many letters, maps, coins, and stamps on display showing the development of the Emirate.

Nearby is the Sheikh Obaid bin Thani House, restored with displays of traditional interiors.

Address: Al Khaleej Road, Bur Dubai

6. Delve into Maritime Heritage at Dubai Creek & Al Seef District

Dubai Creek

Dubai Creek

Dubai Creek separates the city into two towns, with Deira to the north and Bur Dubai to the south.

The creek has been an influential element in the city's growth, first attracting settlers here to fish and pearl dive.

Small villages grew up alongside the creek as far back as 4,000 years ago, while the modern era began in the 1830s when the Bani Yas tribe settled in the area.

The Dhow Wharfage is located along Dubai Creek's bank, north of Al-Maktoum Bridge. Still used by small traders from across the Gulf, some of the dhows anchored here are well over 100 years old.

You can visit here, watching cargo being loaded and unloaded on and off the dhows. Dhow workers often invite visitors onto the vessels for a tour, where you can gain insight into the life of these traditional sailors.

Many of the dhows here travel onward to Kuwait, Iran, Oman, India, and down to Africa's horn. This tiny remnant of Dubai's traditional economy is still a bustling and fascinating place to wander around.

On the Bur Dubai side of the creek, rubbing up against the Bastakia neighborhood, the waterfront has been regenerated as the Al Seef district, with a waterfront promenade backed by traditional coral-block and limestone buildings, a floating market, and shops selling crafts. It's a great place for a stroll with excellent water views.

To travel across the creek, you can either take a trip on one of the many dhows that have been restored as tourist cruise boats or take an abra (small wooden ferry) between the ferry points on the creek's Bur Dubai and Deira banks.

7. Tour Jumeirah Mosque

Jumeirah Mosque

Jumeirah Mosque is considered by many to be the most beautiful of Dubai's mosques.

An exact copy of Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque, which is eight times its size, the Jumeirah Mosque is a fine example of Islamic architecture.

This stone structure is built in the medieval Fatimid tradition, with two minarets that display the subtle details in the stonework. It is particularly attractive in the evening when lit with floodlights.

The Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Cultural Understanding (which also runs a program of tours, lectures, Arabic classes, and cultural meals) organizes guided tours of the mosque designed to try to foster a better understanding of the Muslim faith.

Tours begin at 10am daily, except Fridays.

Address: Jumeirah Road

8. Haggle in the Souks of Deira

Deira

Deira lies on the northern bank of Dubai Creek, and the winding streets here unveil the melting pot of different nationalities that have come to call Dubai home.

On the shore, ancient dhows load and unload with modern banks, hotels, and office buildings as a backdrop.

For travelers, Deira is most famous for its traditional souks (markets), which bustle with shoppers at all times of the day.

Deira Gold Souk is world-renowned as the largest gold bazaar in the world.

The Deira Spice Souk sells every imaginable spice, with stalls overflowing with bags of frankincense, cumin, paprika, saffron, sumac, and thyme, as well as the fragrant oud wood, rose water, and incense.

The fish market provides a much less touristy experience.

While in the district, culture lovers shouldn't miss two of Deira's finely restored architectural gems.

Heritage House was built in 1890 as the home of a wealthy Iranian merchant and later became the home of Sheik Ahmed bin Dalmouk (a famous pearl merchant in Dubai). Today, it's a great chance to see the interior of a traditional family home.

The Al-Ahmadiya School, constructed in 1912, is the oldest school in Dubai and is now a museum of public education.

9. Snap Sunset Pics at Dubai Frame

Dubai Frame at sunset

Dubai Frame at sunset

Sitting slap-bang between Dubai's older neighborhoods clustered around the creek and the city's modern sprawl, this ginormous 150-meter-high picture frame is one of Dubai's latest sights.

Inside, a series of galleries whisk you through the city's history and explore Emirati heritage before you travel up to the Sky Deck, where there are fantastic panoramas of both old and new Dubai to be snapped on the viewing platforms.

Afterwards check out Future Dubai gallery, which imagines what a futuristic vision of the city will look like.

Address: Zabeel Park, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road

10. Stroll Sheikh Zayed Road

Aerial view of the Sheikh Zayed Road at dusk

Sheikh Zayed Road is the main thoroughfare running through Dubai's modern downtown business district.

This wide, eight-lane highway is rimmed with towering glass, chrome, and steel high-rises along its entire length. It's one of the best on-the-ground vantage points for Dubai's famed skyscraper views.

Main attractions are along, or just off, the strip between the roundabout and the first intersection, and most of Dubai's famous malls are located along the road's route.

The Dubai World Trade Tower has an observation deck on its top floor, which offers visitors panoramic views (a cheaper option than the Burj Khalifa), and the Gold and Diamond Park (Sheikh Zayed Road) is a one-stop shop for jewelry lovers, with 118 manufacturers and 30 retailers all under one roof.

11. Explore Local Culture in the Heritage and Diving Village

Heritage and Diving Village

Dubai's architectural, cultural, and maritime heritage is showcased at the Heritage and Diving Village, with displays related to pearl diving and dhow building - two of old Dubai's historic economic mainstays.

There are also recreations of traditional Bedouin and coastal village life, with Persian homes, a traditional coffeehouse, and a small souk where potters and weavers practice their handicrafts at the stalls.

Local music and dance are performed from October to April, and visitors can get advice from practitioners of traditional medicine.

Location: Shindagha, Bur Dubai

12. Visit an Underwater World at Dubai Aquarium

Dubai Aquarium

One of the city's top tourist attractions, the Dubai Aquarium houses 140 species of sea life in the huge suspended tank on the ground floor of the Dubai Mall.

As well as free viewing from the mall, if you enter the Underwater Zoo, you can walk through the aquarium tunnels.

Different activities help you get a closer look at the sea life. Glass bottom boat tours (on top of the tank) are particularly popular.

Cage snorkeling and shark diving activities are also on offer.

13. Take Afternoon Tea in the Burj al-Arab

Burj al-Arab | Kunal Mukherjee / photo modified

The Burj Al-Arab is the world's tallest hotel, standing 321 meters high on its own artificial island on the Dubai coastline.

Designed to resemble a billowing dhow sail, the exterior of the building is lit up by a choreographed, colored lighting show at night.

Decadent in every way possible, the Burj Al-Arab is one of the most expensive hotels in the world, with the most luxurious suites costing more than $15,000 for one night.

For those without unlimited credit, the way to experience the over-the-top opulence is to go for dinner at the underwater Al-Mahara restaurant, where floor-to-ceiling glass panels in the dining room walls allow you to view sea life while you eat, or you can enjoy lunch at California-style fusion restaurant Scape.

For the ultimate panoramic views over the city, book afternoon tea at the Skyview Bar (a minimum spend is required) on the 27th floor.

Address: Jumeirah Road, Dubai

Address: Dubai Mall, Sheikh Zayed Road

Jumeirah Road, Dubai

14. Soak up the Sun at Jumeirah Beach

Jumeirah Beach

Jumeirah Beach

This strip of sandy white bliss is the number one beach destination for Dubai visitors.

Hotels are strung out all along its length, with this being one of the most popular places to stay for tourists.

The beach has excellent facilities, with plenty of sun loungers, restaurants, and water sports operators offering jet skiing.

While in the area, brush off the sand for an hour and visit the Majlis Ghorfat Um Al-Sheef, just a short hop from the beach. Built in 1955, this was the summer residence of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed al-Maktoum.

The residence, made out of gypsum and coral-block, has been restored and maintains much of the original beautiful decor, giving you a better understanding of the opulent lifestyle of Dubai's rulers.

The Majlis Gardens feature a reproduction of an impressive Arab irrigation system and many shady date palms.

Address: Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai