Dubai Family Fun Holiday with Theme Parks

For most children, the excitement starts long before the plane lands. Somewhere over the Arabian Sea, a small face is pressed to the window, waiting for the first glimpse of the tallest building in the world. Flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Hyderabad and most other Indian cities take between three and four hours, about the length of a long film, so even younger children usually arrive in good spirits. Remember to set your watches back: Dubai is one and a half hours behind India.

Dubai International Airport is huge, but it is very well run and easy to manage with a family. Your UAE tourist visas are arranged before you travel, including a separate visa for each child, so at immigration you simply hand over your passports. Families with small children are often directed to a dedicated or faster lane, and the officers take a quick photograph and an eye scan of each adult. Trolleys are free, lifts are everywhere, and baby-changing rooms and clean toilets are easy to find in the arrivals area.

Once you have your bags, walk out into the arrivals hall, where our representative will be waiting with a board showing your name. Your transfer is private, so there is no waiting for other passengers and plenty of room for luggage, pushchairs and car seats. If you need a child seat, let us know when you book, and we will request one with the car. The drive to your hotel takes 20 to 40 minutes, depending on where you stay and the time of day.

A few practical things make the first evening easier. Buy a local SIM card or eSIM at the airport so that you can use maps and messaging, and change a little money into UAE dirhams for small purchases, although cards are accepted almost everywhere. Tap water in Dubai is safe, but most visitors drink bottled water, which hotels and shops sell cheaply. Keep a refillable bottle for each child: even in winter, the dry desert air can be surprisingly dehydrating.

Children love the drive in. The roads are wide and spotless, lined with palm trees and flowers, and the skyline gets taller and more dramatic the closer you get to the centre. Play a game of spotting the Burj Khalifa: once you see it, you will notice it from almost everywhere in the city, rising high above every other tower. You will also notice how international Dubai is. People from more than 200 countries live here, and the Indian community is the largest of all, so you will hear Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Gujarati and Punjabi in shops, restaurants and hotels across the city.

Check in to your hotel and rest for the afternoon. Standard check-in is usually from 2 or 3 PM; if you land early, the hotel will store your bags while you have lunch nearby. We can request a family room or interconnecting rooms, so that parents and children can be together without feeling cramped, and many hotels have a pool where the children can burn off some energy after the flight. Hotels in Dubai charge a small Tourism Dirham fee per room per night, which you pay at the hotel.

In the evening, the holiday begins properly with a dhow cruise and buffet dinner. Dhows are the traditional wooden boats of the Gulf, and for hundreds of years they sailed between Arabia, Persia, East Africa and the ports of Gujarat and Kerala, carrying pearls, dates, spices, cloth and timber. Today, beautifully restored dhows strung with fairy lights carry visitors along the water after dark, and depending on the evening's departure, your cruise follows either the historic Dubai Creek or the glittering Dubai Marina.

Children usually head straight for the open upper deck to watch the lights slide past, while the lower deck is air-conditioned and comfortable for grandparents. The buffet has plenty of choice for children and vegetarians: rice, dal, curries, pasta, salads, grilled dishes, bread and desserts, with soft drinks and water included. Many cruises have a Tanoura dancer, who spins in a brightly coloured skirt that lights up as he whirls, and children are often invited to join in or take photos.

The cruise lasts about two hours, and our driver takes you back to your hotel afterwards. Get an early night if you can: tomorrow is a big day, with sharks, the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain.

Included today: private arrival transfer from Dubai International Airport, hotel, dhow cruise with buffet dinner (shared venue).

Good to know: keep passports, visas and hotel details for every family member together in one folder. Ask us for a child seat when you book. The Tourism Dirham fee is paid at the hotel. Read our Dubai visa guide for Indians, including visas for children.

After breakfast, your private city tour begins, and because the car is just for your family, the guide can go at your pace, with as many photo and toilet stops as you need. The first stop is usually the Jumeirah Mosque, one of the most photographed mosques in Dubai, built of white stone in the medieval Fatimid style, with two tall minarets. It is a lovely introduction to the traditions of the UAE, and a reminder that the call to prayer, heard five times a day across the city, is part of everyday life here.

From there, the drive follows the Jumeirah coast to the Burj Al Arab, the sail-shaped hotel standing on its own island just off the beach. At 321 metres, it is one of the tallest hotels in the world, and its shape, inspired by the billowing sail of a dhow, has become one of the symbols of Dubai. The beach next to it is a favourite spot for photographs, with the white sail rising behind you against the blue sky.

Next comes Palm Jumeirah, the palm-shaped island built out into the sea from millions of tonnes of sand and rock. The car drives along the trunk of the palm, past apartment towers and villas on the fronds, all the way to the crescent at the far end, where Atlantis The Palm stands with its famous arch. Children are usually wide-eyed here, and it is a good chance to point out the water park you will be visiting in two days' time. The tour then continues to Dubai Marina, where tall towers line a long canal filled with yachts.

In the afternoon, the tour reaches Dubai Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in the world, with more than a thousand shops, a huge food court, an ice rink and a waterfall that drops through several floors, decorated with sculptures of divers. Your first stop here is the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, which children often remember as one of the best parts of the whole holiday.

The aquarium tank holds 10 million litres of water and is home to thousands of creatures, including sand tiger sharks, stingrays, groupers and shoals of brightly coloured fish. You can see much of it free from the mall itself, but your ticket takes you into the walk-through tunnel, where sharks and rays glide above and beside you, close enough to see their teeth. Upstairs, the Underwater Zoo has penguins, otters, piranhas, seahorses, jellyfish and King Croc, a huge saltwater crocodile who is one of the largest in the world. Feeding times are posted near the entrance, and they are worth timing your visit around.

Then it is time to go up the Burj Khalifa. At 828 metres and more than 160 floors, it has been the world's tallest building since it opened in 2010. One of the fastest lifts in the world carries you up to At the Top, on levels 124 and 125, at about 450 metres, in roughly a minute. Children love the moment their ears pop, and the view from the top is unforgettable: the whole city laid out below, the desert stretching away inland, and Palm Jumeirah and the World Islands dotted across the sea. The outdoor terrace on level 124 lets you feel the warm breeze high above the city, and the floor-to-ceiling windows are perfect for photos.

Allow an hour to an hour and a half at the top, then come back down to the mall. In the evening, the Dubai Fountain performs on the lake at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, every half hour from early evening until late at night. Jets of water shoot as high as 150 metres, swaying and dancing to Arabic, Hindi and international music, and the whole show is lit with thousands of coloured lights. Find a spot along the promenade or on the bridge near Souk Al Bahar, and let the children stand at the front.

If the children still have energy after the fountain, Dubai Mall's KidZania, a city run by children where they can try out jobs from pilot to firefighter, and the VR Park are close by, at extra cost.

Dinner is at your own choice, and Dubai Mall has every option, from Indian restaurants and familiar fast-food chains to cafés with fountain views. After a long, happy day, our driver takes you back to the hotel.

Included today: private half-day Dubai city tour, Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo ticket, Burj Khalifa At the Top ticket for levels 124 and 125 at a non-prime time, Dubai Mall and Dubai Fountain visit, breakfast.

Good to know: carry passports or copies for the Burj Khalifa. Pushchairs are allowed at the aquarium and At the Top, though the lifts can be busy. Lunch and dinner are at your own cost. Read our Burj Khalifa tickets and Dubai Mall guide.

Today is the day many children have been counting down to since you booked the holiday. After breakfast, your private car takes you to IMG Worlds of Adventure, one of the largest indoor theme parks in the world, on the edge of the city off Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. The drive takes about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on where you stay, and because the transfer is private, you can leave whenever you are ready and come back whenever the family has had enough.

The first thing that strikes you is the size. The park sits under one enormous roof, covering an area roughly the size of 28 football fields, and it is fully air-conditioned, kept at a comfortable temperature all day. That makes it a perfect choice in any season, even in the heat of summer, and it means that grandparents can enjoy the day in comfort too, sitting in the cafés and watching the fun.

IMG Worlds is divided into four zones. The Marvel zone brings the superheroes to life, with rides and attractions featuring the Avengers, Spider-Man, Thor and the Hulk. Older children and teenagers usually head here first for the big thrill rides, 3D and 5D experiences, and the chance to pose with their favourite heroes. The detail is impressive, with city streets, labs and battle scenes built at full size around you.

For younger children, the Cartoon Network zone is the highlight. Bright colours, gentle rides and familiar characters such as the Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, Gumball and the gang from Adventure Time make it feel friendly and welcoming, and there are character meet-and-greets throughout the day. The rides here are designed for smaller children, and parents can usually ride with them, so even toddlers can join in.

The Lost Valley is a world of dinosaurs, with life-size moving models roaring among the jungle and volcanoes, and some of the park's biggest rides, including the Velociraptor roller-coaster, which launches you from standstill to high speed in a few seconds. Even children who are too small for the big rides love walking among the dinosaurs, and the whole zone is beautifully themed, with fossils, waterfalls and sudden roars from the undergrowth.

The fourth zone, IMG Boulevard, is a street of shops, restaurants and a haunted hotel attraction for brave older children. It is also where you will find many of the places to eat. Food inside the park covers pizza, burgers, Indian snacks, Arabic dishes, sandwiches and desserts, and vegetarian options are available. Prices are higher than outside, as in any theme park, so many families carry water bottles and a few snacks for small children.

A few tips help you get the most out of the day. Arrive close to opening time, when the queues are shortest, and head for the most popular rides first. Some rides have minimum height limits, so check your children's heights at the entrance; staff will measure them if you are unsure. If you want to skip the queues on the busiest days, such as weekends and school holidays, an Express pass can be added at extra cost. Lockers are available for bags and jackets.

Keep an eye on the daily schedule, which you will find on the park map or app. Character parades, meet-and-greets and live shows take place at set times, and they are a good way to rest tired legs while still enjoying the park. Photographers around the park take pictures on the rides and with the characters, which you can buy as souvenirs on the way out, along with toys, superhero costumes and dinosaur models from the shops on the Boulevard.

IMG Worlds is also a good choice for multi-generation families. Benches and cafés are spread throughout the park, the paths are flat and wide, and wheelchairs and pushchairs can be hired at the entrance. Baby-changing rooms, first-aid points and prayer rooms are available, and the staff are friendly and used to helping families with young children and older relatives.

Most families spend six to eight hours at the park, and it is easy to take a break in the middle of the day with a long lunch and a rest. When you are ready to leave, call your driver, and he will collect you at the entrance. The evening is free: many families simply have dinner at the hotel or a nearby mall and enjoy an early night, ready for another big day tomorrow.

Included today: IMG Worlds of Adventure one-day ticket, private transfers both ways, breakfast.

Good to know: some rides have height and age limits; tell us your children's ages and we will advise. Express passes, lockers and meals are not included. The park is indoors and cool, so a light jacket is useful for children. Read our guide to Dubai theme parks with kids.

After a day indoors with superheroes and dinosaurs, today is all about sunshine, splashing and slides. After breakfast, your private car takes you to Palm Jumeirah, along the trunk of the palm and through the tunnel under the sea to the crescent, where Atlantis The Palm stands at the far end of the island. Aquaventure Waterpark lies right next to the resort, and it is one of the largest water parks in the world, with well over 100 slides, rides and attractions.

Palm Jumeirah itself is worth a look on the way. Work on the island began in 2001, and it was built by dredging sand from the floor of the Gulf and spraying it into place, protected from the open sea by a long breakwater of rock. Today, it is home to tens of thousands of people, with hotels, apartments, villas and beaches along its fronds. If you would like a different view, the Palm Monorail runs along the trunk from the Gateway station to Atlantis, and children love the ride high above the island.

The park is built around towering, temple-like structures, inspired by the legend of the lost city of Atlantis. The most famous ride is the Leap of Faith, a near-vertical drop that sends you shooting down through a clear tube in the middle of a lagoon full of sharks. It is strictly for brave teenagers and adults, but even watching from the bottom is exciting. For thrill-seekers, there are racing slides, record-breaking drops and rides with loops, twists and sudden plunges in the dark.

If your family prefers something gentler, Aquaventure has plenty of that too. The long lazy river winds right around the park, with rapids, waves and gentle stretches where you can simply float along on a tube. Children of all ages love it, and grandparents often enjoy it most of all. There are also wave pools, family raft rides that you can share, and shallow splash zones for little ones, with small slides, water cannons and tipping buckets, all watched over by lifeguards.

One of the best features of Aquaventure is its private beach, a stretch of soft white sand facing the Gulf, which is included with your ticket. It is a lovely place to rest between rides, build sandcastles with younger children or take a dip in the calm, clear water of the Gulf, with views back towards the Dubai skyline. Sun loungers are available, and umbrellas or cabanas can be hired if you want extra shade.

Parents can relax too. While older children race between the slides, the lazy river and the beach are perfect for an easy afternoon, and lifeguards are on duty throughout the park. Agree on a meeting point with older children at the start of the day, and keep phones and valuables in a locker.

If the children are keen on marine life, the Lost Chambers Aquarium at Atlantis is right next door. It is a separate attraction, at extra cost, but it is a wonderful complement to the day, with underground tunnels and halls built to look like the ruins of Atlantis, and tanks full of sharks, rays, eels and more than 65,000 marine animals. Some ticket options combine the two, so let us know if you would like to add it.

Food is available throughout the park, with snack bars and restaurants serving pizza, burgers, wraps, salads, Indian dishes and ice cream. Lockers and towels can be hired at the entrance, and many families bring their own towels from the hotel if allowed. Swimwear rules are simple: proper swimwear is needed on the slides, and comfortable sandals are useful for walking between rides, as the ground can get hot in the afternoon sun.

The sun in Dubai is strong even in winter, so sunscreen is essential, and it is worth reapplying every couple of hours, especially for children. Hats, sunglasses and plenty of water make the day more comfortable. From November to March, the weather is ideal for the water park, with warm days and pleasant water. In the summer months, it is best to arrive early or come later in the day, when the heat is less intense.

Most families stay for five to seven hours, and when everyone is happily tired, your driver takes you back to the hotel. In the evening, if you still have energy, The Pointe, a waterfront promenade on Palm Jumeirah close to Atlantis, has restaurants, cafés and views of the resort lit up at night, and on many evenings a fountain show plays on the water.

Included today: Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark one-day ticket with access to the private beach, private transfers both ways, breakfast.

Good to know: some slides have height limits and are not suitable for young children; staff check at each ride. Lockers, towels, cabanas and the Lost Chambers Aquarium are at extra cost. Use high-factor sunscreen. Read our Palm Jumeirah and Atlantis guide.

After two big theme park days, a slow morning is just what the family needs. Have a leisurely breakfast, let the children play in the pool, or take a walk to a nearby park or mall. If you are staying near the beach, the public beaches at Kite Beach and JBR are clean, safe and well looked after, with showers, play areas, cafés and lifeguards, and the morning light on the water is lovely. Many families also use the morning to buy souvenirs and gifts, or simply to rest before the afternoon's adventure.

In the afternoon, a 4x4 collects you from your hotel for the family desert safari, one of the experiences children talk about long after the holiday is over. Pickups are usually between 2:30 and 3:30 PM, depending on the time of sunset, and the drive out of the city takes about 45 minutes. Along the way, the towers slowly give way to low buildings, then to open sand, and finally to the rolling red dunes south-east of Dubai, where the sand has a deep orange colour from the iron it contains.

At the edge of the desert, the driver lets some air out of the tyres, ready for the dunes. For older children and adults who enjoy a thrill, dune bashing is a roller-coaster ride in a 4x4, climbing up the soft sand slopes and sliding down the other side. For families with young children, grandparents or anyone who prefers a calmer experience, we can arrange a gentle drive without dune bashing, so that everyone arrives at the camp happy and relaxed. Just let us know when you book.

The convoy stops on top of a high dune to watch the sun go down. This is a magical moment for the whole family: the dunes turn gold, then pink and red, and the desert becomes very quiet. Children love running down the dunes and trying sandboarding, sliding down the slope on a board, either standing or sitting, and it is the perfect setting for family photographs, with soft light and nothing but sand behind you.

As darkness falls, you arrive at the desert camp, built in the style of a Bedouin encampment, with low cushioned seating, lanterns, carpets and a stage in the centre. There is plenty to do. Children can ride a camel, led slowly around the camp by a handler, which is gentle enough for most ages. Girls and women can have their hands decorated with henna, and children love trying on traditional Arabic dress for photographs. Some camps also have a falcon you can hold, under the guidance of a handler.

If anyone in the family would like to try something extra, quad biking and dune buggies can be added at the camp for older children and adults, at extra cost, and a private 4x4 can be arranged if you would like the vehicle to yourselves.

Dinner is a barbecue buffet with grilled chicken and lamb, salads, rice, bread and Arabic mezze, along with vegetarian dishes, desserts, soft drinks, water, tea and coffee. If anyone in your family has food allergies or special dietary needs, tell us in advance and we will pass the information on to the camp. While you eat, the live shows begin: a Tanoura dancer spinning in his glowing skirts, and a fire show that children find spellbinding. Some camps also have a belly dance performance.

The desert has been home to Bedouin families for centuries, and the camps give a glimpse of their way of life. Before the discovery of oil, the people of this region lived by herding camels and goats, fishing, pearling and trading, and they were famous for their hospitality: a traveller arriving at a Bedouin tent was always welcomed with coffee, dates and a meal. Falconry and camel racing are still treasured traditions in the UAE, and on the drive back you may pass camel farms.

The camp is well equipped, with clean toilets and comfortable seating, and the staff are used to looking after families with babies, toddlers and older relatives. Look up before you leave: away from the city lights, the desert sky is full of stars. You will be back at the hotel by about 9 PM, sandy, tired and very happy.

Included today: evening family desert safari with camel ride, sandboarding, henna, live shows and BBQ dinner at a shared camp (gentle drive without dune bashing on request), breakfast.

Good to know: dune bashing is not suitable for pregnant women, babies or anyone with back, neck or heart problems; ask for the gentle drive. Carry a light jacket for the evening in winter and keep phones in a bag, as fine sand gets everywhere. See our desert safari and dhow cruise guide.

Your last morning in Dubai has come round all too quickly. Enjoy a relaxed breakfast together, perhaps by the window or on the terrace, and let the children have one last swim in the hotel pool if there is time. This is also a good moment to sit together and ask everyone what they enjoyed most: the sharks in the aquarium, the view from the Burj Khalifa, the dinosaurs at IMG Worlds, the Leap of Faith, or the camel ride under the stars. You may be surprised by the answers.

If your flight is later in the day, there is often time for a final outing. Many families visit a mall near the hotel for last-minute shopping, or spend an hour or two at the beach. Dubai's malls are full of things for children to do, from play areas and cinemas to indoor attractions, and they are cool and comfortable whatever the weather outside. Ask the hotel to store your luggage after checkout, which is usually at 11 AM or noon. Late checkout is sometimes possible at extra cost, subject to availability.

Popular souvenirs to take home include boxes of Medjool and Khalas dates, some filled with almonds or covered in chocolate, Arabic sweets such as baklava, camel-milk chocolate, perfumes and bakhoor incense, and small models of the Burj Khalifa and the Burj Al Arab, which children love. For the grandparents back home, a bag of spices or saffron from the Spice Souk in Deira is a thoughtful gift. Dubai has no tax on most purchases apart from VAT, and tourists can claim a VAT refund on eligible shopping when they leave.

Before checking out, go through each room carefully: under the beds, in the bathroom, in the safe and in the wardrobes. Children's favourite toys, chargers and swimwear are the things most often left behind. Keep passports, tickets and any bills for valuable purchases in your hand luggage, and pack sandy shoes in a separate bag. If you have liquids such as perfumes or bottles of sauce, pack them in your checked luggage, as the usual limits apply to hand baggage.

For families with babies and toddlers, a few extra steps make the journey home smoother. Keep a change of clothes, nappies, wipes and snacks in your hand luggage, and give children something to drink or suck during take-off and landing to help their ears. Pushchairs can usually be used up to the aircraft door and are returned to you on arrival.

At the agreed time, your private driver collects you from the hotel lobby for the drive to Dubai International Airport. Allow plenty of time, especially at weekends and during the school holidays in India and the UAE, when the airport is very busy. Once you are through security, the airport has excellent facilities for families: play areas, family toilets, prayer rooms, restaurants serving Indian and international food, and one of the largest duty-free shopping areas in the world.

If you are claiming a VAT refund, look for the tax refund counters or the self-service machines in the departures area before you go through passport control. Scan the tax-free tags and your passport, and the refund is credited to your card or paid in cash. Have your purchases with you in case they are checked. It only takes a few minutes, and on bigger purchases it can add up to a useful amount.

Remember that in India, there are customs limits on duty-free goods, gold and electronics. If you have bought jewellery or expensive gadgets, keep the bills with you and declare anything over the allowance at the red channel when you land.

As the plane takes off and the city shrinks below, you may catch one last glimpse of the Burj Khalifa, rising above the haze. Dubai is one of the most family-friendly cities in the world, safe, clean and full of things to do for every age, and many families come back again and again, for the Dubai Shopping Festival, for Global Village in winter, for another theme park, or to combine Dubai with Abu Dhabi, home to Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld and Warner Bros. World.

Thank you for choosing Dreamland Vacations for your family holiday. Our team will stay in touch until you are home safely, and we would love to hear which moment the children remember most. When you are ready to plan your next trip, we will be here to help.

Included today: private departure transfer to Dubai International Airport, breakfast.

Good to know: choose a flight that leaves at least 3 hours after you reach the airport. Keep children's documents in your hand luggage. Late checkout is subject to availability and may cost extra. Read our Dubai travel tips and our guide to Indian food in Dubai for your next visit.