9 places to visit in Dubai for a fun day out with the family

In charge of organizing the family itinerary and tired of flicking between your maps app and lists of “top 10 things to do in Dubai”? Don’t worry – we’ve got this. We’ve put together a great family day out with some of our favorite places to visit in Dubai in easy, geographical order. You’re welcome.

Start strong with a visit to the Sky Trail indoor obstacle course at City Center Mirdif. Located inside Magic Planet, this one-of-a-kind obstacle course is suspended 13 meters in the air! To even get onto the course, you’ll have to take on the climbing wall – so it’s definitely not for the fainthearted.

Want the buzz of skydiving without the risk of actually jumping out of a plane? That’s where iFLY Dubai comes in. The UAE’s first indoor skydiving experience, this airborne adventure involves “falling” in a climate-controlled wind tunnel, where you’ll be four meters off the ground.

With bright lights and colors aplenty, Dubai Garden Glow offers fun, magic and enjoyment for all ages. Visitors are treated to a feast for the senses, with creative installations, live musical shows, a dedicated “edutainment” zone for kids and a large food pavilion offering worldwide cuisine. But perhaps the most striking attraction is the “largest glow-in-dark garden”, constructed from 10 million energy-saving bulbs as well as yards of recycled luminous fabric.

If you’re looking to indulge in some retail therapy, be sure to take a trip down to the La Mer beachfront, where you’ll find shops, sand and sea. There are plenty of restaurants and cafés around, and there’s also a waterpark just in case you want to cool off.

Worth bearing in mind when you finish your day out and are looking for fun evening entertainment is La Perle, an interactive theatre show that takes you on a journey through Dubai’s past, present and future. Between the acrobats, the aerialists and the aquatic performers, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to another world.

Having fun whilst cooling off is practically guaranteed at Wild Wadi Water Park. Based on the character of Juha from Arabic folklore, there is something for everyone, from the relaxing lazy river of Juha’s Journey to the slides and tornados of Tantrum Alley & Burj Surj. There is even a kids’ play area, Juha’s Dhow and Lagoon, which has over 100 water games and rides to let the little ones loose on.

Trying to escape the searing Dubai heat? Time to hit the ski slopes! Ski Dubai is an indoor resort that will make you feel like you’re in the Alps, and you can learn to ski, snowboard or toboggan. It’s inside the Mall of the Emirates, which makes access easy, and you can always hop into an Uber and skip the parking.

Hang tight, and get ready to take the plunge with XLine Dubai Marina. Sequel to the XLine on the Dubai Fountain, you’ll ride from one of the Amwaj Towers across the marina to the Dubai Marina Mall on what is currently the longest urban zipline in the world. With double the distance, double the lines, and lasting for double the time, it doesn’t matter whether you prefer flying solo or with company–XLine Dubai Marina promises to deliver all the thrill, excitement and adventure you’ve been looking for.

Why visit one theme park when you can visit three? Dubai Parks & Resorts tops the list of where to go in Dubai, featuring Legoland, Bollywood Parks and Legoland Water Park. There’s also Riverland, with replicated streets from various countries and eras, and Motiongate Dubai, where you can dive into some of your favorite Hollywood stories.

Whether you like shopping, swimming or skiing, there’s no shortage of ways to spend a day and fantastic places to visit in Dubai.