4 Nights in Dubai with Kids

Share

So if you were going to spend 4 nights in Dubai with Kids what would you do? Would you sip cocktails from a rooftop lounge? Would you laze around on the beach all day with a butler bringing you drinks? Would you eat gourmet food in swanky restaurants and savour every breath?

You can of course do all of that in Dubai. Just take a look at Visit Dubai’s website to see how easy it is in fact to do all of that; however with the kids I think our time in Dubai would look a little different.

AD | I have been or could be if you click on a link in this post compensated via a cash payment, gift or something else of value for writing this post. See our full disclosure policy and privacy policy for more details.

If we had 4 nights in Dubai with Kids I would love to:

Visit Kite Fest

Try and time a visit to coincide with the Annual Kite Festival, it looks seriously amazing and better than that it’s free, they even have Night Time Kite Flying too what could be better.  My girls would just love watching all the kites fight for freedom in the sky and the colours for the photos would just be incredible.

Kite Festival

Kite Fest

Visit Dolphin Bay

Dolphin Bay at Atlantis, The Palm looks out of this world and best of all there is no age limit to join in, so all my three Mini Travellers could swim with the dolphins provided we were in the water with them too. We have seen dolphin experiences a few times whilst we’ve been away but they’ve never been able to do it so this is a big win for me.

Even better still the experience includes entry to the Aquaventure Water Park

Dolphin Bay

Aquaventure WaterPark

Aquaventure Water Park looks seriously cool. Just look at those views. From heart stopping slides for the fearless to beach style shallow pools. There really does look like there is something for everyone, but I imagine with our Under 5’s we would spend most of time in Splashers Corner.

Aquaventure

Picnic at the Polo

We would pack up a picnic (a gourmet one of course) and take the kids to watch the beautiful polo horses thundering past.  Whilst I’m sure the kids will love the half time activity of divot stamping, I would also get to live out a Pretty Woman fantasy!

Polo in Dubai

 

Screen Shot 2016-05-20 at 14.25.16

Feed the Turtles

You can visit the the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project.  There is a sanctuary based at Burj Al Arab and Madinat Jumeirah.  Their facebook page  suggests there are scheduled feeding sessions on Wednesdays at 11am that anyone is welcome to join in; feeding takes about 20 minutes and is FREE!

Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project

These are my ideas as to what I would do if I got to Visit Dubai for 4 nights with the kids.

What would you do if you got to visit Dubai? Why not leave a comment below, as not only am I in with the chance of wining a holiday to Dubai, as this is my entry into the Tots100/Dubai Dreams Blogger challenge #DXBDreams, the person who leaves the best blog comment (on the entries submitted) is in with a chance of wining too.

So once you’ve commented on my post, why not click here, and comment on some of the other blogs too to increase your chances of winning.

Why Not Pin this for Later

What to do with 4 nights in Dubai with Kids

+ posts

Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!

Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.

35 thoughts on “4 Nights in Dubai with Kids”

  1. You have some really great ideas there. I love the look of the turtle sanctuary, that is one I hadn’t come across, and will probably add to my dream list if I am ever fortunate enough to go.
    For me the top choices would be Dolphin Bay, one of the AMAZING waterparks, and if the sun got too hot visit one of the educational play centres.
    I would also love to see the fountains and I believe that the quality and variety of the food in Dubai is incredible. I would have to visit some buffet options to make the most of this. And a desert safari for us. I have done this before (not in Dubai) and I am sure my kids would love it as much as I did.
    I love that Dubai is becoming much more accessible for everyone, including families. To be able to treat my family really would make dreams come true. Good luck with your entry.

    Reply
  2. Oh I could cry looking at those stunning turtles – I love them. Kite Fest sounds amazing, that must be quite a spectacle to watch. My dad used to make us stunt kites when we were little so that would really take me back to my childhood.

    Good luck with your entry x

    Reply
  3. I would love for our family to experience the culture and tradition of Dubai Old Town; discovering the sensory delights of the spice souks, sampling authentic cuisine, boating on the beautiful Creek and taking in the ancient architecture of often forgotten buildings like the Al Fahidi Fort.

    By contrast, we would equally love to see the very latest Dubai has to offer. The recently opened IMG Worlds of Adverture would literally leave our sons bursting at the seams with excitement! With Marvel superheroes and a Dinosaur Adventure all under one roof, I think this attraction would be hard to beat from the kids perspective!

    Reply
  4. *Swoons, I’m not sure which I love more – those turtles or Richard Gere in Pretty Woman – That pic sure brought backc some very happy old memories but Dubai is going to make me lots of new ones x

    Reply
  5. My friend has recently moved to Dubai and one of the first pics she posted on Instagram was of the Kite Festival. I was blown away (no pun intended) and had no idea Dubai did this! It really is a sight to behold.

    My friend is in her mid-twenties and loved the festival and I think it’s nice how it appeals to your little ones but also adults too.

    Good luck with the comp 😀

    Reply
  6. Both the Dubai Aquarium and Dolphin Bay would be wonderful adventures–and I also think my minitravellers would enjoy sampling international cuisine (they enjoy exploring) and shopping in a variety of settings. The diversity of the city is stunning and makes it a great destination.

    Reply
  7. Dreams of Dubai!

    I have never been to Dubai before but I’ve been dreaming of visiting for a few years. Here’s my dream itinerary for a fabulous four day holiday!

    Day One: I always like to spend my first day taking it easy after the journey there and try to get a feeling for the local area. So we would spend day one having a relaxing swim in the sea and then a exploratory walk. Later, we would take the 90 minute Yellow Boat tour (Dubai RIB Boat Cruise: Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina). It’s an exhilarating ride around the bay for the kids (but not too tiring) and a great way to see the Palm Atlantis, Burj Al-Arab and the royal palaces.

    Day Two: The second day would begin with a once-in-a-lifetime deep-water dolphin encounter at Atlantis The Palm – something all the family would love and remember forever. The dolphin experience also gives you free entrance to the Atlantis’ Aquaventure Waterpark and 25% off your visit to the Lost Chambers Aquarium, so that’s day two covered!

    Day Three: After a couple of child-focussed activity days, my children are usually more open to a more adult-orientated sightseeing tour so we would spend our third day with Tour Val, a highly-recommended sight-seeing tour of the old and new city so we can learn more about the beautiful city of Dubai.

    Day Four: You can’t visit the desert without riding a camel so we would spend our final day on a Platinum Heritage tour, offering a Camel Safari followed by a Land Rover Safari in the desert where you are taken for a meal and entertainment at a bedouin camp!

    You see, Dubai is so magical. You would think you were dreaming, even when you’re there!

    Reply
  8. Oh Wow we have gone for totally different experiences that shows how much there is to do, the dolphins look incredible, we swam with dolphins when Jack was little so its not an activity Joe has done, I would love to do it again with my whole family together. And oh the Polo we would all love that, the sports, culture fun,sea and sun there is so much to do and see. So many happy memories to be made for families in Dubai x

    Reply
  9. The kite festival looks amazing. I think the whole family would enjoy that. I also heard in some hotels the butler takes you to breakfast on a golf buggy. My kids would think that was an adventure in itself. Dubai sounds like the perfect place to make some amazing family memories. We would have to spend some time with the Dolphins, hang out in the water park and stop by KidZania. I think we’d also have to join a desert safari. It sounds adventurous & exotic. Culturally, a visit to Dubai would be an amazing eye opener for all of us too. I wonder if 4 days is enough to enjoy it all to the full, fingers crossed we get to find out! Best of luck with your entry.

    Reply
  10. Some great ideas of things to do with the kids, I can see my son loving meeting the turtles and getting the chance to feed them. That is when he is not enjoying the thrill of the water rides. I would love to spend my day on a lazy river or swimming with the dolphins. I can see Dubai would be a family holiday to remember. Good luck with your entry

    Reply
  11. I’ve chosen the Kite Beach in our dream Dubai holiday too – doesn’t it just look wonderful. I just know our little girl would somehow convince us it was a good idea to let her fly one of those giant yellow octopus kites. We’d have to make sure we’d eaten lunch first though – she’s only a small 4 year old so we’d need our full tummy’s to anchor us down! 🙂

    Reply
  12. Our family loves Dubai and believe it is the best family holiday destination ever! An inspirational place, with so much to see and do, not just its year round sunshine and gorgeous beaches. The warm, unsurpassable hospitality you receive will guarantee it a place in your family’s heart. Dubai has the World’s best of everything, including horse racing, water parks, cuisine, shopping mall – complete with ice rink and aquarium inside, tallest building and must see musical fountain. There’s no poverty, and the public transport is easily accessible and inexpensive. Give it a go; the entire holiday will be the best family thrill ride they’ve ever been on! You’ll also be pleasantly surprised by what excellent value it is.

    Reply
  13. Ah I always wanted a spotty dress like that! The kite festival looks ace! When we visited Dubai, aquaadventure was a massive hit with the boys. Well to be honest it all was. It was such a lovely trip with welcoming and lovely people. I would love to go back and go to the dessert this time. Maybe give sandboarding a go. I’m thinking it must be easier than snowboarding or surfing. I could be proved wrong!

    Reply
  14. I would love to take my grandsons on a Dream Trip to Dubai – a clean, safe, family-friendly holiday destination, with plenty of activities to choose from for any age range. As well as relaxing on the beautiful golden sand of JBR Beach with its warm, calm and shallow waters we would all enjoy a dune-bashing safari followed by a camel ride and BBQ dinner in a Bedouin desert camp.

    We would visit the Dubai Museum in the Al Fahidi Fort to learn about life from a bygone era as a contrast to the amazing architecture of the modern city which we could view from the front or rear carriages of the driverless Dubai Metro system and then take it all in from the At The Top observation deck of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

    The free and impressive Dubai Fountain water, light and music show can be watched from one of many waterfront cafes just outside the Dubai Mall. The malls in Dubai have many family attractions to choose from. The boys could try ice-skating, helped by the ‘penguin pals’, visit the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo and also see the giant 155 million year old dinosaur skeleton (DubaiDino), all in the Dubai Mall.

    The boys love theme parks and this summer Dubai will open the world’s largest indoor theme park – IMG Worlds of Adventure with four themed zones inside including Marvel, Cartoon Network, Lost Valley – Dinosaur Adventure and IMG Boulevard. This will be completely enclosed and temperature-controlled with 1.5 million square feet of entertainment space!

    Our only problem will be going home with so much more left for us to see and do in beautiful Dubai.

    Reply
  15. Oh I loved Dubai BUT we didn’t go when we had the children so yes to most of these! the waterpark was out of this world so definitely worth a visit!!!!! It was pricey but we had such a superb time and would return one day xx

    Reply
  16. Dubai looks simply amazing. So much to do, so many different worlds all wrapped up in one gorgeous place. Looking at what Dubai has to offer, I’ve been really impressed by the range of family-friendly options – theme parks, indoor fun sessions, skate parks – as well as sports, stunning beaches, and entertainment.

    What I hadn’t realised was how much variety there is in Dubai in terms of food and culture. Our son is a huge foodie, despite being only 10, and would love visiting some of the restaurants and tasting the new flavours.

    As a family we would love to be able to visit Dubai, and experience just a taste of what is on offer. Our elder son loves nature, so would enjoy the different wildlife on show. And dad… well, quad-biking in the sand dunes would suit him perfectly. As for mum… of course Dubai is a shopper’s paradise! And I’m sure we would all enjoy a tour of historic Dubai, as well as the many museums. There truly is something for everyone.

    The hardest part will be choosing what to do. It really does seem that Dubai has it all, a wealth of opportunities to explore and experience.

    Dubai really is the city of possibilities and I want to ‘Discover All That’s Possible In Dubai’.

    Reply
  17. Dubai has been at the top of my bucket list for many years now and reading you post has made me want to visit so much more!

    Souks, skyscrapers, sand and sea, Dubai really has something for all the family and the possibility of visiting this incredible city is making me super excited.

    I’d love the opportunity to win our perfect family holiday in Dubai; a holiday for the four of us, that combines unlimited opportunities for fun and adventure. We’d be able to
    escape the ‘day to day’, making memories and recharging our batteries. And it would give us the chance to simply spend our days together as a family, enjoying each other’s company before Jack starts school in September.

    There are so many amazing adventures we’d like to experience, but our top 3 would have to be:

    1// A day of aquatic fun at Atlantis’ Aquaventure Waterpark to cool off in the Dubai heat. Aquaventure caters for all the family with its record-breaking rides and slides for thrill seekers and the Splashers’ Children’s Play Area, which is a haven for little ones with water cannons, slides and climbing frames.

    2 // A once-in-a-lifetime experience at Dolphin Bay. As there’s no age limit, we could enjoy this amazing experience as a family and I can only imagine the joy on the children’s faces when they get up close to these amazing creatures!

    3 // Experience the heady heights of Burj Khalifa. We couldn’t visit Dubai without venturing up the tallest building in the World, and although I’m afraid of heights, I’d still feel compelled to visit the observation deck on the 144th floor. As long as I don’t stand too close to the edge, nor look vertically down, I think I’d actually enjoy it.

    I’m now off to spend the day daydreaming about Dubai and all it has to offer…

    Best of luck with your entry!

    Reply
  18. Dolphin Bay looks so beautiful and I love the idea of feeding the turtles too. I think the waterparks are on everyone’s list – I know it would be on Graces! We would love the desert too 🙂 Good luck with your entry x

    Reply
  19. I have been planning our own trip to Dubai (in my head of course!) and I hadn’t come across the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre but that will definitely have to go on our list, it sounds like something my animal mad – wants to be a marine biologist daughter would absolutely adore! Good luck with your entry.

    Reply
  20. What a lovely idea to visit the turtles. Conservation of these amazing creatures is so important and I’ve been reading a book about the lengths people have been going to to ensure the future survival of turtles – it certainly restores faith in humankind.

    The Kite fest festival sounds incredible and so much of Dubai looks full of colour and wonder and beauty. The miracle garden would be somewhere I would love to visit and wander in awe.

    Reply
  21. Great ideas here, I love how they are a little different from the usual Dubai activities. There is simply so much to do in Dubai for children and this shows that there is lots of fun to be had off the beaten track too.

    Reply
  22. I had NO idea there were just so many things to do in Dubai and yet I already thought it was paradise!
    My two boys have been on at us for years to go but it’s a lot of dosh to get there! However, the value for money is fantastic and so many free activities once you are there. This really is the stuff that family dreams are made of!Good luck with the competition!

    Reply
  23. I had never heard about Kite fest before and I have to say it looks so fantastic! My toddler would absolutely love this! If I ever got to visit Dubai my dream would be for me and my family to swim with Dolphins there (it makes me tear up at the thought!). I would love to do it in a much more natural setting than in a swimming pool and I have heard there are some amazing places to swim with them! I would love to visit Atlantis too as it would be a brilliant day for everyone (and I am a big kid). I also wouldn’t mind chilling on the beach with my boys, building sandcastles too. Just heaven!

    Reply
  24. Yes to living out the Pretty Woman fantasy! Great post full of everything Dubai has to offer. It just blows me away that they literally have strived to have it all. And what a beautiful idea to time it with the kite festival. Good luck! xx

    Reply
  25. The Kite Fest looks amazing, something we would all enjoy.

    There is just so much to see and do though, I think I would need to plan a family holiday, a girls holiday, a holiday with my partner and then a trip by myself!

    Reply
  26. Thank you for letting me know how helpful my guides have been! I am in South Africa for the second time now and I love it! For Dubai I booked the 4×4 with a group for the desert safari. For my day trip to Abu Dhabi we had a private driver in a regular sedan. I’m not sure what the saloon chauffeur is referring to but it sounds fancy. Lol. Have Fun!

    Reply
  27. Some interesting information and discover some new places to visit in Dubai. Your trip looks fantastic and Dubai is such a nice place to stay and famous for its wonderful sightseeing’s attractions. The best trip is Dubai sightseeing’s tour and desert safari in Dubai. We had great time couple of years ago.

    Reply
  28. Cool blog. It’s true Dubai have a bunch of places for kids. Everything there is aimed for promoting tourism and Dubai gives a lot of importance to bring in families. Dubai has a lot of indoor structures like indoor ski Diving or the humongous aquarium which makes sight seeing easier in the tough Dubai weather – everything safe for the kids and families to visit.

    Reply
  29. Dubai is really a beautiful place 🙂
    I visited Dubai last month with my family and it was really an adventurous trip planned by an Adventure trip Agency i.e adrenaline-travel.com and I appreciate the way they organised our trip.
    Thanks

    Reply
  30. Really nice and well detailed informative post. The way you have arranged all the details are amazing helpful. Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing piece of content a looking forward to see more such amazing articles from you. Keep It Up!

    Reply
  31. Thank you for sharing a really useful and informative article. The way you have detailed and described is really helpful. Hope to see more amazing articles like this. Keep it up to the good work!

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.