7 Day Dubai Itinerary with Kids

Are you looking for the perfect Dubai Itinerary with kids? This 5,6 or 7 day Dubai itinerary will have you covered on where to stay with family in Dubai, what to do and where to eat in Dubai with kids. 

Note about itinerary: Although this is a 7 day itinerary you can cut it down to the number of days you are staying in the city and the days can be rearranged in any order to suit your needs. 

Where to Stay in Dubai with kids 

The Palm – Best place to stay in Dubai with family (Dubai family hotels and area guide)

This Dubai itinerary with family can be done no matter where in Dubai you want to stay – city, beach or the Palm. For a full post on the best places and hotels to stay in Dubai with families click here.

Dubai Itinerary with Kids 

Day 1 of your Dubai Family itinerary – Dubai Beaches

After you have arrived in Dubai you may decide you want to take it easy and relax and recover from any jet lag you and the kids may be suffering. The perfect way to do this is with a Dubai Beach day. If you are staying at a hotel with its own beach and pool then I recommend you stay on site. However if you are staying at a city hotel then you should consider getting a Dubai day pass for one of the hotels on the palm or Jumeriah beach. This will give you access to the grounds as if you were a hotel guest. If you are visiting Dubai in December or in one of the Dubai Winter months be sure to find a hotel with a heated pool in case you feel the chill in the ocean. 

Note: If you are visiting Dubai on a budget then there are free beaches that you can access but they do not have the same levels of luxury or amenities as the hotel beaches do. 

Other Things to do on your Dubai Beach Day: If you decide to head to the Dubai Palm for your beach day then you may want to consider heading to the Atlantis where you could also add a visit to the Atlantis Aquarium or water parks to your days itinerary if you want to do more than simply be at the beach. 

Day 2 of your Dubai itinerary with family – Dubai Mall

There are so many great things to do in Dubai Mall  that it is really worthwhile adding a whole day of your Dubai itinerary to visiting the mall.

If you are visiting Dubai with toddlers or younger children then the most popular thing to do, at least with my kids, is the Dubai Aquarium which we usually head to first thing in the morning. There are actually two parts to the Dubai Aquarium experience. There is the large tank on the ground floor which has a tunnel running through it and the underwater zoo upstairs which has a broader selection of aquatic life including crocodiles and penguins. Depending on the tickets you buy, there are also behind the scenes tours which my little one loved.  For full ticket options CLICK HERE. 

Top Tip: if you haven’t bought your tickets in advance buy your tickets upstairs at the underwater zoo as the queues will be much less.  And if you are taking photos don’t forget to check out our post on the best Dubai Instagram Captions.

After we have had our fill of fish we  usually like to visit the Dubai Mall dinosaur and some of the more toddler friendly shops – you won’t be able to escape without a visit to the sweet shop opposite the aquarium. 

Your next stop should either be lunch or head to Dubai’s most famous icon, The Burj Khalifa. The Burj Khalifa, also at Dubai Mall, is usually the top of people’s Dubai Bucket List and today is the day to head to the top. There are actually  two observation decks at the Burj Khalifa – one at the 124th floor and one at the 144th floor. You can get tickets for either the lower level observation deck or for both!  Obviously only going to the lower level deck is the cheaper experience but I think if possible you should try and do both for the full Burj Khalifa experience. Click below for ticket options

• L124 & 144 Level Entry Ticket 
• L148 Entry Ticket 
• Level 124 Observation Deck Entry Ticket 

As the cost of the Burj Khalifa is dependant on the time of day you go, we recommend going after lunch as it is cheaper than sunset. Afterwards we usually hit the shops for a while. 

Dubai Fountains 

Once you have done this we usually grab a bite to eat. The mall is full of places where you can get child friendly food. One of our little ones favourites is the Rainforest Cafe inside the mall. But dependent on the time of day you want to eat you could look at one of the restaurants that have outdoor seating so you can watch the spectacular fountain show that is another must during your day at Dubai Mall. 

How to Get here: Dubai Mall is perhaps the most well connected spot in the city and can be easily reached via public transport or a taxi (dependent on where you are staying). Alternatively there is plenty of on-site parking at the mall. 

Day 3 of your Dubai with kids itinerary – Theme Parks

Dubai is a city that is choc full of theme parks within easy driving distance. There is

• Motiongate – read our full review here
• Legoland
• Legoland Water Park
• Bollywood land

Motiongate dubai with toddler and baby – one of the best indoor things to do in Dubai

Our personal favourite of these parks is Motiongate but depending on your child’s age and interests will depend  on which one you would like to do. Since when we have been in Dubai we have been traveling with babies and toddlers we usually head to Motiongate. Motiongate has a whole Dreamworks section where your littles can meet their favourite characters and rides themed on movies such as Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train your Dragon and more. 

Note: There are plenty of eateries in the park and also in the village outside so you won’t need to take a packed lunch with you. 

How to Get here: you can’t easily reach the Dubai theme parks via public transport. To do this day you will either need to hire a car or take a local taxi. 

Day 4 of your Dubai itinerary with kids – Desert Day Trip

One of my absolute favourite things to do in Dubai with kids or without is taking a trip to the desert. Even if you have hired a car for the duration of your stay in Dubai I do not recommend you drive yourself to the desert. Desert driving is tricky, your car hire insurance may not cover it and it is always advisable to travel into the desert in a convey. Therefore I recommend doing a planned excursion. You can view the option for planned desert safaris here!

There are options for both full and half day excursions which include activities such sand boarding, camel riding, BBQs and more. 

Dubai Itinerary with Kids

Alternative: if you want to spend more time in the desert then why not book an overnight stay at one of Dubai’s many luxurious desert resorts. You can check out some here!

Day 5 of your Dubai Family itinerary – Abu Dhabi day trip

Abu Dhabi or Dubai Family holiday

No trip to Dubai is complete without a day trip to Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and is full of many cultural gems that make a day trip from Dubai worthwhile. Some of our favourite things to do in the city include the magnificent Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque or visit the beautiful Louvre Abu Dhabi. For more information on the best things to do in Abu Dhabi with kids click here. 

How to get here: There are plenty of public transport options to travel between Abu Dhabi and Dubai but we recommend taking your own car if you can as it will save a lot of time. 

Day 6 of your Dubai Family itinerary – Old Dubai and Dubai Frame 

Now that you have seen the great modern wonders of Dubai take today to explore some of Dubai’s heritage by exploring old Dubai. Start your day at the Dubai Museum. Although there are many museums in the UAE including even a branch of the Louvre the Dubai Museum is the best place to learn about the actual history of Dubai. And if you aren’t museumed out after that you could also do a visit to the coffee museum, which offers another great insight into local life. 

For lunch we recommend stopping at one of Dubai’s most instagrammable cafes – the Arabian Tea House. It is also a great spot to sample some authentic Emirati cuisine which you don’t find as commonly in malls and modern skyscrapers Dubai. 

After lunch, do one of the cheaper things to do in Dubai and take an abra ride across Dubai creek. This budget friendly form of transport is a great way to experience old Dubai as it used to be. 

After that be sure to check out the Dubai Spice Souq. No visit to the Middle East is complete without a visit to a souq and spice souqs are always my favourite. They are a great place to buy Dubai souvenirs and the aromatic scent will linger in your memory. 

And to finish the day we recommend heading to the Dubai Frame for sunset. Open 9am – 9pm every day, the Dubai Frame is a cheaper alternative to the Burj Khalifa. 

Day 7 of your Dubai Family itinerary – Seasonal Activity

Miracle Garden Dubai – one of the Best things to do in Dubai – travelling to dubai while pregnant

For your final day in Dubai (flight time dependent of course) we recommend doing something completely seasonal. In the Summer time that usually means doing something indoors to escape the heat. You could hit another mall such as the Mall of the Emirates and head to the ski slope to cool down (This is actually also a great place to go if you are visiting Dubai in December to get you in a festive mood). Alternatively you could visit one of the other fabulous Dubai Museums. 

But if you are visiting Dubai in December we recommend you make the most of the brilliant Winter sun by either having another beach day or if you fancy something more cultural our favourite place to head is the Dubai Miracle Garden.

Dubai Itinerary Questions

Do you need a car for your Dubai itinerary with family?

Public transport in Dubai is pretty good especially the Metro for getting around the city centre and taxis are also readily available. However to do the day trips such as Abu Dhabi and the theme parks having your own car would be an asset. 

If you do decide to do the desert excursion, we do not however recommend driving yourself. Driving the dunes in difficult and we recommend using an experienced company. 

Does this work as a Dubai itinerary with a toddler?

Absolutely, we have done all of these things with a toddler.