Theme parks

Among Sabaro's destinations, Dubai is the one for theme parks: water parks on Palm Jumeirah, the amusement parks of Dubai Parks and Resorts, and indoor parks inside the malls. Outdoor parks are best from October to April; in summer, when temperatures pass 40°C, the air-conditioned indoor parks take over. Egypt works differently: on the Red Sea, the water park is part of the hotel.

Dubai's parks at a glance

Prices are those of the official sites as relayed by Visit Dubai, the city's tourist board, in AED (UAE dirhams), and may change. Sabaro confirms them at the time of booking.

Aquaventure World on Palm Jumeirah

Aquaventure World, next to Atlantis The Palm, bills itself as the world's largest water park: 105 slides and rides spread across three towers, a 2.3 km river and a 1 km private beach. Its best-known ride, the Leap of Faith, is a 27.5 m drop through a clear tube surrounded by sharks and rays. Many rides require a minimum height of 1.2 m; younger children have their own play area, Splashers.

The park opens daily from 9.45 am to 6.30 pm local time. Day passes start at AED 345 for adults and AED 295 for children aged up to seven and under 1.2 m; older or taller children pay the adult rate. The Superpass, from AED 395, adds The Lost World Aquarium. Visit Dubai suggests mid-week, when it is less crowded.

The advantage of staying on site. Access to Aquaventure World is unlimited for guests of Atlantis The Palm and Atlantis The Royal; at Atlantis The Royal it includes the aquarium too. Our Palm Jumeirah page covers the rest of the island.

Dubai Parks and Resorts

South of the city, about a 20-minute drive past Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai Parks and Resorts brings together three theme parks, a water park and an indoor play area, with more than 100 attractions. The hours below are local time.

• Motiongate Dubai, the Hollywood park: around thirty rides based on films from Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks Animation and Lionsgate, from the Smurfs to Shrek, plus roller coasters inspired by John Wick and Now You See Me. Open 11 am to 8 pm, until 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Legoland Dubai, for children aged 2 to 12: more than 40 rides and shows across six lands, including Miniland, built from over 60 million bricks; open 11 am to 8 pm. Next door, Legoland Water Park opens from 10 am to 5.30 pm.
• Real Madrid World, the first football theme park, with Stars Flyer, billed as the world's tallest amusement ride at 460 feet, about 140 m; open noon to 9 pm, until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Neon Galaxy, an indoor play world for children, and Riverland, the dining boulevard linking the parks.

A single-park ticket starts at AED 295; two-park tickets are available from around €86 per person through resellers. Rides close 30 minutes before the parks do. Get there by car or taxi, or on bus DPR1 from Ibn Battuta bus station. Two hotels are on site, the Legoland Hotel and the Lapita Hotel.

Indoor parks for summer and hot days

• IMG Worlds of Adventure, in Dubailand, covers the area of 28 football pitches, all temperature-controlled: zones devoted to Marvel superheroes, Cartoon Network characters and dinosaurs, with more than 20 rides, including the Velociraptor roller coaster, which hits 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds. Open daily from noon to 10 pm; tickets AED 365, free for children under 1.05 m. There is no metro station or bus stop nearby: go by car or taxi.
• Ski Dubai, at Mall of the Emirates, stays at -4°C all year: skiing and snowboarding with lessons, a chairlift, a zipline, bobsleigh rides and an encounter with a colony of king and gentoo penguins.
• Play DXB, in Dubai Mall, is the world's largest indoor virtual reality park, according to Visit Dubai: more than 30 rides over two floors.
• Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, in Dubai Mall, from around €65 per person.

Our guide Dubai in summer explains how to plan a stay from June to September, and the Family page has more ideas for children. Global Village, in Dubailand, runs its 31st season from 14 October 2026 to 17 May 2027.

About 50 minutes' drive from Dubai, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi adds Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld and SeaWorld.

Egypt and Morocco

On the Red Sea, the water parks are part of the hotels:

• in Hurghada, the Steigenberger Aqua Magic has six slides and a 400 m lazy river, and the Pickalbatros Jungle Aqua Park – Neverland has 81 slides, 45 pools and a kids' park from age 4;
• in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Rixos Premium Seagate stands next to the Rixos Aquaventure park and its 23 slides.

In Morocco, the all-inclusive Riu Palace Tikida Taghazout has children's pools with slides.