If there’s one thing Dubai has hard-earned a reputation for it is having some of the most amazing water parks in the world – not surprising given it’s also one of the hottest countries in the world!
On this page, we are going to take you through the “Big 4” Dubai Water Parks, plus our favourites around the Emirates and a few spots that are perfect for families with younger kids.
- Jump to UAE Water Parks outside of Dubai
- Jump to small splash parks in Dubai
- Jump to our top tips for tackling Dubai Water Parks
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Let’s dig straight into the details of Dubai’s top 4 water parks:
Aquaventure Atlantis the Palm
Arguably the most recognised of the UAE’s water parks is Aquaventure. It is part of the giant Atlantis the Palm complex set over 42 acres and one of the best in the world for water slides.
Aquaventure caters to both the adrenaline junkies and younger families too with its separate Splashers kid zone inside the park, exclusively for kids under 1.2m including replicas of the parks most popular slides for smaller kids.
Aquaventure has an absolutely enviable position sitting on the outer frond of the Palm Jumeirah. Most famous for its thrill rides including The Leap of Faith, and an almost vertical drop that takes you through the parks central lagoon of stingrays and sharks. Groups will love Aquaconda, the world’s largest tube-waterslide and Zoomerango. The park opened it’s expansion including Trident Tower in March 2021 with several new record-breaking rides – learn more here!
The hard part is deciding which rides you might want to leave out rather than include! There are over 70 waterslides and rides to pick from. Do tackle the most popular ones as soon as you arrive as lines get LONG for the most popular, not much fun in the heat!
NB: 2021 is a transformation year for the park – still amazing but now the new parts of the park are open some older parts are closed for renovations, bear this in mind when choosing which park to visit this year.
Guests staying at Atlantis the Palm will have their park entry included. Another way to save is to combine entry tickets to the Lost Chambers or animal experiences at Dolphin Cove.
Open Daily 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Wild Wadi Waterpark
The Arabian-themed Wild Wadi is set in the grounds of Jumeirah Beach Hotel, with the stunning Burj Al Arab hotel as it’s backdrop.
This fabulous family fun park includes Jumeirah Sceirah – the refurbed tandem slide is 120m long and reaches speeds up to 80km/hr! It also has the country’s largest wave pool Breakers Bay and a huge section dedicated to smaller kids and toddlers making it our top pick for mixed groups catering to smaller kids and teens (or the young at heart!)
Residents staying in any of the nearby Jumeirah Hotels (Including Jumeriah Beach Hotel, or neighbouring properties including Jumeirah al Naseem, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam and Jumeirah Al Qasr) have their entry ticket to Wild Wadi included.
Pricing is differentiated on your child being over or under 1.1m tall. Infants under 2 free.
Open Daily 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Laguna Water Park
Situated in the hip new beachfront area of the city known as La Mer, Laguna isn’t as big as the other Dubai water parks but it’s a pretty decent price in comparison and a lot of fun.
With four zones – Splash, Slide, Surf and Relax, there’s a little water fun for everyone. Enjoy meandering down the lazy river or chilling in one of the cabanas. This park is very much more about enjoying the beach front vibes than high flying spills but still worth considering as a change from the larger parks.
Open Daily 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Legoland Dubai Water Park
Aimed at the younger crowd specifically, Legoland Dubai Water Park is at the more sedate end of the water park scale, but still packs in plenty of rides at a pretty reasonable price tag.
It is great for your little ones wanting to build up their confidence with water park thrills and spills. The Joker Soaker is a good water fun starting point (beware the freezing water though!) then advance to Build a Raft Lazy River and on to the wave pool (tame by most standards) before graduating to the slide rides.
It is the best value to combine a ticket to Legoland Dubai Water Park with either neighbouring Legoland Dubai (you can walk between the two), or the other Dubai Parks and Resorts theme parks Motiongate and Bollywood. Guest staying at Lapita Resort can also get combined stay and play packages.
Open Daily 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Best Water Parks outside of Dubai
There are a couple of great contenders for Dubai’s best water park that actually sit outside of Dubai Emirate, but can be easily reached on a day trip; Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi and Dreamland Aqua Park in Umm al Quwain.
(There used to be another contender, Iceland in Ras al Khaimah. This park suddenly and unexpectedly closed in 2018, though we believe something bigger and better will replace Iceland in due course – watch this space!)
Yas Waterworld – Abu Dhabi
OK, we are a little bias, but we actually think Yas Waterworld is EVEN BETTER than the water parks in Dubai – bold claim!
Winner of multiple travel awards across the Middle East region – and the world – this Emirati themed water park has 45 rides and attractions to choose from catering to all ages. From adrenaline-pumping slides through to the classic Al Raha lazy river, wave pool and the Bandit Bomber suspended roller coaster you will find a huge variety here, as well as live shows and entertainment around the park all day.
Smaller children are very well catered for with three dedicated splash areas varying from tiny infants to toddler slides and the crowd favourite tipping bucket. Yas Waterworld also offers a unique pearl diving experience and mermaid school.
Under 3’s are free (great value considering there are several slides and areas they can actually independently enjoy).
The great thing about visiting Yas Waterworld, or any of the Yas Island theme parks from Dubai, is they will throw in free transfers from Dubai! Yes, you heard right – check out more details on how to get to Yas Island here. It is around a one hour journey, depending on where you set off from in Dubai.
You can also get great overnight packages with hotels on Yas Island that combine park tickets with a hotel stay. Alternatively, look out for Combo ticket options with neighbouring parks Warner Bros World and Ferrari World.
Open Daily 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Dreamland Aqua Park
Umm al Quwain is certainly a unique twist outside of Dubai, and Dreamland Aqua Park is no exception! It is good old fashioned water park fun severely trapped in the 1980s but you will have a blast! We have included this as our value pick for travellers to Dubai on a budget.
It is certainly one of the lushest and most chilled out of the waterparks in Dubai without the massive queues. There’s even a beer garden with swim up bar, lawned areas to relax and overnight camping options at the park – the only one of its type in the UAE.
You will find Dreamland in Umm Al Quwain (UAQ) about one hour to the northeast of Dubai. Just be warned, it can be chilly in the cooler months we don’t think they’ve every though to heat the water, but perfect for those hot spring and autumn days.
Open Daily 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (later on Fridays)
Smaller Water Parks and Splash Park alternatives in Dubai
Perfect for younger children simply seeking an opportunity to cool off, we can also recommend our favourite splash pads across the city for families:
- Splash ‘n’ Party Dubai – there are three great locations of this family fun water playground, one located in suburban Al Safa 2 – a little hidden treasure! And another two new branches have opened at Kite Beach and JBR with giant inflatable water parks. Learn more at splashnparty.ae
- Splash Pad, The Beach JBR – a wonderful little retreat for the smaller ones in JBR, there is a lifeguard on duty here and temperature-controlled water for year-round enjoyment – it’s basically a fun playground for kids + water! – Learn more at splashpaddubai.com
- Splash Island by Blue Wave DXB – This is the only indoor, year-round option in Dubai for the little ones. Primarily a centre for swimming lessons there is also Splash Island which includes 8 indoor slides, a waterfall and bucket forest suitable from 18 months to 12 years old. Learn more at facebook.com/bluewavedxb
- Aquaduck Dubai – another suburban secret this water park and party venue is in Al Karama providing a splash pad, variety of slides, tunnels, tipping buckets and more. Learn more at aquaduck.ae (temporarily closed)
- XPark Jr Splash Area – nearby to Kite Beach you will find this gorgeous little adventure playground with little streams and splash areas, perfect for when you want the kids to play and splash around but perhaps not get utterly drenched! We also love the attacked Park House Café. Learn more at XParkJr.Com
And for some fun thrills and spills in the water in Dubai
- Better suited to your older kids and adults, try the Aqua Fun water park, located off the beach at JBR (The Beach). Here you will find a giant inflatable water obstacle course set out over “I Love Dubai” in inflatable tubing, the largest structure of its type in the world. Learn more at aquafun.ae
A few things to consider when visiting a waterpark in Dubai
Before booking your Dubai water park tickets, here are a few things to bear in mind:
- Dubai’s water parks are BIG and you ideally need the best part of a day to get the most from your entry ticket costs.
- Each is quite unique, so depending on ages and interests you could fit in more than one water park to a Dubai itinerary.
- Throughout the year, even off-peak, weekends are always much busier than weekdays (remember that is Friday and Saturday in Dubai). You may also be able to find discounts for visiting on weekdays.
- If you are visiting one of the water parks in the peak of summer (June to September) be conscious of the amount of time you are spending outside. Not just scorching surfaces but increased dehydration, even if the water is chilled.
- Keep your eye out for winter closure dates if you are visiting in the coolest months (January/February) the big parks normally close for a period of time for annual maintenance.
What to pack for a day at Dubai’s water parks
No matter the time of year, don’t forget a few water park essentials
- Water shoes – believe us when we say the ground can get HOT!! Not all surfaces are slip and heat resistant in Dubai’s water parks, we strongly recommend you pack something like aqua socks or Slipfree water shoes
- Sunscreen! – Even if it’s not the peak of summer always a sensible suggestion. We are big fans of Sun Bum Reef Friendly lotion.
- Towels – you can bring these yourself to save a few dirhams, but all the big parks will also rent you towels to save some space in your bag. If you’re staying at the hotels they’re included.
- Appropriate swimwear – whilst it’s not illegal to wear a bikini at a water park in Dubai, think sensibly too. There are other families about, a huge mix of cultures and let’s be honest if you’re powering down a slide, you don’t want any unfortunate accidents at the end. Everyone is recommended to wear a rash guard for sun protection and neoprene style swimwear. Cotton boardshorts that look like street wear are forbidden. We talk more about appropriate dress in Dubai here.
- Waterproof camera – capture the fun with your own waterproof action camera or get a suitable waterproof case to keep your smartphone in.
Do you have a Dubai Water Park favourite? Let us know in the comments below!
Before you go… More important things you should know when planning a trip to Dubai
- Pop into our essential planning information page, it includes everything you need to know about getting around Dubai, a handy guide on what to pack and top tips for first-timers on the do’s and don’ts, laws and customs to be aware of.
- Check out this incredible list of 150+ places you should visit when you’re in Dubai.
- Pick up a Dubai Pass to save up to 50% on top Dubai attractions
- Don’t forget to pack your travel insurance!!!
- Discover the best areas to stay in Dubai, or bag a bargain on your accommodation here:
Take me back to Dubai’s top attraction reviews for more inspiration
Please note we are not a travel agency. This site is a travel blog to help newcomers to the UAE self plan their trip, we cannot book your flights, hotels, visas or connections for you. We may make a small commission if you click on any of our hotel or tour recommendation links.
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1 comment
Wow. I had no idea all of these water parks even existed. Beautiful and informative post, my kids will love to look at this and dream of their next travel destination. Someday, we’ll travel again.