The UAE is a country well known for its rich forms of entertainment. It is also renowned for having some of the world’s greatest and most magnificent structures in the world. Combine the two and you get the perfect recipe for amazing Water & Theme Parks. Save yourself time from doing personal research and find out everything you need to know about water & theme parks with the “The Ultimate Guide to Water & Theme Parks in the UAE”.

#1 Wild Wadi Water & Theme Park

Wild Wadi Water & Theme Park is an awesome park made after the traditional Arab tale of Juha. The park, which is located in Dubai – in close proximity to the Burj Al Arab, features 30 versatile rides and attractions. You can come and visit the park from 10 AM to 10 PM. Wild Wadi is also very family friendly (including toddlers and babies) and accommodating to people with special needs. The price for adults is AED 295 and for children AED 250.

What to check out?

Juha’s Journey, Surfing, Flood River, Burj Surj and the Jumeriah Sceirah.

#2 Dreamland

Dreamland, which prides itself in being the oldest water park in the UAE and being the largest in the world, is located a distant drive from Dubai. Featuring a gigantic pool, interesting rides, tennis courts and a mini zoo, Dreamland is truly a mix of relaxation and excitement. What makes this park special is the fact that visitors are allowed to camp on the park grounds. The entrance price for adults is AED 160 and for juniors and elders AED 100.

What to check out?

Twisting dragon, Dead Sea and black hole.

#3 Wadi adventure

Wadi Adventure is one of the parks you will definitely want to check out if you are an adrenaline seeker. It is located in Al Alin. The awesome thing about the park is that it was the first facility in the Middle East to provide white water rafting, surfing and kayaking. It is very beginner friendly but also has sections for thrill-seeking pros. The park works from 11 pm to 8 pm. The price for entry is AED 100 for adults and AED 50 for children.

What to check out?

Zip line, go kayaking or take a course.

Aquaventure

Aquaventure is one of the most famous water parks in the UAE. Being the largest water park in Dubai, it is considered to be thrill-seekers paradise. It is located at the Atlantis Resort on the Palm Jumeirah Island. You will be surely surprised to hear that it features a 2.3 kilometer wide river and 7 colossal waterslides. The park can be visited from 10 AM until sundown. The price for an adult is AED 260, a child AED 215 while babies up to the age of 2 can visit the park for free.

What to check out?

Check out the Tower of Poseidon and the Tower of Neptune, including their rides.

Iceland Waterpark

Iceland Waterpark, which resides in Al Riffa – Ras al Khaimah, is a water park which possesses 18 interesting rides and attractions. Theme parks are usually focused on young visitors and thrill seekers. That is where Iceland Waterpark is different from the others. It is adult friendly which is proven by the statistical fact that Iceland Waterpark visitors are older than in other parks. The park is open from 10 AM to 7 PM, except for Fridays and Saturdays, then it opens up an hour early. The price for entering this park is AED 200 for adults, AED 115 for children while visitors shorter than 0.80 meters get a free entry.

What to check out?

Mountain attack and mountain cyclone. Penguin bay for adults.

Yas World

If you have ever visited Abu Dhabi, you will have certainly heard of Yas Island which can be found on Yas Island. The park features a huge variety of rides, attractions and slides, which when counted amount to 45. What makes the park so famous are the two following rides: Bubble’s Barrel, a Flow Barrel 10 Double Sheet Wave ride, and Dawwama, a hydro magnetic-powered 6-person tornado waterslide.

Yas World gets extra points for creativity and great décor since the appearance of the entire park is inspired by The Legend of the Lost Pearl. The working hours of the park vary according to season.

There are three different types of tickets you can get for the park;

  • Bronze – Get unlimited access to the park and an AED 5 gift voucher for AED 250 (adults) or AED 210 (juniors).
  • Silver – Same offer as for bronze but you get an AED 10 gift voucher and three fast pass accesses. The price for an adult is AED 325 and for a child AED 275
  • Gold – the best possible ticket you can get. Apart from the usual offer, you get unlimited fast pass access, an AED 15 gift voucher and a free souvenir towel. The golden ticket costs AED 485 for adults and AED 410 for juniors

The great thing about Yas World is the fact that they let nannies and young children enter the park for free.

What to check out?

Shaheen’s Adrenaline rush and Dhabi’s Exciting Adventure

Ski Dubai

Ski Dubai is an indoor ski resort residing on the Sheikh Zayed Rd – Dubai – United Arab Emirates. Taking up 22 500 meters square (about the size of three football fields), Ski Dubai is one of the most interesting sights in Dubai. The resort, which is covered with real snow, features an 85 meter high mountain divided into 5 slopes of varying steepness and difficulty. Rookie or pro, there is definitely a slope for you on the resort.

The working hours of the resort are from 10 AM to 12 PM. You do not have to worry about coming late. The facility has a capacity of 1500 guests so there will surely be enough room for you. The price for entry is AED 285 but if you are a UAE resident you get a 20% discount. If you are new to skiing, you can always check out the skiing school for beginners and pick up this amazing activity.

What to check out?

Ski slopes, subzero zip line and the snow park

Global village

Have you ever wished to explore the whole world? The task is very daunting and adventurous but also time consuming and expensive. Dubai offers you an epic alternative for only AED 15. Pay a visit to Global Village, a village full of different pavilions, each representing a unique country. Due to the greatness of the project it has been called the world’s largest entertainment, leisure and tourism project. It is the perfect place to explore different cultures, shop for unique items and spend a great day with your family. The 2016/17 season starts on the first of November (01.11.2016) and will last until eight April (08.04.2017).

What to check out?

Country pavilions, Global villages theme park and Heritage Village.

Ferrari world

Yas Island holds another awesome theme park, apart from Yas World, the Ferrari themed park Ferrari World.  There is not another park like it in the world. The park features 22 rides and 3 different live shows. The basic tickets cost AED 275 for adults and AED 230 for juniors. There are some more expensive options which include speed passes and more cool stuff. The park is open from 11 am to 8 pm, throughout the week.

What to check out?

Formula Rossa and Fiorano GT Challenge

Hill fun city

Hill Fun City has been around ever since 1985. It has been renovated a decade ago so it could provide the 30 contemporary attractions it does today. Having been located in Al Ain, the Al Hili Area in Abu Dhabi, it became the first theme park in the Gulf. The price of entry is very cheap when compared to other parks in the area, AED 55 per person (AED 60 on Friday and Saturday). The park is open from 5 PM until 10 PM on Mondays to Saturdays. An interesting fact is that the park has more than 250 palm trees and around 30 000 other plants, in order to preserve the parks environmental survival.

What to check out?

Ice rink and the Sky Flyer

Dubai Parks and Resorts

Dubai Parks and Resorts is a colossal complex which comprises of five different theme parks, the Motiongate Park, LEGOLAND, LEGOLAND Water Park, Bollywood Park and Riverland. It is located on the Sheik Zayed Road, Opposite Palm Jebel Ali. The park opens in October 2016. Currently you can only buy annual passes for all parks.

What to check out?

Motiongate Park – Sony Pictures Studio for action, Smurfs Village for fun, DreamWorks to get soaked into the heroic atmosphere, Studio central to learn about movies and Lionsgate to watch your favorite heroes come to life

  • LEGOLAND – The Dragon, The Factory and the Submarine adventure
  • LEGOLAND Water Park – Build-a-raft River
  • Bollywood Park – Bollywood Boulevard, Mumbai Chow
  • Riverland – Boardwalk, French village, the peninsula and the India gate

IMG worlds

IMG worlds is the place where all your favorite characters from Cartoon Network, Lost Valley Dinosaur Adventure and Marvel come to life. The park, which is scheduled for opening in mid-October 2016, will be the biggest indoor theme park in the world. IMG words I located on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road – near Arabian Ranches, next to Global Village, in the center of Dubai. The entire park will have 17 themed rides. The hours of operation last from 12 PM to 8 PM, throughout the week.

What to check out?

  • Marvel – Thor Thunder Spin, Avengers Battle of Ultron and Spider-Man Doc Ock’s Revenge
  • Lost Valley – The Velociraptor, Forbidden Territory, Predator
  • Cartoon Network – Ben 10 5D Hero Time, Adventure Time – The Ride of OOO with Finn & Jake and The Powerpuff Girls – Mojo Jojo’s Robot Rampage!

Few tips before the end

No need to worry about food – All of the mentioned parks have restaurants, cafes or bistros on the venue. There is no chance you will be left hungry. Carrying your own food might not be such a good idea. Some parks have a no outside food policy so it would be best to simply get food in the park.

Do your research – This guide provides a lot of information, but if you want to really get to know the chosen park, you should do some personal research. You might find some new information about the park or a special offer.

Create a checklist – Once you have done your research, you will have a general picture of what you need to bring. The best thing would be to write it all down and check it before you depart. You surely do not want your relaxing day to be ruined because you forgot your bathing suit or your wallet. In case of forgetting clothes or some equipment, you needn’t worry. Most parks sell swim suits and other swimming equipment, so in any case it will be available to you.

Look for family tickets – If you are coming with your family, you should definitely inquire about any possible special offer, discounts or family tickets. Having done so, you will in turn have more money to spend in the park and make your stay more enjoyable. In some cases you might even get some special gift.

Conclusion

These are some of the best water & theme parks in the UAE. Each one has its value and is sure to provide you and amazing time. Hopefully you have found a theme park you like with this guide. The future of water & theme park entertainment seems bright in the UAE, especially if we take into account the current projects i.e. The Warner Bros Entertainment Park, a project lead by Aldar Properties, scheduled for completion in 2018 and Dubailand, a project which might revolutionize the way we see entertainment parks. Either way UAE has a lot to offer and it is the perfect place to grab some well-deserved rest and relaxation here.