Dubai

IMG Worlds of Adventure is packed with rides and attractions for all ages. You can meet Cartoon Network characters, join Marvel heroes on 5D adventures, or explore the Lost Valley with 70 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs. There are live shows, movies, and plenty of entertainment, making it a full-day outing for families.

Located beside the Burj Al Arab, Wild Wadi Waterpark features more than 30 rides and attractions. You can surf the Wipeout and Riptide Flowriders, brave Tantrum Alley’s tornado slides, or race down the Jumeirah Sceirah tandem slides, which drop 120 metres at speeds of up to 80 km/h. Kids have their own space with colourful slides, climbing frames, water guns, and a giant dumping bucket.

Located in City Walk, The Green Planet is a tropical biodome with more than 3,000 plants and animals. You can wander under hanging vines, spot sloths, snakes, spiders, and a variety of birds, and watch how the ecosystem works up close. It’s designed to be both fun and educational, making it a good stop for families or anyone curious about rainforest life.

Running from October to April, Global Village is part funfair, part food market, and part shopping trip around the world. Around 70 countries have pavilions selling everything from Yemeni honey and Moroccan argan oil to Afghan carpets, Spanish jewellery, and Thai dried fruit. There are fairground rides, live shows every evening, and plenty of food stalls to snack your way through.

In Al Barsha South, Dubai Miracle Garden covers 72,000 square metres and has more than 45 million flowers arranged into huge sculptures and patterns. You can walk past flower-covered pyramids, hearts, and igloos, see the record-breaking wall of blooms, or stroll under a tunnel of hanging umbrellas. It’s seasonal, usually open from November to April, so check before you go.

Dubai Parks & Resorts is a one-stop destination for theme park fun, combining three parks and a waterpark with hotels on-site. Motiongate Dubai brings Hollywood movies to life with rides and shows, while Legoland Dubai and Legoland Water Park are perfect for younger visitors and families. At the centre is Riverland Dubai, a lively promenade with dining and shopping, and nearby resorts offer convenient places to stay if you want to turn a day trip into a mini-break.

Aquaventure is a massive water park (the world's largest of its kind) with slides and pools spread across the Atlantis resort. The big draw is the Leap of Faith, a near-vertical drop that shoots you through a shark-filled tank, and the Odyssey of Terror, the tallest waterslide in the world. There’s also a mile-long Lazy River if you just want to float, and kids get their own area with tunnels, mini slides, and climbing frames.