Tips for Traveling To Dubai with a Toddler

Last April 2023, our family traveled to Dubai to attend my sister Ruby’s wedding. This would be the first time ever for our whole family to go overseas together so we were pretty excited. However, as any parent will tell you… There are two ways to travel: With kids and without kids. Daniel was two years old at the time and so hyperactive. I guess he made the trip a little more… interesting (to put it mildly.) Based on our experience, these are my top recommendations for traveling to Dubai with a toddler.

Tip #1 Don’t.

I would say don’t take them to Dubai; at least not until they’re a little older and don’t need as much attention, or unless you are traveling with a nanny, because that would definitely make things a lot easier. I think the same probably goes for any big city. Of course if your little one happens to be a quiet angel that does everything they’re asked to the first time, then by all means go for it.

Man, oh, man… was it tough. Do I regret it? Not a bit. But we’ll probably think twice before taking him on other trips abroad again any time soon.  The day after we got back home, my body (and that of my husband) was in pain. Most toddlers are just little balls of energy so this trip involved a lot of chasing and carrying him around. Ouch. Which brings me to my next tip…

Tip # 2 Get in shape.

My husband and I both try to exercise regularly and we tag-teamed taking care of Daniel throughout this experience but it still took a lot out of us.

Even on the plane when we first flew out, Daniel was getting restless being strapped into his chair even though there were cartoons available in front of him. He wanted to walk around and I figured that was better than him crying or screaming, so we let him. He proceeded to run up and down the aisles and I had to chase after him. I don’t know how many times I had to say “Excuse me. I’m sorry. So sorry, excuse me…” to the other passengers. Fortunately, there were no grouches there and they all just smiled and laughed at how energetic Daniel was.

You will also be doing a lot of walking when you visit Dubai, so it might be a good idea to get your stamina up especially since you’ll likely be carrying a sleepy or tired toddler at several points.

When we were walking on Kite Beach to watch the sunset and see the Burj Al Arab, Daniel saw the sea, promptly removed his shoes and socks, and took off running for the shore. Lester had to chase him all around to keep him out of the water… hence the meltdown.

The day before we had to fly back home, my brother-in-law actually said “You guys deserve a medal for traveling with a toddler.”

Tip # 3 Fly with Emirates Airlines.

You may need to shell out a bit more money for a ticket on Emirates Airlines but it’s so worth it. There is a decent amount of space and leg room even in the Economy section, and the food is pretty good. There was a wide selection of movies and video games too. Perfect for long flights. The staff is really friendly, courteous and efficient. At the start of the flight, they went around handing out toys, coloring books and crayons, backpacks, and/or colorful blankets to everyone who was traveling with a little kid. When Daniel was running around, they all would just smile and talk to him. I didn’t see anyone look annoyed at all.

Disclosure: I have not traveled there on other airlines so I have nothing to compare it to. I am just recommending them because of our excellent experience.

Tip #4 Bring a car seat and stroller.

We brought our car seat onto the plane for him to sit in. It was pretty easy to attach it to the regular seat. If your child is still little, I highly recommend you do the same thing for two reasons:

1. It’s safer. When there is turbulence, they will be more secure compared to if they are just using the regular lap seat belts. We were also able to use it on the bus we had rented to travel to and from Hatta. Cars on the freeways in Dubai travel at an average of about 100 to 120kph, which can be quite dangerous. With Daniel strapped in the car seat, we were able to relax more on the road.
2. It’s more comfortable. Because it was appropriate for his size, he was able to sleep well in his car seat, probably better than if we had just sat him in the plane (or bus) seat. Since I didn’t have to hold him in my lap, I could sleep better too.

The stroller was a toughie because he wasn’t used to riding one. Being a pandemic baby, he didn’t get to go out much. We tried to get him used to it in the weeks before our trip. In the end I had to resort to bribing him with toys so he’d climb into it especially when we were so tired from going around Dubai Mall. At least the stroller was also useful for storing shopping bags and his diaper bag.

Tip #5 Wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes.

Seeing the sights in Dubai involves a LOT of walking. Even without a child in tow, expect sore feet and legs. Add a toddler who is excited about seeing a lot of new things and that just multiplies exponentially. I suggest you leave the short skirts and pretty high-heels at home. I understand OOTDs are sort of a necessity now because everyone’s always got to be ready for the ‘gram. Just go with ones that you won’t have a hard time moving and walking in, especially when it comes to the shoes. Make sure you have a lot of cushion and support.

If you’re doing the desert safari, leave the shoes in the car and go barefoot when you walk outside because the sand will get inside your shoes, which is pretty uncomfortable. Same goes for the kids.

Tip #6 Bring stuff to entertain, distract, (or bribe) your kid with in case they get fussy.

Toddlers get fussy. That’s just a fact. And when it starts, it can easily ruin your day. We made sure to bring snacks, coloring books and crayons, and a tablet with pre-downloaded favorite movies and educational games. I know the anti-gadget people will be shaking their heads at this but sometimes, they are necessary for your sanity.

Tip #7 Find a good desert safari tour provider.

The desert safari is one thing you really should not miss. That was definitely one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. The thing is, pretty much every provider I looked up restricted kids below four years old from joining the safaris except for Khat Tours and Safaris. I highly recommend booking with them. They were very patient with us even though we had to change our arrangements several times. They also provided car seats and booster seats for our kids. Most of their drivers have several years of experience doing safari tours; ours had been doing it for 20 years. They were also really friendly and funny.

Half of our group went on the Adventure Safari which included the regular dune bashing where the drivers drove up and down the sand dunes at high speed. My sister was screaming her head off. Haha! If you’re a thrill-seeker, this is a MUST DO experience when in Dubai. The senior citizens and those of us with little kids went on the Kid-friendly safari which was slower and safer.

We then picked a nice spot for sandboarding and a photo op. You can’t help but take lots of pictures because the desert is just so photogenic. I would definitely do the sandboarding again even though I wiped out twice. The kids had a blast playing in the sand which was nice and cool.

We ended the day at a desert camp which provided camel rides, shisha stations, henna tattoos, a delicious buffet, and live entertainment complete with a fire dancer and a Tanoura dancer.

Tip #8 Visit IMG Worlds of Aventure

Since summers in Dubai are intolerably hot, it makes sense that their amusement parks would be indoors. It was such a treat to see the kids’ eyes light up as they looked around, especially at the large moving dinosaurs that greeted us as soon as we entered the facility. Granted, if your kid is less than 1.3 meters tall, the number of rides they can get on are extremely limited. They’ll be able to play in the sandboxes and playrooms; they can also ride the carousel, the train that goes around the entire park, and the elevated Ride of Ooo With Fin and Jake. I suggest that you check out their official website for more details so you can decide if the AED 345 ticket per person is worth shelling out.

The park also has an enormous inflatable playground called Kids Zone that spans around 1,595 square meters. It’s got slides, obstacle courses, basketball rings, climbing walls and a whole lot more. We paid an extra AED 50 per head (including guardians) to get in and it was so worth it. I think we parents had as much fun as the kids did. The entire thing is inflatable so we didn’t have to worry about the kids getting hurt. I was seriously out of breath from running and jumping around that place.

It is important to note that you are not allowed to bring your bags inside the actual playground. There are no lockers either so you just have to leave your stuff on the tables just inside the entrance of Kids Zone; totally nerve-wracking for those of us from countries where you can’t do this sort of thing. Apparently theft isn’t commonplace there.

They have a lot of more exciting rides for adults. I would advise against riding the Powerpuff Girls – Mojo Robot Rampage ride, especially if you’re the type who gets dizzy easily. I have no problem with roller coasters but this ride messed me up so bad that I had to run to the bathroom to throw up.

Tip #9 Visit Ja Hatta Fort Hotel

This is a beautiful resort that’s kind of an oasis in the middle of the desert situated in the Hajar Mountains in Hatta, Dubai. Not only are their facilities gorgeous, but they have a lot of fun activities for the kids.

Link to website: https://www.jaresortshotels.com/dubai/ja-hatta-fort-hotel

Tip # 10 Limit the number of places you visit in a day.

This tip is for both your and your kid’s sake. I know there is temptation to jam-pack activities into each day so you can see as much of Dubai as possible. However, in my opinion, limiting the number of places to visit per day has several benefits. You get to savor each experience without rushing.  You’re able to enjoy the food more because you’re not just trying to get through your meals as quickly as possible in order to get to the next stop. You’ll also have time to check out better restaurants instead of just eating at wherever is convenient. And finally, you and your toddler don’t end up super cranky by the end of the day.

Some additional places I recommend you check out include:

1. Bu Qtair Restaurant – The fish curries and marinated shrimp… OMG. Soooo good. That’s all I have to say. This is a MUST.
2. The Farm – It is a gorgeous restaurant with delicious food that is popular with locals especially as a wedding venue. They have a playground for the children, and beautiful gardens to walk around in with streams and ponds all around.
3. Dubai Gold Souq – It’s just a very interesting place to visit. I was shocked at the kinds of jewelry we saw there, including the world’s largest gold ring. There were even aprons, masks, and dresses made of gold, probably part of elaborate wedding attires. Although I didn’t buy any gold, I did get convinced to buy a couple of pashmina shawls.
4. Hatta Dam – If you’re coming from Ja Hatta Fort Hotel, you might as well make a stop at the Hatta Dam. You can cruise on the lake via boat or kayak and enjoy the scenery. Adventure seekers can also enjoy bike trails and even a zip line in the area.

The bottom line is: Traveling with a toddler was a pain in the neck, but hearing him get excited every time we look at the pictures from the trip makes it all worth while. We were there for about a week and there was still a whole lot more we didn’t get to do and see. I do hope we get the chance to see Dubai with the whole family again, although we’ll probably wait until Daniel is a little older. As Juba in the film Gladiator said, “I will see you again… but not yet… Not yet!”

Thanks for reading!