Let's face it, living in the UAE isn't cheap. Sometimes we just need a cheap family day out, that's where these places shine.
Zabeel Park.
Price: 5 dirhams and free for those below 2 and people of determination. Take a picnic or a have a BBQ and enjoy a day at this park, it is huge! Children play areas, lots of open space. You can even take a train ride for 2 dirhams. It offers free wifi too!
Timings:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday from 08:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and official holidays from 08:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. *Ramdan Timings: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Dubai Museum and Al Fahidi Fort
Price: Adults are 3 dirhams and children under 6 are just 1 dirham! Tour is free if you want it too! Learn all about the colourful history of Dubai, from pearl diving to the different ways of living from mountain tribes to sailors. View rare artifacts, monuments, original drawings and diagrams all over the museum. There is also audio and video media to help tell the stories to those who want to listen. It is a fascinating place full of information, stories and folklore.
Timings: Saturday to Thursday: 8:30 until 20:30 Friday’s: 14:30 to 20:30 Ramdan timings: From Saturday to Thursday, from 9:00 until 16:30, and Fridays are closed. **Real Mums tip: Why not combine this with an abra ride at just 1 dirham per person too?!
Jumeriah Beach Park Price: 5 dirhams You are probably wondering why you would pay to go to the beach when there are free ones around. Well it is simple, the facilities. Toilets, showers and changing rooms, as well as chairs, shades, BBQ, kids play areas and sport fields make this a little above the free beaches. It is definitely worth the few dirhams per person. It does cost 20 dhs to take your car in but why not park outside and just walk the extra few steps?
Timings: Saturday – Wednesday: 7:30am – 10:00pm Thursday & Friday: 7:30am – 11:00pm
Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi. Price: 5 dirhams This place is huge, we kid you not. It is also a Real Mums admin favourite! Inside you will find the usual play areas for the kids, massive open spaces to run around, a splash pad and even an animal area! For 10 dirhams you could have a pony or camel ride or buy a bunch of leaves to feed to the variety of animals housed there. Make sure to take extra clothes for the little ones and a towel as they won’t be able to resist splashing away in the water pad.
Timings:
Open every day from 8:00am - 12:00am (with last entry at 11:00pm).
Khalifa Park Museum & Aquarium in Abu Dhabi
Prices: Museum: 1 dirham Aquarium: 3 dirhams Train ride: 2 dirhams
This is a seriously cheap day out. Not many people know about this place, it isn’t huge but it is always empty, and let’s face it – a total bargain! What child doesn’t love looking at fish too?! The museum has a lovely little ride that takes you through history until the present day which the little ones will enjoy.
Timings: Sunday- Wednesday: 10:00am- 10:00pm Thursday-Saturday: 10:00am-11:00pm
Saqr Park in Ras Al Khaima. Price: 10dhs
At just 10dhs entry per car, Saqr Park is a great day out for the family. The park includes a fairground where for a few more dirhams you can enjoy the rides, rolling hills and lawns, family BBQ areas, a large play fort, train rides, and pitches.
Natural History Museum Ras Al Khaima.
Price: 5dhs
Located inside an old palace which then became a police station before becoming a museum, the RAK natural history museum explores and displays the old pearl diving techniques that the Emirates are famous for. They range of shells and stones found in the area and the old establishments in the surrounding areas. The museum also delves into the Emirates past and highlights the old neolithic tombs that scatter the area and show how the locals lived prior to Islam in the region.
Ajman Museum Price: 5 dirhams
Set up inside a restored 18th century fort, this museum will teach you all about the history of Ajman and the UAE. It has a section dedicated to the rich history of pearl diving and a fascinating exhibit featuring an excavated grave with pottery and funeral jewelry that dates as far back as 3000 BC!
Timings:
Saturday – Thursday: 8:00am - 8:00pm Friday’s: 2:30pm - 8:00pm
Sharjah Discovery Center
Price: Adults 10 dirhams and children are just 5 dirhams!
This little gem has been around for a long time but is still a little known gem to many. Cheap as chips but hours of entertainment for the kids! From learning to drive in a mini town, to learning about the human body, building on a construction site and even to working in an airport. There are also several water experiments and even a sports area for them to let off a little steam.
Timings:
Saturday to Thursday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Friday: 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Arabian Wildlife Center in Sharjah Price: Adults are 15 dirhams, children 5 dirhams. This one is a Real Mums admin favourite. The center exhibits all the animals that are native in the Arabian Peninsula, it boosts over 100 species displayed safe and natural surroundings. They aim to not only educate and teach about species we currently have around us, but also touch upon the ones that have become extinct and how we can prevent losing the endangered ones now too. From reptiles to birds to bigger mammals, they are all there. Along with some stunning artwork on the walls, there is a lot to see and at the end you can sit in the café surrounded by nothing but windows looking out into the reserve. It is a lovely and very cheap family day out.
Timings: 09:00 – 17:30 Thursdays: 11:00 – 17:30 Fridays: 14:00 – 17:30 *Closed on Tuesdays
Comments