12 Hours of Fun with Kids in Dubai Highly Recommended

✈️ If you are transiting through Dubai on your way to Africa or Europe and have a long layover, I highly recommend you go through immigration and explore the city instead of just waiting at the airport hotel.

This summer, we took our kids to Africa and chose to transit in Dubai, UAE due to ticket prices. The price was reasonable, both flights were not red-eye, and the flight durations were suitable. During the more than ten hours of transit, entering Dubai exceeded my expectations. We had a great time playing, eating, and street photography.

Suggested itinerary:
1️⃣ Dubai offers visa-free entry for Chinese passport holders and provides a free 10GB SIM card. Immigration procedures are very efficient. Make sure to clarify whether your luggage is checked through or needs to be picked up during the first leg.
2️⃣ I recommend staying and strolling around the old town Al Seef, choosing the Hilton, which is very affordable in the off-season. It’s also not far from the airport.
3️⃣ Dubai is extremely hot in summer. Since we stayed in Al Seef, we adjusted to the time difference and got up early to stroll around the Desert City at about 7 a.m. The whole street feels like walking through the tales of One Thousand and One Nights. There are few tourists, and the lighting is perfect for photos.
4️⃣ After exploring, have breakfast at the hotel, then swim on the upper floors with a distant view of the Burj Khalifa. It’s very relaxing.
5️⃣ This plan is not tiring, allows for good sleep, adults get great photos, and kids are happy with the pool.

Post by SelmaRasmussen | Sep 2, 2025