Dubai is one of the easier long-haul trips from Singapore with children: direct, about seven and a half hours, four hours of time difference, and a city built almost entirely around air conditioning. It’s also one of the easiest to get badly wrong, and the mistake is nearly always the same: going in the wrong month.
This one decision counts more than everything else combined.
Go between November and March. Daytime temperatures then are in the twenties and the whole city works: beaches, parks, the outdoor attractions, walking between places.
June to September regularly passes 45°C. Singapore heat doesn’t prepare anyone for it; this is a different category of hot. With young children, an August trip becomes a week of moving between a hotel, a taxi and a mall, which is an expensive way to visit a shopping centre.
The practical details
| Flight | Around 7.5 hours direct. Overnight flights work well with children who sleep; daytime flights are a long stretch of screen time. |
| Time difference | Four hours behind Singapore. Mild as jet lag goes. Most children adjust in a day or two, and evenings run later there anyway. |
| Entry | Singapore passport holders haven’t needed a visa arranged in advance, but entry rules change. Confirm the current position before you book. |
| Getting around | Taxis are plentiful and cheap by Singapore standards; the Metro is clean and simple. Taxis don’t routinely carry child seats. See below. |
| Language | English is spoken everywhere. Signage is bilingual. |
| Weekend | Saturday and Sunday, with Friday a shorter working day. Attractions are busiest at the weekend, as anywhere. |
| How long | Four to five nights suits most families. A week needs a day trip or a slower pace built in. |
The car seat problem nobody mentions
This is the single most practical thing to sort out in advance. Taxis and ride-hailing cars in Dubai generally don’t come with child seats, and families arrive expecting otherwise.
The workable options are booking transfers that supply a seat, hiring a car with seats fitted, choosing a hotel within walking distance of what you want to do, or bringing your own: a lightweight travel seat is a nuisance in transit and solves the whole week. Whichever you pick, decide before you land, not at arrivals with a tired toddler.
What works at each age
Under three. Hotel pool, beach in the cooler months, the aquarium at Dubai Mall, and not much else. Long attractions are wasted; the trip is really a change of scene for the adults. Nothing wrong with that, but go in knowing it.
Three to six. The sweet spot for the aquarium, the fountain show, gentler waterpark areas and short beach mornings. Attention runs out around lunchtime. Building the day around one outing plus a long afternoon at the pool works far better than two.
Seven to twelve. The city opens up. Waterparks, the theme parks out at Dubai Parks, the view from Burj Khalifa, a desert trip. This is the age Dubai is built for.
Teenagers. Fine, provided there’s something with adrenaline in it and reliable wifi.
Two things to think twice about
The desert safari. The standard version includes dune bashing: a vehicle driven hard over dunes. It makes a lot of people, children especially, motion sick. Operators set minimum ages, and it’s generally not suitable for pregnant women or anyone with a back or neck problem. Gentler desert experiences exist without the dune driving, including camel rides and evening camps, and with young children those are the better booking.
Burj Khalifa timing. Sunset slots sell out well in advance and cost more. Booking ahead is the difference between going and not, and there’s no realistic walk-up option at peak times.
Being a guest in Dubai
Dubai is relaxed with visitors and it’s still a Muslim country with its own norms, most of which are easy to observe once known.
- Dress modestly in malls and public places: shoulders and knees covered is the usual guide. Swimwear belongs at the pool and beach.
- Public affection between adults is best kept minimal.
- Alcohol is served in licensed hotels and restaurants, not generally, and public drunkenness is treated seriously.
- During Ramadan, eating and drinking in public during daylight is restricted, though hotels make arrangements for guests. The dates shift each year, and the city is quieter by day and lively at night. It’s a perfectly good time to visit if you know what you’re choosing.
- Ask before photographing people, particularly women and children.
What it costs
Dubai can be done at almost any budget, and the spread is wide. Hotels swing enormously by season. The cool months are peak and priced accordingly, which is the trade-off for the weather being usable.
The costs that surprise families are the attractions, not the hotel: theme parks, waterparks and observation decks add up quickly across four or five people. Multi-attraction passes are worth the arithmetic if you intend to do several, and worthless if you don’t.
Taxis, on the other hand, are cheap, and eating is as expensive or as reasonable as you choose: a mall food court costs a fraction of a hotel restaurant and is perfectly good.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Dubai with children?
November to March. Temperatures are in the twenties and the outdoor half of the city is usable. June to September regularly exceeds 45°C, which with young children reduces the trip to moving between air-conditioned spaces.
How long is the flight from Singapore?
Roughly seven and a half hours direct, with Dubai four hours behind Singapore. The time difference is mild and most children adjust within a day or two.
Do taxis in Dubai have child seats?
Generally not, and this catches families out. Arrange transfers that provide seats, hire a car with seats fitted, stay within walking distance of your plans, or bring a lightweight travel seat. Settle it before you arrive.
Is a desert safari suitable for young children?
The dune bashing version frequently causes motion sickness and operators apply minimum ages; it’s also generally unsuitable during pregnancy or with back or neck problems. Gentler desert experiences without the dune driving are the better choice with young children.
What should we wear?
Modest dress in malls and public areas: shoulders and knees covered is the common guide, with swimwear kept to pools and beaches. Hotels and tourist areas are relaxed, but respect the norm.
Should you visit during Ramadan?
It can be. Eating and drinking in public during daylight hours is restricted, though hotels accommodate guests, and the city is quiet by day and busy in the evening. The dates move each year, so check them against your travel window.
What to remember
Go between November and March. That single decision determines whether this is a holiday or a week of air conditioning.
Sort the car seat question before you fly, book Burj Khalifa ahead, and skip the dune bashing if your children are small.
Four or five nights, one outing a day, and long afternoons in the pool. Dubai rewards a slower plan than most people arrive with.
Read next
- Dubai with kids: things to do
- Making the most of a Dubai stopover
- Travelling with kids: the packing list