If you are planning to visit Abu Dhabi as part of your Dubai vacation, then this short guide is meant for you. Abu Dhabi is a vibrant city surrounded by nature and world-class attractions. It’s a city rich in culture and heritage. Plus, there are many things to do in Abu Dhabi with kids.
Arguably one of the most fascinating major cities on the Arabian Peninsula, Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It has emerged from its humble beginnings as an unassuming quiet town and became a world-class destination for travel enthusiasts, families, and thrill seekers. If you’re planning a family vacation to Dubai, Abu Dhabi should be an essential item on your itinerary. While Dubai has a more cosmopolitan vibe and draws tourists from around the world with its many iconic attractions, Abu Dhabi is more tranquil with unique activities. It maintains a vibrancy that makes it far from boring — even those who live there never tire of exploring their city. And of course, there are many things to do in Abu Dhabi with kids.
Families will never run out of ideas about what to do in the capital. You can visit state-of-the-art attractions such as the Ferrari World, Yas Water World and Warner Bros. Kids will surely have a blast in any of these attractions. If your kids are way ahead of their preschool years, they can enjoy a day at the Louvre Museum and also have a pit stop at Sheikh Zayed Mosque. The latter is known as being an architectural wonder and a must-see if you are spending a few days in the capital.
So, let me share with you my fantastic experience in Abu Dhabi, and I hope it will inspire you to visit the capital. Last December 2022, I took my kids for a short sun winter vacation in Abu Dhabi, and we all had so much fun. What made it so special was that we had not been to Abu Dhabi for almost three years. So, visiting it again after a long time is such a good feeling. I was ecstatic to be back!
Here’s a one-day itinerary in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Our main destination was Yas Island, and my sassy little tourists are on for an adventurous tour again! The first stop was the world’s largest indoor theme park, Warner Bros Abu Dhabi. We spent a full day there and all of us enjoyed the rides and the live shows.
It’s more fun at Warner Bros Abu Dhabi because it has many things that will remind you of your childhood…
The first things that came to our minds when we entered the massive attraction are the superheroes and cartoon characters. My kids love each of them and I also enjoyed interacting with Joker and Bugs Bunny. Perhaps, it’s the fact that it reminds me of my childhood and seeing them with my children is something that touches my heart. There’s a feeling of nostalgia!
There are three areas for kids and adults to experience in the World’s Largest Indoor Amusement Park. Smaller children (ages 3 to 5 years old) will enjoy the Cartoon Junction and Flintstone World. My kids love the Tom & Jerry roller coaster ride and the Scooby Doo House train tour. And our favorite is the Flintstone Bedrock River Adventure. It’s a scenic boat tour that takes you around the river and you get to see the Flintstone family.
For newcomers, there’s a full-day schedule of live shows at Warner Bros Plaza. So, make sure to check it out first so you can plan your day. It’s also one of the best things to do in the indoor theme park. A must-see activity! You can watch your favourite cartoon characters come to life and the live show brings back familiar and old memories.
Furthermore, school-aged kids and adults will love the dark and eerie Gotham City! While the Metropolis lets you feel you’d been plucked out from where you stand and brought into one of Superman’s movies. All the rides are interactive and family-friendly! The Riddler Revolution and The Joker Funhouse are hair-raising rides and are not for the faint-hearted. But they are quite popular so expect long lines in the afternoon.
My kids are below ten years old, but we still enjoyed strolling around the Metropolis and Gotham City. We went inside The Joker Funhouse and got spooked by the mirror maze. I loved the fact that all the superheroes took the time to talk to my kids. My girl had a lovely one-on-one chat with Superwoman. Joker was hilarious and Superman was very accommodating!
Warner Bros. offers different dining experiences. There’s a full-service dining option or you can opt for a grab and go snacks. We dined at Hollywood Trattoria, located at the main square of the indoor theme park. The restaurant serves Italian cuisine, and I ordered freshly prepared pasta lasagnas and spaghetti bolognese. There are ready-made meals such as salads, pizzas, and cakes too. We all liked the food but the best thing about this eatery is the location. The restaurant is right in front of the main stage. So, we enjoyed watching a live show of Nutcracker starring our favorite cartoon characters while munching on our food.
We spent the rest of the afternoon at Gotham City and the Metropolis and enjoyed more rides. If you’re planning a full day-out at Warner Bros, you must go there early morning and queue first on the popular rides. You’ll find a guide on the maximum waiting time for popular rides and it’s best to experience them first before it gets crowded.
Warner Bros Theme Park is open daily from 11:00 AM to 7 PM on weekdays and from 11:00 AM to 8 PM on weekends. So, be sure to go early so you can fully experience and enjoy all the rides. To book the tickets, book online at Headout.com and automatically get a 5% discount or up to 50 USD for group bookings. You must enter the promo code “MOMMY LOCAL SPOTS” to avail the discount!
Staying at Hilton Hotel Yas Island
We decided to stay at Yas Island for the night and it was worth it. It’s a good idea to spend a night in Abu Dhabi and not drive back to Dubai especially after touring Warner Bros. We all were exhausted and knowing that we wouldn’t have to drive far was such as relief.
Our temporary home was Hilton at Yas Island and it was really an amazing experience. The staff are friendly and helpful, the foods are scrumptious (especially the breakfast buffets), and there’s so much to do that it’ll keep your kids busy all day long. As cliche, as it sounds but staying in a five-star hotel, is one of the best things to do in Abu Dhabi with kids.
Let me tell you why. As an exhausted mom who’s always on my toes, I yearn for peace and quiet. And staying at Hilton made that possible. My kids love swimming and the water per se. So, I have that part taken care of. Whilst they were having fun in the water with their dad, I got to relax, bask under the sun and enjoy the view of palm trees and blue skies.
The state-of-the-art amenities of Hilton such as the massive infinity pool and the kids club are perfect for the little ones. They did not get bored. We also loved our Deluxe 2-bedroom suite with a floor-to-ceiling lake view. It has a small dining room, a guest toilet, and a spacious room lounge area. The main bedroom has a bathtub and a rainfall shower room.
The living room has an adjustable sofa bed which was great for my kids. It was comfortable and they slept through the night. As part of our stay at the deluxe 2-bedroom suite, we had a free access to the VIP lounge. The latter is located on the 7th floor. You can have a private afternoon tea, dinner, and breakfast there. For our dinner, we decided to try it out. We ate sandwiches, salads, and hot food such as spring rolls. There’s also an unlimited supply of drinks including coffee, tea, juices, and wine. It was a perfect set-up for me and my little family as we only wanted to have a light dinner. Indeed, it was special because we had a private and quiet time to watch the World Cup match, away from the crowd. This was a lovely activity after an energy-packed and blood-rushing day out.
The next day, we decided to have our breakfast at the VIP lounge again. We had a full menu consisting of eggs, sausages, cold meats, porridge, and cereals as well as bread and other hot foods. We also ordered an omelette and the staff prepared it fresh for us. In a nutshell, we had a lovely time and were pampered by the staff.
We spent the rest of the morning, lounging on the sunbed and enjoying the winter sun! My little ones had a fab time swimming in its temperature-controlled pool. For parents with toddlers and babies, Hilton Yas Island has a kids’ club with a splash pad and fountain,
If you’re looking for a great place to take your kids while they’re in Abu Dhabi, look no further than Hilton Yas Island! It’s a family-friendly hotel and the ideal hotel base if you’ll explore Warner Bros.
Thanks!