Abu Dhabi family holidays
Take the Family is a travel agency specialising in active, adventure and luxury holidays. Your personal travel advisor will create the perfect Abu Dhabi holiday for your family, with expert advice and dedicated support throughout.
Visit Abu Dhabi for your Family Holiday
As a specialist UK-based family travel agency, we can tailor-make the perfect family holiday in Abu Dhabi. Contact one of our travel advisors now and let's discuss your dream trip.
Why Choose a Family Holiday in Abu Dhabi?
With almost year-round sunshine, fabulous beaches, fascinating forts, desert adventures, world-class theme parks, spectacular wildlife, and activities to suit all interests, the emirate of Abu Dhabi is a brilliant family holiday destination – all the more so given that it’s only a seven-hour flight from the UK.
Book a holiday in Abu Dhabi with Take the Family to enjoy 400km of pristine coastline, 200-plus natural islands, vast swathes of serene desert (a major filming location for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens), flourishing mangroves and lively, cosmopolitan cities in three main regions – the UAE capital city of Abu Dhabi and its environs, the ‘Oasis City’ of Al Ain (the Eastern Region) and Al Gharbia (the Western Region).
And while it feels exotic, Abu Dhabi is easy to navigate with kids, with good road systems, car hire by major international firms (which we can include in the package we put together for you), and inexpensive taxis. English is widely spoken, most road and shop signs and restaurant menus are in English as well as Arabic, and the attitude towards dress is fairly liberal, although revealing/tight clothing is best reserved for the beach or around the pool.
Abu Dhabi also makes for a fantastic first leg of a two-centre family holiday – we can pair an exciting break in Abu Dhabi with a tropical-island escape in the Seychelles, Maldives, Sri Lanka or Thailand, for example.
Let us tailor-make the perfect Abu Dhabi holiday for you
Call us on 020 3633 0653
Things to do in Abu Dhabi with Kids
Abu Dhabi Theme Parks
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
Get speedy at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the world’s first Ferrari theme park and one of the world’s largest indoor theme parks. Its thrilling rides and attractions include the world’s fastest rollercoaster, Formula Rossa, reaching up to 240km/h in 4.9 seconds.
Hili Fun City
Venture to Hili Fun City, the Gulf's oldest theme park and one of the best-value family days out in Arabia.
Wildlife in Abu Dhabi
Arabian Wildlife Park Conservation Reserve
Admire more than 13,000 free-roaming animals at the Arabian Wildlife Park Conservation Reserve, including Arabian oryx, gazelles, giraffes, hyenas and cheetahs. Guests at the Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara can take 4x4 nature and wildlife drives here, accompanied by expert staff.
Jubail Island
Head for Jubail Island, a green lung for the city and home to migratory birds, six types of crab, nearly 50 mollusc species, a mangrove boardwalk and kayaking.
Watersports and Water Activities in Abu Dhabi
Yas Waterworld
Make a splash at futuristic Yas Waterworld with its 45 rides, slides and attractions, five of them unique to Abu Dhabi. Highlights include a 238m-long, six-person tornado waterslide and a 3m-high standing wave for flowboards and bodyboards.
Al Ain Adventure
Check out Al Ain Adventure, Arabia’s first man-made white-water rafting, kayaking and surfing facility. It also features Arabia’s largest go-karting track, a low-ropes obstacle course, a waterski and wakeboard park, a family swimming pool and a kids’ splash area.
Other Indoor and Outdoor Adventures in Abu Dhabi
Jebel Hafit Desert Park
Discover the Jebel Hafit Desert Park south of Al Ain, an eco-tourism destination with guided hiking, cycling, and glamping and tent camping in a setting of archaeological and historical remains (the UAE's first UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Abu Dhabi’s Corniche
Hire bikes and cycle along Abu Dhabi’s Corniche – an 8km stretch of manicured waterfront with play areas, cafés and restaurants, and a lifeguarded beach park.
CLYMB Abu Dhabi
Fly high at CLYMB Abu Dhabi, with the world’s biggest indoor sky-diving flight chamber and tallest indoor climbing wall, The Summyt (43m).
Culture and Shopping in Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Check out the magnificent Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which with its 82 domes, 1,000-plus columns and 24-carat-gold gilded chandeliers is guaranteed to amaze, whatever your age. There are free guided tours.
Shopping
Indulge in a spot of retail therapy: all the major shopping malls have kids’ zones and crèche facilities.
There are attractions for all ages at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi Food: What to Eat
It’s easy to find child-friendly international favourites in Abu Dhabi, but its own cuisine is very tasty – mix of Arabian, Persian and Indian flavours, with the emphasis on rice, lamb and camel meat, fresh seafood, and spices including saffron, cardamom, and turmeric. Luqaimat (fried dumplings) are popular as dessert or a snack, and the spiced Arabic coffee is a rich treat.
Enjoy a fun day out at Yas Waterworld, an immense waterpark.
When to go to Abu Dhabi with Kids
With its subtropical, arid climate, Abu Dhabi is a year-round holiday destination offering blue skies and warm to high temperatures most of the time.
November to April being the cooler months are most pleasant time to visit – temperatures average 24°C by day and 13°C by night.
Visiting Abu Dhabi in the Summer with Kids
any of the top hotels offer the best deals in summer; if this is an option for you, we can book you into options with kids’ clubs and pools (often private) for some cooler interludes
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of Abu Dhabi's most stunning sights.
How Much Do Abu Dhabi Family Holidays Cost?
Abu Dhabi has high living costs and its tourism is focused on the luxury end of the spectrum, but it is slightly cheaper than Dubai (10–20%).
We can often source you great deals and discounts at the upmarket hotels we can book for you, due to the healthy competition between them.
How to get to Abu Dhabi from the UK
There are direct flights from the UK to Abu Dhabi from London and some regional airports, taking seven hours.
Abu Dhabi Time Difference
Abu Dhabi is four hours ahead of GMT, so you might experience some jet-lag.
Abu Dhabi Travel Info
Flying time7hrs All flight times are based on flights from UK London airports, to the capital or nearest destination airport.
Carbon footprint6.05 CO2 Estimated tonnes of CO2 produced for return flights for a family of four.
TimezoneGMT +4
CurrencyUnited Emirates Dirham
Weather Today
33°C
91.6°F
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