Even the most devoted Dubai residents will admit that summer in the city can be long, hot and occasionally claustrophobic. When temperatures soar past 45°C, cabin fever quickly creeps in – particularly when there’s a family to entertain. Fortunately, Dubai is full of spectacular indoor escapes, from tropical rainforests hidden in glass biodomes to ski slopes dusted with real snow. Whether you’re wrangling toddlers, amusing bored teenagers or travelling with a grown-up group, these six attractions are perfect for making memories throughout the summer months.
The Green Planet
Hidden inside a striking glass biodome in City Walk is one of Dubai’s most enriching places to visit in summer: a living, breathing indoor rainforest. The Green Planet is home to more than 3,000 species of flora and fauna, from sloths and tree-dwelling porcupines to exotic birds and butterflies. It’s tactile, educational, and most importantly – delightfully fresh and air-conditioned. Children can roam freely through suspended rope bridges and tropical walkways, with interactive exhibits that bring conservation themes to life without being overly didactic. Adults aren’t left out either, with close-up encounters with anteaters, echidnas, and other rare species. To refuel after an afternoon in the canopy, The Green Planet Café serves up jungle-themed breakfasts and sweet treats like cinnamon-dusted churros.
AYA Universe, Wafi City
An unexpected gateway to a world of light, sound and colour, AYA Universe in Wafi Mall invites you to wander. This kaleidoscopic digital art experience is immersive and interactive, split into 12 otherworldly zones. Throughout, there are gravity-defying gardens where petals bloom mid-air, sound-reactive starfields that pulse when you move, and rooms that ripple with waterless rain. In ‘The Source’, a giant dome becomes a swirling planetarium of abstract constellations, while in ‘Luna’, you’ll find an infinitude of shimmering simulated moons. It’s a haven for art lovers, daydreamers, and everyone in between. Just be sure to charge your phone: this is the kind of place where your camera roll fills fast.
There’s plenty to do after AYA Universe, from strolling through the lantern-lit alleyways of the Khan Murjan Souk, to dining in the grand Khan Murjan Restaurant – an old-world eatery set in a vast marble courtyard.
Deep Dive Dubai
Deep Dive Dubai is the world’s deepest pool, plunging 200 feet into a sunken, abandoned cityscape. It may sound rather intense for a family activity, but it’s surprisingly accessible for children and first-timers. Kids as young as 10 can join beginner scuba sessions, with all the gear and guidance included. For those not quite ready to dive, surface-level snorkelling offers a gentle glimpse into the dreamlike world below. The experience is calm, temperature-controlled, and led by world-class instructors who know how to keep things fun as well as safe.
Parents can watch from the dry zone, grab a coffee at the café, or – if brave enough – try freediving themselves. Undertaken on a single breath, like the pearl divers of old, freediving is equal parts meditation, control, and thrill. If you enjoy the experience, embark on a summer course at Deep Dive Dubai and you might just be a pro by winter.
Ski Dubai
When the outside world starts to simmer, there’s only one place in the city where you can swap your sandals for snow boots: Ski Dubai. The city’s original winter wonderland, this indoor ski slope in Mall of the Emirates remains one of the most surreal (and satisfying) escapes from the summer heat. Inside, you’ll find real snow falling on alpine-style chalets, a chairlift over the slopes, and the occasional penguin waddling past. Kids can test their balance on skis, bounce through the Snow Park tubing runs, or tumble down icy slides, while older ones can sign up for ski or snowboarding lessons. The park is cleverly zoned with a gentler track for beginners, so you don’t need to be an athlete (or even coordinated) to enjoy it. After an afternoon on the slopes, a marshmallow-topped hot chocolate in Avalanche Café is a must – best sipped with a bit of panoramic people-watching.
Museum of the Future
With its looping calligraphy and metallic torus silhouette, the Museum of the Future is one of the most recognisable buildings in the world. Inside, the experience is just as striking. Rather than showcasing relics of the past, this museum is a multi-sensory exploration into the future, and it’s surprisingly poetic. Some floors feel like walking through a dream; others feel like stepping onto the set of a Stanley Kubrick film. The journey begins on the fifth floor in the year 2071, aboard OSS Hope, a fictitious space station orbiting Earth. From there, visitors descend through imagined futures: the HEAL Institute explores how AI might regenerate ecosystems, while Al Waha (meaning ‘The Oasis’, invites guests into a calm, spa-like sanctuary, where technology is used to nurture emotional wellbeing.
On the ground floor, Future Heroes is dedicated to the museum’s youngest explorers, with hands-on missions and collaborative play zones. It’s a calm, cool space to explore on a hot day, and quite possibly the most inspiring indoor adventure you’ll take all summer.
Mirzam Chocolate Factory
Tucked away in Al Quoz, Mirzam feels like Dubai’s answer to Willy Wonka – only here, the magic is real and the ingredients are traceable. This bean-to-bar chocolate atelier invites visitors into the entire process, from the clatter of cacao roasting to the silky sheen of tempered chocolate pouring into moulds. The process unfolds in full view, so children can press their noses to the glass and watch the magic happen – or better yet, join a hands-on workshop. Each bar is inspired by the old maritime spice routes, with single-origin beans from Vietnam to Madagascar. There's also a cosy café for sampling thick hot chocolate and picking up sweet souvenirs wrapped in whimsical, hand-illustrated paper. Kids will leave smiling and sticky-fingered, while the grown-ups will leave with bagfuls of gift-worthy treats.
