The 5 Best Gardens in Dubai
Some people might think that Dubai is just a city filled with desert safaris and skyscrapers. On the contrary, this city is in fact surrounded by numerous parks and nature-friendly spaces that people of all ages can enjoy.
If you’re tired of wandering around the city’s busy streets, this might be the time to immerse yourself in the beauty and tranquility of nature in some of the best gardens in Dubai.
How Much Is the Fee for Visiting the Best Gardens in Dubai?
To serve as your guide, we created a table that shows the usual entrance fees offered by the entries on this listicle. Note that these fees can still change, so it’s best to check their official website before booking a ticket.
Some of these gardens might require an ID to confirm the visitor’s age. That’s why it’s best to bring your ID with you when visiting a garden in Dubai.
The Best Gardens in Dubai
Before we proceed with our top picks, here’s a run-through of our criteria to evaluate each garden.
1. Dubai Miracle Garden
| ATTRACTIONS / ACTIVITIES | ★★★★★ |
| ENTRANCE FEE | ★★★★★ |
| ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★★★ |
| PARKING SPACE | ★★★★★ |
| WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE | ★★★★☆ |
| VISITORS’ FEEDBACK | ★★★★★ |
| VISITOR RATING | ★★★★★ |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | ★★★★☆ |
With more than 150 million flowers and 250 million plants occupying approximately 72,000 square meters (775,000 square feet) of land, Dubai Miracle Garden has been the largest natural flower garden in the world until now.
It was opened in 2013 and has become one of Dubai’s most picturesque tourist spots.
On top of that, this garden received numerous awards through the years, including the World Garden Tourism Award for the Garden of the Year (2015), the Grand Prize for Commercial Design (2017), and the International Prize for Leading Tourist Gardens (2017).
The flowers in this garden are not the usual kinds you see in most gardens. This is because the flowers are set up in unique 2D and 3D arrangements.
Moreover, Dubai Miracle Garden has various things in store when it comes to attractions and activities. One of the newest attractions in the garden is the Smurfs Village.
Whether you’re bringing your kids or coming with a group of kids-at-heart friends, this themed area can be a good pick. It features exhibits filled with quirky villages, mushroom-shaped homes, and the ever-popular blue creatures – the Smurfs.
If you’re done strolling around the elaborately designed pathways, you can also watch one of the highlights in the garden, which is the floral floats accompanied by live music and performers.
Overall, we can say that there are myriad places to explore and activities to try in Dubai Miracle Garden.
Just remember that food and beverages from outside the garden are strictly prohibited. We saw a few complaints about this because some visitors say that the food and beverages from the stalls and restaurants here are a bit expensive.
Pros
- Features over 150 million flowers
- Offers a wide range of other attractions and activities
- Won numerous awards
- Free entrance fee for PWD and children below 3 years old
Cons
- Only open during select months
- Some facilities are not wheelchair accessible
- Food and beverage inside a bit expensive
Visitor Review
Beautiful sunset
“There is always something new at Dubai miracles garden to make us feel great every season. Flowers look superb. The added features are more welcoming specialy family with kids. Great place to do your morning or evening walk. Beautiful sunset for pictures. The food outlets and shops are more and better. LOVED the big circle swings/ day beds in the gardens. Great atmosphere for valentine’s day.” – Nardos Zegeye
Can totally recommend this place for everyone
“A Garden in a desert city like Dubai? Oh yes for sure! The Miracle Garden is just a beautiful place. I can tell that the Inuit of work were huge to have such a fascinating place like this. This is a great place for families, couple or just singles who loves watching more than lovely flowers. I can totally recommend this place for everyone.” – Mehdi M.
2. Dubai Butterfly Garden
| ATTRACTIONS / ACTIVITIES | ★★★★★ |
| ENTRANCE FEE | ★★★★★ |
| ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★★★ |
| PARKING SPACE | ★★★★★ |
| WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE | ★★★★★ |
| VISITORS’ FEEDBACK | ★★★★☆ |
| VISITOR RATING | ★★★★☆ |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | ★★★★☆ |
Dubai Butterfly Garden was established in the Dubailand area in 2015. Well, aside from the usual flowers and trees you can see in gardens, this one has 10 custom-built domes filled with over 15,000 butterflies that are composed of 45+ species.
These climate-controlled domes are also among the features that make this garden stand out because it’s the largest covered butterfly garden in the world.
Aside from visiting the domes, you can also explore a range of attractions, such as the Koi Pond in Dome 2 where you can take pictures. On the other hand, if you’ll bring kids with you, you can bring them to the Educational Area to learn interesting facts about butterflies.
The general admission ticket will give you full-day access to the climate-controlled domes, souvenir shops, kid’s cinema, and F&B Shops. However, if you wish to save more, we suggest that you look into the deals they offer.
For example, if you’ll be coming with your friends or family, here are some of the group package deals they offer.
- Group Package for 5 – 260 AED
- Group Package for 6 – 306 AED
Another thing we like about this garden is that it’s open throughout the year and it’s just situated next to Dubai Miracle garden.
If you wish to avoid large crowds, we suggest that you visit early in the morning or late in the evening. It’s also advised that you visit during the winter season, which is between November to March, because it’s when the weather is cool enough to roam around and do some outdoor activities.
We’d just like to note that since it’s a conservatory for butterflies, bringing food and drinks inside the garden is not allowed. This is to avoid attracting ants, spiders, or other insects or animals considered butterfly predators.
Nonetheless, you can still eat and drink in the designated areas. Besides that, since there are additional safety measures due to the pandemic, you might have to deal with longer queuing times.
Pros
- Features over 45 butterfly species
- Has a range of attractions inside
- Offers group deals and packages
- Has dining options, parking area, and wheelchair accessible facilities
Cons
- Possibly long queuing times
Visitor Reviews
Good place to visit
“I went early on the morning so there were few people and I had good opportunity to interact with the butterflies. The different sections are much different as almost similar butterflies are everywhere. A good place to visit especially for kids.” – Sameer Ahmed
Kids thoroughly enjoyed the experience
“Amongst the many wonders Dubai offers to the world, the Butterfly garden is a visit back to your childhood. As kids, we loved to run behind colourful butterflies. So the experience of multiple, pretty-coloured, winged creatures resting their tiny feet on your body is a tickling pleasure. Also post-Covid lockdown, it feels wonderful to be in the company of fellow earth creatures although enclosed in a building. Kids thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was worth spending half a day watching the different life cycles of the butterflies and establishing friendship with them. Will definitely come back!!” – Salini Venugopal
3. Dubai Garden Glow
| ATTRACTIONS / ACTIVITIES | ★★★★★ |
| ENTRANCE FEE | ★★★★☆ |
| ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★★★ |
| PARKING SPACE | ★★★★★ |
| WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE | ★★★★★ |
| VISITORS’ FEEDBACK | ★★★★☆ |
| VISITOR RATING | ★★★★☆ |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | ★★★★☆ |
Next on our list is Dubai Garden Glow, which by the way, set another record for Dubai since it’s considered the world’s largest glow park.
This family-friendly themed garden features an array of art installations illuminated with thousands of lights, hundreds of animatronic dinosaurs and incandescent animals, instagrammable optical illusions, and more.
What we like most about this garden is that most of the attractions featured inside are made out of recyclable materials. This only shows how creative the artists behind the creations are.
On the other hand, the lights used in the garden are also energy-saving light bulbs.
In addition to that, since it’s open from 4 PM to 10 PM, this place is ideal for an outdoor stroll with family and friends. We think this will be a good advantage for people who don’t want to roam around under the blazing sun, especially during summer.
In Magic Park, you’ll be able to interact and take photos with a bunch of exhibits and optical illusions, which can be a quirky and interesting post for your social media feed.
However, if you’ll be bringing your kids with you, we suggest that you first visit Dinosaur Park. This educational/entertainment park which features a Dinosaur Lab and Dinosaur Museum, is a good way to let your children know about these prehistoric creatures in a fun way.
Aside from all the glowing attractions around, you can also witness acrobatic performances that can make your night more lively and vibrant.
All told, we think that Dubai Magic Glow can be a nice pick for a family trip. Our only concern is that visiting this garden can be a bit heavy on the wallet because aside from the entrance fee plus 5% VAT, the food and beverages inside are also pricey.
Pros
- Art installations are made of recyclable materials
- Uses energy-saving light bulbs
- Has a range of art installations, animatronic dinosaurs, and other attractions
- Features an educational and entertainment park
Cons
- Website is not working properly
- Entrance fee is a bit expensive
Visitor Reviews
Definitely worth the ticket!
“What a wonderful place to enjoy with kids. My daughter enjoyed seeing all the Animatronic dinosaurs and I learnt a thing or two about the extinct creatures myself. The fact that the park was so clean and well kept was the cherry on top. At night the glow garden is just spectacular. I felt like Alice in wonderland exploring a magical world. Such a fun park for kids and adults alike! Oh and lots of snack options inside too. Loved the pizza we ordered. Definitely worth the ticket!” – Meenal Khan
Mesmerizing and awesome
“I enjoyed the three themes in the park. There is the glow garden that is mesmerizing and awesome. Then the illusion themed place where kids love. The dinosaur park was educating, I would have loved to see the dinosaurs move more especially the ones with long necks. It was overall a wonderful experience that is worth the money.” – Adenike Luty
4. Zabeel Park
| ATTRACTIONS / ACTIVITIES | ★★★★★ |
| ENTRANCE FEE | ★★★★★ |
| ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★★★ |
| PARKING SPACE | ★★★★☆ |
| WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE | ★★★★★ |
| VISITORS’ FEEDBACK | ★★★★★ |
| VISITOR RATING | ★★★★★ |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | ★★★★☆ |
Zabeel Park is an urban public park built in the Zabeel District in 2005.
It’s one of the largest parks in Dubai. Well, for a person who’s not good with directions, this might be a problem since the whole park spans around 117 acres (47.5 hectares), which is equivalent to almost 45 football fields.
But don’t fret because Zabeel Pak is divided into three sections that are linked by pedestrian bridges, so you will not have much trouble finding your way inside.
To get an idea of what attractions you can see or activities you can try in each area, we suggest that you get detailed information on which gate you will be entering once you book a ticket. You can also ask for a map to avoid getting lost.
In Area A, you’ll find one of the main highlights of this park which is the Dubai Frame. You can take as many snaps as you want in this iconic tourist landmark which holds the record of being the largest frame in the world.
There are also gardens, bicycle rentals, children’s playgrounds, fountains, and sculptures in this area. On the other hand, Area B features the Dubai Garden Glow, a cricket pitch, and a boating lake.
If you wish to watch live shows and performances, Area C is the place to be. Furthermore, if you’re into sports, we think that you’ll also appreciate designated areas with a jogging track, mini-golf, fitness center, BMX tracks, skating track, and more.
Note that even if their operating hours are said to be until 11 PM, we saw some complaints stating that the park closes earlier than this.
Nevertheless, if you really wish to visit during night time, we suggest that you go between 7 PM to 8 PM to avoid large crowds and difficulty in finding a parking space.
Pros
- Features extensive and verdant landscapes
- Budget-friendly entrance fee and tickets
- Offers a range of attractions and activities
Cons
- There can be difficulty in finding a parking space during peak season
- Getting around the park can be a bit difficult
Visitor Review
Wonderful park
“It is a wonderful park, well organized and has large green areas. Dubai Frame complements the visit especially at night with its dazzling colours. There’s a long decent jogging track around.” – Ibrahim Moussa
One of the best park in Dubai
“One of the best park in Dubai. well maintained park. Very good for family and friends gathering like birthday, get together and other parties. entry ticket price is AED 5 . But it’s absolutely Worth. Ne maintained well and clean. People can do fun activities with friends and family .They do provide wheelchair for free at park for elderly people. Very good view of Dubai frame. Washroom available everywhere. Cafeterias also there.They do have Designated BBQ area. You can come and spend time easily 4-5 hours.” – Sheik Asm
5. Safa Park
| ATTRACTIONS / ACTIVITIES | ★★★★★ |
| ENTRANCE FEE | ★★★★★ |
| ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★★★ |
| PARKING SPACE | ★★★★★ |
| WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE | ★★★★★ |
| VISITORS’ FEEDBACK | ★★★★☆ |
| VISITOR RATING | ★★★★☆ |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | ★★★★☆ |
Safa Park was established in 1975, and since then, it has been developed and become one of the most easily recognized parks in Dubai.
With three artificial lakes and thousands of tree and shrub species, this park is home to over 200 bird species. If you’re up for some tranquil birdwatching with your friends, Safa Park can be a good place to start.
Another thing that sets this park apart from others is its dedicated garden for the ladies. This area is fenced and features green carpets of grass and a range of trees and plants.
If you’re one of the ladies who just want to spend some time alone with a good book, this area can be a great spot for you.
However, if you’ll be visiting the park with your family or friends, you can still find a lot of areas that are excellent for picnics and simple barbeque parties. Aside from that, the park also has paths and tracks for jogging.
Kids and kids-at-heart can also make the most of the small playgrounds with fairground rides as well as the arcade sone furnished with video gaming facilities.
Should this not be enough, Safa Park has the most affordable entrance fee out of all the gardens and parks on this list.
Nonetheless, we’d like to note that the park can be a bit cramped during the holidays, so if you wish to spend some bonding time with your family during vacation, this might not be the best choice.
Bear in mind that not all entrances in the park are open all the time, so it’s best to check with the staff first or upon booking your ticket.
Pros
- Features three artificial lakes
- Has a dedicated garden for the ladies
- Offers other attractions and activities
- Affordable entrance fee
Cons
- Can be crowded during peak season or holidays
- Not all gates are open all the time
Visitor Review
Very relaxed and chill place
“A very relaxed and chill place. You can walk around, even sit by the Canal and if you’re lucky watch the boats pass by! The benches also come with charging points.” – Lakshmi Ramachandran
Good space to enjoy nature
“Safa Park is such a great place to relax and have fun. Park has good space to enjoy nature. Just lay down on the tree shade and close your eyes. You’ll hear the wind and the bird’s chirping. Park is family-friendly, and kids are going to enjoy their time. There are always some events going on inside the park. It is just a 3 AED entry ticket, which is quite affordable. Park has sports spaces for the adults to enjoy if you look to have fun with your friends. Go, have fun!” – Mohamad Shahin Ambalatha Kandy
FAQs About The Best Gardens in Dubai
Did you visit other beautiful gardens that didn’t make it on our list? Share your thoughts about them so we can check them out.
In case you’re searching for ways to bond with your colleagues, you can also look into our review of the best team-building activities organizers in Dubai.