Best Places to Visit in Dubai with Friends
Dubai has a lot of wonderful places to visit and socialise in, both for visitors or locals looking to unwind. From going to have a drink to unique indoor adventures, there are plenty of options to consider to create a memorable shared experience of sorts.
Fortunately, a lot of places in Dubai offer many distinct experiences and facilities. That said, let’s check out some of best places to visit in Dubai with friends.
Selfie Kingdom
Talk about an Instagram-worthy attraction! As per its name, the Selfie Kingdom is a great place to unleash the inner photographer and artist within you and your friends.
The Selfie Kingdom offers multiple “themed” rooms allowing you to take creative photos with your friends. You can settle for something artsy or even pretend to be royalty in your own throne room.
Backgrounds are varied, and you can even use props to liven up the experience. Guests can also control the lighting of their pods to make a more immersive experience.
The Smash Room
Ever just wanted to smash something to let out the stress? Dubai’s The Smash Room allows you to do just that – you can literally destroy a variety of different items!
You can release all that pent up stress by breaking glass, smashing stones, and literally punching holes in the wall. You can even bring your own stuff if you want even more items to smash, which a lot of people recommend.
Of course, given that you’ll be encountering a lot of flying debris, the Smash Room provides protective gear. This includes gloves, a protective suit, and face guards.
The way it works is that you and your friends get a private room to break things in. The Smash Room will even give you a video of our experience afterward, which we think is a nice touch.
TEPFactor
If you’re looking for an adventure, TEPfactor in Jumeirah offers a one-of-a-kind adventure experience held in the caves of JBR. It combines fitness, patience, logic, and skill in order to take home the prize.
You’ll solve around 21 challenges scattered throughout the caves. You enter as a team with your friends and unleash your competitive and cooperative side.
Teams can play for as long as they want, but it usually takes around 2-4 hours for each team to complete all the challenges. TEP does have a 1 hour minimum rule, but they only charge customers for the minutes actually spent in the caves.
Make sure to pack comfortable adventuring clothes for this adventure. But fret not – the venue offers amenities like showers, dressing rooms, and even locker cabinets to store some of your personal belongings in.
TEPfactor is open to children ages 8 and above but they require adult supervision for children between 8 to 11.
It’s a very unique indoor adventure experience and their packages can be customised to for teambuilding and even as a surprise party for kids.
Escape Hunt Dubai
Ever fantasised about being in a high-octane, adrenaline-pumping movie? The Escape Hunt in Dubai gives you and friends an opportunity to do just that.
Priced around AED 120 per head, this experience can accommodate up to five people. You get to choose your own adventure, while also working together to finish the scenario in front of you.
You can have a traditional, physical escape room experience where you try to break out from a prison or even experience evading the notorious Jack the Ripper.
Alternatively, you can take advantage of their VR options for something like island survival or even a Hollywood-esque adventure where you try to stop and disarm a dangerous missile.
Xline Dubai Marina
For thrill-seekers and adrenaline junkies, there’s nothing like a zipline experience. With that said, you can’t go wrong with Xline Dubai Marina, the longest urban zipline!
It is one of the fastest and steepest ziplines in the world, offering fantastic views of the city and luxury yachts in the sea. They have two running ziplines so it’s best to make sure your group has even numbers so no one feels left out.
Xline uses a ‘superman’ harness, which means you’ll lie on your stomach, giving the sensation of soaring through the air. We like that they even give you a bag to secure your camera if you want to take pictures while flying in the sky.
Take note that the zipline is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So visits should be planned between Thursdays to Mondays.
The Wavehouse
Located in Atlantis, the Palm, the Wavehouse makes effective use of its rather huge space to provide a good watering hole for adults while offering enough entertainment and games to keep its patrons entertained.
The venue has an industrial factory theme, with bright murals and pipes all over the place. There’s a separate bar area for adults, so you can get a slight reprieve from the busier areas below.
They primarily offer fast-food fare like burgers, pizzas, and wings here, but there’s plenty of sharing platters which is perfect for groups. Food aside, you’re probably in Wavehouse for its assortment of activities though.
The Wavehouse has a four-lane bowling alley that friends can book, potentially leading to hours of fun. In their upstairs area, you’ll find VR games, arcades, and even a softer play area for kids.
We like that you can enjoy half-priced bowling on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, starting from 12 PM to 5 PM. Those looking to go later in the day can catch up to Wavehouse’s happy hour starting from 5 PM to 7 PM.
Brass Monkey
At a glance, Bluewaters’ Brass Monkey bar and restaurant might seem similar to the Wavehouse since it’s primarily a dining and bowling experience in one venue.
What makes Brass Monkey different is that they offer twelve bowling lanes compared to the Wavehouse’s four lanes. The bar also takes more of the spotlight, which means it’s geared more towards adults looking for a night to unwind without a lot of children around.
Brass Monkey offers around 60 arcade games and other activities in their upstairs area, which offers quite a lot of options! Guests can also make use of the pool table, basketball units, VR racing, to name a few.
We like that the Brass Monkey takes on a more Tokyo-esque aesthetic. The brown, earthy interior is lit up with a lot of bright neon lights, giving it a distinct character.
The food here is a mixture of Asian and American fare, with sliders and tacos being served alongside ramen, salmon, and miso soup. The selection is quite massive so friends who wish to order separately will not have a hard time finding something that suits them.
Hive Board Game Café
If your idea of hanging out with friends is through good food and board games, then maybe the Hive Board Game Café is the best pick for you.
For only AED 35 for unlimited hours, you can sit back and enjoy all the games you want!
While it is not as upbeat or flashy as some other venues, the experience this place offers is memorable. Friends can play a round of Uno, Monopoly, or even Jenga as they sit down for some good, solid meals.
The food here offers a good mix of desserts, mains, and even vegan options! Needless to say, you don’t have to worry about leaving out friends with special dietary preferences here.
As a cherry on top, the café also offers free parking for the first two hours for its patrons.
In short, this is a really cool place to just hang out and the entertainment is family-friendly, so kids can easily tag along if they want.
Tania’s Teahouse
If you’re looking for a picturesque place with good food, then Tania’s Teahouse is an option worth considering. The café has gained fame as one of the most Instagrammable cafés thanks to its interior design and decor.
It is adorned in pastel pink and white, complete with some gold highlights for a touch of elegance. It is reminiscent of a classic French café albeit with a more feminine touch.
After enjoying a pleasant afternoon with friends, you might want to check out the boutique shop on the upper floor. Here, you’ll find items like mugs, tea-themed goods, and even skincare products.
Tania’s Teahouse can also be booked for other functions such as private celebrations like birthdays, corporate events, workshops, and even photoshoots.
Café Ceramique
Perhaps you and your friends are interested in a place to unleash your artistic side? In that case, Café Ceramique is going to be a cool place to check out.
The place is part-café, part-artist studio where you and your friends can choose to paint and design your own ceramic pieces.
This makes the whole experience a lot more immersive, as you each choose a different piece to work on. You’re not locked into simple boring shapes either as the café offers different designs like animals and other items.
Adults can focus on their own pieces while younger guests get their own studio, where capable staff will guide them on their work.
It’s a good place to grab a quick bite from café basics like sandwiches, salads, and of course, tea and coffee. Kids also get food items like chicken nuggets and hotdogs.
Do note that it may sometimes take up to 10 days to get your finished piece fired depending on the queue. So if you and your friends are only stopping for a short while, then you might want to check the dates and waiting list ahead of time.
There is no shortage of fun activities in Dubai – it is one of the best places for unwinding and catching up with friends! Dubai has no shortage of unique things to do so you are guaranteed to have plenty of great memories!