Where to See and Feed Animals in Dubai With Kids: Farm, Safari Park, Flamingos

If your toddler wants animals this week, the answer is Wadi Al Amardi Farm in Al Khawaneej (AED 20 for ages 1 to 3, AED 30 from age 3, feeding and petting included) and the flamingos at Ras Al Khor. Dubai Safari Park, the big one, reopens on Monday 12 October 2026, so it goes on next week's list.

What is open this week

Dubai Safari Park closes for the hot months, usually June to September, and its 2026/27 season starts on 12 October at 9:00 AM. Until then the farm and the wildlife sanctuary are your two options. After the 12th, all three are open, and the cooler months (October to May) are the best time for every one of them.

Wadi Al Amardi Farm: the easy first outing

A working farm in Al Khawaneej with animals your child can feed and pet. It is open seven days, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and closes for Friday prayer from 12:00 to 2:00 PM. Tickets are AED 20 for children aged 1 to 3 and AED 30 for children over 3 and adults. The ticket covers the farm tour (up to 2 hours), animal feeding and petting, and the playground. Nothing to add on, which suits a toddler's attention span.

Directions

Ras Al Khor flamingos: free to look, short to do

Dubai Municipality's Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary has a flamingo hide that shows thousands of flamingos all year round, and in winter the sanctuary can hold up to 25,000 birds. Families can walk in during opening hours. You register on arrival and may be asked for your Emirates ID, so bring it. The mangrove hide is marked temporarily closed. Hours are not on the page we read, so check them before you drive.

Expect a short stop, not a day out. It works well for a child who likes to point and count.

Directions

Dubai Safari Park from 12 October

Entry is AED 50 for the Park Pass (all six zones and the free shows) and AED 117 for the Safari Bundle, which adds a safari journey. Children under 3 are free. Hours are 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, last entry 5:00 PM, and a full visit takes 4 to 5 hours.

For toddlers and preschoolers, head for the Kids Farm, which the park itself calls the best zone for little ones. Some feedings are free with the ticket, others are paid add-ons you pick at checkout.

• Free with the ticket: Birds Feeding (12:00 PM, 3:45 PM), Duck Feeding (3:15 PM) and the Pony Walk (10:00 AM, 5:00 PM)
• AED 20 each: Goat Feeding (11:30 AM, 4:15 PM), Tortoise Feeding (2:00 PM), Pony Grooming (1:00 PM), Macaw Feeding (1:30 PM)
• Giraffe Feeding: AED 20, at 11:00 AM, 1:00, 3:00 and 5:00 PM
• Lemur Feeding: AED 75, at 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM

Paid spots are limited, so add them when you book online, or ask at the counter on arrival if there is space. Rhino and elephant feeding are only on the Behind the Scenes tour, AED 1,450 per group of up to 10, which is a different kind of day.

Directions

What to know before you go to the Safari Park

• Children must be with an adult at all times
• No outside food or drink; cafes and kiosks are inside
• Tickets are single entry, so no coming back in after a nap in the car
• Modest dress: shoulders and knees covered
• No flash photography, no pets, no drones or scooters
• Strollers can be rented (fee), and there are nursing rooms and changing stations in every village
• Parking is free

Getting to the Safari Park without a car

RTA bus F10 runs from Centerpoint station every 20 minutes (25 to 30 minutes), and free shuttle buses link Centerpoint on the Red Line to the park. A taxi from Dubai Mall takes about 45 minutes and is estimated at AED 60 to 80.

What to bring

Sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen, wipes for sticky hands after feeding, and a change of top. Plan the animals around nap time: the farm's two-hour tour and the Safari Park's feeding times are easiest in the morning. Cash and cards are both accepted at the Safari Park.

More days out with animals and nature

Our guide to the best farms in the UAE for families has more places to feed animals, and the best parks in Dubai for families covers somewhere to run around afterwards. For a plan on a budget, see 10 free things to do with kids in Dubai, and for what is on this weekend, things to do in Dubai this weekend with kids.

One thing to do this week

Pick the farm for the weekend, and put 12 October in your calendar for the Safari Park, then book the giraffe feeding when you buy tickets online.

Sources

• Dubai Safari Park, home page and 2026/27 season: https://dubaisafari.ae/
• Dubai Safari Park, plan your visit: https://dubaisafari.ae/plan-your-visit/
• Dubai Safari Park, animal encounters and feedings: https://dubaisafari.ae/animal-encounters/
• Wadi Al Amardi Farm: https://www.wadialamardi.com/
• Dubai Municipality, book a visit (Ras Al Khor hides): https://www.dm.gov.ae/dubai-protected-areas/book-a-visit/
• Dubai Municipality, Dubai Protected Areas: https://www.dm.gov.ae/dubai-protected-areas/wildlife/