Daniel
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October 3, 2026
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10 min read
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Dubai Creek Park costs AED 5 per person, paid through the official parks site or at the gate kiosks. It opens daily from 8am and spreads over 96 hectares on the Bur Dubai side of the creek. The Dolphinarium, Children’s City and the cable car sit inside, each with its own ticket. Book the QR ticket before you go, or pay by card, phone or cash at the self-service kiosks.
Dubai Creek Park is a waterfront park on Riyadh Street in Umm Hurair 2, on the Bur Dubai side of Dubai Creek. Opened in 1994, it is one of the city’s oldest and largest public parks. This post covers the AED 5 entry rule, the exact timings, what each attraction costs, the BBQ rules, and the metro route. For another big green day out, see our Zabeel Park guide.
| Detail | Information |
| Entry fee | AED 5 per person, QR ticket or kiosk payment |
| Free entry | Children under 2, People of Determination |
| Hours | Sun to Wed 8am to 10pm; Thu to Sat 8am to 11pm |
| Ramadan hours | 9am to 11pm |
| Location | Riyadh Street, Umm Hurair 2, Bur Dubai side of Dubai Creek |
| Size | 96 hectares, opened 1994 |
| Nearest metro | Dubai Healthcare City (Green Line), about 20 minutes on foot |
Entry costs AED 5 per person. Book a QR ticket on Dubai Municipality’s official parks site and scan it at the e-gate, or pay at the self-service kiosks by the gate with a debit card, credit card, phone or cash. Nol cards were phased out at the park gates after Dubai Municipality’s 2023 deal with du, confirmed by Khaleej Times in 2024, so any guide that still says Nol only is out of date. Quranic Park is the only Dubai park still on Nol.
Children under 2 and People of Determination enter free. Everyone else pays the same AED 5, resident or tourist. A family of two adults and two children over 2 pays AED 20 at the gate.
The smoothest way in is to book the QR ticket before you go and scan it at the e-gate. If you arrive without one, the kiosks by the gate take cards, phones and cash, and there is a cash counter too.
The park opens Monday to Thursday from 8am to 10pm, and Friday to Sunday from 8am to 11pm. During Ramadan the hours shift to 9am to 11pm.
Come early morning for a quiet walk along the creek, or after 4pm when families arrive and the BBQ areas fill. The Dolphinarium and Children’s City inside keep their own timings, so plan your visit around their show times.
The longer Friday to Sunday hours run across the UAE weekend, so Friday and Saturday evenings are the busiest.
The park is big enough to fill a full day. Plan around the ticketed attractions, because each one charges separately at its own counter.
The cable car runs a 2.3 kilometre route above the park, about 30 metres up, and the full loop takes around 30 minutes. It is the best view of the creek and old Dubai. Expect to pay about AED 25 per person at the counter, but confirm on the day, as the fare is not published online.
Near Gate 1, the Dolphinarium runs two shows. The Dolphin and Seal Presentation is at 2pm and 6pm, and the Exotic Bird Presentation at 3:15pm and 7:15pm. Both run daily except Tuesdays, according to the official Dolphinarium website. Book through the official site and arrive early, because seating is first come. The park’s AED 5 entry is charged on top of the show ticket.
Children’s City is a discovery centre for kids aged 2 to 15, with hands on science exhibits, a planetarium, a nature centre and a toddler zone for under 6s. It charges its own entry at its own counter. Its current ticket price is not published on an official page, so check at the counter before you plan your budget. The Children’s City page on Visit Dubai describes the zones inside.
BBQ is allowed only in the marked BBQ areas, which have fixed grills built in. Portable grills are not allowed, so bring your own charcoal, food and picnic mats. The shaded spots near the creek edge go first on weekends, so arrive early for a good one.
There is an 18 hole mini golf course, children’s play areas, open lawns for football and frisbee, and a flat creekside promenade with benches all along. Bike rentals are available inside the park for an extra charge.
Entry itself is the cheapest part of the day. The add ons cost far more than the park, so work out your total before you go.
Residents and tourists pay exactly the same here. The biggest gap is between a park-only visit and a Dolphinarium day, so pick your add ons before you go. For more trip budgeting, start with our Dubai travel guide.
The nearest metro station is Dubai Healthcare City on the Green Line, about a 20 minute walk from the park gates.
By taxi the ride costs about AED 15 from Deira and about AED 30 from Downtown Dubai. From DXB Terminal 1 it costs about AED 50, because airport pickups start with an AED 25 flagfall. Parking at the park is free. For the full route logic, read our guide on how to travel in Dubai as a tourist.
A few rules that catch people out.
Creek Park sits in old Dubai, so pair it with the souks across the water. Do the park and a Dolphinarium show in the morning, then cross to Deira for the afternoon, and read our souk guide first. The Dubai Frame and Zabeel Park are also close by for a second stop.
| What you will read | What is accurate |
| Park hours are 8am to 10pm Sunday to Wednesday | Out of date. The current pattern is 8am to 10pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 11pm Friday to Sunday. |
| Children pay AED 3 entry | Wrong. There is no separate child ticket. Children under 2 enter free. |
| You need a Nol card to enter | Wrong. Nol was phased out at Creek Park after the 2023 du deal, confirmed by Khaleej Times in 2024. Pay by QR ticket online, or by card, phone or cash at the gate kiosks. |
| The Dolphinarium is closed on Sundays | Wrong. It is closed on Tuesdays, per the official Dolphinarium site. |
| The cable car costs AED 50 per adult | Not confirmed by any current source. Recent guides show about AED 25. Confirm at the counter. |
| Wednesday is ladies only at the cable car | A stale claim from one old guide. No current source confirms it. |
AED 5 per person, paid with a QR ticket from the official parks site or at the gate kiosks by card, phone or cash. Nol cards were phased out at the gates, so do not rely on one. Children under 2 and People of Determination enter free, and everyone else pays the same AED 5, resident or tourist. A family of two adults and two children over 2 pays AED 20. The Dolphinarium, Children’s City and cable car inside each charge separately at their own counters.
The park opens Monday to Thursday from 8am to 10pm and Friday to Sunday from 8am to 11pm. During Ramadan the hours shift to 9am to 11pm. The Dolphinarium and Children’s City keep their own timings, so check before you go. Evenings after 4pm are the liveliest, when families arrive for picnics and the BBQ areas fill up.
Yes. Cash works at the ticket counter by the gate, and the self-service kiosks take cards and phones. You can also book a QR ticket on the official parks site and scan it at the e-gate. Nol cards are no longer accepted at the gate, so do not rely on one.
Yes, but only in the marked BBQ areas, which have fixed grills built in. Portable grills are not allowed. Bring your own charcoal, food and picnic mats, because the park only provides the grill spot. Outside food is allowed everywhere in the park, and the shaded creekside spots go first on weekends, so arrive early for the best place.
No. Pets are not allowed inside Dubai Creek Park, and staff will turn animals away at the gates. This is a standard rule across Dubai’s major public parks, which are managed by Dubai Municipality. Plan a different outing for your dog, and leave pets at home for this one.
The Dolphin and Seal Presentation runs at 2pm and 6pm, and the Exotic Bird Presentation at 3:15pm and 7:15pm. Both run daily except Tuesdays, according to the official Dolphinarium website. Book on the official site and arrive early for a good seat. Remember you also pay the park’s AED 5 entry on top of the show ticket.
Take the Green Line to Dubai Healthcare City station, then walk about 20 minutes to Gate 1 or take a short taxi. From Deira and Bur Dubai the metro ride is around 10 to 15 minutes. From Downtown Dubai, change at Union station and allow 35 to 45 minutes. Buses 22, 28 and 44 also stop nearby, but check the S’hail app for live routes.
Written by
Daniel
Daniel is the travel writer behind Go Dubai Now, covering Dubai's attractions, parks, restaurants and practical travel topics. Every guide is researched against official sources — government portals, operator websites and current local listings — and updated regularly so timings, prices and rules stay accurate. His goal is simple: answer the exact questions travelers ask before they go, with no fluff and no outdated information.
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