Ski Dubai Tickets

Winter inside Mall of the Emirates

Ski Dubai sits at one end of Mall of the Emirates in Al Barsha, and you can watch the slope through wide glass windows from the mall corridor before you decide anything. Inside, the temperature is kept below freezing all year, the snow is real and it is refreshed overnight, so a visit in August feels the same as a visit in January. The contrast is the whole point: you walk past air-conditioned shops in summer clothes, change into a padded snowsuit, and a few minutes later your children are throwing snowballs. For Gulf families it is often the first time the youngest have touched snow, and the reaction is usually worth more than any other attraction on the trip.

What the snow park pass covers

The snow park pass is the core of Ski Dubai Tickets and it is the part most families use for the whole visit. It includes hire of the winter clothing you need for the cold: a jacket, snow trousers, boots and socks, all handed over at the counter in your sizes. With that on, you have access to the snow park itself, which is the flat and gently sloping area away from the main ski run. Here you find the tubing runs, snow slides, a snow cavern to walk through and open areas for building snowmen or simply sitting in the snow. Gloves and hats are not on the hire list, so bring your own or buy them at the shop beside the entrance.

Adding a slope session and the chairlift

If someone in your party already skis or snowboards, ask us to add a slope session when you book. The ski slope is the long run you see through the mall windows, served by a chairlift that carries you to the top and gives a surprising view over the snow park and the roof structure. Skis, boards and poles are provided for the session, and the run is divided so that beginners and stronger skiers do not collide. The chairlift is also worth a ride even if you do not ski; many parents take it simply for the photographs while the children stay in the snow park with a second adult. Tell us the ability level of each skier so the session is arranged correctly.

Ski lessons for first-timers

Ski Dubai is one of the easiest places in the world to try skiing for the first time, because there is no weather, no altitude and no long lift queue to fight. Lessons are arranged on request through Haqqi Tours, and we ask for the age of each learner in advance so the right session is booked. Instructors work with children and adults separately, starting on the gentle lower part of the slope with the basics of standing, sliding and stopping. Most first-timers are pleased with how quickly they manage a short run. If you plan a ski holiday in Turkey or Europe later, a lesson here is a low-pressure way to find out whether the family will actually enjoy it.

The penguin encounter

The penguin encounter is the moment children talk about afterwards. Ski Dubai keeps a colony of King and Gentoo penguins in its own cold enclosure, and the encounter brings a small group of visitors into a viewing area where the birds waddle past at close range under the guidance of their keepers. You learn how they are cared for, watch them being fed and, depending on the session, get the chance for a supervised photograph. It runs at set times through the day, so it is booked as a separate slot on request rather than being a walk-in activity. Because it is popular with families from across the region, tell us early if it matters to you, so we can secure a time that fits the rest of your day.

Who enjoys it most, and who should skip it

Families with children of school age get the most out of the snow park, and toddlers enjoy the softer areas as long as an adult stays close, because the cold is tiring for very small bodies. First-time skiers and teenagers who want something active will prefer the slope and lessons. Grandparents can sit in the warm cafe overlooking the snow with a hot drink and still be part of the outing. People who dislike cold, anyone with a chest condition affected by low temperatures, and very young babies should think twice, as the temperature does not change for anyone. Modest dress is not a concern here: everyone is wrapped in the same padded hire clothing, and women can keep a headscarf on under the jacket hood.

What to wear under the hire clothing

The jacket, trousers, boots and socks are provided, so the real question is what goes underneath. Wear long sleeves and long trousers of a light fabric, plus a thin extra layer you can remove if you get warm from tubing. Bring your own gloves for every member of the family; snow soaks fabric gloves quickly, so waterproof ones are better, and a hat or the hood keeps ears comfortable. Leave sandals at the hotel and arrive in shoes with socks, even though hire socks are supplied. Phones work fine in the cold for a short while but batteries drain faster, so charge fully. Lockers are available for bags and outdoor clothes, and the changing area has space for families to sort out children before going in.

Choosing your time of day

Because the snow park is indoors and open daily, it works at any hour, but the experience changes with the crowds. Weekday mornings shortly after opening are the calmest, with the freshest snow and short waits for the tubing runs. Weekend afternoons and public holidays are busiest, particularly during the Dubai summer when every family in the city looks for an indoor plan. In the hotter months many of our guests visit Ski Dubai in the middle of the day, when being outside is uncomfortable, and keep the beach or the desert for the evening. Allow time to warm up afterwards; a hot drink in the cafe or a walk through the mall is the natural end before the drive back to the hotel.

Getting there from your Dubai hotel

Mall of the Emirates is in Al Barsha on Sheikh Zayed Road, between the Marina and Downtown areas, and it has its own metro station on the Red Line connected to the mall by a covered walkway. Taxis are plentiful and drop you at the mall entrances, and the parking is large if you have a hire car. Haqqi Tours can arrange a private car from your hotel with an Arabic- or English-speaking driver if you prefer not to deal with taxis with children and bags, and the same car can wait and take you on to the Marina, the Palm or Downtown afterwards. Once inside the mall, follow the signs to Ski Dubai; the ticket counter is next to the large windows onto the slope.

How booking with Haqqi Tours works

Send us your preferred date, how many adults and children will come, with ages, and the options you want: snow park only, a slope session, lessons or the penguin encounter. Our operations desk checks availability with the venue, confirms the plan and the total in writing on WhatsApp, and only then do you pay. You receive your booking details on your phone to show at the counter. If your Dubai plans move, message us as early as you can and we will explain what can be changed for your specific booking under the venue's terms. We answer in Arabic and English at any hour, which matters when a family wakes up in Dubai and decides on the spot that today is the day for snow.