Dubai Safari Park Review: A Wildlife Adventure in the Desert

• Safari Park Zones
• Timings
• Tickets and online booking
• Dubai Safari Location
• Contact Details
• Dubai Safari Park Reopening Dates

Dubai is well-known in the world for pushing the boundaries in real estate innovation, whether it is constructing the world’s tallest building or erecting 3D printed offices in under a month! One such initiative, the Dubai Safari Park located in Al Warqa’a, is another ambitious adventure tourism project which was initially spearheaded by Dubai Municipality. Since then the management has been taken over by Meraas.

*Kindly note that the park is currently closed. The official date for the re-opening of the Dubai Safari Park has not been announced as yet by Meraas. We will be updating the post with the dates as soon as the Meraas management releases this information. 

This article will cover topics such as attractions, timings, ticket prices and more, so you get a comprehensive look at everything Dubai Safari Park offers its visitors. 

Dubai Safari Park Villages

The Dubai Safari Park located in Al Warqa’a, covers a massive 12.8 million sq.ft, an area twice the size of the smallest country in the world! With an impressive lineup of over 2,500 varieties of flora and fauna, the park is a definite upgrade to the Dubai Zoo, promising to be an exciting addition to the city’s vast tourism repertoire.

Dubai Safari Park makes an eye-catching first impression with its beautiful lakes and verdant landscaping. The 119-hectare safari is divided into five villages, complete with their own unique topography and animal population. A fleet of eco-friendly vehicles plies you around the gargantuan property, making it one of the go-to places in Dubai to hang out with your kids! 

To provide a cool natural habitat for the animals during hotter months, chilled water bodies, misting fans and air-conditioned artificial rocks have been installed across the park.

Our vision for this project, is to offer a highly engaging edutainment experience that fosters education on animal welfare, inspires a sense of learning about wildlife diversity and raises awareness on what makes wildlife protection a top priority,” said Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality.

1. Safari Village

The most exciting thing about Dubai Safari Park is the traditional open safari, transporting you to the jungles of Asia and Africa for close encounters with the exotic animal population. As you wander through the village in the comfort of a specially designed vehicle, you can spot the many animal species sheltered here, including baboons, zebras, deer, cheetahs and water buffalos.

A visit to Safari Village is incomplete without a sighting of the majestic lions and regal tigers lounging in the sun.

When you enter the tiger enclosure you will be immediately struck by the beauty of the rippling waterfalls, a completely solar-powered initiative, built to enhance the ecosystem of its water-loving residents.

The world’s first drive-through crocodile exhibit comes up next, giving you a chance to observe some of the world’s most imposing predators at close quarters. 

The management has been extremely proactive in making sure that visitors get more than a cursory glimpse at the animals with open-air theatres for bird and reptile shows, feeding zones for giraffes and even a cheetah racing track!

What we love: The lions, tigers and drive-through crocodile exhibit.

Featured Animals: Tiger, Lion, Hippo, Baboon, Antelope, Zebra, Hornbill, Cape Buffalo, Nile Crocodile, Striped Hyena, Deer, Cheetah, Water Buffalo

2. African Village

One of the most talked about areas in Dubai Safari Park is predictably the African Village, home to the most exotic wildlife from the continent. The village, divided into an African Savannah and Rainforest features African wild dogs, giant tortoises, chimpanzees and majestic white lions! 

What we love: The frisky pride of white lions eager to play through the protective glass barriers.

Featured Animals: Pygmy Hippo, Gorilla, Chimpanzee, African Lion, Flamingo, Okapi, Bongo, Lemur, Antelope

3. Arabian Village

When you traverse through the sandy deserts, rocky mountains and lush meadows of this village, you are sure to be impressed by the wide variety of the flora and fauna on display. Make sure to keep an eye out for the wolves, nilgais and antelopes living here.

What we love: The gracious gazelles traipsing about the enclosures.

Featured animals: Ostrich, Oryx, Gazelle, Ibex, Arabian Wolf, Saiga Antelope

4. Asian Village

You can abandon the wheels at the Asian Village and enjoy a walk through the dense trees lining the enclosures. Gibbons, Moon Bears and Komodo Dragons native to lush Asian forests can be spotted here, along with a variety of birds and reptile species. 

What we love: The traditional East Asian architecture

Featured Animals: Gibbons, Komodo Dragons, Moon Bears 

5. Wadi Village

The Wadi Village is a huge recreational area where you can relax and enjoy with your friends and family after the adventure of the safari. The Dubai Municipality has successfully implemented its ambitious green initiatives in this engineered valley, with a network of water streams and fishing ponds completely powered by solar energy.

If you are feeling a little peckish, the Wadi area has restaurants and eateries for you to refuel.

What we love: The calm, relaxing environment

Kids Farm

An additional attraction in the Dubai Safari Park is the specially curated Kids Farm where little ones can learn about traditional farm animals like chickens, goats, sheep and cows. We are sure your kids will enjoy connecting with nature and learning how to ride ponies, collect chicken eggs and even milk cows!

Conservation Efforts in Dubai Safari Park

The Dubai Municipality is clear that there is more to the ambitious Dubai Safari Park than just entertainment. The park, expected to have a population of 5000 animals, birds and reptiles, will focus its efforts on protecting endangered species through extensive scientific research. There are plans to introduce zoo keeping, veterinary and conservation courses to increase the awareness for wildlife conservation in the UAE.

Upcoming Attractions in Dubai Safari park

• 2000 plus new animals including a herd of elephants
• Australian and South American villages
• Zoomobile equipped with state-of-the-art learning tools and aids for children

Dubai Safari Park timings 

The Dubai Safari timings are currently 9 AM to 5 PM daily. A turn around the whole park will easily take over 5 hours, so make sure you have enough time to explore everything when you plan your visit. 

Dubai Safari Park Tickets

The Dubai Safari entry fee (excluding the Safari Village) is currently priced at AED 50 for adults and AED 20 for children. If you are only interested in the open safari, the rates are the same as the Dubai Safari Park ticket price for adults and children. A full access Dubai Safari ticket will set you back by AED 85 for adults and AED 30 for children.

The Dubai Safari entry tickets are free of charge for senior citizens, children under three and people of determination.

Visitors have complained of long waits for the Dubai Safari Park tickets at the venue, so we recommend you book your tickets online on the Dubai Safari Park website ahead of your visit.

If you are planning a visit, make sure to also check out any special Dubai Safari offers so you can get a good deal. 

Dubai Safari Park Location

The Dubai Safari Park located in Al Warqa’a 5 and is approximately a 12-minute drive away from the neighbourhood of International City. The Safari Park can be easily accessed by either the Al Awir/ Ras Al Khor Road or the Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street (D54).

How to get to Dubai Safari Park?

The best way to get to Dubai Safari Zoo is by car. However, for those who don’t have a car, the easiest way to get to Safari Park by public transportation is to take the Metro to the Creek Metro Stop on the Green Line. From there you would need to take a taxi. The taxi ride from the Creek Metro Station to the Dubai Safari Zoo is about 16 minutes and will cost between AED 25 – 30. 

Parking in Dubai Safari Park

There are over 3,500 free parking spots in the parks, with transport to and from the main gate. You can also purchase a VIP parking ticket allowing closer access to the park for an additional AED 50.

Dubai Safari Park Contact information

You can contact the Dubai Safari Park on their toll-free number: 800900. The official website also has a handy feedback form if you wish to leave any comments after a visit. 

What happened to the Dubai Zoo?

One of the things that a lot of visitors to the safari park in Dubai ask is what happened to the original Dubai Zoo in Jumeirah. The Dubai Zoo officially closed down in 2018 and the animals were then moved to the Dubai Safari Park. If you were a frequent visitor to the zoo in Dubai, you will certainly enjoy this park. 

Our Verdict

The Dubai Safari Park offers an immersive wildlife experience unlike any other in the UAE. It’s evident that a lot of work has gone into making sure the animals here are comfortable; a marked improvement to the cramped environs of the erstwhile Dubai Zoo. We definitely recommend it for a day of fun for all animal lovers in Dubai!

Important update on Dubai Safari Park Reopening Dates

The park is currently closed for renovations. Authorities have announced to reopen the park very soon with a lot of new animal exhibits and an adventure village. We will update the page as soon as the new opening date for Dubai Safari park is reopened.

Until then if you fancy living close to the next adventure capital of Dubai, check out these properties for rent in Al Warqaa and enjoy living next to some unique neighbours!