Dubai loves to surprise its visitors and exceed their expectations, so an indoor skiing resort almost feels natural for this desert oasis. Today, we will explore some interesting details about Ski Dubai and share some useful tips on planning a perfect visit to the park.
What is Ski Dubai?
Ski Dubai is an indoor skiing complex built in the Mall of the Emirates. Its area exceeds 22,000 square meters, which is more than four full-sized football fields. Its main attractions are the slopes made from real snow, where the visitors of all ages can enjoy skiing or snowboarding.
Needless to say, Ski Dubai maintains the inside temperature to keep the slopes intact, meaning you will be able to indulge in winter sports even on the hottest summer days. The attraction was opened all the way back in 2005, and has already accommodated millions of happy visitors.
Planning a Visit to Ski Dubai
One of the main advantages of Ski Dubai is that no meticulous planning is required to visit it: you can simply come to the resort and jump right into the action. Nevertheless, there are some that are better to be discovered in advance.
How to Get There?
As we have mentioned, Ski Dubai is located right inside the Mall of the Emirates. It is a large shopping center built in one of the busiest parts of Dubai, so you won’t have any major difficulties arriving there.
The first option is to ride a bus, as there are itineraries coming to the mall from virtually all parts of the city. Expectedly, the Mall of the Emirates has dedicated public transport stops all around it, meaning you won’t have to walk longer than a minute after dropping off the bus to reach your destination.
The second popular way of arriving at Ski Dubai relates to ordering a cab. There are multiple relevant applications such as Uber available in the United Arab Emirates, but even if you don’t have cell data during your visit, you can always ask the reception desk at the hotel to order you a cab.
Even though the first two options are comfortable for some tourists, driving to the mall yourself is by far the most convenient and stressless way of visiting Ski Dubai, no matter whether you rent a car in Dubai or own a vehicle. Much like most other Dubai’s attractions, the shopping center is equipped with a large parking area, where you can easily leave your vehicle for a couple of hours or even for an entire full-day visit.
What to Do There?
Upon arriving at Ski Dubai, you will need to purchase a ticket. In case you want to save time on the spot, you can book the pass online in advance, although the queue rarely takes longer than 10 minutes.
After showing your tickets, you will be able to visit the changing rooms and the equipment rental stand. Once you’re changed and ready, you can head out to one of the slopes and enjoy the winter sports.
Speaking of the slopes, there are multiple of them in Ski Dubai. The resort is designed to appeal to all groups of tourists, so there are both easy beginner-friendly slopes as well as the harder and steeper tracks for more experienced skiers and snowboarders. If you have no experience at all, there are some professional coaches working at Ski Dubai who will happily give you a lesson of skiing or snowboarding. Additionally, there is a chairlift that will quickly take you back to the top after you slide down.
Aside from skiing and snowboarding, there are several extra activities available to the guests of the resort. Most of them are performed in the large snow park located on the territory of the complex. In between all these activities, you will also be able to have snacks and refreshments in the local cafe.
Last but not least, the park frequently hosts various events for its visitors. Perhaps the most popular of them is the breakfast with penguins, which is an interactive encounter with these cute residents of the resort. If you’re looking to attend one of these events, make sure to check the special calendar on the official Ski Dubai website before you visit.
How Much Does It Cost?
The cost of visiting Ski Dubai may vary a lot, depending on the additional services you opt-in for. Let us start with the tickets, and here are the types of passes you can purchase before you enter:
- Snow Park Pass
- Snow Park Premium
- Summer Pass
The Snow Park Pass is the most basic option, as it only costs AED 220 per person and essentially only includes access to the resort itself. For this, and other types of tickets, children younger than 2 are allowed to enter for free, while everyone older than that has to purchase a pass.
The Snow Park Premium Pass is an advanced version of the fist ticket that costs AED 450. On top of access to the resort and unlimited snow rides, it also includes unlimited chairlift rides and a 40-minute long encounter with the penguins.
The Summer Pass is another interesting option available to the guests of the resort for AED 325. It includes everything the standard ticket offers and one additional experience on top of it. Each visitor can choose one of the following extra activities to be included in their Summer Pass:
- 2 hours on the slope
- A 1-hour discovery lesson of skiing or snowboarding
- 2 rides on the Snow Bullet zipline
- A 40-minute penguin encounter
Thankfully, you won’t need to pay an additional fee for equipment, as renting skis or snowboards is included in every package. In case you arrive on your own car, you will also have to pay the parking charge, which is the same as in the Dubai Mall: the first three hours are free, and the following ones cost from AED 10 to AED 15, and the parking is also free on weekends.