Dubai has lots of thrilling outdoor and aerial activities on offer. The options are endless for first-timers and frequent travelers. But if you want to challenge yourself and explore the natural wonders of Dubai all at the same time, start with a zipline ride.
Find and enjoy some of the highest, fastest, longest, and record-breaking zipline canopy tours in Dubai on this guide.
Things to Know Before Your First Zipline Experience
Ziplines can be scary, but not if you know what you’re doing. You can physically and mentally prepare yourself before you take your first leap. Here’s a complete guide to ziplining in Dubai.
What is Ziplining?
Ziplining is an aerial recreation activity. Other countries used it as a mode of transport long before it became a form of entertainment. Ziplining involves riding an end-to-end steel cable (the zipline) on a protective seat or while attached to a belt. The rider would also need to wear a helmet and a chest harness to ensure safety.
Ziplines can be very high, depending on the recreation company that offers them. They are usually hosted on mountains, valleys, or skyscrapers—any tall places that exhibit spectacular sceneries. Dubai offers some of the steepest, fastest, and longest ziplines globally, and they are seated between sky-high buildings and large mountain peaks.
Who Can Zipline in Dubai?
Ziplines in Dubai are safe. It has the right amount of danger to offer a thrilling experience. However, many recreation companies in Dubai impose restrictions to avoid accidents.
Age Restrictions
Age restrictions depend on the zipline’s height and distance. Most zipline companies only welcome guests 12 to 65 years of age. For extreme zipline adventures, only guests who are 18 years and older are allowed to participate.
Height Restrictions
Most zipline adventure parks in Dubai require a minimum height of 120 to 130 centimeters. The rider should fit in the provided harness, hence the height requirement.
Weight Restrictions
Zipline adventure parks in Dubai impose weight restrictions to ensure safety. Some of them even have limits on waist circumference. In general, zipline riders should be between 50 to 100 kilograms.
Health Restrictions
Ziplines in Dubai reach extreme speeds and heights, so they may not be suitable for everyone. As such, pregnant women and participants with disabilities or underlying health conditions, such as heart diseases and high blood pressure, cannot participate.
Honesty is crucial in this activity to ensure safety. Zipline adventure parks in Dubai require participants to sign a form and a liability waiver. Those under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian to sign the waiver.
Does Ziplining Requires Skills and Experience?
Ziplining is an outdoor activity for everyone who meets the age, height, weight, and health restrictions. Considering that, you don’t need to have skills or experience to participate in this activity. All you have to do is follow the tour’s safety guidelines, allow the ground staff to attach your gear, harness, or other equipment properly, and take the leap.
Are Ziplines Safe and Regulated in Dubai?
Ziplines in Dubai are entirely safe. Registered zipline adventure parks in the city follow safety standards in compliance with local regulations. Experts and professionals also manage the entire tour and the actual activity. The staff conducts regular maintenance and daily testing before each tour.
COVID-19 Considerations
All travel and tour companies in Dubai follow special health and safety measures to combat COVID-19. Zipline operators in Dubai are required by the World Health Organization (WHO) and local authorities to ensure social distancing among guests, regularly sanitize equipment, conduct temperature checks for staff and guests, and promote contactless payments. Some operators may limit the number of riders in a day and prohibit tandem riding temporarily.
Tourists, too, are required to follow individual safety protocols. Visitors should wear face masks during the activity, avoid physical contact among staff and other visitors, and submit basic personal information for contact tracing purposes.
When Is the Best Time to Go Ziplining in Dubai?
You can zipline in Dubai any time of the day, as long as the weather is fine. It’s not advisable to zipline in extreme weather conditions. In case of unforeseen weather conditions or government restrictions, the recreation company may cancel your trip and provide an alternative date or option.
Most ziplines in Dubai operate from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM from Monday to Sunday. They have hourly slots for on-site booking or pre-booking daily.
How Long Does It Take to Zipline in Dubai?
The activity’s actual duration depends on your weight and how long the zipline is, so there’s no standard duration for every activity. However, if you’re taking a zipline tour in Dubai, you’ll likely spend around an hour and a half to complete the activity and tour. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to complete the orientation and another 30 to 40 minutes to finish the actual ride.
Ziplines in Dubai and other parts of the world can reach speeds over 100 kilometers per hour. The actual duration, however, will depend on the rider’s body mass. The heavier the rider is, the faster he or she will travel from the starting point to the endpoint.
What Are the Best Zipline Locations in Dubai?
Look no further than the skyscrapers, shores, and mountain peaks of Dubai and UAE if you want to experience the best zipline adventures in the world. You can find the best zipline locations with scenic views at Dubai Marina, Mushrif Park, and Ras al Khaimah.
Zipline in Dubai Marina
Dubai Marina is an artificial canal city in Dubai. It currently houses over 50,000 residents, but it can accommodate 120,000 people in the future after the expansion is completed. Dubai Marina offers scenic views of artificial waterfronts from the Persian Gulf and state-of-the-art skyscrapers.
Zipline in Mushrif Park
Mushrif Park is among the oldest public parks in Dubai, so zipline activities and tours in the park are mostly family-friendly. Children and adults can enjoy a thrilling zipline through the Ghaf tree forest in Mushrif Park.
Zipline in Ras al Khaimah
Although not located in Dubai, Ras al Khaimah offers one of the most thrilling and record-breaking zipline adventures in the world. Ras al Khaimah is the sixth-largest city in UAE, next to Dubai. It is surrounded by mountains, ghost towns, thermal springs, and old coastal towns.
How to Get to the Zipline Locations
Getting around Dubai and the UAE to find the highest peaks for ziplining is easy. If you want a hassle-free and systematic itinerary, you can look for travel and tour companies that offer whole-day tour packages with hotel pick-up and drop-off services, meals, and tour guides. But if you want to do this the traditional way, here’s a guide to navigate Dubai and UAE and find the best zipline locations.
How to Get to Dubai Marina
Travelers with private or rented vehicles can easily reach Dubai Marina from the city center in approximately 30 minutes through Sheikh Zayed Rd/E11 or Al Khail Rd/E44. If you want to commute, city buses can take you to Dubai Marina and its surrounding areas. Take Buses 8, 84, and F55A, depending on your location. If you want to take the metro, take the Red Line and alight at Damac Metro Station, then take a 5-minute walk to Dubai Marina.
How to Get to Mushrif Park
Travelers with private or rented vehicles can easily reach Mushrif Park from the city center in approximately 18 minutes through Al Maktoum Rd/D89 or Rebat St/D83. If you want to commute, city buses can take you to Mushrif Park and its surrounding areas. Take bus number 11A. If you’re going to take the metro, take the Red Line to the Rashidiya Metro Station or the Green Line to the Etisalat Metro Station, then take a 10-minute ride via taxi or Uber to reach the park.
How to Get to Ras al Khaimah
Ras al Khaimah is outside Dubai, but it’s completely accessible using private and public transportations. Travelers with private or rented vehicles can easily reach Ras al Khaimah from the city center in approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes through Al Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Rd/E311 or Emirates Rd/E611.
If you want to commute, city buses can take you to Ras al Khaimah and its surrounding areas. This option is the cheapest and most-straightforward mode of transportation. Take an Al Hamra bus heading to Ras al Khaimah from the Union Bus Station. Buses operate daily between 8:00 AM to 9:30 PM.
What Are the Things Zipline Riders Need to Prepare?
As mentioned before, you need to be physically and mentally prepared before you take the leap. Here are some of the most important things you shouldn’t forget to bring in your first zipline adventure.
Clothing
Wear comfortable clothing and footwear. It’s best to wear tight and closed shoes, pants or long shorts, and breathable clothing during the activity. Women are not allowed to wear dresses and skirts.
Food and Drinks
Don’t eat anything heavy before the activity, but make sure to drink plenty of water. Limit yourself to a light meal or snack, which you can bring or get at the tour area.
Accessories and Essentials
You can bring action cameras during the activity, but make sure to remove all types of jewelry or accessories before your flight. They can fall or get tangled easily while you’re gliding through the air. We also encourage you to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, or towels during the tour.
Documents
If you pre-booked online or via phone call, don’t forget to bring your receipt or confirmation email. Some zipline adventure parks may also ask you to bring a valid ID.
Do I Need To Pre-Book a Zipline Tour in Dubai?
If you plan to book a tour with a list of activities or you simply want to avoid crowds, it’s best to pre-book and choose a schedule. Pre-booking tickets online ensures a hassle-free experience.
If you’re in small groups or flying solo, you can book on-site. Many zipline adventure parks allow walk-in registration. However, you may be required to arrive or wait at least an hour before the actual tour.
What Are the Best Zipline Adventure Parks in Dubai, UAE?
Dubai and UAE offer multiple artificial and natural locations for ziplining. Recreation companies took advantage of this and offered their own versions of zipline tours and aerial adventures. Here are some of the best and most reputable zipline tours in Dubai and UAE:
Xline Dubai Marina Zipline
XLine has one of the world’s longest urban ziplines, and it’s conveniently located at Dubai Marina. XLine flies over land and water, up to 80 kilometers per hour, and from 170m down to ground level. You’ll be traveling from one of Amwaj Towers to the Dubai Marina Mall.
XLine welcomes riders 12 to 65 years of age and offers solo or tandem flying. Two persons in one ride are allowed, provided that both participants follow the physical requirements.
Ticket prices: Kids and family tickets start at 499 AED (135.85 USD); Adult tickets start at 650 AED (177 USD).
Aventura Park Zipline
Aventura is an outdoor park in Dubai, and it offers various aerial activities, such as ziplining, horseback riding, and bungee jumping. Their zipline adventures are part of group activities designed for families, even those with young children.
Aventura parks welcome children as young as four years old inside the park, but their zipline activities and other extreme sports have age restrictions. The park sends younger kids in tandem with a guide to most activities.
Ticket prices: 149 AED (40.56 USD) to 185 AED (50.36 AED) for one admission ticket with 3 hours of unlimited adventures and activities.
Jebel Jais Flight Zipline by Toroverde
Toroverde’s zipline is outside the city of Dubai, but it deserves to be on this list as the world’s longest zipline certified by Guinness World Records. The zipline is located at the Toroverde adventure park at Ras Al Khaimah, about 2 hours away from Dubai. It’s 2,830m long and 1,650m above sea level. It speeds over 120k kilometers per hour across the natural sceneries of the Jebel Jais mountain.
As the longest zipline in the world, Jebel Jais Flight is considered an extreme activity. Children below 12 years and elderly above 60 years are not allowed. Only participants 18 and above can participate solo, but teens under the age of 18 who meet the height and weight requirements can also participate individually, provided that they have a signed waiver by a parent or legal guardian.
Ticket prices: starts at 300 AED (81.67 USD) for adult and child tickets; 135 AED (36.75 USD) for GoPro rental service.
Final Zipline Tips for First-Timer
Ziplining in Dubai can be quite an adventure if you came prepared. For our final tips to first-timers, it’s always best to choose a suitable activity, pre-book, arrive early, and trust your guides. Only choose reputable zipline tours that you can physically and mentally handle. Don’t go extreme if you think you can’t do it. Your panic and anxiety may affect the result of the activity.
What to Do After Ziplining in Dubai
After you’ve gathered enough courage to zipline in Dubai, keep up the momentum with more aerial and extreme activities! Try skydiving or parasailing to touch the sky again. If you want a more relaxed activity, book a hot air balloon ride or a helicopter ride.