Dubai Aquaventure Waterpark & Lost Chambers Aquarium Combo Tickets

4.67

(5436 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

How do you even start describing a place like Aquaventure Waterpark in Dubai? I’d heard stories about the slides — but standing at the edge of that first tower, toes curling over the fiberglass, I got it. The air was thick and salty, kids shrieking somewhere behind me, and our guide (I think his name was Samir?) just grinned and said, “You’ll want to keep your mouth closed on this one.” He wasn’t kidding. After that first drop, my heart was pounding so loud I barely noticed anything else for a minute. There’s something about that mix of chlorine and sunscreen in the air that’s weirdly comforting when you’re catching your breath under a palm tree.

We drifted along those lazy river rapids for what felt like ages — sometimes bumping elbows with strangers who’d just as clearly lost track of time. It’s huge here, honestly. 22 hectares or something? At one point I tried to count all the towers but gave up after three. My nephew spent half the day in the Splashers Kids’ Play Area (he’s under 1.2 meters so that’s his kingdom), while my sister kept sneaking off to “master” her surfing on Surf’s Up. She wiped out every time and came back laughing, hair stuck to her face. That’s what I remember most — everyone just letting go a bit.

If you get the combo ticket, you can wander into The Lost Chambers Aquarium too. It smells cool and a little earthy inside — not fishy at all — and there are these glass tunnels where stingrays drift right over your head. We stood for ages watching a shark glide past; some kid pressed his nose against the glass and whispered something in Arabic I couldn’t catch. It felt quieter there after all the waterpark noise — almost peaceful, actually.

I didn’t expect to feel so tired by sunset (the park closes then), or so sun-warmed and happy dragging my towel across that private beach. No outside food allowed — we learned that fast at bag check — but honestly, we were too busy to care much about snacks anyway. If you’re coming from central Dubai or even further out, give yourself plenty of time; traffic can be wild near Atlantis on weekends.