Paris might be known as the City of Love, but Dubai knows how to woo. It is the world’s top travel destination and one of the most popular places to propose for a reason. Whether you are looking for the perfect romantic day or a night under the stars, our dazzling city is filled with activities. From board games to candlelight concerts, this list of date ideas in Dubai will keep those sparks flying all year round!
Let the good times roll at this roller skating rink
For some old-school lovin’, skate over to Roll DXB, Dubai’s first and only roller skating rink. It’s the perfect excuse to hold hands – for balance, of course, and fall head over heels. Maybe in love, maybe on the cold, hard ground. Either way, with a sprinkle of disco balls, neon lights and a vibrant retro 80s-themed decor, you could easily be in a John Hughes rom-com.
Starting at just AED 90, book your tickets here!
Swap candlelight dinners for candlelight concerts
You can do only so many candlelit dinner dates before the concept starts losing its appeal. Candlelight concerts retain the glow but switch up meals for music. These concerts treat you and your sweetheart to instrumental renditions of varied genres by live pianists, string quartets and bands amidst a sea of LED candles. Right from rock and pop – think Queen, Prince, Coldplay and Taylor Swift – to Bollywood hits, Arabic melodies and classical compositions of Beethoven and Chopin. They take place year-round at various magical Dubai venues from Zabeel Theatre to the iconic Burj Al Arab.
Get lost in the AYA Universe together
Walk through this absolutely dreamy digital park (much like them). AYA Universe, Wafi Mall is a magical indoor digital park has 12 zones of surreal, trippy landscapes based on an imaginary galaxy. You can easily spend hours here staring at the incredible visuals, making conversation and taking spectacular couple selfies.
Room after room features immersive illusions and sceneries, from bio-luminous gardens (like in Avatar) to upside-down waterfalls and mirror-filled rooms with robotic light shows.
At just AED 135 per person, find more information here.
Make your own music video at this digital park
Be the main character of your love story with a trip to House of Hype, a wacky new digital park with over 25 different experiences. In between taking stunning selfies with your beloved in laundromats with trippy backgrounds, the two of you can dance and record a music video in an augmented reality green screen room. There are plenty of weird and wonderful things, such as a fake chicken stand, to tease out the silliness in each other and be playful.
Starting at just AED 120, you can book your experiences here.
Bowl your date over with AR cricket at this games bar
Stumped for new ideas for a unique first date or your weekly date night? WIKIT won’t let you down with caged cricket pitches powered by augmented reality at Tiger Strikes. You and your plus one can test your batting skills and good-naturedly rib each other about LBWs. Not the biggest fan of cricket? This spot also has cool digital darts, neon bowling lanes and a cocktail and bar bites menu to sort you out.
Find more information here!
Paint outside the lines at a splatter room
Love is messy but it’s also creative and colourful when you take your significant other to an art jamming studio like Wild Paint House. Get boisterous and throw colours on canvases, walls and each other, dabble in (legal) graffiti sessions, or spin art machines to decorate clothing. They’ve got neon paint options too if you want to add some glow to the person who brightens up your life.
Roll the dice on love at this boardgames bar
The Hungry Monkey is a tiny little bar inside Barsha’s Donatello Hotel that’s thumping with ampiano and afrobeats tunes most days. But tucked away at the far corner of this joint are stacks of card games and board games; ideal icebreakers for two people who want to get to know each other better without it sounding like a job interview. Fueled by a reasonably priced cocktail menu, this is one of those date ideas where the fun and games quickly ratchet up.
Go putt-putting at 3D Black Light Mini Golf
A laidback date activity that lets you walk, talk and break into laughter at clumsy attempts to strike golf balls through windmills, castles and absurd-themed obstacles? That’s what makes mini golf a failproof date ideas. Now throw in glow-in-the-dark to that and you’ve got yourself a vibrant experience. The 3D Black Light Mini Golf in JBR will see you both journey through outer space, an underwater realm and an Arabian desert on your mission to finish an 18-hole putt-putt course and just maybe find the person who turns you putty.
From AED 110 per person; find all details here.
Camp under the stars at Al Qudra Lakes
Unlike organised desert camps or safari experiences, camping at Al Qudra Lakes is very DIY. Whether you trip head over heels, take a leap of faith or fall head-first in love, it’s completely your prerogative. Enjoy the authentic camping experience by bringing your own tent, food, blankets, and barbecue equipment. There are no schedules, no tour groups, and no pressure to rush through. Just you, your partner and the twinkling stars at night.
Click here for information on camping for free.
Escape the room with your ride or die
If you are a couple (or on your way to be) that is obsessed with cracking puzzles and solving clues, an escape room in Dubai is the perfect pick. With 16 rooms, from Houdini’s mysteries to Circus horrors, your date and you can fight and pick from the list of options. 60 minutes on the clock, adrenaline rushing through your veins and at just AED 128 per person, what could possibly go wrong?
Book your favourite room here.
