A group visit inside The Dubai Mall.

What the venue says about groups

The venue’s group visit page says it offers group tours for parties of 25 or more, for entry only. A guided tour of 1.5 hours can be reserved for an extra cost, and advance booking is essential. Tour operators and travel agents are asked to email the venue’s Sales Department. We do not give any ticket price or group rate here, because those are the venue’s to give.

The venue’s visitor guide adds that walk-in guests do not get a guided tour, and that a private tour goes through a Bookings Officer and depends on availability.

We are drivers and not guides. We do not sell tickets or tours, and we are not the venue’s transport provider. A licensed guide can be arranged for a fee: ask when you request a quote.

Hours, last entry and how long each part takes

The visitor guide says the venue is open 365 days a year, with the hours below, and that timings are subject to change. Check the venue’s current notice before fixing a time.

One rule matters for planning. The venue says a ticket is for one entry only, with no re-entry. A group that splits for lunch in the mall and returns should check this with the venue first. The venue also says photos and video for personal use are allowed, and that flash is not allowed in marked areas.

Where it is and how far it is

The venue gives its address as inside The Dubai Mall, on Doha Street, off 1st Interchange, Sheikh Zayed Road. The tunnel is on Ground Level, and the Rainforest, Rocky Shore and Living Ocean areas are on Level 2.

These are our MODELLED drive times to The Dubai Mall point, from a routing model built on OpenStreetMap data. They assume no traffic and no stops, so add time at busy hours.

Weekend and evening roads around the mall are busier than this model, so treat the figures as a floor and not a promise.

What is not published

The aquarium pages do not say where a coach or minibus should stop at The Dubai Mall, and they give no coach parking for groups. We could not find it, so we do not state it. We agree a drop-off point and a collection point with you in the written quote, and we cannot promise a stop at any entrance.

We also found no group size at which the venue changes its rules beyond the figure of 25, and no meeting point for guided tours inside the mall. Ask the Sales Department when you book. Our Dubai Mall shopping day guide covers the mall around the aquarium.

School groups

The venue runs a school programme called Guided Learning Journeys, Sunday to Thursday, in three one-hour sessions: 8:30 to 9:30, 10:00 to 11:00 and 11:30 to 12:30. Schools apply through the venue’s request form. If you lead a school visit from overseas, read our note on what the UK DfE guidance asks you to check with a coach provider before you ask for a quote.

Planning the day

This is an example sum, and your own hotel, group size and booked session will change it. Take a group of 30 staying in Downtown Dubai, with a 1.5 hour guided tour booked for 11:00. The drive is about 3 minutes in the model, but the mall is large and the venue does not publish a meeting point, so plan to be at the mall well before the tour. A pick-up at 10:00 leaves a margin, and a return pick-up at 13:30 leaves time for the tour, the walk out and a short wait.

A group from Dubai Marina at about 26 minutes in the model would leave earlier, perhaps at 9:15 for the same tour. If the plan is aquarium plus a meal in the mall, remember the no re-entry rule and keep a single return time that everyone has in writing. Our family holiday guide and multi-generation trip guide show how we plan days with mixed ages.

Choosing the vehicle

Count passengers first, then coats, bags and any pushchairs. The venue is inside a mall, so there is little reason to carry luggage into it, and our guide for strollers, luggage and vehicle space explains the sums. Our guide figures:

• Mercedes V-Class: up to 7 passengers and 6 bags.
• 13-seater HiAce: up to 13 passengers and about 10 suitcases.
• Mercedes Sprinter: up to 16 passengers and up to 12 suitcases.
• 30-seater mini coach and 50-seater coach for school-age groups and tour parties of 25 or more.

How a booked vehicle fits

1. Send the plan. Date, hotel area, party size and the time you want to be back.
2. Ask for a fixed written quote. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
3. Read the pick-up and drop-off arrangement. The quote states it, and we update it when the venue or the mall publishes one.
4. Agree the return time. We plan the margin and tell you what is not yet published.
5. Tell us if plans change. Check the venue’s notices before you book. We adjust a quote if dates change, and cannot promise to beat traffic.

Related: Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates group day · Family holiday in Dubai · Three generations in Dubai: transport plan · Dubai with a stroller: vehicle and bags · City tour by private minibus · Get a quote

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