Things to Do in City Walk, Dubai

Short answer

Walk the open-air streets and eat outside, see a film at the Roxy Cinemas, take children to The Green Planet's indoor rainforest, and check what is on at the Coca-Cola Arena. In the evening, City Walk is at its best simply for strolling, people-watching and dinner.

It works as an afternoon out from anywhere in central Dubai, and even better as a base: stay in the district and all of it is a short walk from your door.

What City Walk is

Most of Dubai is built around the car and the mall. City Walk is the exception: a district of low-rise buildings and pedestrian streets, with shops and restaurants at street level, apartments above, and landscaped squares in between.

It sits just inland from the Jumeirah coast, a short drive from Downtown and the Burj Khalifa. That position — central, but quieter and more human in scale than the towers — is much of its appeal, both for an outing and for a stay.

Eat and walk

The core of City Walk is simply being outside in it. The streets are lined with cafés and restaurants with terraces, from casual spots for breakfast to places for a long dinner, and in the cooler months the whole district is busy with people eating and walking late into the evening.

There is street art on many of the walls, fountains and planted squares between the blocks, and the kind of shops you browse rather than queue for. It is the closest Dubai comes to a neighbourhood high street.

See a film

City Walk is home to a Roxy Cinemas, one of the best-known cinemas in the city, and for many residents the main reason to come here on a weekend evening. It is a straightforward way to fill a hot afternoon or round off a dinner out.

Screenings and formats change, so check the cinema's own listings for what is on during your stay.

The Green Planet

The Green Planet is an indoor tropical rainforest under a glass-walled building, with trees, birds, reptiles and other animals across several levels. It is one of City Walk's best-known attractions and a particularly good one for children.

Because it is indoors and air-conditioned, it is a reliable choice in the summer months, when outdoor sightseeing is limited to the early morning and evening.

Concerts and events at the Coca-Cola Arena

The Coca-Cola Arena is a large indoor venue at City Walk that hosts concerts, comedy and sporting events through the year. If there is an event you want to see, staying in City Walk means walking home afterwards rather than queuing for a taxi with everyone else.

The programme changes constantly, so check the arena's own listings against your dates.

Getting there and getting around

City Walk is not on a metro line itself, so most visitors arrive by taxi or ride-hailing, which reach every part of the district easily. If you are driving, there is parking within the development.

Once you are there, everything is on foot. The streets are pedestrianised, the blocks are short, and shade and fountains make walking between them comfortable for much of the year — which is the whole reason to come.

From City Walk, Downtown and the Burj Khalifa are a short taxi ride away, and so are the beaches along the Jumeirah coast, which makes it an easy place to combine with the rest of a Dubai itinerary.

Staying in City Walk

City Walk is a residential district as well as a place to visit, and staying here turns all of the above into a short walk. The apartments are residential homes with full kitchens and laundry, which suits families and longer stays in particular.

Central Park at City Walk, a cluster of residential buildings around a landscaped park, is one of the more pleasant places to be based. Our City Walk guide covers the district, getting around and the best time of year to come.

When to go

From about November to March, City Walk is at its best: warm days, cool evenings and terraces full until late. In summer, plan indoor things for the middle of the day — the cinema, The Green Planet, an event at the arena — and come out to walk and eat after dark.