Sharjah day out from Dubai: 5 attractions and what they cost

Four Sharjah sights cost AED 95 for an adult at official prices, and they fit in one day from Dubai: the Sharjah Aquarium at AED 25, Al Noor Island at AED 35, the Rain Room at AED 25 and the Museum of Islamic Civilization at AED 10 (checked 2 November 2026). The fifth, Sharjah Safari, starts at AED 40 for the Bronze pack before VAT and is 55 km from the Heart of Sharjah, so it needs a separate day. Only Al Noor Island has a reseller price to compare.

Sharjah attractions compared

Attraction	Cheapest adult ticket	Where it is cheapest	Child	Hours
Sharjah Aquarium	AED 25	Official site only, joint ticket with the Maritime Museum	AED 15	Saturday to Thursday 08:00 to 20:00; Friday 16:00 to 20:00
Al Noor Island	AED 24.50	Headout, on a 30% sale with no end date shown. Official, Tiqets and GetYourGuide AED 35	AED 20	Island 09:00 to 23:00 (to 00:00 at weekends); Butterfly House to 18:00
Sharjah Safari	AED 40 (Bronze, before VAT)	Official site only	AED 15	Daily 08:30 to 18:00; last Bronze ticket 16:00
Rain Room	AED 25	Official site only	Free to age 5	Saturday to Thursday 09:00 to 21:00; Friday 16:00 to 22:00
Museum of Islamic Civilization	AED 10	Official site only	AED 5	Saturday to Thursday 08:00 to 20:00; Friday 16:00 to 20:00

Prices are for adults at each seller’s lowest ticket. Child prices cover ages 2 to 12 at the aquarium and museum, 3 to 12 at Al Noor Island and the safari. Opening hours change in Ramadan, so check before you go.

A one-day route that works

This is our suggested order, and the time allowances are ours, not the operators’. We have not timed the taxi rides between the three areas, so check a map app for each hop.

1. 08:30 Sharjah Aquarium. The joint ticket also covers the Sharjah Maritime Museum next door. The main tank is fed at 10:00 from Saturday to Thursday. Allow about 2 hours.
2. 11:00 Al Noor Island. Take the Standard Pass (AED 50) if you want the Butterfly House, which the island puts at about 1 hour. Lunch at the island cafe.
3. 14:00 Museum of Islamic Civilization. Allow about 90 minutes for the seven galleries and 5,000 artefacts.
4. 15:45 Rain Room. Book a slot of about 16:00, since each viewing lasts 15 minutes and takes at most 7 people. It is in Al Majarrah, like the museum.
5. 16:30 Al Majarrah Park and Souq Al Arsah, both free to walk into (see below).

Why this order: the Butterfly House closes at 18:00, so Al Noor Island goes in the middle of the day, and the museum (open to 20:00) and the Rain Room (open to 21:00) can take the afternoon. Starting at the aquarium also matches the 07:45 ferry, which lands next to it. The ticket total is AED 95, or AED 110 with the Butterfly House.

Fridays are different. The aquarium, museum and Rain Room all open only from 16:00. A Friday trip becomes an evening: the Rain Room runs to 22:00, but the aquarium and museum close at 20:00.

Sharjah Aquarium: AED 25 with the Maritime Museum

The aquarium covers 6,500 square metres over two floors, with 21 aquariums and almost 100 species including clownfish, seahorses, moray eels and reef sharks. The only ticket is a joint one with the Sharjah Maritime Museum: AED 25 for ages 13 and over, AED 15 for ages 2 to 12, free under 2. Main tank feeding is at 10:00 from Saturday to Thursday, and shark feeding is from 13:00 to 13:30 on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday.

It is free on 18 May and on 2 and 3 December, for seniors aged 60 and over with one companion, and for people with disabilities with one companion. It is closed on the 29th and 30th of Ramadan, the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the 9th of Dhul Hijjah and the first day of Eid al-Adha. No reseller sells it. See the Sharjah Aquarium page.

Al Noor Island: cheaper on Headout for now

Al Noor Island sits on Khalid Lagoon and is reached by a pedestrian bridge behind Al Noor Mosque. The island ticket is AED 35 for adults and AED 20 for ages 3 to 12, with art, a playground and a cafe. Tiqets and GetYourGuide match the official AED 35. Headout shows AED 24.50 as a 30% “Great UAE Getaway” sale on AED 35, with no end date on the page, so it may not last.

Pass	Adult	Child	Includes
Island self-guided	AED 35	AED 20	Island only
Standard Pass	AED 50	AED 30	Island plus Butterfly House with an educator, about 1 hour
Explorer Pass	AED 75	AED 75	Standard plus an island map and explorer toy kit

The Butterfly House closes at 18:00, five hours before the island’s weekday close. The official page still shows a 2024 summer programme, so treat its extras and activity fees as stale. See the Al Noor Island prices.

Rain Room: AED 25 for a 15-minute viewing

The Rain Room is a permanent installation where you walk through falling rain without getting wet. It sits in Al Majarrah and is open all year. A viewing lasts 15 minutes and takes at most 7 people. An adult ticket is AED 25. Students up to age 22 and teachers pay AED 15 with ID, and children up to 5 and people with disabilities (plus one companion) are free. The Sharjah Art Foundation says weekends and public holidays are often fully booked, so book ahead. See the Rain Room page.

Museum of Islamic Civilization: the AED 10 pick

The museum is in Al Majarrah, with more than 5,000 artefacts across seven galleries, including a model of the Ka’aba, parts of the Kiswah and rare Quran manuscripts. It costs AED 10 for ages 13 and over and AED 5 for ages 2 to 12. Entry is free for the whole of Ramadan, on 18 May and on 2 and 3 December. See the museum page.

Sharjah Safari: a separate day

Sharjah Safari is on the Sharjah-Khorfakkan Road, 55 km from the Heart of Sharjah and 5 km from Al Dhaid. Bronze (walking) is AED 40, Silver (adds a shared vehicle tour) AED 120 and Gold AED 275, all before 5% VAT. The park is seasonal and reopened on 21 September 2026. The full comparison is in our Sharjah Safari ticket guide, and the Sharjah Safari prices are on their own page.

Getting there from Dubai

• Ferry: the RTA ferry (FR5) runs from Al Ghubaiba to the Sharjah Aquarium Marine Station. It costs AED 15 in Silver Class and AED 25 in Gold, children under 5 are free, and Gulf News gives the crossing as 35 minutes. From Monday to Thursday boats leave Al Ghubaiba at 07:45, 12:00, 16:00, 17:30 and 19:00, and leave Sharjah at 07:00, 08:30, 13:00, 16:45 and 18:15. On Saturday and Sunday the first boat from Dubai is at 15:00, and the aquarium opens at 16:00 on Friday, so the ferry suits a full day only from Monday to Thursday. RTA warns that timings may change.
• Bus: E303 (Union Square), E306 (Al Ghubaiba), E307 (Deira City Centre) and E307A (Abu Hail) go to Al Jubail Bus Station for AED 12 on a Nol card. UAE Inform gives 30 to 90 minutes depending on the route and traffic. We have not checked the onward link from Al Jubail to each attraction.
• Car or taxi: UAE Inform gives 25 to 45 minutes off peak and 45 to 120 minutes at peak, roughly 06:00 to 09:30 and 16:30 to 20:00. Salik tolls apply.

What is free nearby

• Al Majarrah Park: free with no booking, reopened on 21 May 2026 and listed under Al Majarrah, the same area as the Rain Room.
• Souq Al Arsah: a covered heritage market behind the Al Bait hotel in the Heart of Sharjah, selling perfume, incense, abayas and pearl chests, with a cafe and a halwa shop. Visit Sharjah lists no entry fee.
• Al Majaz Waterfront: free entry, on Khalid Lagoon. Property Finder lists fountain shows from 18:30 to 23:30 from Saturday to Wednesday, with the last at 00:30 on Thursday and Friday, and says some activities cost extra. It makes an easy end to the day near Al Noor Island.
• Al Noor Mosque: next to Khalid Lagoon and open to non-Muslims for guided tours. Visit Sharjah gives no fee, so ask on arrival.
• Free days: the museum is free for all of Ramadan, and the museum and aquarium are free on 18 May and on 2 and 3 December.

Which to choose

• Cheapest culture: the museum at AED 10 plus the Rain Room at AED 25 is AED 35, with Al Majarrah Park and Souq Al Arsah free in the same area.
• Families: the aquarium and Al Noor Island have child prices (AED 15 and AED 20). Two adults and two children aged 3 to 12 pay about AED 320 for the four city sights, counting AED 25 each at the Rain Room, which has no child price. Our kids guide has Dubai comparisons.
• Wildlife: the safari, on its own day.
• No car: the ferry on a weekday, starting at the aquarium.

How to book them cheapest

1. Book the Rain Room first, because it is timed and sells out at weekends.
2. Compare Al Noor Island on the live table on this page, and note that Headout’s sale has no end date shown.
3. Buy the aquarium and museum from the official Sharjah Museums Authority pages, the only sellers we found. If your dates are flexible, 2 or 3 December makes both free.
4. Add up the four city sights (AED 95) before you pay for any bundle.
5. Read how Klook, GetYourGuide, Tiqets and Headout compare before booking any reseller ticket.