Abu Dhabi ranks first in global survey of top cities for a family holiday

Dubai comes a close second in The Family Vacation Guide for 2022

1. Abu Dhabi has topped a global ranking of cities to visit with kids in The Family Vacation Guide's list for 2022. Hudayriyat beach in the city is one of several family-friendly attractions in the UAE. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

2. Attractions such as Wild Wadi water park contribute in making Dubai a family-friendly destination. Photo: Wild Wadi

3. Turkey's Antalya offers warm weather and Mediterranean views for families. AP

4. Travellers on the lake at El Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain. Reuters

5. Heraklion in Greece has a low average hotel rate of $56.50. Getty Images

6. Perhaps surprisingly, Las Vegas is ranked as one of the best family-friendly cities in the world. Unsplash

7. Alicante in Spain is a top choice for family holidays. Unsplash

8. Children play at the Museum of Ice Cream, one of many attractions that make Singapore a good pick for family trips. EPA

9. Cairo ties with San Diego in having the highest number of sunshine hours. Photo: Nile Kayak Club

10. Travellers can enjoy many family attractions in Melbourne. Unsplash

11. Bangkok has the lowest average hotel rates for families in the index. EPA

12. A family enjoys the sunset in Platja d'Or in Palma de Mallorca. AFP

13. Visitors line a beach in San Diego. The US city is the 13th best city destination for families in 2022. AP Photo / Gregory Bull

14. The Djemaa El Fna in Marrakesh, Morocco is one of many landmarks that families can visit. Photo: Corbis

15. Belem Tower in Lisbon, one of the world's best destinations for families. Getty Images

16. Miami lures families with its sunshine-laced weather, theme parks, beaches and palm trees. Photo: Emirates

17. Tourists stand on Bang Tao Beach in Phuket, southern Thailand. The smallest city in the ranking has the highest number of family attractions per square kilometre. AP

17. Prague, Czech Republic, tied in 17th position with two other cities as a favourite for family holidays. Getty Images

17. Istanbul offers a multitude of family-friendly hotels. Photo: Grand Sura Hagia Sophia Hotel

20. Sydney has lots for families to do and see, including some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Photo: Graham Crouch

Travelling with children isn’t always simple, with the shortest of trips often requiring extra thought and planning. But families thinking of a holiday to Abu Dhabi are in luck, as the emirate has just been ranked the world’s best city for a family getaway.

The Family Vacation Guide has released its 2022 index of the top cities to visit with kids.

Abu Dhabi tops the study, scoring 8.05 out of 10.

The capital of the UAE has the highest safety index score in the top 10, and also performs well for how many family-friendly attractions it has including the world's first Warner Bros hotel and several theme parks. It also scored highly for its sunshine-laced weather, which averages 13 hours per day in the sunniest month of the year.

Dubai is another great choice for a family getaway, ranking second in the 2022 Family Vacation Index with a score of 7.76.

Home to the world’s tallest building, plenty of resort-style hotels and several water parks, the emirate loses points for its higher-than-average hotel room rate, which is $124.50, compared to Abu Dhabi’s $94.50.

Third-placed Antalya in Turkey scores 6.27, and is lauded for its white beaches and incredible Mediterranean scenery.

The annual index from the travel website ranks destinations on 11 different factors including safety, pollution levels, number of family-friendly sights and attractions, and the average cost of a hotel room.

The top 20 cities for a family holiday

1. Abu Dhabi, UAE

2. Dubai, UAE

3. Antalya, Turkey

4. Madrid, Spain

5. Heraklion, Greece

6. Las Vegas, USA

7. Alicante, Spain

8. Singapore, Singapore

9. Cairo, Egypt

10. Melbourne, Australia

11. Bangkok, Thailand

12. Palma de Mallorca, Spain

13. San Diego, US

14. Marrakesh, Morocco

15. Lisbon, Portugal

16. Miami, US

17. Phuket, Thailand

17. Prague, Czech Republic

17. Istanbul, Turkey

20. Sydney, Australia

The research also reveals that the world’s safest city to visit with children is Sapporo in Japan, while the most affordable city for a family holiday is Bangkok, Thailand where average hotel rates are only $43 per night.

Thailand also performs well when it comes to things to do. Phuket — the smallest city in the index — ranks highest for family-friendly attractions with 115.92 sights or landmarks per square kilometre, meaning families visiting Thailand’s biggest island have more than 1,500 attractions to choose from.

For sun-seeking families, Cairo in Egypt and the US’s San Francisco top the list, each has 14 hours of sunlight a day in their sunniest month, giving travellers plenty of daylight hours to enjoy exploring.

When it comes to getting away for some fresh air, Switzerland’s Zurich is the best spot for a family trip. The Swiss city has the cleanest air in the index with a pollution score of only 17.58, thanks to the city’s substantial efforts to reduce its air pollution.

Inside the world’s first Warner Bros hotel in Abu Dhabi — in pictures