38 of the best things to do in Sharjah for free (or less than Dhs100)

Sharjah might not have the glitz, culinary glamour and entertainment pedigree of Dubai; it might fall slightly short of Abu Dhabi’s reputation for cultural grandeur; and its own rocky peaks may be narrowly overshadowed by those of Ras Al Khaimah – but where Sharjah comes alive, is in combining all these traits and wearing them with humble integrity. It’s an emirate that’s quietly and deliberately evolving its portfolio of attractions, and it has not gone unnoticed. And because Sharjah is a firm believer in demonstrating value for money, you can often enjoy its many sparkling entertainment gems, for free, or at least significantly less. A little known (sorry) attraction in Sharjah that opened in 2025, the Pigmy Zoo – as the name suggests – is primarily a petting zoo with a focus on interactions with smaller, or dwarf animals. These include goats, lizards, rabbits, ponies, albino kangaroos, birds and… there are cat and dog zones too. Presumably spaced appropriately apart. A giant Sharjah fun house, packed to the rafters with trampolines, rope courses, dunk zones, soft play, ball pits, kiddie go-karts, climbing walls, slides and all manner of different dangly, jumpy, crafty, spongey ways to burn off the littl’uns zoomie energy. There’s also an add-on Cloudplay zone which, under the vague guise of scientific discovery, allows tots to tinker with watery nebula. Hey, if it’s good enough for the UAE’s cloud seeding teams. Buhais Geological Park blends into its surroundings with deliberately engineered polish. On the horizon, jagged Jabal peaks stand sentinel, below foot – the familiar desert scree-pocked sand. Picturing this place as a prototypical infinity pool requires an uncommon mind. Buhais Geological Park was designed by renowned British firm Hopkins Architects (who also helped build EXPO 2020 and DIFC’s Gate Village) and was conceived to resemble the fossilised urchins – calcified clues of the area’s past – found on the site. The park offers several sheltered exhibition areas, which reveal more artefact-packed layers of Sharjan history. Located in Kalba this brand new alfresco destination is a blooming marvel. We’re not 100 per cent sure where the ‘hanging’ in the name derives from, but with more than 100,000 trees and flowers – they have the garden aspect covered. Its most striking feature is the calming cascade of the step waterfall – head up the hiking trail for rare and privileged views that will set your Insta artwork project apart. Hanging around (maybe that’s where it’s from)? Nearby you’ll find a running track, skatepark, play areas and two restaurants. There’s also a mini excursion train complete with its own stations running along the base. It’s stuff like this that makes it easy to choo-choose Sharjah. Located in Al Dhaid City, this new Sharjah attraction offers a fascinating insight into the region’s desert wildlife and ecological make-up. It does that via the kid-friendly mediums of interactive exhibits and digital experiences, and features a dedicated children’s hall – where little explorers can get hands-on proximity to fun educational activities and games. Because sneaky, subconscious learning is the very best sort. Al Dhaid City, Dhs10.50 (kids under 12, free)