The crystal clear and warm turquoise water is a big draw for visitors coming to the UAE! What’s more, Sharjah has some beautiful beaches with the most well-known being Sharjah Beach, however you may be missing a hidden gem!
Al Khan Beach features some of the most beautiful sunsets you will see during your stay as well as plenty of activities to keep you entertained for hours. It is in a great location in relation to attractions, and the transport links are good too.
Al Khan Beach Location
Al Khan Beach can be found at the edge of the Al Khaledia Suburb and a 10 minute walk from the Sharjah Aquarium. Compared to other hotspots, the beach is often fairly quiet but is still packed with activities, clear water and warm sandy shores!
Things To Do At And Near Al Khan Beach
There are plenty of activities to take part in at Al Khan Beach. This makes for a great spot if you are looking to take part in sports, water sports, or other activities without the crowds!
Make A Splash With Water Sports
Water sports and water activities are a big high point for holidays! On Al Khan Beach is the G2O Beach Sports centre which offers sports gear renting, water sports trips, and activities. There is a good selection of activities ranging from exhilarating thrills to activities you can take at your own pace.
The trips and activities G2O Beach Sports offers include:
- Jet Ski Rental
- Kite Surfing
- Parasailing
- Inflatables including the Fly Fish, the Banana, and the Donut
- Flyboarding
- Kayaking
- Paddle Boarding
Play Some Sports
If you want to play a good old fashioned game of beach volleyball, Al Khan Beach offers the perfect amount of space and sand texture to have fun! Plus Al Khan encourages sports by having tennis, football, and beach volleyball courts on the beach for visitors to enjoy. So, bring along your gear and it’s game on!
Activities For Children
Al Khan Beach has some great facilities for children to enjoy especially if you are worried they may get bored. The beach is home to a colourful playground complete with climbing walls, slides, and swings.
Visit Sharjah Aquarium
The Sharjah Aquarium is just around the corner from the beach, so Al Khan makes for a convenient location after having a visit around one of Sharjah’s biggest attractions!
If you are a marine lover, you will love the turtle rehabilitation program where the aquarium staff take in injured or sick turtles to care for them until they’re healthy enough to be released back into the wild.
There is plenty to learn at the Sharjah Aquarium as you can find out all about the UAE’s aquatic life including seeing sea rays, reef sharks, and clownfish. This is a great way to learn about the marine life around Sharjah as these are largely the species housed here.
If you want to freshen up your knowledge further, Sharjah Aquarium often runs seminars, workshops and exhibitions, so keep an eye out for any that might take your fancy! There is also a gift shop and café making for a convenient spot to buy a souvenir or grab a spot of lunch before heading over to the beach.
What is great is that the aquarium entry fees are low and you can more often than not, buy joint tickets with the Sharjah Maritime Museum.
Ticket prices (With Sharjah Maritime Museum):
Children (Ages 2 and Under): Free
Children (Aged 2 to 12): 15 AED
Adults (Aged 13+): 25 AED
Opening Hours:
Saturday to Thursday: 8am – 8pm
Friday: 2pm – 8pm
Sunday: Closed
See more about Sharjah Aquarium in our article on the Dubai Mall Aquarium vs Sharjah Aquarium.
Visit Sharjah Maritime Museum
As teased, the Sharjah Maritime Museum is also well worth a visit. Located a 5 minute walk from Al Khan Beach, you can get a joint ticket with the Sharjah Aquarium for a worthwhile and affordable trip out!
This is another good visit if you are looking to learn more about Sharjah and the UAE’s interesting boating history. At the museum, you can learn about the impact of the sea on Sharjah as well as a bit more about the marine life and heritage. You can also see some of the traditional dhows which were used for fishing, trading, and pearl diving, making up a key part of the UAE’s history. You can learn further about the fishing methods, pearl diving, sea songs, and how they traded here too.
As for tickets, you can opt for the tied in option with the Sharjah Aquarium, or if you’d rather just visit the museum these are the ticket prices:
Children (Age 2 and Under): Free
Children (Aged 2 to 12): 5 AED
Adults (Aged 13+): 10 AED
Opening Hours:
Saturday to Thursday: 8am – 8pm
Friday: 2pm – 8pm
How To Get To Al Khan Beach From Dubai
If you’re actually staying in Dubai, you may still fancy a trip out to visit the neighbouring Sharjah and Al Khan Beach! Fortunately, it is a fairly stress free journey, so in this section we will take you through how to get to Al Khan Beach from different hotspots in Dubai.
From Downtown Dubai
The quickest way to get from Downtown Dubai to Al Khan Beach by far is by car or taxi, taking approximately 20 minutes and covering 16 miles. A taxi fare to the beach will cost you around 45 AED – 60 AED each way.
If you are planning to travel by public transport, the best way is probably by bus and taxi which will take approximately 40 minutes. Simply hop on the X22 at the Empire Heights Towers Stop and ride for around 30 minutes until you reach Burj Al Noor at Al Nahda 1. The X22 arrives approximately every 30 minutes, so you don’t have to stress too much about waiting around. From here, you will need a taxi to make the rest of the way. However, the total trip should cost between 26 AED – 33 AED each way, but this will depend on the number of people going.
From The Palm
As for The Palm, the quickest route will be by car or taxi, which will take approximately 30 to 35 minutes and covering around 27 miles each way. Taxi costs will be around 80 AED – 100 AED each way. As for public transport, there are several options that will be around the same time length.
Firstly, you can catch a tram which will take around 3 minutes to take you off of The Palm, then walk to catch the 8 bus at Royal Mirage Hotel 2 for a journey that will take around 55 minutes, then get off at the Gold Souq Bus Station for a taxi for the rest of the way.
The tram arrives around every 20 minutes and the 8 bus arrives around every 30 minutes. As for the total trip, you will be looking at spending 37 AED – 50 AED each way, but this will vary on the passenger numbers. The total journey there will take around 1 hour and 38 minutes.
The other option for public transport is by catching the same 3 minute tram to get off of The Palm, then walking for just under 15 minutes to the Media City 1 tram stop to catch the T1, which will take around 9 minutes to Dubai Marina. At Dubai Marina you change to catch the MRed subway service, which will take you around 35 minutes to reach the Union Metro Station.
From here, you will need a taxi to take you the rest of the way. The T1 tram and MRed subway services both arrive every 10 minutes. Obviously, this is a more complicated route but it works out at taking a total journey time of 1 hour and 25 minutes. The total cost will work out at around 35 AED – 49 AED each way.
From JBR
As for travelling to Al Khan Beach from JBR, by car or taxi will cover 29 miles and will take you around 35 minutes. For a taxi fare, you are looking at between 85 AED – 110 AED.
As for public transport, the first option is much like The Palm’s. You can walk for 5 to 10 minutes to the Jumeirah Beach Residence 2 bus stop to catch the 8 service which will take around an hour. You should then get off at the Gold Souq Bus Station to catch a taxi for the rest of the journey. The trip will cost around 38 AED – 51 AED and will take around 1 hour and 20 minutes each way.
The second option is also similar to The Palm’s. First you should walk for 15 to 20 minutes to the DMCC Metro Station 2 to catch the MRed service, which you should ride for around 40 minutes to get off at the Union Metro Station and catch a taxi for the rest of the trip. The total journey should be around 1 hour and 10 minutes either way, costing 32 AED – 45 AED.
Places To Eat Near To Al Khan Beach
If you’re heading down to the Al Khan Beach for the day, you are likely to want to know what food and drink places there are nearby!
G2O Café
Heading back to an onsite source of activities, G2O Water Sports also has a café right there, on the beach for your convenience. The food served includes pasta dishes, fruit, ice cream, and international dishes. There are also plenty of juices, smoothies, and soft drinks to help you cool off at the water’s edge!
Burj Al Khan
Burj Al Khan is located about a 15 minute walk from Al Khan Beach, but it makes for a great stop if you are looking for a range of food. The menu includes a range of dishes such as salads, sandwiches, burgers, fried chicken, and grills. This makes for a convenient stop for lunch or dinner. The food is also affordable with the average cost being 85 AED for two people for mains, appetisers, drinks and a dessert.
Shabab Al Khan
Shabab Al Khan is located around a 15 minute walk from Al Khan Beach and similarly to Burj Al Khan, makes a great stop for a quick meal. The menu includes meals such as burgers, fried chicken, chilli chicken, sandwiches, seafood, and fries. Much like Burj Al Khan, the food prices are reasonable with the average cost for 2 mains and 2 drinks being 50 AED.
La Bamba Restaurant
Located a 15 minute walk from Al Khan Beach, La Bamba is at the Occidental Sharjah Grand Hotel and is a great option if you are wanting to eat in and relax rather than stop for a quick meal. The menu includes traditional dishes such as cuscus, paella, grills, and steaks. Meals are more expensive here but make for a great treat out, costing on average 330 AED for appetisers, mains, drinks, and a dessert for two people.
Hotels Close By To Al Khan Beach
If you’re staying in Sharjah, you’ll likely want to visit the beaches and some of the popular attractions. Fortunately, there are some great hotel options right by Al Khan Beach, catering for different budgets!
Lou’Lou’a Beach Resort
Lou’Lou’a Beach Resort is a 3 star hotel located right by the beach and provides a cost friendly and family friendly holiday! Located just a 10 – 15 minute walk from Al Khan Beach and is well equipped to offer an enjoyable trip.
You can find 3 restaurants onsite, the Al Khaimah Restaurant serving international buffets, and Al Waha Pool Restaurant and Lou Lou Café for light snacks. The room types are compact as there are 3 options to choose from, a City View room, a Sea View room, and a Junior Suite. As for additional facilities the hotel has a pool, a gym, a private beach and offers a selection of water sports.
Room cost per person per night: 147.25 AED – 890 AED
Occidental Sharjah Grand
We briefly mentioned the Occidental Sharjah Grand Hotel for nearby restaurants, but it also makes a good place to stay! This 4 star hotel is located right on the beach complete with palm trees and a modern comfy architecture.
The hotel is approximately a 20 minute walk from Al Khan Beach or alternatively, 5 minutes by car. The hotel offers all inclusive accommodation and is complete with 3 onsite restaurants. Firstly, the previously mentioned La Bamba for a range of delicious dishes, La Terrace Café for waffles, sandwiches, cakes, and pancakes, and the Al Meena Restaurant for an international buffet.
There are 9 different room types to choose from making for an ideal stay, no matter the group size. These are a Deluxe City View room, Deluxe Sea View room, Cabana, Junior Suite, Executive Suite, Family Suite, Deluxe Suite, Family Room, and Presidential Suite.
There’s a great selection of water sport activities offered here including body boarding, kayaking, wind surfing, cruises, jet skis, water skis, banana boat rides, speed boats, and wake boarding. There is also a health and wellness studio plus a tennis court and pool onsite.
Room cost per person per night: 255 AED – 1,723 AED
Pullman Sharjah
Pullman Sharjah is an artistic and contemporary hotel with a classy atmosphere! It is a 5 star hotel and is located a bit further afield than the previous two, being a 45 minute walk or an 8 minute drive to Al Khan Beach.
Even though this hotel is located a bit further into the city, it makes for a good connection to neighbouring Dubai. Pullman Sharjah has 2 onsite restaurants with the first being Al Khan which has a soft and elegant interior whilst serving local and international buffets with live cooking stations. The second restaurant is The Junction which is a café making for a perfect spot for business meetings and a place to relax.
As for accommodation, there are 4 different room types to have your pick from, with the rooms offering twin or king sized beds. These are the City View Superior Room, Lagoon View Deluxe Room, City View Executive Suite, and Lagoon View Deluxe Suite. As for activities, Pullman Sharjah has a spa, offers boat excursions, a kids club, a pool, and a gym.
Room cost per person per night: 271.08 AED – 652.60 AED
Conclusion
Overall Al Khan Beach makes for a great trip whether you are wanting to get out of the city or simply want to explore somewhere new! With plenty of activities onsite and affordable attractions within a short walking distance, Al Khan is a worthwhile stretch of beach to visit.
The neighbouring hotels offer some great facilities to keep you interested and there are some good food spots nearby for any budget and taste!
Thanks for reading! We hope you felt inspired to explore the beautiful emirates of the UAE! Make sure to come back for more on Dubai & Abu Dhabi. Also, follow us on Pinterest and Subscribe to our Youtube channel too.
