The 9 Best Things To Do in Dubai
D. U. B. A. I. Dazzling. Unique. Bright. Amusing. Inventive. With its futuristic architecture, magnificent malls, luxury cars, alluring markets and unbelievable man-made attractions, Dubai is an ultramodern ever-changing multicultural city set in the Arabian Desert that you will certainly not forget. In this post we will tell you about the 9 best things to do in Dubai, where to stay and how to get around.
We visited Dubai twice – in 1995 and then again in 2015. What was a rather quiet desert Arab city 20 years ago, turned during two decades into a liberal culturally diverse metropolis where skyscrapers tower over opulent shopping malls and only 1 in 10 residents is an Emirati. What a change!
The 9 Best Things To Do in Dubai
1. Burj Khalifa
Dubai always wants to be the best and with the construction of the iconic 828-metre tall Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, it really got to the top in 2008 and has remained there since then. It’s possible to view Burj Khalifa from the Dubai Mall (that’s the way we did it); and to have a 360 degree views of Dubai, you can also go up by elevator to the At the Top, Burj Khalifa observation decks, which are located on floors number 124, 125 and 148. Book tickets in advance on burjkhalifa.ae.
2. Dubai Fountain & Dubai Mall
Dubai boasts lots of unbelievable attractions that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. Dubai fountain, the world’s largest dancing fountain, is one them.
As the Dubai Fountain is located in the Dubai Mall, it’s very easy to find it. You can watch the spectacular evening shows every 30 minutes from 6 pm to 11 pm daily. What’s more, the famous fountain is set by Burj Khalifa that you will see during the fountain performance in the background.
We watched two wonderful fountain dances and chose the second one for you to admire it too!
3. The Mall of the Emirates & Ski Dubai
Honestly, we are not fans of shopping malls, but we must admit that the malls of Dubai are really worth visiting at least once in a lifetime. Both Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates boast with exclusive interior design, luxury stores and the Mall of the Emirates has got even an indoor ski resort!
Yes, everything is possible in Dubai.
Even in tropical desert climate with temperatures reaching 45 °C in summer, you can go skiing. Ski Dubai has got 5 slopes on a 85-metre high indoor mountain and the temperature inside is -1°C.
We love skiing, but these slopes seemed to be quite short for us. 🙂
Luxury cars parked by the entrance to the Mall of Emirates are another outstanding attraction.
When was the last time you had an opportunity to take a good close look at a Ferrari, Lamborgini or Rolls-Royce?
4. Gold Souk
Whether you intend to buy golden jewellery or not, to take a stroll through the dazzling Gold Souk, the most famous and visited market in Dubai, is a must. You will see necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings and even a dress made of gold. The current retail gold rates are displayed on signs; prices are listed for 24K, 22K, 21K and 18K in dirhams per gram.
5. Abra Ride at Dubai Creek
When you finish your walk through the Gold Souk, take a ride in a pretty traditional boat called abra across the Dubai Creek. The ride costs only 1 dirham and you pay to the abra captain. This is the best way to enjoy the creek and to get to the other part of the city. Abras run from early morning until midnight and can carry up to 20 people across the creek. You can get in and out at various stations along each side.
6. Dubai Museum
The Dubai Museum located in the Al Fahidi Fort is definitely worth a visit. You will get an insight into the interesting history of Dubai, including the life and culture of the locals before the discovery of oil in UAE. It was fascinating to see how the Emiratis lived before the oil was found and how fast Dubai has developed into such a modern multicultural city.
7. Jumeirah Beach
And then there’s the beach, of course!
The main Dubai’s beach is called Jumeirah Beach. If you go to Jumeirah beach number 4, you will be right by Burj Al Arab. If you stay until the sunset, you can take beautiful sunset photos of the famous hotel with the sun going down in the background.
Sunbathing and swimming in bikini is allowed; there are convenient toilets, changing rooms and a few small kiosks on the beach.
8. Burj Al Arab
Burj Al Arab describes itself as “the only 7 star hotel in the world”. You must have heard of this incredible hotel that is shaped like a sailing boat.
Would you like to stay at this amazing hotel? Make sure you sit before clicking the link. 🙂
Check out the best deals & book you stay at Burj Al Arab on Agoda!
9. The World & Palm Island
The World and Palm Jumeirah are artificial islands by Dubai’s coast. There are hotels and people living on Palm Jumeirah and almost all of the 300 islands of The World (artificial islands creating the shape of the world) have been sold but only one of them, Lebanon, has buildings and restaurants. It was interesting to see all these man-made attractions.
And how can you actually see them? You will have the best view from the plane, so make sure your flight arrives to Dubai (or leaves Dubai) during the day and book a window seat!
Another option to see the Palm Island is to go to Dubai Marina (in the photo below), one of the newest districts of Dubai, and take a look from one of the hotels’ rooftops. Just ask at the reception and you will be then allowed to go up by lift, even though you are not staying at that hotel. We went to see the Palm Island from the rooftop of Marriott Hotel. The view was far from the perfect view we had out of the airplane window though.
ps: If you have enough time, don’t forget to explore the desert and mountains that are within reach of Dubai.
We didn’t go to the desert this time, but still have nice memories of the quietness and vastness of the beautiful dunes from our visit in 1995. 🙂
Where to stay in Dubai:
Hotels:
You will find luxury as well as budget hotels in Dubai. The prices start at around 150 AED ($40, 39 euro, £28 ) per night for a room in a 1 or 2 star hotel, while 4 star hotels offer their rooms from 360 AED ($ 100, 90 euro, £ 60) – excluding charges, which is quite a good deal for Dubai. The prices of the most luxurious hotels then go up to $ 3500 per night.
The best thing to do is to shop around the booking sites Agoda and Booking.com and find the best deal. Hotels often have special promotions so if you find one, don’t wait too long as these promotions sell fast.
Note! The price per room per night you see on the booking sites doesn’t include special charges and other fees, so check the section where it says ‘Not included’. The charges are usually around 20% of the price for the room.
Find the best deal & book your hotel stay in Dubai on Agoda now!
Hostels:
There are a few hostels in Dubai, so if you travel on your own and want to stay in a dorm, check them out and book your stay on HostelWorld. The price of a bed in a dorm starts at 50 dirham ($13, 12 euro, £ 10).
You will also find dorms (for the same price as HostelWorld), as well as rooms for short-term rent on Airbnb. Check out offers on Airbnb & get 20 $ travel credit for your first stay.
How to get around:
- Taxis – taxis in Dubai are safe and quite fast. For a 10-minute ride you will pay around 15 dirham ($5).
- Metro – metro in Dubai is fast and very modern. You can buy a grey card at the metro station which you will then top up. One journey costs from 3-7 dirham, depending on the number of stops.
- Buses – Buses are not very fast and don’t run very often, but they take you to places where the metro doesn’t. One journey costs around 3-5 dirhams and you need to have enough balance on your grey card before getting on.
How to get in and out:
Dubai is connected with the rest of the world very well and could be a transit stop on your travels. Whether you are arriving from/leaving for Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia…. you will always find lots of flights!
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Have you been to Dubai?
What were the highlights of your trip?
What would you add to this ‘best things to do in Dubai’ list?
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Sophie Brannon
Great article! Dubai is one of my favourite places in the world.
Sand duning in the desert in a 4×4 jeep and riding a camel are some of the things I’d add to this list.
Views from the Burj are gorgeous and the giant aquarium in the mall is incredible!
Simply Nomadic Life
Sophie BrannonThanks, Sophie! That’s great you love Dubai too!
Thanks for adding your tips. The trip to the desert is fantastic. We have done it back in 1995 when we first visited Dubai.
How cool you went up the Burj Khalifa. It must have been amazing.:)
We saw the huge aquarium in the mall, but we felt quite sorry for the fish swimming there. We guess they would rather be in the ocean. But that’s Dubai – a city where everything is possible.
Thank you for your comment.
Happy travels! Petra & Veru
Jean Dalby
we spend a lot of time in Dubai,either 2 weeks at xmas time when the temperature is brilliant or as stopovers on the way to Oz,both ways always a holiday of about 5-6 days,about 30 visit/holidays there.love it but not in their summer too hot.xmas time is good. Miracle Gardens,everything made of flowers even an A380. houses,so much and pretty and the Glow Gardens for kids and adults in the evening,such colours of trees animals everything glows in the dark,brilliant. Up the tallest building was ok but pick a good clear day,it doesn’t take you to the very top.Never miss the Old Gold Souq,always buy some 22t necklaces,bracelets,rings pendents,so beautiful.has increased a lot in price obviously from years ago,was a real bargain then.The Dubai Mall with the water fountain display at night is lovely looking on to the tallest building and the Dubai Marina Mall is wonderful inside and outside,dhows up and down outside and can sit in cafes looking at all the comings and goings and take a dhow ride as we did.plenty of parks for children like Creek Park,Safa Park,Childrens City,then you have the beaches of course and Wadi Waterworld,all taxis will take you there and are so very cheap.Shopping is out of this world with the Malls etc, but go local the bazaars,wonder around inside and outside,its amazing,we have been on the metro ,never on a bus all the scores and scores of taxis the rest of the time,sometimes 6-8 in one day,the government run ones are metered,don’t go in other ones,we did once and was charged 3 times as much from the airport,exit the airport and join the quick queue,there will be some people there telling you which taxis line to go in,very very busy,but don’t accept one asking in the airport,TAXI SIR/MADAM ono.ripped off. The Old Gold Souk have young lads asking fake rolex fake everything,they are very truthful about it,if thats what you want,but say no if you don’t and they go away. very mannerly people,hotels the staff are all so well mannered,don’t forget you have a little money to pay when leaving its not much different taxes if not already paid beforehand. Just decide where you want to go ,get a taxi easily and enjoy,but in summer couldn’t go outside was 46 degrees and no pleasure,only did it once out of 30 times.spoilt it. .it you cant enjoy something in Dubai, well you don’t enjoy life,its safe,very safe and yes you can wear a bikini on the beaches but be respectful in malls and walking around,wonderful holiday place and buzzing. enjoy.
Simply Nomadic Life
Jean DalbyDear Jean, thank you for your comment. That’s amazing you spend a few days in Dubai every year! We’re happy to hear you love Dubai. We also enjoyed our last visit and are looking forward to the next one!
Happy travels! 🙂
Petra & Veru