Dubai is a city of contrasts – from the tranquillity of the desert to the hustle of town, there’s a lot to see and do! Thanks to its central location on the centre of so many international long haul routes, Dubai is the right stopover city to enjoy for a number of days, so in case you’re passing through, listed here are a few of the most effective things to do in town!
Everything you have to do in Dubai
1. Take within the Views from the World’s Tallest Building
An awesome solution to start your time in Dubai and gain an appreciation for the dimensions of town, head to the highest of the world’s tallest constructing – the Burj Khalifa. From here you may soak up views of the whole city, though do note that the view changes on daily basis! For our visit, the view was quite hazy, but on day, you may see well into the gap. Sunrise and sunset are also magical times to go to and end up on top of the clouds, but be sure you book your visit a number of weeks prematurely of your trip because the tower is booked out each day!
Location: Burj Khalifa
Price: $40 USD per person
2. Swim in a glass pool
After stepping off the 14 hour flight from Australia, my first port of call was the hotel swimming pool to refresh for the day. We were staying on the Four Seasons DIFC, which we soon discovered was home to Dubai’s only glass pool with an incredible view of downtown Dubai.
Location: Four Seasons Dubai International Financial Centre
Price: From $350 USD per night
3. Visit the Al Maha Desert
The city of Dubai has loads to supply by means of activities, especially in case you fancy experiencing a desert safari Dubai. I’ve visited the desert of Dubai a few times now and my favourite operator continues to be Platinum Heritage, who take their guests to a non-public desert reserve called Al Maha. This reserve is owned by the royal family who’ve a weekend home here and own a component of the tour company who’re renowned for offering probably the most authentic and fascinating desert safari to visitors.
Location: Platinum Heritage Safari Tours, Al Maha Desert
Price: $160 USD per person for the Heritage Safari or Camel Safari
4. Experience the Talise Spa on the Burj Al Arab
One of my favourite experiences on all of my trips to Dubai has been arriving on the Talise Spa, positioned on the eighteenth floor of the Burj Al Arab. This hotel is understood for being the world’s only 7 star hotel, a title that isn’t in any respect correct (five stars is the international max), but you’ll soon see why it gained this title once you step inside! The spa is a world of mosaic tiles, full of thousands and thousands of them and lots of of them gold (so incredible to see!)
Location: Talise Spa, Burj Al Arab
Price: 45 minute neck massage $176 USD per person, includes access to spa facilities
5. Visit the Spice and Gold Souks
It took me a number of visits to Dubai to finally visit the souks, given their location is a brief taxi ride out of the way in which and I had heard they were a bit on the touristy side (correction: loads!) Despite this, the souks are an excellent solution to get a feel for “old Dubai”, especially if that is your first visit to a souk. They don’t have anything on the experience you will see that in Muscat (Oman) or Marrakech (Morocco), but they’re still an experience nonetheless.
Location: Old Dubai Spice Souks and Gold Souks
Price: Free
6. See the Dubai Fountain Show
Each evening outside of the Dubai Mall and underneath the Burj Khalifa, visitors to Dubai can benefit from the renowned Dubai fountain show. While it may not sound like much, the show is pretty speccy and funky to see, with the glittering lights of the Burj Kahlifa within the background. My favourite place I actually have found to observe the fountain show is at Thiptara Thai Restaurant.
Location: Dubai Fountain Show // Thiptara
Price: Free
7. Go Skiing indoors at Ski Dubai
I can’t say it was the most effective ski experience I’ve had (granted I’m comparing to the mountain scenery of the likes of Zermatt, Arosa, Jasper and Chile), nevertheless it was an experience nonetheless! There’s only one chairlift and one full run, but in case you’re up for an activity and need to see what all of the fuss is about, then that is an excellent solution to spend a few hours within the Mall of the Emirates.
Location: Ski Dubai, Mall of the Emirates
Price: $74 per person
8. Go Dune Bashing within the Desert
If a 4:00am get up call for a hot air balloon ride isn’t your thing, a Dubai desert safari may be a bit more to your taste. There are a spread of tour firms offering afternoon dune bashing excursions, so be sure you pick one which most accurately fits your style. My preference is Platinum Heritage safaris for anything desert-related in Dubai.
Location: Dubai Desert
Price: $160 USD per person with Platinum Heritage
9. Overload on Arabic Pastries
Still considered one of my favourite elements of a visit to the Middle East is to enjoy all the delicious Arabic pastries! My favourite continues to be the old and faithful baklava, but there are such a lot of variations across the continent that you simply’ll be spoilt for selection!
Price: Varies
10. Spend the Day at Jumeirah Beach
If you’re more of a lay-in-the-sun form of traveller, then you definitely’ll love Jumeirah Beach. Personally I actually have a brief attention span, so lasted roughly 20 minutes on the beach before making my solution to a recent activity (ha!) The beaches don’t compare to the fantastic thing about Aussie beaches, though I find it hard to seek out comparable beaches anywhere else on this planet outside of the Pacific!
Location: Jumeirah Beach
Price: Non-alcoholic drinks for 50 dirhams (not low-cost!)
11. Encounter Marine Wildlife on the Dubai Aquarium
Marine wildlife conservation and education is a robust theme here in Dubai, with each the Dubai aquarium and the Lost Chamber on the Dubai Mall having two very large and impressive aquariums. Personally I’m not an enormous fan of seeing wildlife in enclosures, but in case you’re travelling with kids that is an excellent solution to educate them and learn concerning the conservation projects.
Location: Dubai Aquarium on the Dubai Mall
Price: $28 per person for the underwater zoo; Free if standing on the shopping center viewing point
12. Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride over the Desert
On our last morning in Dubai we woke up at 4:00am to take a hot air balloon ride over the desert. This was my third hot air balloon experience but definitely probably the most memorable. Compared to other hot air ballon rides, the scenery and landscape of the desert was incomparable!
Location: Dubai Desert
Price: $360 USD pp with Platinum Heritage
13. Step inside Talise Ottoman Spa at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
Another beautiful spa to envision out in case you wish to spoil yourself is at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. The property is a bit out of the way in which in case you’re not staying on the palm, however the spa is completely value it! It isn’t only popular with out of town visitors, but locals too.
Location: Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
Price: Treatment prices vary, from $150 USD
14. Stay Overnight within the Desert
Another solution to encounter the Dubai desert for those on the lookout for an actual adventure, is to remain overnight at a conventional Bedouin Camp. You can join a safari tour within the late afternoon, followed by an evening underneath the celebs and a morning waking as much as a convention bedouin breakfast.
Price: Available with Platinum Heritage Safari Tours; Add-on to chosen Safari Package
15. Check out the Palace Hotel Downtown
One of my favourite hotels in Dubai can be one of the crucial beautiful to come back to envision out, even in case you’re not staying there. The Palace Hotel Downtown is connected to the Dubai Mall via the Souks, so be sure you wander along if you would like to see the symmetry of the hotel’s exterior. The lobby can be equally impressive and non-hotel guests can visit for a drink or meal at considered one of the restaurants. I can highly recommend Thiptara Thai restaurant connected to the hotel and it has an unbeatable view of the Dubai fountain show!
Location: Palace Hotel Downtown
Price: Free in case you’re coming for a go searching!
16. Take a Boat Ride at Madinat Jumeirah
If you end up over on Jumeirah beach, then be sure you drop by the Madinat Jumeirah for a conventional boat ride along the waterfront. There are loads of restaurants on this area and beach clubs to stop by and luxuriate in a drink. This is kind of a residential a part of town, making it an excellent location to envision out in case you fancy moving to Dubai (remember, the United Arab Emirates has some great tax advantages!) There are some great movers and packs in Dubai to assist get you there in case you fancy a move to the center of the world.
Price: $23 USD per person
17. Book a Room with a View
Often the most effective solution to see Dubai is out of your hotel window or balcony, so be sure you request a room with a view! Some of the most effective views are sometimes present in the Dubai financial district, which isn’t commonly a primary selection for leisure travellers. This view is from the Shangri-La Downtown Dubai, which has more of a business hotel feel to it, but undeniably top-of-the-line views over town!
18. Eat a Milkshake for Lunch
This little gem has long been on my foodie bucketlist in NYC, however the lines have at all times been so long that I wind up choosing a second selection elsewhere. When I heard that Black Tap had opened a restaurant in Dubai, I knew it was fate for me to go to! While they’re most famous for his or her milkshakes (which go for a whopping $25 AUD in Dubai), in addition they do a extremely great burger. It’s not low-cost but what, if anything, is in Dubai!?
Location: Black Tap Dubai
Price: Milkshakes are a whopping $18 USD a pop, but value it!
19. See Dubai From Above
One of the experiences I’m yet to try in Dubai can be one of the crucial popular – a helicopter flight over town to see the Palm from above. Although not low-cost, that is one other great solution to see Dubai from above and get a birdseye view of town (a less expensive option could be to go to the highest of the Burj Khalifa and hope for clear skies!)
Location: Heli Dubai
Price: 12 Minutes for $180 USD per person
20. Spot Wildlife within the Dubai Desert
Another activity I’d highly recommend within the desert is to hitch a wildlife safari and see the famous Oryx and Gazelle. It took my three visits to Dubai to finally do that, but I’d say it might need to be considered one of my favourite experiences!
Location: Dubai Desert
21. Check out the Atlantis the Palm Hotel
As one of the crucial iconic structures in Dubai, the Atlantis Hotel is a staple in most visitors’ Dubai itineraries. The hotel is usually booked out and doesn’t come low-cost, but the excellent news is you may visit the property without staying. If you might be visiting as a non-hotel guest, you’ll only be allowed in restricted areas (just like the Aquaventure park, Lost Chambers, shopping area and restaurants).
Location: Atlantis the Palm Dubai
22. Make a Day Trip to Abu Dhabi
With such close proximity between the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, you’ll be selling yourself short in case you don’t make at the least a day trip to to nearby Abu Dhabi. Here I’d recommend visiting the Grand Mosque (truly a sight for the eyes), Emirates Palace (ditto on that one), and in case you haven’t already, enterprise out to the desert. If you’re trying to do most of the highlights in Dubai, try these Dubai Combos to profit from your stopover in Dubai.
Location: Abu Dhabi (139 kilometres from Dubai)
Over to you! What are your favourite things to do in Dubai!?
