A jewel of the Middle East. A marriage of tradition and urban. A go-to destination for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture, beautiful beaches, and a lively nightlife scene as well as for adventure, culture, and throwback to the golden old days.
I’ll walk you through some ideas on how to get the most out of your trip to Dubai and also how to plan 7 days in Dubai (full itinerary provided).
Where to stay in Dubai ?
Historic and culture-rich areas:
- Al Fahaidi
- Al Seef
- Deira Dubai
- Bur Dubai
- Meena Bazaar
- Gold Souk
Luxury and ultramodern areas:
- Jumeirah Beach Residence
- Sheik Zayed Road
- Downtown Dubai
- Dubai Marina
- Dubai Festival City
- The Palm Dubai
What to see and do in Dubai?
There are plenty of beautiful places to see in Dubai and in the surrounding Emirates. Here are a few of our top picks. You can see photos of these locations below.
High end:
The Dubai Mall
The Mall of the Emirates
Dubai Marina Mall
Dubai Festival City Mall
Quality at bargin prices:
Dubai Outlet Mall
The Dragon Mart
Outdoors markets:
Gold Souk
Bur Dubai Souk Market
Al Fahidi Fort
Jumeirah Mosque
Bastakia Quarter
Sheikh Saeed al-Maktoum’s House, home of Dubai’s former ruler
Al Seef Dubai
7 days in Dubai suggested itinerary
After settling in your hotel, head out to La Mer. Soak up the sun, sand and vibrant locality at Dubai’s eclectic beachfront in Jumeirah.
If you are feeling up to it, once you’ve gotten your dose of vitamin-sea, bid the beach farewell and step out to the bustling backstreets of La Mer, packed with over 50 of the region’s newest cuisine concepts, a waterpark and emerging street art in an overflow of fun for all. You’ll even find Dubai’s most iconic sites just moments away – so keep your camera at hand as you explore the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa, all within easy reach.
P.S if you’re not too bothered about a safari or dont have time for it but would like to have a camel ride then book into the beach bar grill for lunch at the Ritz Carlton JBR, and take a leisurely camel ride along the beach.
Go on a shopping spree!
The Dubai Mall is a great destination for all family memebers with a great selection of shops and restaurents.
The children can enjoy Kidzania while you finish your retail therapy or enjoy a lovely meal.
You can all then watch the dancing fountains or go up Burj Khalifa.
Don’t forget to stop at the Aquarium!
You can head out from Dubai Mall and explore Downtown Dubai.
Go on a cultural tour
Jumeriah mosque is a landmark in Dubai (you’d need to dress modestly).
Visit Souk Madinet Jumeriah for a walk around and then lunch.
Late afternoon or evening visit Al Seef and have a drink or dinner at the water side, then enjoy a stroll through a modern verison of old Dubai.
You’ll be mesmerized for sure.
Tap into your adventoures side!
How about you try the steepest and fastest ziplines in the world. Set in Dubai Marina, XLINE will give you an experience to remember.
Or for a more chilled adventure head to Ski Dubai based in the Mall of the Emirates. It offers a variety of activities which give you the chance to ski, snowboard , meet the penguins , biplane or take the chairlift ride.
You can swap that with a day at the Dubai Miracle Gardens.
Discover Old Dubai and visit Dubai Frame.
Wonder around the Gold Souk (Souk is the Arabic word for market), they dont only sell gold, but also spices, clothing and much more.
We’d love to help you design your bespoke trip to Dubai
Places to eat in Dubai
For quirky and ultra-luxury dining spots head to:
1- Dinner in the Sky
2- Armani/Amal Restaurant
3- Gevora Lounge – Highest lounge in Dubai
4- 5-7 course High Tea at Burj Al Arab
5- Pier Chic
6- Buddha Bar Dubai
7- Friday bottomless brunch at White at the Palm Beach Club – ‘Atlantis’
8- Aisan Fusin on the canal at Zheng He
Here are some of my personal favorite places to eat in Dubai. You’ll get to mix with the locals and day-to-day people when you visit these restaurants and have a true and authentic bite.
1- Kite on Salt beach for burgers.
2- Shake Shack is a burger chain but it’s super awesome (can’t decide if it’s the best or Kite is the best!).
3- Al Samad: Iraqi restaurant with amazing food – multiple locations.
4- Bosphorus: Turkish restaurant again with amazing food – multiple locations.
5- Shakespeare cafe is a pretty cool place for brunch.
6- Chocolate vintage lounge – where everything is chocolate! located in Dubai Mall.
7- PF Chang – best Chinese ever! multiple locations.
8- Sikka cafe along the city walk and also at La Mer beach – really nice food and atmosphere.
Connectivity
Free WiFi available around the city, register details online to gain access
Currency
Dirham (AED) Check conversion rates here
Visa
Depends on the country of origin. None required for UK nationals
How to budget
Dubai is set to become the number one destination in the world for luxury tourism. However, that doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy Dubai on a budget. There are plenty of accommodation options, alternative transport modes, free activities to do and plenty of restaurants that won’t break the bank.
Cultural Expectations in the UAE
When visiting any country, it is crucial to be well-aware of local customs. This will help avoid any cultural faux pas and help you enjoy your trip and interact with locals, without offending anyone.
Religious insights:
- Ramadan is the holy month in the Islamic calendar and is extremely important. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset during the holy month. When visiting the UAE during Ramadan it’s crucial to know not to eat, drink, smoke, or even chew gum in public. Aside from it being highly offensive to those who are fasting, it is also not allowed by law in the country.
- Under no circumstances should one take pictures of Emirati women. Additionally, it’s considered extremely offensive to stare at women in national dress. Although tourists may do so innocently and out of curiosity, this shouldn’t be done at all. Any sort of unwelcome physical contact is seen as a form of disrespect and even flirting with Emirati women is frowned upon.
Public behaviors:
There are a few public behaviors that are extremely frowned up – and sometimes even illegal in the UAE. Being drunk and disorderly is a big no-no and people can even be taken in by the police for doing so. Additionally, public displays of affection are deemed to be rather disrespectful to Emirati culture. Another thing to be mindful of as tourists are what to take pictures of. It’s illegal to take photos of women, in addition to military and government facilities.
Best time to visit
Winter months, from November to April. January and February see heavy tourist traffic due to shopping festivals.
Navigate offline
Download the RTA Smart Drive app and navigate your route while offline
Transport
You can catch an Uber, Dubai taxi offers a great service as well, or you can use the metro, it stops at most tourist destinations.