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• Burj Khalifa As the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa is a must-visit destination in Dubai. Towering at a height of 828 meters, it offers breathtaking views of the city skyline from its observation decks. Take the high-speed elevator to the top and witness the mesmerizing panorama of Dubai's modern architecture and surrounding landscapes.
• Palm Jumeirah This iconic man-made island is shaped like a palm tree and is home to some of the most luxurious resorts, hotels, and residences in Dubai. Enjoy pristine beaches, indulge in world-class dining, and take in the stunning views of the Arabian Gulf. Don't miss the opportunity to visit Atlantis, The Palm, a renowned resort with an impressive waterpark and marine habitats.
• Dubai Mall Shopaholics will find paradise at Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest shopping destinations. With over 1,200 retail stores, including high-end fashion brands and popular international retailers, it offers a diverse shopping experience. Apart from shopping, visitors can enjoy various entertainment options such as the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, an ice rink, and the impressive Dubai Fountain show.
• Dubai Marina Dubai Marina is a vibrant waterfront district that showcases the city's modern and cosmopolitan side. With its stunning skyline, luxurious yachts, trendy restaurants, and lively nightlife, it offers a dynamic atmosphere. Take a leisurely walk along the marina promenade, dine at waterfront restaurants, or embark on a relaxing cruise to admire the stunning architecture and enjoy panoramic views.
• Dubai Creek Experience the historic heart of Dubai at Dubai Creek, a saltwater inlet that divides the city into two parts, Deira and Bur Dubai. Explore the traditional side of Dubai by taking an Abra ride (traditional boat) across the creek, visiting the vibrant souks (markets) to shop for spices, textiles, and gold, and wandering through the Al Fahidi Historic District to discover restored heritage houses and museums.
• Unique experiences Choose from a wide range of activities and destinations tailored to your interests.
• Local expertise Connect with local organizers for invaluable insights on the best places to visit in Dubai.
• Shared expenses Reduce overall costs by sharing accommodations and transportation with fellow travelers.
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• Is it safe to travel to Dubai right now? Yes, it is generally safe to travel to Dubai. Dubai prioritizes the safety and security of its visitors, and the city boasts low crime rates. By going with our travel buddies Dubai, you can enjoy the support and camaraderie of like-minded adventurers while exploring Dubai. Our group trips are designed to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants.
• Is Dubai friendly to tourists? Absolutely! Dubai is renowned for its warm and welcoming hospitality towards tourists. The city values its visitors and takes pride in providing exceptional experiences. You can expect friendly interactions, helpful locals, and a thriving tourism infrastructure to enhance your travel experience in Dubai.
• Is Dubai a budget-friendly destination? Traveling in Dubai on a budget is indeed possible, especially when you join our Travel Buddy Dubai trips. By traveling with a group, you can split costs for accommodations, transportation, and activities, making it more affordable. Additionally, our local organizers have insider knowledge of cost-effective options for dining, shopping, and entertainment, ensuring you make the most of your budget while experiencing the best of Dubai.
• How can I make friends while traveling to Dubai with JoinMyTrip? Our Travel Buddy Dubai groups are designed to foster connections and create a sense of camaraderie among travelers. With a cozy group size of 4-8 adventurers, it is easy to bond and make friends with like-minded individuals. You will be exploring Dubai together, sharing unforgettable moments, and creating lifelong memories in no time.
• What's included in JoinMyTrip's Travel Buddy Dubai? JoinMyTrip takes care of all the essential aspects of your trip, including accommodations, activities, entrance fees, and transportation during the group trip. However, please note that transportation to and from Dubai, as well as flights, are not included. Before booking your trip, we provide you with all the necessary details to ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of what is included and what is not.
• How about my safety traveling to Dubai with JoinMyTrip? We conduct thorough background checks on all of our TripLeaders and verify all of our TripMates to ensure your safety and peace of mind. Our 24/7 support team is also available remotely to assist you with any questions or concerns during your trip. Plus, our free JoinMyTrip Travel Insurance , powered by Allianz, is available to cover any unforeseen situations, so you can travel with peace of mind and enjoy your adventure in Dubai!

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Travel on Point(s)

• An Action Packed Itinerary For Dubai That Even Teens Will Love

• December 19, 2023
• Mark Ostermann

Travel on Point(s) is an independent, advertising-supported website. This site is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites like Cardratings.com. This compensation does not impact how or where products appear on this site. Travel on Point(s) has not reviewed all available credit card offers on this site. Reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any partner entities.

Traveling Dubai With Teens

Our buddy Jim Fatzinger  The Travel Organizer  is back with another epic trip report, his grandest yet! In this travel guide to Dubai he will go over his 6 day journey. The twist on this trip report from others is it focuses on traveling Dubai with teens. This should be a good itinerary for most families and it gives a different perspective on the popular travel destination. A big thanks to Jim for putting this together for us.

Table of Contents

Travel, The Gift That Keeps On Giving

My favorite travel-related quote is, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many…need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views…cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” (Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad ). My wife and I decided long ago that if there was anything we could do to challenge prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness and/or to cultivate the values of broad-mindedness, inclusivity, and empathy, we wanted that to be a priority in our lives.

Travel Instead Of Toys

So, when our children (now 47 and 45) hit their teens, we unilaterally decided to jump off the gift-giving bandwagon and use the money that otherwise would have bought items on their wish lists for family travel. Years later, we asked them, “Looking back, which would you have preferred; gifts or those trips?” Without hesitation, both responded, “The trips! Our teachers would talk about places we had actually visited.” Now our children have children, and we have told our 4 grandchildren that, when they turn 14, they can pick pretty much any place in the world. The one requirement was that it’s relatively safe (U.S. State Department Travel Advisory Levels 1 and 2). As long as that is the case we told them we will take them, one at a time, there for a week’s vacation.

First Grandchild Finally Turns 14 But Planning Gets Stalled

As luck would have it, our first-born grandchild turned 14 in February of 2021 – during the global travel shutdown caused by COVID-19. On top of that, his first choice of destination was the People’s Republic of China because he’s taken Chinese language studies since 8 th grade. While travel there is possible, the State Department has assigned the PRC a Level 3 Travel Advisory. His second choice was Dubai but, because he couldn’t afford to miss a week’s worth of classes, we would have to travel after school let out for the summer. Many readers will immediately recognize is Dubai’s “low” season for travel because average daily high temperatures exceed 100° Fahrenheit! So, we began planning for a destination that wasn’t on our radar at a time we could expect to swelter. Great….

Because we wanted this to be his trip, not ours, I put together a list of possible activities with hyperlinks to their websites and asked our grandson to pick the top 10 things he wanted to do. We ended up doing all but one of his choices (denoted with an asterisk [*]). Feel free to request a complimentary copy of this list through Travel on Points .

I also created a detailed packing list which I’m happy to share.

Finally, because we would be visiting a part of the world with some very specific and different customs and laws, I created a 1-page list of “Things You Shouldn’t Do in Dubai”. This, too, is free for the asking for Travel on Points readers.

How We Traveled To Dubai (Hint: In Style)

We wanted to create memories and there are few better ways to travel to the Middle East than Qatar Airways. I used 280,000 AAdvantage miles to book my wife and grandson into QSuites on a CLT→ATL→DOH→DXB itinerary. Since I’m still on the requalification hamster wheel, I paid for my ticket and earned 42,036 redeemable miles and the same number of Loyalty Points. As the Mastercard commercial says, the look on our grandson’s face when he saw his Qsuite (with a door) was priceless!

Traveling Dubai With Teens: Planning Our Itinerary

Understanding Dubai’s geography and public transportation system was essential to helping us minimize expense and get the most out of our visit. Dubai is roughly shaped like a rectangle that is 40 miles long and 10 miles wide. It is tilted at a 45° angle toward the northeast, with the western long side bordered by the Persian Gulf and the eastern long side transitioning into desert. Dubai is transected by the world’s longest single driverless metro line, Dubai’s 32.4 mile long Red Line.

It takes almost an hour on that line to get from the airport to the restaurant (see below) where we ate dinner at the end of our first full day in Dubai. Trust me, you don’t want to be spending all day riding the Metro. That’s a poor use of time and metro fares (which are distance-based) can begin to get expensive the more riders there are in your party. I’ll indicate below when it turned out to be less expensive, more convenient, or both to take a taxi.

Since geography is so important in Dubai, I’ll arrange this trip report by days rather than group attractions, restaurants, etc., under separate headers.

Where We Stayed

Since we were not going to be renting a car and because the temperatures were going to be so hot, I wanted our hotel to be the following:

• (1) be centrally located
• (2) be very near to a metro station on the Red Line
• (3) include breakfast.

The Hampton by Hilton Dubai Al Barsha nailed all 3 points:

• It is just 1 stop from the Mall of the Emirates and 5 stops from Dubai Mall.
• The Hampton is only 2 blocks from the Mashreq metro station.
• It also offers an extensive complimentary breakfast which always included at least 2 hot items.

The icing on the cake, however, was their hospitality team. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome and were extremely helpful in every regard. We booked 2 adjoining rooms for 5 nights for $612.70 (or an average of $61.27 per room, per night). Quite the deal!

Day 1: Ice skating, Dubai Fountain, Food Hall, Museum of the Future, and Ikigai

Many attractions in Dubai allow / promote securing tickets (often timed) in advance. To allow for flight irregularities and jet lag, I intentionally filled the morning and early afternoon of our first day in Dubai with activities where admission without advance purchase would not present a problem. We purchased our NOL (metro) cards at the Mashreq station and rode north for 5 stops to the Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall station. The station is conveniently connected to the Dubai Mall by the long (but air conditioned!) Metro Link Bridge. Cost: AED 5 or $1.36 per person for a regular fare. It would be twice that to use the Gold class cabin.

Ice Skating

Depending on the information source consulted, the Dubai Mall, with its 1,200 stores and more than 200 restaurants, may or may not be listed as the largest mall in the world. One thing it does have is an Olympic-size ice rink and skating was on the list of things our grandson wanted to do. They offer 90-minute sessions, each accommodating up to 350 skaters, daily. The first starts at 10am each day, and the last ends at 10pm (11:45pm on weekends). DJ sessions, which include a snowfall, are offered Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 6:45pm, 8:30pm, and 10:15pm. The location can be found at ground level. The cost to skate is $24.50 / per person normally or $34 / per person for DJ sessions.

After ice skating, we decided to check out Play DXB , the world’s largest indoor virtual reality entertainment area. The entry is on Level 2, next to Reel Cinemas , the 26-screen movie theater in the Dubai Mall. Entry is free, but since our teenage grandson felt like most of the attractions were more suitable for younger children, we didn’t purchase a ticket package. The cost is from AED 200 to AED 500 or about $55-$135.

Teens can be finicky eaters, so we chose Time Out Market in the adjacent Souk Al Bahar shopping complex for lunch. In case you’re not familiar, these upscale food halls are a project of the global media and hospitality business, the Time Out Group . We exited the mall on the Lower Ground level (one level below the ice rink), crossed the bridge to the Souk Al Bahar and rode the escalator up one floor to Dubai’s Time Out Market. With 20 different vendors serving up everything from wood-fired pizzas to burgers/chicken sandwiches to ice cream creations made using liquid nitrogen, there’s something for everyone here.

Dubai Fountain

The Dubai Fountain is (of course!) “the largest musical fountain” in the world. The fountain performance schedule is midday at 1pm and 1:30pm (1:30pm and 2pm on Fridays) and every 30 minutes starting at 6pm until 11pm daily.

• Time Out Market has an air-conditioned terrace overlooking the Dubai Fountain Lake which offers one of the best vantage points for viewing the fountain shows.
• Inside the Dubai Mall, the panoramic windows at the rear of Nike Town on Level 2 (turn right after entering from the Metro Link Bridge) and the terrace of TGIFridays (Lower Ground level) also offer excellent views of the fountain shows.

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo spreads across multiple levels inside the Dubai Mall. The Aquarium Tunnel is on the Ground level while the Underwater Zoo and glass bottom boat ride across the surface of the 2.6-million-gallon tank are on Level 2. The cost is AED 309 or $84.13 per person.

• Since I’d purchased combination tickets for Aquaventure and the Lost Chambers Aquarium for later in our trip (see Day 4), we contented ourselves with the free Ground floor viewing into the aquarium through the largest acrylic panel in the world. We then rode the Red line north 2 stops to the Emirates Towers station which connects to the next item on our itinerary. The cost was AED 3 or $0.82 each for a regular fare, twice that for Gold class.

Museum Of The Future

Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, calls the iconic Museum of the Future * “ the most beautiful building in the world .” Each visitor can decide whether this label is well-deserved or self-congratulatory hyperbole. What is undeniable is that The Museum of the Future’s focus on the future (2071 to be exact, marking a century after the establishment of the United Arab Emirates) is unique. All visits begin with a simulated space shuttle journey to the OSS (Orbital Space Station) Hope, where you are guided through an exploration of its missions to help humankind solve its most difficult challenges. The cost is AED $149 or $40.57 per person.

Our grandson loves sushi and Ikigai , a Japanese restaurant on the first floor (second level) of the Millennium Place Marina Hotel, looked like a place worth checking out. It offers a Sunday through Thursday unlimited sushi and dim sum special, as well as a Peking duck special, for AED 109 or $29.68 per person. Our neighbor’s son, who is an ex-pat working as an auditor for a shipping company in Dubai, picked us up at the Museum of the Future and joined us for dinner. Ikigai is just a few minutes’ walk from the DMCC station on the Red line, which we rode back north 4 stops to our hotel. The cost was AED 3 or $0.82 each for a regular fare, twice that for Gold class.

Traveling Dubai With Teens Day 2: Cultural experiences and traditional meals

We didn’t want our grandson’s memories of Dubai to be exclusively of the Las Vegas-on-steroids variety, so we booked brunch at the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Cultural Understanding and a Lahbab Desert (known for its red sand dunes) safari for Day 2.

Cultural brunch at the Centre for Cultural Understanding:

Here’s a mind-blowing statistic: Expatriates (mostly from south and southeast Asia) make up 89% of Dubai’s population. Here’s another: This ultra-modern metropolis was a fishing village of less than 50,000, a far cry from the ultra-modern metropolis of 3.6 million you see today, until the discovery of oil here in 1966.

But “modern” doesn’t mean “liberal;” Sharia law is woven into Dubai’s Constitution and there are many cultural norms of which visitors should be aware of. The Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Cultural Understanding was borne out of the perceived need “…to educate expatriates in the traditions and customs of the UAE” and “…to be a bridge between the many different nationalities living, working, and visiting the UAE.”

One of the ways the Centre does this is through its public programs and among the most popular public programs are its cultural meals. These meals begin with a brief presentation on Emirati customs and dress, include a sumptuous meal and conclude with a Q&A session during which no question is taboo.

The schedule for the various cultural meals is as follows:

• Breakfasts (90 minutes), Mondays and Wednesdays @ 9am (AED 130 / $35.39 per person)
• Lunches (90 minutes), Monday through Thursday @ 1pm (AED 150 / $40.84 per person)
• Brunches (60 minutes), Friday through Sunday @ 11am (AED 130 / $35.39 per person)
• Dinners (90 minutes), Tuesday evenings @ 6:30pm (AED 160 / $43.56 per person)

We needed to meet the guide for our desert safari in the lobby of our hotel @ 2pm, so we opted for the cultural brunch. We took a taxi both ways between our hotel and the Centre for Cultural Understanding because a metro ride would have cost a total of AED 30 each way and involved walking in the heat from the station nearest to the Centre. The door-to-door taxi service cost less than that with tip.

Many operators offer desert safari* packages with a dizzying variety of options (e.g., with or without self-drive quad bike rides in the dunes, priority service at the BBQ meal that is served, etc.) and prices vary widely. They range from AED 95 / $25.86 per person to AED 480 / $130.68 per person or more for a private safari.

OceanAir Travels’ Premium Red Dunes, Camels, Stargazing, and 5-star BBQ at Al Khayma Camp experience gets 97.5% 5-star ratings out of 11,644 total reviews. We booked through Viator to stack the discount Viator was offering with a Chase Offer for $20 off a booking costing $150 or more. For this highlight of our trip, we paid $95 per person for a 9-hour package which retailed for $125.78 per person and included:

• hotel pickup and drop-off,
• dune bashing with a licensed desert safari guide in an air-conditioned 4-wheel drive vehicle,
• sandboarding,
• camel rides,
• unlimited water and soft drinks,
• 3-menu (Emirati, Moroccan, and Arabian) all-you-can-eat buffet,
• entertainment (3 short presentations including traditional dances and a fire show), and
• stargazing using high-powered telescopes.

Day 3: More Iconic Landmarks & Swiss Butter

Burj khalifa:.

“Burj,” in Arabic, means “tower” while “Khalifa” means “successor” (of Muhammad), the “caliph,” or ruler, of the Muslim community. Soaring more than 2,716 feet into the sky, which is more than twice the height of the Empire State Building, over downtown Dubai, it is the tallest building in the world. The superlatives don’t end there though. It can also boast of the elevator (which whisks visitors to the 124 th floor in 1 minute) with the longest traveled distance, most floors in a building (163), and the highest outdoor observation deck in the world (on the 148 th floor).

The entrance to the Burj Khalifa is actually on the Lower Ground level of the Dubai Mall, so we rode the Red Line north 5 stops (AED 5 or $1.36 per person; twice that for the Gold class cabin) after breakfast. I reserved general admission tickets (AED 169 / $46.01 per person) with an entrance time of 10 AM on the “ At the Top ” website. Once on the 124 th floor, there are several exhibits, a virtual reality experience which simulates scaling the Burj Khalifa, a café, and a gift shop.

Note: Except for our desert safari, I bought all our advance tickets online from the attraction itself instead of using a reseller. In most cases, there was little to no price difference, and I felt this minimized the likelihood we would encounter any difficulties redeeming our vouchers/tickets.

Dubai Frame

The mile-long walk from the nearest station on the Red Line to the Dubai Frame* didn’t sound appealing in triple-digit heat, so we took a taxi which cost a little less than $6. Gazing south from the top of this 48-story structure, you look down on “new” Dubai which has sprung from the sand over the past 40 years. Views in the opposite direction are of “old” Dubai with its traditional wind tower houses (like the one housing the Centre for Cultural Understanding) and low-rise buildings along Dubai Creek.

One of the most celebrated features of the top floor of the Dubai Frame (which, of course, holds the record for the largest frame structure in the world!) is the motion-activated row of grey panels running down the center of the floor. Step on them and the panels become clear…playing tricks on your brain. Again, I bought our tickets from the official Dubai Frame website . The cost was AED 52.50 / $14.29 per person.

Swiss Butter

If you’re like our grandson and enjoy a good steak dinner, I highly recommend the curiously-named Swiss Butter . Surprisingly enough, 12 of its 13 outlets are in the Middle East and the only European restaurant is in London. Dubai is home to 2 Swiss Butters. Onne is adjacent to the Dubai Mall, and the other a few blocks from our hotel. We took a cab from the Dubai Frame back to our hotel and walked 9 minutes to the Swiss Butter in the Novotel Al Barsha .

The concept here is simple: you choose 1 of 3 proteins (beef filet, salmon, or chicken), smothered in the chain’s secret sauce of butter and 33 herbs and spices. The protein choice is served with a mesclun salad, bread (to sop up some of that sauce) and choice of fries or baked potato. The cost is AED 87 / $23.69 per person. Dessert choices, if you have room, are pain perdu (AED 45 / $12.25), molten chocolate cake (AED 50 / $13.61), or ice cream / sorbet (AED 22/$5.99).

Traveling Dubai With Teens Day 4: Palm Jumeirah

The largest man-made island on the planet, the Palm Jumeirah , will be the smallest of the three planned Palm Islands if and when the other two are completed. The “trunk” of this palm tree-shaped island is where one finds apartment buildings, retail space, and restaurants. Luxury resorts line the outer crescent, and the fronds are home to gated residential villas with price tags starting at $4.5MM. Atlantis, the Palm , our destination for the day, is located where the “trunk” joins the crescent-shaped breakwater. While it is possible to get here using public transportation, it is not especially convenient, so we took a taxi both ways (about $11 each direction). We bought “ Super Passes ” which included admission to both Aquaventure and the Lost Chambers Aquarium for AED 345 / $93.93 per person. That is a savings of AED 65 / $17.70 per person over buying the same admissions separately.

Aquaventure

Aquaventure holds the Guinness world record for most slides in a waterpark (105). To put that into perspective, if you were able to ride a different slide every 10 minutes, it would take you more than 17 hours to complete every slide! The park distributes complimentary water socks to every guest to protect feet from the paved paths which can get very hot. I was very impressed by the park’s design. Most slides depart from various levels in three ziggurat-shaped, cooled “temples” to keep you comfortable while waiting in line for your turn to ride. A brilliant set up.

Warning: Even the Lazy River here is an adventure as it isn’t a simple, closed circuit. At one point, floaters can divert to a not-so-lazy branch of the river called “ The Rapids ” which ends at a different beach from where you began. So, while admittedly pricey, we felt like we got more than our money’s worth.

For a late lunch/early dinner, we went to Wavehouse , a restaurant and entertainment center in a mall-like building called “The Avenues”. This is sandwiched between the Atlantis, the Palm resort and Aquaventure. The menu here is every teenager’s dream – heavy with items like chicken wings, burgers, hot dogs, pizza, pasta, chicken quesadillas, etc.

The Lost Chambers Aquarium & Ambassador Lagoon

We ended our day by visiting The Lost Chambers Aquarium and Ambassador Lagoon . The entry for which is almost next to the mall entrance for Wavehouse. While plenty of marine creatures (65,000 or so) inhabit the almost 3-million-gallon Ambassador Lagoon that isn't the focus. The real focus here is on using themed chambers spread throughout a maze of meandering tunnels to tell the mythical tale of the sunken city of Atlantis.

• Entry is free for Atlantis, the Palm guests is. It is also included in Big Bus 48-hour and 5-day tickets, as well as, 2- and 3-day City Sightseeing Hop On, Hop Off bus tours.

Day 5: Mall of the Emirates & Transfer To Airport Hotel

When it’s 105° Fahrenheit outside, what do you want to do? Why not play in the snow? We spent the first half of our last full day in Dubai at Ski Dubai . Probably not surprising by now, it is the largest indoor ski slope in the world. It is located on Ground level in the Mall of the Emirates. After riding north on the metro for just one stop (AED 3 or 82 cents each for a regular fare, twice that for Gold class) we redeemed the vouchers we had purchased online for the “Snow Daycation” package . This is not currently offered on Ski Dubai’s website. Apparently the packages offered change regularly, which cost AED 295 / $80.31 per person.

Our ticket included the following:

• Cold weather gear (fleece gloves, snow boots, ski pants and jacket),
• Unlimited chairlift rides,
• Unlimited rides inside a giant Zorb ball,
• A choice of ski lesson, penguin encounter, or zipline ride (we chose the latter)
• Unlimited rides on the bobsled and snow tubing runs, and

Note: The temperature inside the Snow Park is a steady -4° Celsius/25° Fahrenheit. We got cold enough that we took a break to warm up in the changing area.

Quick Bite At The Food Court

Mall of the Emirates has more than 100 dining options, many of them teen-friendly. Our grandson picked the Shake Shack outlet on Level 1, just above Ski Dubai.

After a burger and milkshake, we made our way to Level 2 and Dreamscape . Dreamscape says it …”combine(s) the emotional power of Hollywood storytelling, the visceral excitement of great theme park rides, and…computer-generated worlds…that push the limits of virtual reality”. There were three fully immersive VR experiences to choose from. Each experience lasts 10–14 minutes but it takes another 20 minutes or so to gear up with your personal “magic” projector and state-of-the-art vest. Wrist and ankle sensors allow your fully rendered avatar to interact with each other and the virtual world you enter. We chose “ Curse of the Lost Pearl ,” which is very much along the lines of the Indiana Jones and Lara Croft movies and had a ball. That was especially true when a descending wall separated our grandson’s avatar from us. The cost was AED 79 / $21.51 per person.

Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre

Because our journey home began with a 5:30am flight from Dubai to Doha, we returned to the Hampton by Hilton Dubai Al Barsha to retrieve our luggage before taking a taxi to our airport hotel, Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre . Here, I was offered an upgrade to a Le Royal Club room . The room included the following

• A private transfer to the airport at 2am
• Afternoon tea
• Breakfast (which, sadly, we left too early to enjoy)
• A Jacuzzi tub
• A massage lounger in a room roughly twice the size of the one I had reserved

We availed ourselves of the complimentary cocktails while our grandson enjoyed the massage chair and whirlpool bath.

The Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre has 18 bars and restaurants. The Warehouse restaurant adjacent to the Le Royal Club wing featured an American menu, so we chose it for dinner after happy hour.

Day 6: A Lo-o-ong (But Satisfying) Day Of Travel

Ahlan first class lounge.

Call us gluttons for punishment, but we checked in for our flight at 2:30am so we could maximize our time in the Ahlan First Class Lounge . The lounge is located on the mezzanine level of Concourse D in DXB’s Terminal 1. This 24-hour lounge offers ala carte dining as well as an extensive buffet. You also get good Wi-Fi, and aggressive massage loungers which, as you can see, our grandson enjoyed immensely.

Al Safwa Lounge

Because Qatar Airways treats regional flights booked into business class as first class, we had access to the excellent Al Safwa Lounge when we landed in Doha. Since it was too early in the day to order the Wagyu beef burger from the kitchen, our grandson contented himself with 2 chocolate muffins.

No QSuite For You

Security at our departure gate was a bit chaotic because – cue the groans – Qatar had swapped our QSuite-equipped aircraft for one outfitted with its previous generation business class seats. Because of that we needed to get new seat assignments and boarding passes. Once onboard, our grandson’s disappointment dissolved when he got to view the menu. He now realized he could order filet mignon. Happy grandson, happy life….

Atlanta Bound

There were absolutely no lines for re-entry into the U.S. in Atlanta, so we were back in the domestic terminal in less than 10 minutes! We rode The Plane Train to Concourse B where we used the meal credit from my Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass membership at the Samuel Adams Brew House in the Food Court area. From there, we waited for our flight back to Charlotte in the Admirals Club in Concourse T, directly across from our eventual departure gate, T11.

Traveling Dubai With Teens: ToP Thoughts

The most important note from this report is that we had the best time visiting somewhere we might not otherwise have gone and experiencing the joy of travel anew through our grandson’s eyes. Remember our desire to “…cultivate the values of broad-mindedness, inclusivity, and empathy…” through travel? When asked what he enjoyed most about this trip, our grandson, without hesitation, responds, “The people…they were so nice!” Mission accomplished…or at least off to a good start.

Thanks again to Jim for putting this epic traveling Dubai with teens guide together for us. Be sure to check out his other guides on the site:

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Traveling to Dubai for the First Time (2024): 19 Tips & Tricks

By Author Jurga

Posted on Last updated: March 26, 2024

Traveling to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) for the first time  and not sure where to start? Indeed, planning a trip to Dubai might be overwhelming, even more so if this is your first time in this rapidly growing and continuously changing city!

When is the best time to visit? How much time do you need in Dubai? What are the best areas to stay in and how to travel around? Do you need to pre-book tickets or can you just go with the flow? How to save time and money and still see the best that Dubai has to offer?

Dubai is a city of contrasts, a place where modern extravagance and traditional values go hand in hand. From its towering skyscrapers to its pristine beaches and bustling souks, visiting Dubai is like stepping into a different world…

To help you plan your first trip to this dynamic and unique city, in this guide we share some of our top travel tips for visiting Dubai .

We have visited Dubai several times and all the information and tips in this article are based on our personal experience. Some of these tricks we only learned after several trips…

This practical guide includes all the info I wish we had known before planning a trip to Dubai. These tips will not only help you plan your trip, but will also show you how to make the best of your visit, time, and budget. Find out!

Top 5 Experiences in Dubai:

• Burj Khalifa (book in advance + opt for the level 148 ticket for priority access).
• Desert Safari.
• Museum of the Future (book well in advance!).
• Luxury Yacht Tour .
• Abu Dhabi Day Trip .

Here are our top travel tips for visiting Dubai:

1. Avoid Traveling in Summer

Dubai is known for its scorching temperatures, especially during the summer months. To give you an idea, average daytime temperatures during June, July, and August are well over 40°C (104°F). Even in April or November, Dubai temperatures usually still exceed 30°C (86°F).

The best time to visit Dubai is during the winter months – between December and February. The daytime temperatures at this time of the year are usually around 25°C (77°F). So it’s still warm enough to enjoy beaches, pools, and waterparks, but the temperatures are also pleasant for sightseeing and outdoor activities.

Good to know: Winter is also the peak tourist season in Dubai. So expect accommodation prices to be higher and more crowds at the main attractions. However, with some advance planning and preparation, you can still have a very enjoyable visit, more than in the summer.

The shoulder season – the months of March-April or October-November – can be a good time to visit Dubai as well. If you don’t mind temperatures of around 30-35°C (86-95°F), you can take advantage of somewhat lower prices and fewer crowds than in the winter.

In addition, you may want to check when Ramadan is. During this month, most Muslims do not eat from sunrise to sunset, so many restaurants will be closed during the day. This may might impact your experience, depending on the places you visit.

TIP: No matter when you visit Dubai, be prepared for the heat by wearing lightweight, breathable clothing, using sun protection, and staying hydrated. Plan outdoor activities for the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the peak heat.

READ ALSO: What It’s Like to Visit Dubai in February

2. Book Attraction Tickets in Advance

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when planning a trip to Dubai is not to plan/book attraction tickets in advance.

Booking in advance means more time slots to choose from, better prices, and less time wasted queuing.  After all, you want to make the most of your trip to Dubai and not spend all your precious time standing in lines.

Good to know: Tickets to many popular attractions in Dubai are often sold out at least a few days in advance. Furthermore, many tickets are cheaper if booked online. In addition, some attraction tickets, e.g. Atlantis Aquaventure , cost less if you book at least a week before your visit.

For some places, not reserving in advance means that you won’t be able to visit at all.  For example, the Museum of the Future is so popular that all tickets are usually sold out at least 2-3 weeks upfront. If you want to be able to choose the time slot that fits you best, you need to book at least a month in advance.

If you want to visit observation decks at Burj Khalifa or Dubai Frame , you also need to book ahead. In most cases, a few days in advance is sufficient, but it really depends on the period when you travel and how flexible you are. Also, consider visiting these attractions early in the morning or late in the evening for smaller crowds and better photo opportunities.

PRO TIP: For Burj Khalifa, we recommend getting a ticket that includes Level 148 . Not only you get to visit another level which is not included with standard tickets, but you also get skip-the-line access through the security check and at the elevators, and it includes some snacks and drinks. It’s well worth it.

Overall, we always recommend booking tickets and tours at least a month before your trip. But keep in mind that for many popular destinations worldwide booking a month or even two upfront is not sufficient anymore.

Tickets don’t get cheaper and there’s less availability the longer you wait. Plus, if you use GetYourG u ide for all attraction tickets and tours like we do, you can take advantage of their very flexible cancelation policy.

Good to know: Booking tickets/tours via websites like GetYourGuide , Viator , or Tiqets also saves you money on exchange rates. The exchange rate they use is the official rate and transactions are in your currency. Whereas if you pay on the spot, it will usually cost you quite a lot more (not only because many tickets are more expensive at the counter, but also because of credit card fees, exchange rate deviations, etc.).

Plus, booking and paying ahead makes it easier to budget for your vacation and keep your credit card’s spending limit available for other expenses during your trip.

READ ALSO: Top Places to See & Things to Do in Dubai

3. Foresee Enough Time & Plan Wisely

There is one thing that you may not realize as a first-time visitor to Dubai and that’s how huge the city is. It’s not a place that you can compare to cities like Rome or London , or even New York City where you can still walk between many attractions and see a lot in a short time…

Dubai is totally different! It’s big, not really walkable (except in some areas), and the attractions are spread out all over the enormous and ever-growing city.

Plus, road works and traffic jams turn every ride into an expedition. The same trip that takes 20 minutes at night or early in the morning can take you an hour or even longer during the day. And yes, public transport can be a good option, but it also has its limitations – more about it further below.

Good to know: When planning your sightseeing itinerary, you will see that most Dubai attractions work with timed entry slots. Be sure to foresee plenty of extra time everywhere though! Even with timed entry tickets, you will often be standing in line for an hour or even longer, not to mention the time that it takes to actually visit the place or get from one attraction to the other.

TIP: So while planning what to see and do, foresee enough extra time between the sights and don’t try to do too much in a single day. Also, group the attractions based on their location, and go for a mix of top attractions with some lesser-known ones. That way, you don’t have to rush from one queue to another and your trip will be much more relaxed.

This brings us to the next tip – see below.

4. Don’t Try to See Everything

There is so much to see and do in Dubai that you could easily stay here for a few months and still not experience everything the area has to offer. So resist FOMO and the urge of having to see ‘everything’. It’s simply impossible, especially if you are only traveling to Dubai for just a few days or a week.

TIP: Choose a few places, attractions, and experiences that interest you the most and focus on those rather than ticking off boxes just because some guidebook told you that one or the other place is ‘a must’.

If you absolutely want to go to the top of Burj Khalifa, well – just do it and tick it off your bucket list. After all, how often will you get a chance to visit the world’s tallest building… In that case, book tickets in advance and be prepared to queue, or save time and avoid the crowds with priority access .

On the other hand, maybe you are perfectly content just seeing the building from the outside and rather spend your time visiting other viewing platforms like Sky Views , the View at The Palm , or Dubai Frame …

Or maybe you don’t care about any of these at all and much rather spend a day at a water park , exploring the old town souks (markets), or enjoying the views from a luxury yacht …

Dubai has so much to offer to all types of travelers. So personalize your itinerary based on what you really want to do, taking into account the time that you have, your interests, and your budget. If you are visiting Dubai with the family, try to incorporate some fun activities for the kids in your itinerary as well, even if it means that you’ll have less time for sightseeing.

READ ALSO: Dubai Itinerary (detailed guide for a week in Dubai)

5. Consider Tours & Private Drivers

If you want to see a lot of Dubai in a short time or you don’t know where to even start deciding where to go, consider booking tours or private guides/drivers .

Sometimes, a private driver can also be cheaper than taking a taxi between all those places, and often, you can also find cars that can take up to 6 passengers (vs 4 in most taxis).

Just to be clear, I am talking about quickly seeing multiple places all over the city in a single day. If you want to spend more time exploring the sites, you better go on your own.

There are tons of different ‘city highlights’ tours that bring you to many of the main landmarks of Dubai in (half) a day. Keep in mind that in most cases, your ‘visit’ will be just a quick photo stop, so it’s not comparable to actually visiting the sights. But it’s a good way to get an introduction to Dubai and catch a glimpse of the top spots.

PRO TIP: If you do a city highlights tour, do it at the beginning of your trip! That way, you can later come back to some of the places that you like the most. An ideal way to explore Dubai is to take an introductory city tour first as you arrive and then thoroughly visiting some of the main landmarks and attractions on your own later.

Abu Dhabi day trip tip: One of the best guided tours we recently did in Dubai was this highly-rated tour. If you want to see the top sights of Abu Dhabi in a day, this tour has by far the best itinerary (I compared many tours before we chose this one and it didn’t disappoint).

READ ALSO: Best Abu Dhabi Tours from Dubai (+Review of the Tour We Chose)

6. Save Time & Money with Combination Tickets

Dubai is expensive, there is no arguing about it. But with some smart planning, you can save some money on some of the main attractions.

One of the best ways to do this is by opting for combination tickets and/or city cards that include several popular places.

Here are some of the most popular deals:

• Burj Khalifa + Dubai Aquarium (+-$20 savings per person).
• Atlantis Aquaventure + Lost Chambers Aquarium (+-$25-30 savings per person).
• GoCity Explorer Pass (up to 50% savings, depending on the attractions you visit).

Good to know: Some tickets cost more during the most popular times. For example, Burj Khalifa around sunset. So if you want to save money, be sure to check prices for different time slots/days when making reservations.

7. Stay Longer

You might be wondering how much time you need to see the best of Dubai. Well, there is really no straightforward answer to this and so much depends on your interests.

That being said, I recommend planning at least a week for a first visit to Dubai. But if you have time and your budget allows it, stay longer. You won’t get bored!

With a week in Dubai, you will be able to visit most of the top landmarks, explore several different parts of the city, and also find some time to relax and unwind. If you want to spend more time at the beach or by the pool, visit a water park or a theme park with your kids, or make a day trip to Abu Dhabi, ideally, you plan at least 10-12 days for Dubai.

But don’t worry if your trip is shorter and you can’t extend it. You can have a perfectly enjoyable visit and see a lot even if you only have a day or two in Dubai. Via the link below, you can find plenty of ideas for planning a shorter visit.

LEARN MORE: Dubai Stopover: How to See The Best of Dubai in 1-2 Days

8. Choose the Location of Your Hotel Wisely

Deciding where to stay in Dubai might not be as straightforward as you may think, especially if the main purpose of your visit is to explore the city.

There is not one perfect place to stay in Dubai – it’s simply much too big and too spread out for that.

However, some areas are better than others and some are really a disaster for commute. If you pick the wrong location, you might be stuck in traffic for hours every time you want to go anywhere and do some sightseeing. On the other hand, that same spot might be perfect for those who are mainly interested in swimming and dining, and are just looking for a relaxing vacation with maybe one or two excursions that include a pick-up and drop-off at the hotel…

TIP: I strongly recommend that you look at the map and the location of the places that you want to visit before deciding where to stay in Dubai. Also, consider how you will travel around.

For example, staying within walking distance of a metro station might save you a lot of time and money on commuting if you plan to do lots of sightseeing. Whereas staying in a nice walkable area with lots of shops and restaurants will be ideal if you like to go out at night.

Here are two of the very best areas to stay in Dubai:

• Dubai Downtown (the area around Dubai Mall – Burj Khalifa) is very central and is perfect for those who want to do a lot of sightseeing, but also for shopping and dining. Sofitel Dubai Downtown is a great choice in this area, close to Dubai Mall and just near a metro station. Remember, however, that this is the heart of the city, so very busy and far from the sea.
• Dubai Marina in the south of the city is another popular area to stay in Dubai. It’s a great choice for those who are looking for a more relaxing vacation, boat trips, water parks, dining, shopping, etc. The beach is not too far from here, however, it will take at least 45-60 minutes to reach the city center. Millennium Place is a very popular hotel not too far from the main Marina area and close to the metro. On a somewhat higher budget, JW Marriott Hotel Marina is a wonderful choice if you want to be in the heart of the Marina.

TIP: On our most recent visit to Dubai, we stayed at Rove La Mer Beach Hotel . It’s close to the downtown area, so quite convenient for sightseeing, but also with direct access to a private beach – the best of both worlds. We loved this hip modern hotel, also because it’s much smaller and more intimate – a kind of place where you don’t have to worry about losing your kids at breakfast. It also offers great price/quality for Dubai. The only downside is that the area around the hotel is still developing with lots of construction going on, but it will only get more attractive in the future.

9. Beware of Tourism Taxes

Hotel stays (including hotel apartments, guesthouses, holiday homes, etc.) in the United Arab Emirates are taxed with various fees, surcharges, and taxes. These amounts might vary depending on the hotel, but it’s not abnormal that these taxes add over 20-25% to your room rate.

For example, our recent hotel invoice in Dubai showed a 10% service charge, 7% municipality fees, 5 % VAT, and an additional 10 AED (+-$3) Tourism Dirham Fee per night.

Altogether, we paid about 24,4% on top of the official room rate. The good thing is that we knew in advance how much we had to pay. Otherwise, this could be a very unpleasant surprise…

So when looking for accommodation in Dubai and comparing prices, make sure that you are actually comparing the same thing!

Many hotel websites show prices without (some/any) taxes, so you may think that booking directly with them is cheaper. Often, it’s not the case at all!

TIP: We always use Booking.com for our accommodation bookings, also in Dubai. With them, you see the total price, including all fees and taxes, so you know exactly how much you will spend. (Depending on booking conditions, you may have to prepay for the stay in advance whereas the taxes are charged separately when you arrive at the hotel, but the total amount you see when making a reservation is correct).

10. Use Public Transport & Local Taxis

Dubai’s public transport system is efficient and inexpensive. Depending on where you are staying and traveling to, it might be very convenient to use the Dubai Metro, Tram, Monorail, or even local buses.

However, this depends on the exact trip you are planning to make and also on the size of your group. Sometimes, public transport is the best way to get around the city quickly and affordably. But there are also many situations when it’s a real hassle and doesn’t make your trip faster or much cheaper.

In those cases, you will be glad to know that taxis are rather affordable in Dubai . The most expensive taxi ride we recently took in Dubai was 25 kilometers, it took over 50 minutes, and it cost us 76 AED (+-$21).

However, be careful that you only use official taxis! Because e.g. Uber is often quite a lot more expensive. Not even to mention that they sometimes charge twice the price during peak times of increased demand. We learned this the hard way, after taking a few overpriced Uber rides…

Also, unlike in many other countries where we use Uber all the time, in Dubai, you never really know how much you will pay until the end of the ride. The price you see in the beginning is usually just an approximate indication.

TIP: Install Careem app on your smartphone and use it to request ‘Hala Taxi’. That’s the best way to get an official taxi in Dubai. If you request ‘Rides’, it works similar as Uber and is more expensive. We learned this from a local taxi driver after a few very unpleasant experiences with Uber and private drivers randomly offering their services at the main tourist spots, and it saved us a fortune.

To give you an idea, we were quoted 120 AED ($33) by Uber and 150 AED ($40) by random ‘kind strangers’ for a ride that in the end cost us 22 AED ($6) by official taxi. When it comes to busy times and popular tourist hotspots, getting a taxi ride in Dubai can feel like navigating the Wild West…

LEARN MORE: Tourist Guide to Dubai Public Transport

11. Start Your Days Early

One of the best ways to make the most out of your trip to Dubai is to start your days early.

There’s much less traffic in the morning, so you can get everywhere much quicker. But the main advantage is that there are hardly any other people, even at the most popular attractions. In addition – if you are visiting Dubai in the warmest months – getting up early is the best way to avoid the biggest heat.

Good to know: Be sure to check opening times of the places you want to visit. While some attractions don’t open until noon, many others are open from 9-10 AM. There are also places – like e.g. Burj Khalifa – that you can visit at 7 AM, and on some days even earlier if you like…

For example, we recently went to the Aquaventure Water Park at Atlantis around opening time. There were no lines at the entrance and we could also do many popular slides without any wait. A few hours later, people were queuing for 45-60 minutes at the same rides…

In addition, the taxi ride to get there in the morning took us just 22 minutes. That same ride to get back to our hotel in the evening was over 50 minutes, not counting more than 10 minutes for a taxi to arrive… So yes, it really pays to explore Dubai in the morning!

READ ALSO: Tips & Tricks for Visiting Atlantis Aquaventure

12. Stay Connected

While pretty much all public places and tourist attractions in Dubai offer free Wi-Fi, we highly recommend getting a local SIM card for your visit to UAE. There are so many situations when it’s just much easier to stay connected. For example, if you need to book a taxi ride, or book some tickets on the go, etc.

Depending on your data plan, roaming can cost a fortune in Dubai. My provider sent me an sms saying that using data in UAE will cost me 15 euros per megabyte (ouch! and no, thank you!). So the first thing I did after landing in Dubai was disconnect roaming.

There are several ways to approach this:

• Pocket Wi-Fi. One of the easiest ways to stay connected on the go is by renting a pocket WiFi at Dubai airport . This is a very convenient option if you don’t want to change anything on your phone. It’s also convenient if you are traveling with a family/friends since you can connect up to 10 devices to it.
• Local SIM card. Alternatively, you can opt opt for a physical SIM card, which is also available at the airport . With this option, you will need to place this card into your phone. If you want to keep your ‘own’ phone number working as well, see if your phone has a dual SIM option – then you can use both. Otherwise, you may want to bring an old phone to use with this local card.
• eSIM. There are many providers available (just search online), but what’s included and the prices vary a lot. Depending on which one you choose and also on your device, this can be a very easy and simple process, but it’s also not very straightforward if you have never done it before. Also, not all phones allow eSIM – so be sure to double-check if your smartphone has this capability.

13. Respect Local Culture

While Dubai is a very cosmopolitan city, it’s also a place with different cultural norms and traditions. Overall, UAE is very ‘Western’ and Dubai in particular is very laid back and relaxed. With over 200 nationalities living in Dubai, it’s a true melting pot of different cultures. Still, remember that you are a visitor here, and be respectful.

Dress modestly, especially when visiting religious sites or public places. Also, avoid public displays of affection, as these can be considered disrespectful.

If you’re visiting during Ramadan, be mindful of local customs and traditions. Keep in mind that many traditional restaurants and cafes will be closed during the day but will come to life after sunset. If you are visiting during Ramadan and are planning sightseeing during the day or a day trip to e.g. Abu Dhabi, it’s advisable to pack your own lunch.

One of the most common questions we get is what to wear when traveling to Dubai. Well, you will see people wearing all kinds of clothing – from burkas that cover the entire body to revealing summer clothes that hardly cover much at all. However, while a lot is tolerated, it’s not always appreciated.

So when in doubt, remember that it’s always safer to cover your knees and shoulders. See-through clothing is also not the best idea, unless on a beach.

TIP: Wear loose light clothes – not as much for religious or cultural reasons, but also because of the heat. Long skirts/dresses or wide summer pants will be much more comfortable than tight clothes.

LEARN MORE: What to Wear in Dubai

14. Use Credit Cards

The official currency in Dubai is the United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) and all the prices are displayed in this currency. All regular businesses accept cash and electronic means of payment, such as credit cards or smartphone payments.

We haven’t encountered a single place in Dubai that wouldn’t accept a credit card. So if you want to make it easy and simple for yourself, you don’t even need to exchange money and can simply use cards everywhere.

Important! Inform your bank about your visit so that they don’t block your cards for ‘suspicious activity’. And even then… Despite precautions, one of my cards got blocked by a credit card company after a random payment at a restaurant in one of the main malls in Dubai. We had to call the bank to get them to unblock it again and they say that this happens when ‘the systems’ suspect anything suspicious, despite us having notified our bank in advance…

If you want to leave a tip to someone or purchase something small, you may want to have some local currency at hand. In that case, you can get some cash from local ATMs which you will find in malls all over the city. I strongly encourage you to only use ATMs attached to local bank offices as some others might charge additional fees and/or give the worst exchange rates.

PRO TIP: When using ATMs to withdraw money or paying by card, you always get an option between local currency (AED) and your own currency. Always choose local currency (AED) – that way, your bank will do the exchange and you will always get a better rate than the one offered by ATMs or pay terminals.

Good to know: We heard it on quite a few occasions that money is king in Dubai and it doesn’t matter in which currency you want to pay – they will accept it. Indeed, this is the case at the markets (souks) and some smaller private businesses. On a recent trip to Dubai, I could use Euros at the souk. The sellers also told us that they accept credit cards (just make sure to haggle – see below).

15. Shop Smart

Dubai is a shopper’s paradise, but prices can vary a lot depending on where you shop. The prestigious locations like the Dubai Mall are home to some of the most expensive brands in the world and the prices here are usually very high. You will be able to find much better deals at the Dubai Outlet Mall, for example.

Also, if you go to various local markets (souks), be sure to shop around for better deals. Also, don’t forget to haggle – and not a little! Many sellers take advantage of tourists asking ridiculously high prices. Often, 3-4 times higher than what you should pay, and likely even more… Don’t be shy, offer the price that seems correct to you, and be prepared to walk away.

On a recent trip, I got intrigued by a perfume someone put on me while walking through the Dubai Spice Souk (this is common practice – people will (try to) put all kinds of stuff on you – from scarfs to perfumes etc.). So I asked how much it was. The prices depend on the size and the design of the bottle, they said, and so we settled on a medium-sized simple bottle and they told me it was 280 AED (+- 70 euros).

No way I would pay 70 euros for a tiny bottle of perfume at a market! And so we started the negotiations. In the end, I paid 20 euros in cash which – to me – felt like a correct price. The seller was telling me that this was way too low and he was only willing to do it because it was our last day in Dubai and my kids were cute… 😉

After that, I saw similar perfumes at Dubai Airport souvenir store and indeed, most of them were about 20-25 euros for about the same size I got. So don’t be afraid to negotiate and if you don’t feel comfortable with the price or the quality, simply walk away.

16. Explore Beyond the Glitz

While Dubai is best known for its skyscrapers and extravagant landmarks, don’t miss out on its cultural gems as well.

One of the best places to catch a glimpse of authentic culture is Old Dubai. Visit the historic Al Fahidi neighborhood, explore the spice and gold souks, and take a traditional abra ride along Dubai Creek. These experiences are also quite touristy, but they are also totally different from the main attractions in Dubai.

TIP: There are many excellent guided tours that visit Old Dubai . They all take you to the same area, do the traditional boat ride on Dubai Creek, and visit the same local markets. Most tours also include local coffee and dades, and some also food tasting. While you can just visit the area on your own, these tours are really affordable and give you a somewhat deeper insight and insider tips.

On our recent visit, we chose this walking/food tour . It started with some traditional food tasting at a local restaurant, followed by a visit to the old town, a boat ride, and ended at the gold and spice souks. A nice way to spend a few hours and get to know a different side of the city.

READ ALSO: Best Tours in Dubai

17. Avoid Weekends

If you think Dubai is busy on a weekday, try to imagine it on a weekend or on public holidays.

So if you can adjust your plans, avoid visiting the most popular attractions on weekends (Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday).

If you are in Dubai for more than a few days, this is really not difficult to do. Visit the most popular places such as Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Global Village , Miracle Garden , or theme parks and water parks on weekdays.

On weekends, you can do more relaxing activities such as a sightseeing a yacht trip , a speedboat tour , spend time at the beach or by the pool, go parasailing or jetskiing , or take a desert tour – see below.

18. Experience the Desert

No trip to Dubai would be complete without experiencing its desert. Book a desert safari tour for an adrenaline-pumping ride over the dunes, followed by a traditional Bedouin-style dinner under the stars. It’s an unforgettable experience!

There are many desert tour options , but when you look closely, they are very similar in what they offer. Depending on the option you book, you have one main activity – usually, dune bashing in a jeep, quad, or camel ride. Afterward, you spend time in a desert camp where you can partake in all kinds of different experiences.

Some of these experiences include taking pictures with falcons and camels, sandboarding, various shows (traditional dance, belly dance, fire show), henna tattoos, etc. There is always lots of local food and it’s surprisingly good.

Our experience: We have done two desert tours in Dubai (on different trips) and they were both very similar and both excellent. The first time we went on this dune safari tour and on a recent trip, we opted for this highly-rated tour that includes a longer camel ride . In both cases, the second part of the tour was quite similar, the main difference was that the first tour included an exhilarating jeep ride through the dunes, and the second one – a 45-minute camel ride.

The whole family really enjoyed these tours and I couldn’t say which one is better. All I can tell you is that it’s a nice experience that will make your trip to Dubai even more memorable.

19. Don’t Forget Little Important Details

Here are some additional travel tips for Dubai:

• Bring a reusable water bottle. Dubai is so warm and dry that you will want to carry a bottle of water on you at all times. If you want to minimize plastic waste, you may want to bring your own reusable water bottle. Tap water is, in general, safe to drink. In addition, you will also see free water taps at some public areas, where you can refill your bottles.
• Pack a travel adapter. UAE uses  Type G  plugs, same as in the UK. However, we noticed that in most hotels you can also simply use European plugs and sometimes a simple USB cable. Still, we always pack a Type G adapter just to be safe.
• Bring a power bank to charge your phone on the go. Also, carry extra batteries for your camera.
• Know that you are not obliged to tip, but it’s also appreciated. Many people tip 10-15% at the restaurants or give a small tip to tour guides. If you like to tip, make sure you have some small bills of local currency.
• Bring a small crossbody bag for sightseeing. At some landmarks, you will be asked to leave bigger bags/backpacks in a locker. I like Hedgren crossbody bags for travel – they are light, sturdy, and very durable. The one I have is big enough to hold my camera, a power bank, documents, and even two water bottles, and I was never asked to use a locker. But pack the smallest backpack and you’ll often have to leave it behind…
• Don’t forget sun protection. A sun hat, sunscreen lotion, and sunglasses are a must when visiting Dubai!

So, these are some of the most useful travel tips for Dubai that you may want to know when traveling to this fascinating city for the first time. I hope that this helps you make the most of your visit.

Have a great trip!

Before you go, you may want to learn a bit more about Dubai with some surprising and interesting facts that will leave you fascinated and eager to explore more. Check it out: Fun & Interesting Facts About Dubai .

More tips for visiting Dubai:

• Budget:  How Expensive is Dubai
• Getting around:  Public Transport in Dubai
• With kids:  Best Things to Do in Dubai with Kids
• Fun to do:  Best Free & Cheap Things to Do in Dubai

If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. Are you on Pinterest? Pin these images!

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Friday 23rd of February 2024

Thanks for the article. It is very informative.

Glad to help. Have a great time in Dubai!

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Find Solo Travelers in United Arab Emirates, Share Costs, & Travel Together

How A Trip Works On GAFFL

Find solo travelers in united arab emirates, get connected, trip together.

• Solo Trips in United Arab Emirates

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FAQ About Solo Trips in United Arab Emirates

Is united arab emirates a good place to solo travel, is united arab emirates safe for solo travelers, is united arab emirates expensive for solo travel.

You can save money by staying in a low-cost hotel or hostel and splitting your expenses with other travelers. A hostel can be a great place to meet new people if you are traveling alone, but you can also use GAFFL to connect with other travelers in United Arab Emirates, share costs, and travel together to save money on your solo trip to United Arab Emirates.

Essential Solo Travel Tips For A Trip To United Arab Emirates

How are gaffl solo trips in united arab emirates different than tour companies, are gaffl solo trips in united arab emirates free, are gaffl solo trips in united arab emirates safe.

Travelers on GAFFL go through a multi-step verification process that includes phone, social, and government ID verification, so you can be confident in your potential travel companion. You also have the option of connecting or not connecting with anyone you want. On GAFFL, you have complete control over who you travel with.

Can you give me an example of how solo tours in United Arab Emirates are different from Tour Companies?

How much money can gaffl save me on my next solo trip to united arab emirates.

A two-week trip to United Arab Emirates with a traditional tour company can cost thousands of dollars. When you connect with a solo traveler on GAFFL and split costs for things like rental cars and lodging, you are not paying any additional fees that are typically associated with tour companies, and by splitting costs, the overall cost per person is significantly reduced.

Are GAFFL solo trips in United Arab Emirates run by Tour Companies?

Have a good itinerary but no friends or family members to join you, start your trip in minutes and connect with like-minded travelers united arab emirates..

What GAFFL Users Are Saying

"It’s really nice to have a platform like GAFFL with lots of travelers wanting to do the same as you, a real beautiful cultural exchange. You can meet people so easily and in a trustful way. We were four girls, from French, German and American backgrounds, without knowing each other from before. We spent an amazing week together, 2000km driving, camping on the way. We saw kangaroos, koalas, penguins and pelicans"

“I have found GAFFL to be an amazing tool for finding similar minded travel partners to embark on an adventure. Through GAFFL, I had organized a trip to Mexico City last month and Quazi joined the trip from Victoria, BC. We spent 14 days of straight exploring, hiking, eating and drinking. Quite an amazing experience - all thanks to GAFFL!”

"I accidentally scrolled across GAFFL and I'm so pleased I did. I met Amaia and immediately decided to road-trip together. We're spending 10 days together and it's great because we have so much in common. Couldn't have done it without GAFFL helping us find one another! It has honestly made NZ so much cheaper to explore as I get to split the costs with someone too​"

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• Switch skin

Unpacking the BFC Pay Travel Buddy

Gulf insider interviews davis d. parakal of bfc pay.

BFC Payments recently launched an advanced multi-currency Visa card – the BFC PAY TRAVEL BUDDY that offers international travellers the convenience of digital payments. The card features fast top-ups anywhere, instant currency conversion, worldwide shopping and dining in multiple currencies at any of Visa’s 80-plus million merchant partners worldwide, and provides cardholders access to Visa Platinum loyalty programs.

We got in touch with BFC Pay’s General Manager, Davis D. Parakal to find out more about the financial tool and its many benefits. 

What was the idea behind launching the BFC Pay Travel Buddy? 

Travel Buddy is a niche product we’ve brought to the Bahrain market, targeting the travel segment and international shoppers of the Kingdom. BFC has been established for over 100 years and is not a new brand in Bahrain, offering our customers unparalleled Forex services. Having understood this market through decades of experience, we set out to curate a digital product on top of that particular customer need (Forex). This led to the creation of Travel Buddy. Anyone who wants to use a currency other than the Bahraini Dinar can use this multi-currency card. It’s packed with a lot of economical solutions for the customer. 

What are the key benefits that Travel Buddy offers?

Travel Buddy, is like I said, a  multicurrency card. What this means is that customers can load money into the card through different methods – benefit pay or the Benefit Payment Gateway. We give the privilege to customers to choose what kind of currency they would want to save that into. Currently, we support exchanges to the US Dollar, Euro, AED, and Saudi Riyal. So customers can have the flexibility to move money between these particular ballots, which we offer. And the beauty of our product is all of this is done digitally. You don’t have to visit the centre or call anyone. You have complete control over your money and your card through our mobile application – BFC Pay.  We can move money from BHD to USD on our application or reverse it in less than 30 seconds. 

How is the user protected from foreign exchange volatility while using the card in other currencies?

When it comes to foreign currency, volatility is a major concern our customers have. Let’s assume I’m planning to visit London over the summer. Typically, I’d start planning early – places to visit, things to do, where to stay, the best deals on flight tickets, etc. At the same time, I would also start my financial planning early and buy GBP (Great Britain Pound) currency at the best rate and use the “lock-in” feature on the Travel Buddy application to store the currency. Even if the GBP fluctuates or the market remains volatile before my travel, I won’t lose any money and use the currency for all my purchases while I’m in enjoying London! Needless to say, this lock-in feature is the most promising one on Travel Buddy, making you immune to currency volatility. 

What new features are in the pipeline for Travel Buddy?

The journey has just begun and there’s a lot to come. We are soon introducing Apple Pay on Travel Buddy along with Samsung Sync Pay. We are also working with Google to integrate Google Pay as a payment mode too. BFC Pay Travel Buddy will be collaborating with travel partners to give customers exclusive deals and packages. 

How is BFC Pay differentiating itself from other digital payment solutions available in the market today?

It’s definitely a very competitive market. While working on this product, the BFC Payments team made sure that every single touchpoint of the customer is digital. The card is designed in a way that you can download the application on your mobile and get a virtual card in about two minutes. Bahrain is very well equipped with new technologies and the Government is supporting us in terms of  EKYC, the most advanced artificial intelligence system which recognizes your identity through your CPR details. 

After the customer receives the card, all the touchpoints are again digital. So the user experiences convenience in the way they want to use the Travel Buddy. We differentiate this experience from the rest of the market. 

Deepika Rao

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TRAVEL BUDDY 12V MARINE OVEN (LARGE)

$ 288.00

Travel Buddy

• Description

Fast Food takes on a new meaning with the Travel Buddy. This portable, lightweight, 12 volt oven can cook, bake and warm foods while you travel. Simply load the Travel Buddy up with pies, pasties, sausage rolls, pizzas hotdogs or a pre-prepared meal and plug into your car’s cigarette lighter socket, set the timer and while you are driving or parked, your meal is being heated or cooked.

Please Note: As this unit draws 10 amps, it is suggested where possible, to hardwire directly to the power supply. We have found that the female plugs in a number of vehicles are different sizes and without a firm fit, this can cause overheating in the plug.  This will NOT affect the warranty.

– Heat a meal on the move – Fitted with a 2 hour timer to protect from battery failure – 12 Volt DC 10 Amp – Insulated stainless steel – Manufactured and designed in Australia – 190 degrees Celsius+ after initial warm up

External Dimensions

Height 190mm Width 320mm Depth 280mm

Internal Dimensions

Height 100mm Width 265mm Depth 250mm

Specifications

– Insulated Steel Body – 12 volt DC 10 amp 120 watts – Fitted with 2 hour timer – Free standing or mounted

The Travel Buddy is a sturdy oven that you can take anywhere. The stainless steel makes it easy to use and to clean. If your vehicle has a socket for a cigarette lighter, then there is nowhere that the Travel Buddy can’t go! Heat a meal while you travel, it doesn’t matter if there are no shops around, your meal will be ready when you arrive. The Travel Buddy’s heating temperature reaches approximately 190 degrees Celsius+ after the initial warm up.

Ideal for: – 4×4 Activities – Camping – Tradespeople – Transport – Caravans – Boats – Touring – Farmers, etc

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