Dubai Travel Guide: Essential Information, Places to Stay and Recommended Attractions
Dubai, the most famous city in theUnited Arab Emirates, has become one of the world’s most sought-after destinations, and no wonder. The glamorous city has an incredible number of attractions, it is a major flight hub and there are direct flights from almost everywhere at great prices. We’ve gathered all the essential information for travelers to Dubai in one article.
What's in this Dubai travel guide
When is the best time to visit Dubai?
Dubai is a very big city with quite a few centers and countless attractions, including ones you wouldn’t believe you could find in the desert (skiing, for example). The winter months are very pleasant, with average temperatures between 17 and 32°C, so these are the ideal months for a visit. The summer months are very hot and can easily reach 40°C, and although there is air conditioning everywhere and a sea to jump into, they are a less successful time to visit, unless you love extreme heat. The sea is warm and pleasant all year round, so if you do decide to spend a scorching summer there, don’t forget to jump in for a refreshing dip, which you can do in winter too, because the water is great then as well.
Dubai is a very modern, up-to-date city, and as befits such a city it has a very efficient, convenient, clean and cheap public transport network. It is highly recommended to get around Dubai by public transport; there is no need to rent a car.
Local currency
The currency in the United Arab Emirates is the dirham (AED). Credit cards are widely accepted, and ATMs are easy to find.
Recommended places to stay in Dubai
As already mentioned, Dubai is a very big city with quite a few centers. You can choose where to stay according to how close it is to the attractions that interest you most. Dubai is full of luxury hotels, among them the world’s only seven-star hotel. Since Dubai is well covered by public transport, even if you choose to stay in one center you can easily reach attractions located elsewhere.
Downtown Dubai
Downtown Dubai lies between the main highway and the Dubai Canal, and is home to famous sites such as the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Fountain, the ice rink, the Dubai Mall and more.
Recommended hotels:
Address Sky View: a modern, high-rise five-star hotel with luxurious rooms and a panoramic view over the whole city. Very close to the Dubai Mall. The lavish, indulgent breakfast is included in the room rate.
Palace Downtown: A five-star hotel built like a grand royal palace. The view from the rooms includes the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain. The luxurious spa includes a jacuzzi, sauna rooms, a hammam and more.
Armani Hotel: a five-star hotel inside the Burj Khalifa, designed by Giorgio Armani. The hotel occupies 11 floors of the Burj Khalifa and has direct access to the Dubai Mall.
Al Barsha
The Al Barsha neighborhood lies between Downtown Dubai and the Marina area. In Al Barsha you’ll find the Mall of the Emirates and hospitals. Al Barsha is the option for anyone looking for a cheaper place to stay that is still close to quite a few attractions.
Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates: a five-star hotel that is also connected directly to the Mall of the Emirates. The rooms are modern in design, large and indulgent.
Al Khoory Atrium: a colorful, cheerful four-star hotel offering a high-quality budget option for travelers on a budget.
The Marina
The Marina area is a relatively new part of the city, offering a huge range of water sports and lively, interesting nightlife.
Recommended hotels:
Vida Dubai Marina & Yacht Club: a four-star hotel less than a kilometer from JBR, with magical sunset views over the marina and Dubai’s skyscrapers.
Media One Hotel: a four-star hotel right next to the marina and the Dubai golf course, offering no fewer than 8 outdoor American-style bars.
Jumeirah
Jumeirah and the adjacent Palm Jumeirah are two very famous neighborhoods, much loved by travelers. They border the long beach on the western side of the gulf, and Palm Jumeirah is where you’ll find the famous palm-shaped islands.
Recommended hotels:
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah: perhaps the most famous hotel in the world, this is the only seven-star hotel on the planet, and if you have the budget (and you need quite a budget), you simply must experience this special place, with water slides inside the hotel itself, a giant aquarium in the dining room and design like no other.
Raffles The Palm: a five-star hotel built like a royal palace, located on the Palm islands. The hotel has a 500-meter private beach.
Atlantis, The Palm: a grand, luxurious five-star hotel on the Palm islands. The hotel is very iconic, and its guests get free entry to the Dubai aquarium.
Let’s start with the most famous and most recommended attractions in the city.
Museum of the Future
Dubai’s Museum of the Future is built in the shape of a hollow eye; the circular form of the building symbolizes humanity. The green mound it sits on represents the Earth, while the hollow center represents the unknown future. The museum consists of several floors, and on each floor there is a ‘demonstration’ from the future of a particular concept, which you can interact with.
The museum is covered in stunning Arabic calligraphy, quotes about the future written by Sheikh Mohammed. The calligraphy is made up of three quotes, one of them: ‘We may not live for hundreds of years, but the products of our creativity can leave a legacy long after we are gone.’
The museum is in very high demand, so it is recommended to book tickets in advance! Click here to buy tickets.
Water parks
Dubai is full of water parks that are perfect for anyone traveling with kids! Among the recommended ones you’ll find the famous Atlantis water park, Legoland Water Park andWild Wadi Waterpark. In addition, quite a few hotels offer extreme water slides inside the hotel itself!
The tallest building in the world. You can see it from almost anywhere in the city, and enjoy what it has to offer inside. The building holds the Guinness record as the tallest tower in the world; it rises to a height of 828 meters and has 163 floors.
You can of course admire the beauty and power of the building from almost everywhere in the city, but it is far more impressive to look at the view from the top. There are several paid observation decks you can go up to. The first is on floors 124 to 125 and is called At the Top, the second is on floor 148 and is called Burj Khalifa SKY, and there is another one on floors 152 to 154.
IMG Worlds of Adventure theme park, the largest indoor theme park in the world! Beyond the rides and adventures, you’ll also find a huge cinema with a VIP complex on a level you haven’t seen before.
Bollywood Parks: a park devoted entirely to Bollywood films, and even if you’ve never watched one, it’s a highly recommended experience. The park has a variety of rides, live shows and flying attractions. Great family fun. Click here to book tickets in advance.
The Dubai Fountain
The spectacular Dubai Fountain is one of the most iconic symbols of the city, and you can stand and watch it for hours as the shapes of the water and the colors change constantly. A huge fountain with a 30-minute display of water jets reaching 140 meters high, set to a sound and light show.
Dubai Aquarium : a stunningly beautiful aquarium that will teach you a great deal about the marine life of the region.
Dubai Garden Glow: an amazing garden made of LED lights forming shapes of everything you can imagine. Really recommended with kids.
Ain Dubai: a giant observation wheel on the beach from which you can see all of Dubai. At the time of writing Ain Dubai is closed; check before you go.
Deep Dive Dubai: the deepest pool in the world! It reaches a depth of 60 meters. Perfect for free divers who want to train, or for people who want to watch them.
Dubai Miracle Garden
With over 250 million plants, including 50 million flowers, the Miracle Garden is a very impressive place for lovers of botany and the beauty of nature. The garden holds the title of the largest flower garden in the world. It is open from mid-October to mid-May. Click here to book tickets.
Desert safari tour: although it’s easy to forget, Dubai sits in the heart of a desert, and in 4×4 jeeps you can enjoy a tour of the dunes and the wildlife. The Dubai Frame. A huge, intriguing structure that draws many tourists in Dubai. It is a unique building, 150 meters high, in the shape of a picture frame. Its location separates new Dubai from old Dubai. Click here to book tickets for a visit to the Dubai Frame.
Skiing : yes, there really is skiing in the middle of the desert. In Dubai you’ll find one of the largest indoor ski resorts in the world. The resort covers 22,000 m² and is located inside the Mall of the Emirates. A great attraction for families; children aged 3 and up are admitted. Click here to buy tickets in advance.
Water sports
Dubai offers every kind of water sport, whether it’s sailing on a yacht or a speedboat, diving, banana boats, jet skis and anything else you can dream of. One of the recommended attractions is a ride on the yellow speedboats. A speedboat experience alongside stunning views of the Dubai skyline.
Shopping
You can’t talk about Dubai without mentioning shopping. You’ll find colorful, vibrant souks, luxury brands, souvenir shops, outlets and more. Don’t miss the giant Dubai Mall, the colorful spice souk, Al Wahda Street, which is a huge outlet, the Dubai flea market and City Walk. What won’t you find in the city? Primark 🙂
Dubai Mall
One of the largest shopping centers in the world, with an area of over 1.1 million m². The mall has more than 1,200 shops, an indoor gold souk, an ice rink, an artificial waterfall, a large aquarium and a theme park.
If you want to find your way around the mall easily, it’s worth downloading the mall’s app: The DUBAI MALL.
Mall of the Emirates
One of the most popular malls in the city, located halfway between the Downtown area and the Marina area. The mall has over 650 shops, dozens of restaurants, cafés and luxury stores. It includes the largest indoor ski complex in the world. Other attractions you’ll find in the mall: bowling, VOX cinemas, a huge play center and more.
The Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates hotel is a luxury hotel in the heart of the mall. It has rooms in the style of winter chalets overlooking the ski slope.
Dubai flea market
At the Dubai flea market you’ll find a variety of goods, from clothing, footwear, household goods, souvenirs, electrical appliances, fabrics and textiles, toys, books and more.
Address: Zabeel Park (Za’abeel) Al Kifaf (Dubai) United Arab Emirates
More information on the site for travelers to Dubai
Need more information for planning your Dubai holiday? You’ll find more content on the Check In Out website.
Dubai, the most famous city in theUnited Arab Emirates, has become one of the world’s most sought-after destinations, and no wonder. The glamorous city has
