Top 15 To Do List for First-time Visitors to Dubai
You probably only have three or four days in Dubai, so how are you going to see everything? Plan carefully, group activities according to location, and take taxis. With this in mind, I have tentatively organized activities according to their proximity to each other.
1. Dubai Mall Aquarium and Zoo
This is a great outing. Go early in the morning as Dubai Mall has so much to offer, you can spend the whole day there. You can see the aquarium very well from the shopping mall, along with lots of other people.
What most people don’t realize (and don’t tell anyone) is that if you take the escalator beside Gap, just past the aquarium, and go to the next floor, you will be able to get right up against the glass.
This is not possible one floor down as it is roped off. There will be almost no other people up there, and best of all, the oxygen is released into this part of the aquarium, so you get great numbers of fish clustering there.
You can do all the above for free, but if you buy a ticket, you can access the tunnel and the zoo. Like a lot of things in Dubai, it is open from 10:00 am until midnight, but get there early for the most hassle free fun.
2. Louis Vuitton, Dior, Channel or Hermés
Unlike in Paris, you will not have to queue to get into the Louis Vuitton shop in Dubai. All four high-end fashion outlets are grouped together in a quiet and very comfortable part of Dubai Mall along with many others. Even the public toilets in this part of the mall are luxurious. Treat yourself.
3. Burj Khalifa
Since you are already in Dubai Mall, take a trip up the tallest building in the world – the Burj Khalifa. No, I haven’t done it and I don’t want to. I am not good with heights, but it is one way to get great views of Dubai.
It is open daily from 8:30 until midnight, so you could start your day there. There are often long queues, though perhaps an early start is one way to beat them. It is possible to pay extra for a fast track ticket or book ahead. The problem with booking ahead is that if the weather is hazy, it will not be such a spectacular view. Still, the trip up is something in itself (I hear).
4. An Arabic Restaurant
Still at the Dubai Mall, saving time by being efficient, why not pop across the foot bridge to Souq Al Bahar and enjoy some authentic Middle Eastern cuisine? Abd Al Wahab is one of at least three Arabic restaurants, but there are other food outlets, including Rivington Grill. They all have good views of the Dubai Fountain which performs its water and music extravaganza on the hour.
5. Fortnum and Masons in Dubai
Should you feel the need to have a different view of the Dubai Fountain and the Burj khalifa while taking afternoon tea or indulging in ice cream fit for a Queen, stop off at Fortnum and Masons. All of this, and you are still right beside Dubai Mall – so it is possible to fit it all plus a little light shopping into one day.
6. The Gold Souk
Lots of people get a bargain in Dubai as the gold market is well regulated, and you are quite near a number of Gold Souks (other than the one most people have heard of by the Creek). For example, there is a Gold Souk in Dubai Mall. There is a Gold and Diamond Park elsewhere, as well.
The only reason you are likely to get a bad deal is if you do not bargain well. Take your time, be polite, and just see what the best price really is. The gold price for the day will be on display and you can ask the weight of the item you are buying, so there is a lot on your side – and plenty to tempt you.
7. Mall of the Emirates
Some distance down Sheikh Zayed Road is the Mall of the Emirates. It is large, boasts some luxurious shops, and of course Ski Dubai – which is well worth seeing for its novelty value, even if you would never think of skiing.
8. The Burj Al Arab
Head across to the coast for a look at the Burj Al Arab, the 7-star hotel that looks like a sail set out in the ocean on its own manmade island. You may not want to pay the necessary fee to cross the bridge and enter the hotel, although that expenditure can be redeemed in any of the food outlets.
It is worth seeing from the outside, but sunset drinks in the bar at the top that hangs out over the ocean has to be a big moment for anyone who likes sunsets.
9. The Wild Wadi
While you are in the area, why not have a thrilling time at the Wild Wadi Water Park, which is right out front of the Burj Al Arab. It is fast, fun, and relaxing.
10. Shisha Café – the Royal Mirage
Perhaps you could drop the kids at the Wild Wadi and take a short taxi ride to the Royal Mirage Hotel to indulge in shisha in the courtyard garden. Even people who don’t smoke tobacco have been known to enjoy shisha. It comes in a variety of flavors and perfumes the air. It is also quite a sight to watch the men prepare and tend the pipes, swinging their containers of charcoal to keep the embers alive.
11. Try a spa treatment
This can be done in any hotel anywhere in the city, but since you are in the area, drop into the Angsana Spa in the Marina. It will give you a chance to see the Marina, and the taxi driver will be the one responsible for negotiating the complex roads, not you.
In the center of Dubai at the Park Hyatt is the Amara Spa. It is tasteful and luxurious.
12. The Palm Jumeirah
Look out for it as you fly in or out of Dubai. It is very clearly the shape of a palm tree. On the ground, the trunk is weighed down with hotels and luxury apartments, but it is also possible to drive out onto the fronds and cruise the crescents where the very wealthy live in their luxury villas.
13. The Atlantis Water Park
While you are right there in the area, visit the Atlantis hotel and the Atlantis Marine and Water Park at the end of Palm Jumeirah. It has much to offer, including some things that no other water park in the UAE has – such as a chance to swim with dolphins. There is also an aquarium staffed by very knowledgeable young men and women who will be delighted to tell you all about the sea creatures on display.
14. The desert
You really should not come to the UAE without visiting the desert. There is not much of it to see in Dubai city now. It has been built on or tamed with paving and grass, but it is still out there not very far away.
There are lots of companies that can take you on a scary ride sideways along towering ginger colored (or even red) sand dunes. If you are not prone to car sickness, it is a blast and quite safe. It also comes with other benefits including a buffet meal, camel ride, and a chance to have henna designs applied to your hands or limbs like a semi-permanent tattoo.
15. Take a cruise/a balloon ride
To cram just that bit more in, take one of the adventure rides. Ballooning in the desert is popular, and as you drift by at a measured pace, it must be one of the best ways to see the landscape.
A trip up the Dubai Creek in a dhow is a more sedate look at the city but enjoyable, too. There are several companies to choose from and the view from the creek is lovely.
So there you have it – fifteen plus ideas to help you decide how to spend your time and money. Go for it!