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Saturday 07 November 2009 (UAE)
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Dubai Tour Guide and Sightseeing
Introduction to Dubai for Tourists
Dubai is a fast growing city with a rapidly increasing number of attractions for tourists. On this page are several guides and plans for tourists (or residents) to help them enjoy their time in Dubai. A few general sightseeing tips, followed by suggested itineraries for 1-3 days or a week in Dubai.
- The Big Bus tour is a good way to see Dubai and get oriented. The explanations are reasonably helpful and they're not trying to peddle favorite merchants for carpet buying etc.
- There is a discount coupon book called The Entertainer UAE available in supermarkets and bookshops in Dubai for about 175 dhs. Included in the 2007 edition are a couple of buy-one-get-one-free Big Bus tour tickets which will save you 150 dhs if two adults are travelling - almost covering the cost of the book. Make sure you get the general Entertainer book, not the specialised ones. Other coupons include restaurants, fast food joints, Ski Dubai and Wild Wadi passes.
- As a general rule, use the mornings to do any visits to Deira and near the creek on Bur Dubai side. Traffic (vehicle and pedestrian) gets much busier in the afternoon/evenings.
- Shops are open till 10pm or so every day. Other commercial activities stop on Fridays. Government departments are closed on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Dubai is relatively safe and crime free compared to most cities but be alert as you would be anywhere. Lock your car if it's unattended. Mind your bags and pockets in crowded areas. If an area looks dodgy late at night, it probably is. Naif Square in Deira is a good example if you're looking for that sort of thing.
Shopping in Dubai
- If you are more interested in Dubai shopping malls, then The Dubai Mall which opened in late 2008 is probably going to be number 1 on your sightseeing list but allow at least half a day and replace other suggestions to suit. In the same area is the Dubai Fountain (10mins) and Souk Al Bahar (1-2 hours) with coffee shops and restaurants.
- After the Dubai Metro Red Line opens on 09 September 2009, you can do a shopping mall tour of Dubai in a run from the Dubai Airport to Jebel Ali and back. Start at the Airport, shopping mall stops in order are: Deira City Center (busy), BurJuman (posh but good for a walk around), The Dubai Mall (huge), Gold and Diamond Park (jewellery, alight at FGB station), Mall of the Emirates (busy, skiing), Dubai Marina Mall (smaller, alight at Jumeirah Lake Towers station), Ibn Battuta Mall (less busy, more interesting), then go back to the airport to negotiate your excess baggage charges. Deira City Center, Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, and Dubai Marina Mall (eventually) have hotels attached for the dedicated shoppers.
One Day in Dubai - introduction (using the Big Bus Dubai)
Note that this suggested tour does not return you to the Wafi City Shopping Center where you start, and times are approximate - check with Big Bus for more accurate times on the day.
- 0900 - start at Wafi City Shopping Center with the first bus for the Big Bus tour of Dubai. Get off at Dubai Museum and visit, then walk up to the Bastakia area to look at some of the Dubai art galleries, and take in a cultural experience at the Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding - they offer walking tours of the Bastakiya area (tel +971-4-3536666).
- 1200 - Stop for coffee and/or lunch at the XVA gallery or Basta Art Cafe. Or skip refreshments and catch the next big bus to be an hour ahead of schedule.
- 1300 - Catch the next Big Bus to the other side of Dubai Creek. Jump off at the Gold and Spice Souk area for an hour.
- 1400 - Catch the next Big Bus and stay on until Mall of the Emirates (indoor skifield, busy). Along the way you'll see the Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Mosque, beaches, some of the big projects in Dubai. Ibn Battuta Mall is another possibility - less busy and more interesting to look at but you'll need to get off the bus at Dubai Marina and catch a taxi.
- 1500-1800 - spend time in the shopping center for shopping, coffee, or go for a ski at Ski Dubai. All equipment except for gloves is provided.
- Alternatively, stop for 30 minutes at the Nakheel Sales Center near Dubai Internet City to get an impression of the large offshore developments - The Palm Islands, The World.
- Another alternative is to stop for an hour at Dubai Marina for coffee/tea/late lunch at one of the many restaurants along the boulevard.
- 1800 - take a taxi to Madinat Jumeirah (you'll have been past it on the Big Bus Tour already) for a wander, a drink and a dinner. Not cheap but good surroundings and an excellent selection of quality restaurants. Taxi from MOTE is 10 dhs, from IBM 25 dhs. For cheap eats, visit a shopping center food court.
- Or delay Madinat Jumeirah for an hour or two and visit the Gold and Diamond Park near MOTE - a short trip by taxi.
- Finish with a look in JamBase at Madinat Jumeirah for a bit of jazz music, or go to the Trilogy nightclub for more noise. More impressive but less noisy is the Buddha Bar in Gosvenor House in Dubai Marina - 20 dhs by taxi from Madinat Jumeirah.
- Catch a taxi back to your accommodation or the airport if you're flying out at night.
One Day in Dubai - Adventure, Thrills and Excitement
- Autodrome Dubai - tear around a race track in someone else's car. Allow 2-4 hours.
- Balloon Flight - expensive way to see sand dunes. Allow a morning.
- Desert Safari - many companies offer tours, allow most of a day.
- Helicopter - allow an hour. Quick, efficient, expensive way to see Dubai.
- Parachute Jump / Skydiving - visit Umm Al Quwain airfield and fall out of a plane. Allow half a day at least.
- Ski Dubai - great for beginners, ok for intermediates. Experts will get bored quickly but it's worth a trip for something different if you go with a mate. Allow 3-4 hours.
- Wild Wadi - water park, allow 3-6 hours.
Two Days in Dubai
Do the one day in Dubai introduction on the first day. Then, on the next day...
- In the morning, visit Karama shopping area in Bur Dubai for cheap (fake) handbags, watches, DVDs, shirts.
- In the afternoon, rent a car (or take a taxi for 200-300 dhs) to Big Red - the sand dunes on the Dubai Hatta Road about 40 minutes from Dubai. It will be obvious when you get there. Ride camels, quadbikes, take photos of big dunes, and watch the 4wds tearing around the sand. Best day is Friday for spectators. If you want to go for a drive in the desert, Friday is the worst day (busy). Alternatively...
- Drive to Jebel Hafeet (mountain) near Al Ain and admire the view. Have lunch at the cafe at the top, or in the hotel restaurant. Even in summer, daytime temperatures are bearable at the top. It's better to allow most of the day for this rather than just an afternoon.
Three Days in Dubai
Follow the Two Days in Dubai schedule but go to Karama and Big Red on the second day, and Jebel Hafeet on the third day.
One week in Dubai
- Day 1 - do the one day tour of Dubai
- Day 2 - spend a morning shopping in Karama or a shopping center and the afternoon at Jumeirah Beach Club if winter, do the beach in the morning if summer (not so hot).
- Day 3 - visit Jebel Hafeet (see the two days in Dubai section).
- Day 4 - visit two or three of the following - one in the morning, one in the afternoon. Karama, Gold and Diamond Park, Bastakiya, a shopping center, Sheikh Mohammed's house, Dubai Museum, Gold and Spice souks in Deira.
- Day 5 - visit Big Red sand dunes towards Hatta. In the morning if you want it cool and uncrowded. In the afternoon if you want it hot and hectic. Visit Nad Al Sheba camel racetrack on the way there or back to see the stables and the track. Camel races are held early Friday mornings in winter months.
- Day 6 - visit the Musandam Peninsula in Oman. Start early (0600) if you want to do just a day trip.
- Day 7 - do a day trip to Fujairah (the east coast) through the mountains - the road to Kalba past Fossil Rock is a scenic but longer route. Or a long day trip to Ras Al Khaimah and through Wadi Bih (mountain scenery - bring your passport) to the east coast and back to Dubai via the Sharjah Dibba road. Or a day trip to Abu Dhabi to see roads and buildings arranged more tidily than in Dubai. Or just relax in Dubai and catch up on sunshine or something else you haven't done.
Last update Tuesday 22-Sep-2009
Related pages
- Art galleries in Dubai - information about Bastakiya also
- At The Top - the Burj Dubai observation deck trip (not open until end 2009)
- Bastakiya - historical area of Dubai that has been nicely renovated and rebuilt, Saturday Souk in winter months is especialy worth a visit.
- Dubai Shopping Festival - in January/February each year, see also the list of DSF 2009 events
- Flights to Dubai
- Golf clubs in Dubai - if you're a golfer, there are some impressive courses now available
- Historical places to visit in Dubai
- Hotels in Dubai or cheap hotels in Dubai
- Photos of Dubai
- Things to do in Dubai - includes information for places to visit, activity timings and contact details etc.
- Visas for Dubai
Related websites (open in new window)
- www.dubaitourism.ae - official Dubai Government tourism website, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM)
- Dubai directory - add your link free