United Arab Emirates

Dubai

Skyscrapers, desert and outsized luxury. Here is when to go, what a day costs on site and what to see, then Okela composes your itinerary hour by hour.

When to visit Dubai

Best months: January, February, March, November and December.

What to see in Dubai

1. Burj Khalifa (At the Top)
   From the upper floors of the tallest building in the world, the whole city unfolds at once: the desert around Dubai, the line of the Persian Gulf, and neighbourhoods that seem to rise straight out of the sand.
2. Dubai Mall & Fontaine
   The Dubai Mall is one of the largest shopping centres in the world, and its aquarium, ice rink and vast galleries show how far the city pushes its scale.
3. Souk de l'or & Deira
   The Gold Souk fills several covered lanes in Deira, close to Dubai Creek, the historic waterway that made Dubai a trading port.
4. Al Fahidi (Bastakiya) & Dubai Museum
   This quarter keeps the last courtyard houses and wind towers (barjeels) of pre-oil Dubai, with narrow lanes and walls of coral stone and gypsum.
5. Safari dans le désert
   Just a few dozen minutes from the city centre, the desert offers a striking contrast with Dubai's towers.
6. Plage de Jumeirah (Kite Beach)
   This public beach in the Jumeirah area has a relaxed, unpretentious feel, far from the large hotel resorts nearby.
7. Palm Jumeirah & Atlantis
   Seen from above, the archipelago forms a clearly recognizable palm, and travelling across it helps you grasp its shape.
8. Dubai Marina
   Dubai Marina is a district built around an artificial canal, lined with residential towers, terraces and quays where yachts moor.

A sample itinerary for Dubai, three days

Composed by Okela from the places in its database, with times. Yours takes your dates, pace and group into account.

Budget

Expect about €204 per person per day on site (accommodation, meals, transport and visits), depending on the comfort you choose. Okela shows the price of every step of your itinerary.

More destinations: United Arab Emirates

Photo: Tim Reckmann from Hamm, Deutschland, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.