Best Places to Visit in Dubai (UAE)

I have flown into Dubai four times now, and every single visit I land still feeling a little stunned. One minute the plane drops out of the clouds over desert, and the next you are staring at towers that seem to reach straight into the heat haze. Dubai is not a city that does things by halves. It builds the tallest, the biggest, the most over the top, and I love it for exactly that reason. After several trips spent racing between landmarks, I put together this guide to the places I think are genuinely worth your time. These are the spots I would go back to tomorrow.

The Burj Khalifa And Downtown Dubai

You cannot visit Dubai without seeing the Burj Khalifa, and I mean that literally, because you will see it from almost everywhere. The tower sits right at the heart of the city and stands at 828 metres tall, which makes it the tallest building on the planet. I have taken the lift up to the observation deck on level 124, and the view across the city and out to the Persian Gulf is something I cannot describe properly. At sunset the whole skyline glows gold, so I always book my ticket for about an hour before dusk to watch the city light up below me.

Right beside the tower is The Dubai Mall, which I admit sounds like just another shopping centre until you step inside. The place is huge, and I have gotten lost in it more than once. Beyond the shops there is a giant aquarium with sharks swimming behind a wall of glass, an indoor ice rink, and a waterfall that drips down through the floors. Across the walkway from the mall is the Dubai Fountain, a water show that fires jets as high as 150 metres in time to music every evening. I always find a spot on the bridge to watch it when the weather allows.

Palm Jumeirah And The Beach

One of the most famous sights in Dubai is Palm Jumeirah, the man made island built in the shape of a date palm. From the air it looks like a giant leaf floating in the sea, and I have driven along the trunk road many times. At the tip of the palm sits Atlantis, The Palm, a hotel you can spot from miles away. Even if you do not stay there, I recommend the boardwalk along the crescent, where the views back toward the mainland are some of the best in the city.

For a proper beach afternoon I head to JBR, the stretch of sand at Jumeirah Beach Residence. The walk there is lined with cafes and food stalls, and the water is calm and warm. I have spent whole afternoons swimming and then wandering along The Walk eating ice cream. The beach is public, so you can just bring a towel and settle in.

Old Dubai And The Souks

To see a completely different side of the city, I cross to Deira and Old Dubai. The traditional souks here feel a world away from the skyscrapers. The Gold Souk is a lane of jewellery shops where the windows glow with necklaces and bangles, and I always stop just to look even when I have no intention of buying. Not far away is the Spice Souk, where the air smells of saffron, cardamom and dried lemons heaped in cloth sacks.

The best way between these areas is an abra, the little wooden boat that ferries people across Dubai Creek for a few dirhams. I love that crossing. The water is calm, the old wind towers line the far bank, and for a few minutes the whole city slows down. Right on the other side is the Al Fahidi Historical District, a maze of narrow lanes and coral stone houses where Dubai started long before the towers went up.

A Desert Safari

My favourite day in Dubai has always been the one I spend outside the city entirely. A desert safari takes you about an hour into the dunes, and the drive itself is part of the fun. Our driver took us up and over the big sandy hills in a 4×4, and I spent most of it laughing and gripping the handle above my door. After the dune driving we stopped to watch the sun sink below the horizon, and I remember the silence out there being so complete that it felt like another planet.

Most safaris finish at a camp with a BBQ dinner, music and camel rides under the stars. I went twice and enjoyed it more the second time because I knew what to expect. If you only book one tour in Dubai, make it this one.

Museums And Modern Marvels

If you want culture without leaving the modern city, the Museum of the Future is worth a visit. The building looks like a stainless steel doughnut covered in Arabic calligraphy, and the exhibits inside explore what life might look like in the decades to come. I found it thought provoking and far less cheesy than I expected. For a quieter alternative, head back along the creek to Al Fahidi, where the little museum tells the story of the pearl diving and trading that built the city.

Dubai rewards visitors who stay a little longer. I have learned that the best way to see it is not to rush from landmark to landmark, but to pick a few places and let them breathe. Go up the tower, cross the creek on a boat, and ride the dunes at sunset. Do those three things and you will come away with the version of Dubai I still think about.