Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a lively nightlife scene. There’s a lot to see and do here and that’s why Dubai is known as a great stopover city. This guide will tell you how to get around, top accommodation choices and the top 7 highlights to see on your Dubai stopover.
Tips for Travelling Dubai
Travel with an eSim: Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store that solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving travelers access to eSIMs (digital SIM cards). More than one million people are already using Airalo’s eSIMs.With eSIMs from Airalo, travelers can download and install a digital data pack for over 200 countries/regions and get connected anywhere in the world as soon as they land.
Compensation for delayed or canceled flights: Since 2013, AirHelp has helped more than 10 million passengers understand their rights and receive up to €600 in compensation for delayed or canceled flights.
Book the cheapest Hotels: Hotellook — a service that helps you find and compare prices on hotels around the world, provided by a leading reservation system. Today, Hotellook.com offered to put together information on more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.
Car Rental: Rentalcars.com is the world’s largest online car rental service. They make eight million bookings a year (and counting) in over 60,000 locations across 160 countries. Rentalcars.com offers 24/7 customer service, connect you to the biggest brands in car rental and their website is available in 43 languages.
Trip Advisor: Travelers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site to discover where to stay, what to do, and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than one billion reviews and opinions of nearly eight million businesses, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants, and discover great places nearby.
Find the cheapest flights: WayAway is a flight aggregator that provides travelers with the best rates on airline tickets. Users can also purchase the WayAway Plus membership plan, which gives cashback on flights, accommodation, car rentals, tours,
How to get around Dubai on your Stopover
There is no easier way to see the city on your Dubai stopover than the Hop on-off Bus service. We bought a two day ticket (which worked out cheaper than a day ticket) and utilised the service to get around Dubai. It’s cheaper than a taxi, it’s quick and super easy. There’s 3 different routes that they use and buses every 15 minutes which means you have the ability and time to experience all the different parts of this amazing city.
My recommendations for getting around Dubai
Top Highlights to See on your Dubai Stopover
The Dubai Mall
Be prepared to spend hours in this huge shopping mall. With around 1,200 shops, it is the second largest mall (by total land area) in the world. It is so big, you can actually hire out golf buggies to take you around with all your shopping bags. If you don’t feel like shopping, (guys, I’m talking to you!) don’t worry because there’s plenty of other things to do. An Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, Ice Rink, VR park, Hysteria (haunted house), Dubai Dino (a genuine fossil of a dinosaur), cinema, cafés and restaurants are just to name a few! There is so much to see and do here, there’s no way you can get bored. You can also see The Dubai Fountain and gain access to the Burj Khalifa from the Dubai Mall. Keep scrolling for more details!
The Dubai Fountain
The Dubai Fountain is a must for your insta-worthy photo op. There are beautiful afternoon and evening ‘shows’ where the fountain sprays are choreographed to music. Check the Dubai Mall’s website for the time schedules.
Burj Khalifa
If you only have time to do one thing on your Dubai stopover then it would definitely have to be going to the top of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world standing at 829.8m high. It takes one whole minute to get to the 148th floor which is where the observation deck is. You will definitely appreciate the view of the city at anytime during the day. I was lucky enough to get there before sunset and watched the sun go down as the beautiful city lights started to sparkle from below.
Atlantis, The Palm
One of the most iconic hotels in the world, the Atlantis is a beautiful structure placed at the apex of the Palm Jumeirah. You can also choose to stop here if you want to enjoy a day at the resorts Aquaventure Waterparks.
Highly recommended tours by fellow travellers
Souk Madinat Jumeirah
For a slightly different shopping experience, be sure to make a stop at the Souk Madinat located in the Jumeirah district. This place is an extremely cute little village where you will feel like you just stepped onto the set of Aladdin. An added bonus is you also get a great view of the famous Burj Al Arab.
Gold & Spice Souk
One of my favourite things to do when I travel is to go to the local market. You can’t get any more of a realistic feel of the culture of the country you’re in than walking around in the marketplace. The beautiful silk and fabrics, the various vibrant colours of all the local spices and the intricate design of the clothes and shoes to just name a few things you will find here. And you will not believe your eyes when you see all the GOLD! I promise, you won’t regret a visit here.
Follow me on Instagram @miastravelmemoirs to see my latest adventures!
Unmissable experiences in the Desert!
Camel Desert Safari
The Camel Desert Safari was my absolute favourite and top highlight of my trip! I booked the Heritage Camel Desert Safari and I felt like you were able to enjoy the best of everything with this safari tour. The food is first class and there is so much to see and so much you learn about the culture of the UAE. After your camel ride, view a live falcon training session and then dine in an authentic Bedouin camp. A unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Read more about my experience- Why Everyone Should Experience a Camel Desert Safari.
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As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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