Dubai Travel Guide
Three Days in Dubai
A three-day plan that books the sunset Burj slot and the desert evening first, then fills the days with old Dubai, the Frame, the Palm and the fountain, timed around the heat.
Three days is enough to see the essential Dubai if you plan around two things: the timed bookings that shape each day, and the heat, which pushes outdoor sightseeing to mornings and evenings for much of the year. This plan assumes the cool season, from October to April; in summer, keep the same order but move outdoor parts even earlier and later.
Before you fly: lock in two bookings. First, the Burj Khalifa At the Top for sunset on day one; this is the slot that sells out. Second, a desert safari for the evening of day two, choosing a smaller-group or heritage operator if you want the quiet desert rather than a busy camp. If you want a dhow cruise, book it for day three. Everything else can be done on the day.
Day one: Downtown, the Frame and the Burj. Start with a slow morning and a late breakfast, because the day ends late. Late morning, visit the Dubai Frame in Zabeel Park for the view over old and new Dubai and the glass floor of the Sky Deck; it takes about an hour and is an excellent orientation. After lunch, head to the Dubai Mall, which is the best place to be in the heat of the afternoon. Look into the Dubai Aquarium tank from the corridor for free or buy a ticket for the tunnel and the Underwater Zoo if you have children. About two hours before sunset, take the lift up the Burj Khalifa and watch the light go gold over the desert and the city lights come on below. Come down for the Dubai Fountain, which runs every half-hour after dark, and eat on a terrace by the lake, ideally between two shows.
Day two: old Dubai, the mosque and the desert. If it is not a Friday, start at the Jumeirah Mosque for the morning guided tour and its open question-and-answer session, the best introduction to Emirati culture in the city. Then take a taxi to Al Fahidi and wander the wind-tower lanes while it is still cool, stopping at a gallery or the coffee museum. Walk through the textile souk to the Bur Dubai abra station and cross the Creek for a dirham, then explore the spice souk and the gold souk in Deira. Have a cheap, excellent lunch nearby and retreat to your hotel for a rest. Your desert safari will pick you up in the afternoon for dune driving, sunset on the sand, camels and dinner under the stars, returning you late.
Day three: the Palm and the water. Sleep in after the desert. Take a taxi or the metro and tram to the Palm Monorail and ride along the trunk, stopping at Palm Jumeirah Mall for The View at The Palm, where the island finally looks like a palm from the Level 52 deck. Continue to Atlantis for an afternoon at Aquaventure World if you have children or love slides, or spend it at a beach club on the crescent if you want to relax. At sunset, walk the crescent boardwalk for the view back to the Marina skyline, then head to Dubai Marina for a dhow dinner cruise through the lit-up towers and out toward the sea.
If you have a fourth day. Go to Abu Dhabi. A guided tour covers the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Louvre Abu Dhabi in one long day, and the new Etihad Rail service from Al Yalayis station gets you there in about an hour if you prefer to travel independently. Remember that the Louvre is closed on Mondays and the mosque requires covered arms, legs and, for women, hair.
Seasonal swaps. Between mid-October and May, swap the dhow cruise for an evening at Global Village, the open-air fair of country pavilions and street food, or add a morning at the Miracle Garden. In summer, replace the morning walk in old Dubai with an early start and save outdoor plans for after sunset, filling the afternoons with the malls, the aquarium and the waterpark. During Ramadan, keep the same plan but expect quieter days, livelier evenings and adjusted opening hours.
Where to eat along the way. On day one, eat in the Dubai Mall food courts at lunch and on a fountain-view terrace at dinner; Thiptara at Palace Downtown is a special choice. On day two, lunch in old Dubai is the treat of the trip, with Indian, Pakistani and Iranian canteens around the souks serving superb food for very little, and dinner is included at your desert camp. On day three, eat at Atlantis or a beach club on the Palm, then let the dhow cruise buffet cover dinner, or skip it for a waterfront restaurant on the Marina Walk.
Where to stay for this plan. A Downtown base works best, since days one and two start from there and the metro and taxis reach the Marina and the Palm easily on day three. Address Downtown and Palace Downtown put the fountain on your doorstep; Rove Downtown does the same job on a budget. If you would rather finish with a beach, move to the Palm for the last night or two.
Practical notes. Use the Red Line metro to move between Downtown and the Marina, and taxis for the short hops. Carry cash for the abra and the souks. Dress modestly for the mosque and old Dubai. Do not try to fit the Burj, the desert and the Palm into one day; each deserves its own. And leave an hour or two each afternoon to rest, because Dubai's best moments come after dark.