Top Oz Tours offers a great range of Dubai tours and experiences. You can browse the options here.
Once a sleepy fishing village, then trading port, Dubai has risen like a phoenix from the desert sands.
More liberal than its neighbours and willing to blend time-old traditions with free market capitalism, the city entices visitors with promises of desert adventure, endless opulent options for relaxation and incredible shopping.
There are direct flights from most Australian capital cities to Dubai, making it perfect as a stopover destination on the way to Europe. However, the city has plenty to offer holidaymakers in its own right, including a seemingly endless array of attractions — admission to which can quickly add up. If you plan to see and do it all, invest in a Go City Pass for savings of up to 50% on the cost of buying separate entry tickets.
Here’s a checklist of our top ten things to do in Dubai on a first visit.
1. Explore Old Dubai
Dubai developed as a trading hub around the turn of the 20th century, and was known for its pearl exports until the Great Depression stifled demand. Oil was discovered in the 1960s, which kick-started the modern development that has defined the city ever since. However, it’s not hard to gain an appreciation of ‘the old way of life’. Wander the alleys and laneways of Old Dubai and the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood on a guided walking tour, and stop for a thick Arabic coffee in one of the precinct’s many traditional cafes.
2. Go on a desert safari
The deserts around Dubai were once the preserve of bedouin tribes and you can retrace their ancient steps over the dunes on a Dubai Desert Safari. Travel by 4WD and camel, and dine under the stars enveloped by traditional music played on a rababa and hazy smoke from shisha pipes bubbling above burning embers.
3. Admire the views from Burj Khalifa
Nothing symbolises the Dubai of the present like Burj Khalifa. At 828 metres, it’s the tallest structure in the world and hosts the highest open air observation deck. Stay on Level 124 for great views and a multimedia history lesson or continue up to Level 148 for the preeminent city vista!
4. Visit Jumeirah Mosque
Although Dubai welcomes the world with open arms, socially the UAE is conservative by western standards. Be mindful and respectful of this as you explore. Life here revolves around Islam and locals are called to prayer five times a day from the minarets of mosques scattered across the country. You’re welcome to visit the stunning Jumeirah Mosque, which is the only mosque in Dubai that allows non-Muslim guests. Note: Women are required to wear a head scarf as a mark of respect.
5. Dine in style at Pierchic
It may be 45 degrees outside, but most restaurants and bars in Dubai require long pants and shoes for men (no runners or sandals) and discreet dress for women. For a fabulous dining experience, you can’t go wrong at Pierchic. Jutting out over the Arabian Sea at the end of a pier that has been beautifully fashioned out of wood and glass, this esteemed Italian restaurant offers uninterrupted ocean views (the Burj Al Arab seems to float nearby) and oozes refined elegance. The menu and presentation are second to none. Pop into the bar for a sunset cocktail before dinner, and try to nab a spot in the al fresco dining area.
6. Do Friday brunch
Friday brunch is a popular local culinary tradition in Dubai and the way to kick off the weekend. Many hotels offer packages, which generally include bubbles and range from feeding frenzies to more elegant affairs. If you have kids in tow, the Bubbalicious Brunch across the Westin Dubai’s multiple restaurants is a must-do. Food aside, the petting zoo, PlayStation room, and kids’ corner will keep your entourage entertained for hours.
7. Shop at the souks
Dubai’s traditional souks (marketplaces) are where people go to buy, sell, socialise, and sip coffee. Keep your sunglasses handy at the famous Gold Souk, where all that glitters is gold. Be patient, be prepared to haggle, and you’ll find it difficult not to walk out dripping in bling.
From there, follow your nose to the Spice Souk and wander amongst mounds of red, orange, yellow, and green seasonings.
Oud from agarwood is a highly regarded scent in Arabic culture — woody, musky, and quite intense — and you can combine it with other essences at the Perfume Souk. Nothing screams ‘decadent’ quite like creating your own personal fragrance!
An abra (water taxi) will whisk you across Dubai Creek to the Textile Souk in Bur Dubai, where you can shop for exotic fabrics and traditional fashions. It’s a fabulous place to learn more about the distinctive styles of UAE dress on display around you.
8. Marvel at The Dubai Mall
There are malls, and there is The Dubai Mall — home to 1,200 stores and boutiques, more than 200 food and beverage outlets, and the Dubai Aquarium — a giant fish tank holding ten million litres of water and 140 species of fish. Go shark diving, cage snorkelling, or walk through a tunnel and enjoy the 270-degree underwater panorama.
9. Splash down at Aquaventure
We mentioned Dubai’s array of tourist attractions earlier. If you only have time to do one, make it the Aquaventure Waterpark at Atlantis The Palm on Palm Jumeirah island. It offers a great family day out. While mum and dad relax on sunbeds, the kids can swim and slide to their hearts’ content. The Leap of Faith waterslide will drop you almost vertically nine stories, before you level out under the water surrounded by sharks and rays!
10. Have a holiday hit
Fancy a round of holiday golf? Featuring nine holes and lush green fairways weaving around six lakes, Meydan Golf Course sits in the shadow of the 80,000-seat grandstand at Meydan Racecourse. There’s no membership here and everyone is welcome on a pay-and-play basis. Be warned: the greens are fast!
Need a place to stay?
Rove Dubai Marina
When travelling, most of us want a place to stay that is centrally located, welcoming, well presented, and secure. We want a comfortable bed, large windows, efficient air conditioning, and a clean bathroom. We’d also like good value room service options, fast Wi-Fi, and 24-hour facilities. Rove Dubai Marina has all that and more!
Situated, as the name suggests, by the marina, this is a really fun place to stay. It features a funky design aesthetic and thoughtful touches throughout that will make you feel just a little bit special. The room numbers are displayed on boat number plates, the ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs read ‘Dreaming in Progress’, notepads by the beds are labelled #expressyourself, and letters above the bed spell out phrases such as: ‘My space in the city’.
Facilities at the hotel include all-day room service and a 24-hour snack bar/convenience store, a 24-hour gym, coin operated laundry, computer bar, swimming pool, and even a small art gallery. Oh, and checkout time is a leisurely 2pm. Bliss! If you have time to kill before your flight, take advantage of the free luggage lockers and head off to do some more sightseeing.
For more travel inspiration, visit www.visitdubai.com.
Browse our range of Dubai tours and experiences here.
Do you have any suggestions to add to our list of top things to do in Dubai on a first visit? We would love to hear from you. Join the conversation on our Facebook page.
Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
As a travel blogger and photographer, Neil Brook travels the world looking to meet interesting people, taste great food, and find different angles from which to write about his adventures. He is privileged to have lived in Australia, the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom. More a traveller than a tourist, Neil prefers to mix with the locals, learn their history and culture, and walk the backstreets to uncover hidden gems worthy of praise in words or quiet moments of private reflection.
About the writer
Ruby Boukabou is a travel, culture and food writer based between Europe and Australia, and has written for The Age, The Australian, Qantas, Issimo, The Diplomat, Paris Voice and Inside Film. She has also produced culture and travel stories for the ABC, SBS and Screen Australia. When Ruby’s not writing, she’s probably tap dancing. She’s a founding member of the Paris Tap Crew and a member of jazz/world music group Le Shuffle Project, which records and performs in Paris and beyond. Ruby’s books — The Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and The Architecture Lover’s Guide to Paris (White Owl Books) — are available in bookshops and to order online.
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