One of the most magnificent cities in the World, Dubai stands tall with it’s hundreds of skyscrapers. This hot desert city sits on the coast of the Indian Ocean, in the United Arab Emirates. Watch our video about Dubai, here.
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Transportation
- Dubai International Airport: To get to Dubai, we traveled from Los Angeles International Airport on Emirates, flying on one of their many Airbus A380s. Even sitting in economy, Emirates raises the bar for international carriers due to their comfort and hospitality. For a typical airline meal, it was very good and they had a nice selection of wines to chose from. After 15 hours and 50 minutes, we were finally in Dubai!
- Dubai Metro: We purchased the Gold ticket, which costs 25 Dirhams, equal to about $7, for a one way. The seats were very comfortable in the Gold class and we were glad that we spent the extra little bit to not have to stand in the packed cabins of the other cars.
The Red Line can take you from the airport to Dubai Marina and will be the most popular line for all of the sightseeing, with stops at the Burj Khalifa and Mall of the Emirates. Although less popular for tourism, there is another line, the Green Line, that can take you from Dubai Creek to Etisalat.
Travel Tip: Dubai Metro offers a free app (click here for Apple and here for Android) that you can download on your phone. This can help you with stops and places of interest if you plan to take the Metro.
- Big Bus Dubai: This form of transportation can be used for both traveling and seeing the city! There are 3 different tour lines:
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- The Red Line for seeing the City, Burj Khalifa, and will take you to Dubai Creek where you can take a Dhow Cruise that is included in the Big Bus pass
- The Blue Line for seeing the Marina and Palm Jumeirah, a man made archipelago in the shape of a palm tree
- The Green Line for seeing the Beaches and the Burj Al Arab, known as “the world’s only seven-star hotel”
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There are different passes you can buy for the bus, ours was included with the Go Dubai Pass (see below under Attractions). If you aren’t getting it included, the one day pass is $64 per person.
- Taxi: We did end up taking a taxi a couple of times and found that they were actually very affordable and the drivers professional.
Accommodations
- President Hotel: We have no complaints about this hotel, it was one of the best hotels we stayed at. Breakfast was included, the room was clean with hot water, and the in-room Wi-Fi was reliable. Also, the staff was very friendly and accommodating. For all three nights, we paid 1,110 Dirhams, equal to about $300.
Travel Tip: The hotel does offer a shuttle to the airport for 50 Dirhams, about $14. We would recommend booking that as the metro does not run all hours of the day and if you have an early flight to catch the next morning (as we did), chances are the metro will not be open yet. You can definitely take a taxi but that will be more expensive.
To-Do
After much research, we decided to purchase the Go Dubai Card. With the pass there is an option to choose from 3, 4, 5, or 7 attractions and tours. We went with 3 different things that included the Big Bus Dubai, a Dhow Dinner Cruise at Dubai Marina, and the Burj Khalifa. The pass was $159 dollars per person, saving us around $40 per person.
- Big Bus Dubai: This was already mentioned as a form of transportation, but for us, it was also an attraction. As much as we hate standing out as tourists, sometimes that is the best option for really getting to see the whole city and learn a lot about it, especially since we only had a few days in Dubai.
- The Dhow Dinner Cruise: This experience was a little disappointing and if we could go back and select a different attraction from the list of 49 different ones, we probably would. If purchased separately from the Go Dubai pass, it is $80 per person, not worth it to us for the reasons listed below.
The first issue we had was the lack of communication. We were given little to no instructions on where exactly we were supposed to meet the Dhow, just that it was on the Marina (a huge area with multiple dinner cruises). Then when we finally arrived, they did not have our reservation, which we made months in advance. Thankfully, we had printed off the email confirming our reservation and they let us on board.
Now the next thing that was highly disappointing was what was described as a “5-star all-inclusive dinner buffet with soft drinks, tea, and more”. Now we are not huge fans of buffets, but this buffet was very sad for a “5 star buffet”. We also had to practically beg the server for drinks, while everyone else was being served, no one was attending to our table.
Now there was one positive thing about the dinner cruise and that was the views of the city at night. The city lit up with all of the skyscrapers was mesmerizing!
- Burj Khalifa: As the tallest building in the world and that definitely did not disappoint! It is an absolute must-see when visiting Dubai! You must face your fears of heights to go up the Burj Khalifa, with 160 stories. It is the tallest building in the World and towers above all the other skyscrapers around it.
The highest point you can visit without getting a private tour (At the Top-Sky), is level 125. Even from that point, the views of the city are breathtaking. If you are purchasing tickets separate from the Go Dubai pass, they are 125 Dirhams, about $34 during non-prime time (8:30am-2:30pm, and 7pm until closing) and 200 Dirhams, about $55 during prime time (3-6:30pm).
- The Dubai Mall or Mall of the Emirates: Dubai prides itself on is their malls and there are many around the city. Both of these malls have hundreds of stores and are kept very clean. They also offer so much more than just shopping!
Besides the entrance to the Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall’s main attraction is the Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. You can view the 30,000 aquatic animals for free from the mall. If you want a 270 degree view of the aquarium and to see the zoo, you can pay to get inside, which costs 55 Dirhams, about $15 per person.
Ski Dubai is probably the most impressive thing that Mall of the Emirates has to offer. It offers indoor skiing, with a slope, skiing lessons, or just playing in the snow. You can also have the opportunity to meet the Penguins! Tickets are individually priced and you can buy them here.
- If you are interested in buying some gold while in Dubai, the best known place is the Dubai Gold Souk, located in Deira, near the Al Das Metro Station. This Souk has over 300 shops, with the majority being jewelry traders.
Travel Tip: It is expected and will do you well to barter for anything you want when buying from a Souk. Start lower than what you expect to pay and you can go up from there, eventually being very firm with the price. Do not pay more than you are comfortable paying, you can always walk away and find another store.
Food
- The Kovalam Restaurant: This Indian restaurant was located inside our hotel, on the first floor, so it was very convenient for us. It was nice not to have to leave after a long day and try to find something to eat. Besides the majority of the dishes being Indian, they did offer some different cuisines.
As with any Indian food, it is very spicy so if you do not like that, there are other options as well. The prices are very reasonable and the staff is friendly.
- Mado: Located in the Dubai Mall, this restaurant serves up another common food option that they have in Dubai, Turkish food.
The food was absolutely delicious, just posting these pictures has our mouth watering! The prices were on the more expensive side, definitely not one of our cheapest meals, but by far, one of the tastiest! Our server was also very friendly.
This food reminded us a little of the food we had in Greece, which brought back some happy memories.
Overall, Dubai is a glamorous city that we’re sure we will end up back in again. It is a modern westernized city with respect to the different cultures of it’s people. There are a lot of things to do to keep you busy everyday! So why not give Dubai a try?
This is wonderful, thank you for sharing.
Thank you. Heading to Dubai at the need of December. Any suggestions for dinner near the Burj Khalifa on the 31st of December??
Hello Glenda! We would definitely check out the restaurant, Mado. Located in the Dubai mall, it is right next to the Burj Khalifa and the food did not disappoint for us! Happy Travels, we hope you enjoy Dubai!