10 Best Things to Do in Dubai: Attractions & Itineraries

Burj Khalifa

The world’s tallest building anchors Downtown Dubai. The standard ticket, At the Top, covers observation levels 124 and 125, and a separate, pricier ticket reaches level 148. Prices depend on the level and the time slot: sunset is the most expensive, early morning the cheapest.

Tickets are sold on the official Visit Dubai experiences page, where you can compare time slots and book the At the Top ticket. In winter, popular slots sell out days ahead, so book before you fly.

The Dubai Mall and Dubai Fountain

Walking into The Dubai Mall is free, and it holds far more than shops: an indoor aquarium, an ice rink, entertainment zones and a long list of restaurants. Plan half a day, more if you shop.

The Dubai Fountain performs on Burj Lake outside. The evening shows run every 30 minutes from around 6 PM, and watching from the waterfront promenade costs nothing. The walk between the Burj Khalifa entrance and the fountain takes about 15–20 minutes, so one evening covers both. Check the schedule on The Dubai Mall website, as show times change.

Dubai Frame

Dubai Frame is a giant picture frame in Zabeel Park. The sky bridge on top shows the old districts on one side and the Downtown towers on the other, which makes it a good first stop to understand the city’s layout. Tickets and opening hours are on the official Dubai Frame site.

Palm Jumeirah and The View

The Palm is a man-made island shaped like a palm tree, and its layout only becomes clear from above. The View at The Palm is an observation deck 240 m above sea level, with three levels and several cafes. Prices and slots vary by day and time, and sunset costs more, so use the official site for current tickets.

Combine it with a beach stop or lunch at Atlantis The Palm. A sunset visit followed by dinner on the island is an easy half-day plan.

Museum of the Future (closed for now)

The torus-shaped museum with Arabic calligraphy on its facade is one of Dubai’s most photographed buildings. At the time of writing, the museum’s own website says it is temporarily closed as it prepares for its next chapter, with no reopening date given. You can still see the exterior from the street, and the museum’s site is the place to watch for news: museumofthefuture.ae.

Desert Safari

A desert safari is the classic evening out of the city: an organised tour in the operator’s own vehicles, usually with hotel pick-up, sandboarding, camel rides and a dinner at a desert camp with a live show. A full tour takes four to six hours, and prices differ a lot between shared and private packages, so compare offers from licensed operators.

Helpful tip

Brook Drive cars are for paved roads only. Driving on sand or off the road voids the insurance, so a rental car is not for the dunes. Book the safari with an operator who collects you from the hotel, and keep the rental for the days around it.

Alex Shvarov, Automotive expert with over 15 years of experience

Dubai Marina

Dubai Marina is a canal district lined with towers, best seen after sunset. You can walk the marina promenade and JBR Walk, join a dhow dinner cruise, or book a private yacht or a fast RIB boat tour out into the Gulf. The waterfront is also where you will see the most exotic cars in the city.

If you want to arrive in one yourself, a Ferrari F8 Tributo or Spider starts from AED 3 710 a day, and the hybrid Ferrari 296 GTB or GTS from AED 4 200 a day. A Lamborghini Huracan or a McLaren 720S also fit a waterfront evening. Each car has its own minimum age and experience, shown on its page.

The Marina is close to our Dubai Marina delivery area, so a car can meet you at the hotel.

Deep Dive Dubai and Skydive Dubai

Two sports venues attract visitors who want more than sightseeing. Deep Dive Dubai has a record-setting pool about 60 m deep, with a sunken city to explore, and offers sessions for beginners and for experienced divers. Skydive Dubai runs tandem jumps with views over Palm Jumeirah. Both have capacity limits, and jumps depend on the weather, so book ahead.

Atlantis Aquaventure

Aquaventure sits at the top of Palm Jumeirah and is one of the largest water parks in the region. It has dozens of slides, a long river ride and the Leap of Faith, a near-vertical drop through a tube inside a shark lagoon. Plan a full day, and book tickets only through the park’s own channels, as prices change with the date and the package.

Helpful tip

Arrive at opening time to ride the popular slides before the queues build. From November to March the weather is far more comfortable than in summer.

Alex Shvarov, Automotive expert with over 15 years of experience

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

Al Fahidi, also called Bastakiya, is a restored 19th-century district of narrow lanes, coral-stone houses and wind towers, which were an early way to cool the rooms. Walking is free. You will find art galleries, cafes and the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding here. Opening hours differ from place to place, and many close for a break around Friday prayers. Go early for cooler air and softer light.

Al Fahidi Fort, the home of the old Dubai Museum, is closed for restoration at the time of writing, with a reopening announced for the coming months.

Abra Ride on Dubai Creek

An abra is a wooden boat that shuttles passengers across the Creek between Bur Dubai and Deira. The fare is AED 1 per person, paid in cash on board, and boats run daily from about 6 AM until midnight according to the RTA timetable. The crossing takes only a few minutes. Check the RTA public transport timetable for the Bur Dubai–Deira marine route.

Spice and Gold Souks

The Deira side of the Creek has the Spice Souk, with saffron, frankincense, dried flowers and spice blends, and the nearby Gold Souk, with rows of jewellery shops. Gold follows the daily market price, while the workmanship charge and spice prices are open to polite bargaining. Shops keep their own hours, and mornings are quieter.

Helpful tip

Agree on the final price before the seller wraps anything. A calm, friendly counter-offer is normal in the souks and often works.

Alex Shvarov, Automotive expert with over 15 years of experience

Why a Car Helps for Sightseeing

The Metro runs along a single main line, and many sights sit far from a station. A taxi works for one trip, but a day with five stops adds up, and a rental car gives you control of the schedule. Our luxury cars and everyday models are delivered to hotels across the city: within Dubai it is free from AED 10,000, otherwise AED 185 from 09:00 to 21:00 and AED 290 from 21:00 to 09:00, plus 5% VAT. Delivery to DXB airport starts from AED 250. We have delivery areas for Downtown Dubai and Palm Jumeirah.

There is no deposit. Tourists need a passport, a driving licence from their home country and an International Driving Permit. UAE residents need a UAE licence and Emirates ID. Minimum age and driving experience depend on the car (from 21 to 25 years, shown on each car page). Child seats are free.

Salik, Parking and Mileage

Salik. Dubai’s toll gates charge AED 6.30 in peak hours and AED 4.20 at other times, VAT included, since June 2026, according to The National. Salik and Darb (Abu Dhabi’s tolls) are billed to the renter separately after the rental ends.

Parking. Paid public parking in Dubai is run by Parkin. You can pay in the Parkin app, by SMS or WhatsApp, or at machines, and the zone sign shows the tariff. Standard on-street zones cost AED 2.10 per hour off-peak and AED 4.20 at peak hours from June 2026 (The National), and most zones are free on Sundays and public holidays, but read the sign.

At The Dubai Mall, parking is barrier-free and linked to Salik: a camera reads the plate and the fee is taken from the car’s Salik account, so on a rental it appears with the other Salik charges. Free time and fees are on the mall’s paid-parking page.

Mileage. Each car has its own daily mileage limit (200–250 km, shown on the car page), and extra kilometres are charged separately. City sightseeing rarely reaches it, but a Dubai–Abu Dhabi–Dubai round trip is around 260–300 km on its own, so plan that day with the limit in mind.

Dress Code in Brief

• In malls, old districts, souks and government buildings, keep shoulders and knees covered.
• Swimwear belongs on the beach and by the hotel pool, not in malls or markets.
• Ask before photographing people, especially women and families.
• Keep public behaviour modest and respectful of local customs.

3-Day Dubai Highlights

Day 1, Downtown. Book a morning or sunset Burj Khalifa slot, spend the afternoon in The Dubai Mall and its aquarium, and finish with the fountain show from the promenade.

Day 2, Old Dubai. Walk through Al Fahidi early, cross the Creek by abra for AED 1 and haggle in the Spice and Gold Souks. Return to the hotel for a rest before a late-afternoon desert safari with an operator.

Day 3, the coast. Spend the morning at Kite Beach or JBR, visit The View at The Palm in the afternoon and end the day in Dubai Marina.

5-Day Balanced Explorer

Days 1 and 2 follow the plan above. On day 3, visit Dubai Frame in Zabeel Park, and add the Museum of the Future only if its official site shows it has reopened. Day 4 is for Atlantis Aquaventure, arriving at opening time. Keep day 5 flexible: a yacht cruise from the Marina in the morning and sunset at Souk Madinat Jumeirah.

7-Day Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Do the five-day plan and use day 6 for Abu Dhabi, about 90 minutes each way by car. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has charged an entry fee since September 2026 and asks visitors to pre-book an online pass, so check the mosque’s visiting page first. Remember the mileage limit, and that Darb tolls are billed after the rental, like Salik. Keep day 7 free for a favourite beach, souvenirs, or Global Village or Miracle Garden if you travel between October and May.