Dubai seems the perfect place for a stopover on your way to Europe from Australia, we asked a fellow blogger Neha from Dubai Wikia to share some tips on what to do. Check out the site for mor information on things to do in Dubai.
Dubai isn’t the kind of city that you can explore and enjoy fully within a day. There’s way too much to see, and way too much waiting to delight you. It will take you days to fully appreciate this city but don’t feel downhearted! If you plan it well, you can enjoy 24-hour layovers in Dubai whenever you’re traveling and form single-day itineraries for your visits. How’s that? Check out our itinerary for one full day in Dubai, and plan your layover accordingly. Our itinerary makes the best use of your time in Dubai by proposing sights that are close to each other.
Morning 9 A.M: Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and Dubai Fountains
The Burj Khalifa is located at only a 15-minute ride from Dubai International Airport. At this location, you can enjoy three beautiful attractions – the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall and the Dubai Fountains.
Burj Khalifa (Time – 1 Hour, 15 minutes): It’s the best way to see of Dubai in one glance. Take one of the world’s fastest elevators to the observatory deck on the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa. The majestic Burj is 828 meters tall and the observation deck is located at a height of 488 meters. Enjoy the incredible view from the top while nursing a hot coffee. Use one of the many modified telescopes to take a deeper look at the city’s famous landmarks.
Dubai Fountain (Time: 20 minutes): The fabulous Dubai Fountains is located right below the Burj Khalifa. In fact, you can see the fountains from the observation deck. For a closer look, you can stand close to the fountains and admire the jets of coloured water that shoot up to 50 floors. The beautifully choreographed fountains put on a magnificent show that will leave you mesmerized.
Dubai Mall (Time – 2 hours): In all honesty, two hours are not sufficient to enjoy the world’s largest shopping mall. Still, you can take in the beautiful lobby with its waterfall where statues of divers are suspended. Take in the artistic beauty of the lobby, and explore the Gold Souq. You’ve never seen that much gold in one place anywhere else. Explore as many of the retail outlets as you can within the given time limit. If you can, check out the Underwater Zoo and Aquarium for a rich visual feast of colourful marine creatures.
Break for Lunch (1 Hour): Take an hour’s time for lunch at the Dubai Mall’s food courts, where the stalls offer every cuisine known to man. We personally recommend Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet for continental fare and London Fish and Chips for a quick lunch on the go.
Afternoon – 2 P.M – Dubai Glow Garden (2 Hours): Seeing as it is winter time, the Dubai Glow Garden is in full bloom again. Don’t miss a visit to this amazing display of ice sculptures, animatronic-dinosaurs, stupendous collection of metal and glass artwork and more. The Dubai Glow Garden 2018 will stun you with the ‘largest glow-in-dark garden’ created out of millions of energy saving bulbs and yards of luminous recycled fabric. The dinosaur park displays over 120 animatronic dinosaurs. The Ice Park has marvellous ice sculptures that remain cold in the middle of the desert. The new Art Park has lovely creations made out of small bottles, ceramic dishes and millions of CDs.
Bur Dubai and Dubai Creek – 4: 15 P.M (2 Hours): After the fantasy Dubai Garden Glow Park, get ready for a cultural trip. Head over to Bur Dubai and explore the souqs there – you can smell the spices from a long distance away. Explore the old Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, where several of the old houses are made out of black coral. Take a cheap abra ride across the Dubai Creek and explore Deira’s souqs for a while. Remember your next treat, the Dhow Cruise Dubai is waiting for you next, so don’t spend too much time at Deira.
Dhow Cruise – 6:30 P.M. (2 Hours): It is now time to board a beautifully-renovated dhow to cruise the waters of the Persian Gulf. This is the most romantic part of your one-day itinerary in Dubai. Your brightly-lit, fully air-conditioned dhow is surrounded by transparent acrylic. No matter what the weather is like outside, you’ll be cool and comfortable within the dhow.
Your dhow cruise takes you on a tour of Dubai Marina, passing Jumeirah Beach Walk, the Palm Islands and the World Map Islands. Feast your eyes on the sparkling Dubai coastline as the evening sets in. Enjoy the late sunset that bathes the city’s great architecture in a tender orange glow. On the cruise, you’ll be delighted by cultural experiences such as belly dancing, Tanura dancing, and henna tattooing. Give yourself up to a fantastic repast of Emirati and continental cuisines. Lounge back on silk cushions, smoke a shisha pipe and feel like a Sheikh for the evening. Your cruise ends by 8:30 P.M. so if you’re not tired, there’s still much you can see and do in Dubai at night.
Ski Dubai – 9 P.M (2 Hours): You cannot leave Dubai without checking out one of its absolute wonders! Ski Dubai is the largest indoor ski resorts in the UAE – perhaps the world. It’s as big as several football fields, with a huge ice mountain with multiple ski slopes. Ski Dubai has the world’s first Diamond Run as well, at 400 meters. There’s a cute ice cave, a penguin park, and a café on top of the mountain for hot coffee and cocoa. Have your fill of ice and snow till 11 P.M. which is when Ski Dubai closes for the night.
JBR Walk – 11:30 P.M. (2 Hours): If you’re not too tired, and still up to it, you can take the Jumeirah Beach Residence Walk – a prime boardwalk that passes some of the most luxurious resorts and residences of Dubai. The sea-facing boardwalk passes some of the most expensive cars and yachts anyone’s ever seen. It’s a gastronomic feast for the eyes that shouldn’t be missed out. A walk down JBR is one of the coolest things to do in Dubai in one day.
Conclusion
After the walk, make it back to your hotel for a few hours’ of rest before you leave Dubai the next day. If you’re prepared to stay up the night and enjoy the city, even more, there are other things you can do. You can check out Dubai’s nightlife – its pubs and clubs and enjoy a nightcap. You can stroll on the streets safely, checking out various landmarks and attractions that are open during the night. Dubai doesn’t sleep at night – so if you’re prepared to stay awake, enjoy every minute of your layover in Dubai!
