Dubai is a city like few others with best places to visit. Located within the United Arab Emirates and famous for its tax-free shopping, record-breaking skyscrapers, and amazing nightlife, Dubai is also home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, phenomenal architecture, gorgeous landscapes, and a unique culture all its own.
There’s so much to do in Dubai you’d need at least a week just to take it all in! But if you’re looking for an introduction to this wonderful culture and city before you plan your trip—or maybe just want an excuse (as if!) to book that ticket—we’ve put together a list of our ten favorite things about Dubai.
1. Burj Khalifa
The Burj Khalifa, a mixed-use tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It’s the world’s tallest building and the tallest freestanding structure in the world. The tower was designed by Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) who also is known for designing other supertall skyscrapers such as Taipei 101 (Taiwan) and Abraj Al Bait South Tower (Saudi Arabia).
Burj Khalifa stands at 828 meters (2,717 ft), including its spire but excluding its antenna which brings its total height to 829.8 meters (2,720 feet). It has 163 floors above ground and 15 floors below ground with 76 elevators that service all levels except 2nd floor to 65th floor where people can use stairs or escalators instead of taking elevators due to capacity issues.
It has a total floor area of 578,000 sq m (664,000 sq yd) and houses offices, apartments and hotels in addition to several restaurants on the upper levels
2. Dubai Museum
The Dubai Museum is located in the Al Fahidi Historical District, which was the first settlement in Dubai. The museum has many halls and exhibits that tell you all about how this place became what it is today. It’s a great place to learn about the history of Dubai and its people.
3. Dubai Fountain Lake Ride
A trip to the Dubai Fountain is a must-see activity for anyone visiting Dubai as it offers many places to visit. Located at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, it’s one of the most famous sights in all of Dubai and has been voted as one of the Seven Wonders of The Modern World by National Geographic. The fountain consists of 6,600 lights and 1,000 nozzles that can shoot water up to 150 feet into the air during a performance.
The show lasts about 20 minutes and will set you back 25 Dirham ($6 USD). If you want to take a ride on the lake surrounding this amazing attraction, it’ll cost you 10 Dirham ($2 USD) per person for unlimited rides for 45 minutes between 11am – 7pm or until sunset if earlier than 7pm
4. Shopping at the Dubai Mall
The Dubai Mall is the world’s largest shopping mall and it is located in Dubai. It has five floors, with a total of 1,200,000 visitors every week. The mall has a total of 1200 stores and 5.9 million square feet of space.
5. Skiing in the world’s largest indoor snow park
Located in the Mall of the Emirates, Ski Dubai is the world’s largest indoor ski resort and a great place to learn how to ski. If you already know how to ski, this is also a great place to do it with your friends or family!
6. Jumeirah Mosque – Top Places to Visit
The Jumeirah Mosque is located in the heart of Dubai. It’s one of the most famous landmarks in the city and it’s open to everyone. If you want to get a feel for traditional Muslim worship, then this mosque is a great place to start.
The mosque was built in 1996 and has been gaining popularity ever since. It’s still undergoing construction but once finished, it will be able to hold up to 10,000 worshippers at any given time!
7. Desert safari in Dubai
A desert safari is one of the most popular activities for visitors to Dubai. It’s a great way to see the desert, and you can even get up close and personal with some of the amazing wildlife that lives there. Desert safaris usually involve going out into the desert in large buses or small jeeps, so they’re perfect for visitors who don’t want to travel too far from their hotel or apartment. There are many companies that offer these tours, so check out their websites to find one you like before deciding which tour to take.
8. Best Places to Visit Near Palm Islands
Palm Islands are artificial islands in the Persian Gulf, located in Dubai Marina district. They were built by Nakheel Properties and designed by HOK, a construction company based out of Kansas City, Missouri. The two Palm Islands span over 5 million square meters (53 million square feet) in total area and are separated by a “body of water” so that each island stands on its own. The islands were built with reclaimed sand and they house luxury hotels and residences as well as retail facilities, restaurants and other amenities including an IMAX theater on one of the islands.
The Palm Jumeirah is home to many landmarks such as Burj Al Arab hotel which is one of the seven wonders of world’s construction along with Atlantis Hotel which was built at an estimated cost of $1 billion dollars!
The Palm Jebel Ali also has many attractions like Madinat Jumeirah which is also known as ‘A Thousand & One Nights’, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo (the world’s largest aquarium), Ferrari World theme park etc…
9. The Lost Chambers Aquarium
The Lost Chambers Aquarium is located inside the Atlantis, The Palm Resort and is home to over 1,000 species of fish. It’s also the world’s largest aquarium and features the world’s largest single-paned acrylic panel. It’s made up of four interconnected galleries that house more than 4 million gallons of water with more than 200 species of marine life, including sharks, stingrays and sea turtles. Visitors can also enjoy a ride through this underwater world on a submarine called “Discovery”.
10. Atlantis, The Palm Resort – Best Places to Visit
Atlantis, the world’s largest hotel, is located on the Palm Jumeirah. It has a water park and aquarium, as well as a marine life zoo. The resort’s lagoon aquarium includes more than 11 million gallons of sea water and more than 200 species of fish from around the globe.
In addition to this aquatic wonderland, Atlantis also features three swimming pools (including one with an underwater glass bottom), five restaurants (with the French-inspired Le Gourmet restaurant serving up dishes like lobster bisque and Maine lobster salad), two spas (including one for men only) and even a shopping mall called Souk Madinat Jumeirah with nearly 100 shops ranging from high-end couture boutiques to traditional Middle Eastern bazaars.
With all these attractions to experience in just one place—not even counting all that Dubai has to offer—it’s no wonder that people have been flocking here since it opened back in 2008!
These are our top ten suggestions for what to do when you’re in Dubai.
While planning your trip to Dubai, make sure you have a good guidebook and map. Also, it’s important to wear good shoes and sunscreen. You should also bring enough water and food with you. Finally, make sure that you have some friends who can help when things go wrong!
Conclusion
If you’re planning a trip to Dubai and wondering how to get the most from your time there, we hope this article has given you some inspiration. We’ve tried to put together a list that covers both popular tourist attractions and more unusual experiences. No matter what time of year you visit, there will always be an amazing range of activities available in this vibrant city. The only problem is narrowing down which ones to try!
