10 ESSENTIAL PLACES TO SEE IN DUBAI

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This list of the best places to see in Dubai It will help you not to miss anything from one of the most impressive cities in the world, which we are sure, will not leave you indifferent.
Built in the middle of one of the most arid deserts on the planet thanks to the wealth of oil, Dubai has become one of the most requested tourist destinations in recent years.
Luxury and ostentation, one of the hallmarks of Dubai, you can see in many aspects of the city, including the city's luxury shopping centers, where locals have a favorite pastime to walk and shop. In addition to this luxury, everything is big in Dubai, so you will find the tallest building, the most luxurious hotel and even the largest shopping center in the world, all in the same city.

In addition to knowing this part of the most modern city that has developed in the last 30 years and that is permanently under construction, another of the best things to do in Dubai It is to visit the old part where there are souks, mosques and the most local shops.
The best time to travel to Dubai, if you do not want to spend all the time under cover, it is from November to April when temperatures are below 30 degrees and the worst time is the summer months when thermometers easily exceed 45 degrees.

Once you have decided to make this trip, we recommend investing about 4 days in Dubai and leaving two more days to make an excursion to the desert and of course to nearby Abu Dhabi.

Based on the experience of our trip to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Rub 'al Khali in 9 days, we have made this list of what we think are the 10 essential places to visit in Dubai. We start!

1. Burj Khalifa

The 828-meter-high Burj Khalifa, twice that of the Empire State Building in New York, is the tallest building in the world and one of the most essential places to see in Dubai. Built between 2004 and 2010, this colossal building can be seen from more than 90 kilometers away and owes its name to the president of the United Arab Emirates and in addition to the height record of the building, it also has the viewpoint, the restaurant and the disco located at the highest height in the world.
To go up to the viewpoint, which is located on the 124th and 125th floors, we recommend you book your ticket here in advance to avoid queues and run out of places, especially during holidays and weekends as well as being the cheapest option since Buying them directly at the ticket office is much more expensive.
Regarding the time of climbing, we recommend you do it one hour before sunset, as you can enjoy the city by day, a spectacular sunset and see how it ends up lighting after the sun goes down.

Recently opened another viewpoint located on the 148th floor at 555 meters high, to beat the highest viewpoint record. In case you are interested in knowing this other viewpoint, you can book the entrance to this viewpoint here.

In addition to the viewpoint, when you go down at night from Burj Khalifa, we recommend you not to miss the spectacle of water, light and music from the fountains located on the lake in front of the building, which has become a the best things to do in Dubai For all tourists. This show, which exceeds that of the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, takes place every half hour from 6 in the afternoon to 10 at night and each show is different.
In addition to the entire area surrounding the lake, to have the best views of the fountains you can climb to the terrace of the Apple store or dine on the terrace of the Tribu restaurant, both located in the Dubai Mall. We advise you to see at least two shows in a row since they vary greatly in terms of spectacularity and usually in one of the two the most powerful water jets are used, which reach 150 meters high.
For more information you can consult this guide to climb the Burj Khalifa.

Burj Khalifa

2. Old city

Before oil was discovered, Dubai stretched on both sides of the creek, a natural estuary that enters the city about 10 kilometers and separates the neighborhoods of Bur Dubai and Deira, two of its old neighborhoods, which will remind you of the origins of This city and its mercantile past.
Between the highlights to visit in Dubai and that are in the area of Deira, are the souks of gold and species. In addition to seeing the windows full of gold items, including the largest gold ring in the world, you can approach the harbor area and take a boat ride on the creek.
A good experience if you are in this neighborhood at night is to book this dinner cruise.
Other points of interest in this neighborhood are the Municipal Museum building, the Al Ahmadiya school and the Heritage House, a historic and traditional city house.

Across the river, in the Bur Dubai area, don't miss the beautiful Al Bastakiya mosque, the Heritage and Diving Village, which has several exhibits about the city's past and the Sheikh Saeed Arabic architecture house.

For lunch we recommend you try the delicious Arabic food on the interior terrace of the beautiful Arabian Tea House, another of the places to see in Dubai, which we also assure you, will not disappoint you at the gastronomic level.

A good way to know the history of the city and not miss anything important is to book this complete tour with a guide in Spanish or this private tour, ideal for groups.

Gold Souk, one of the places to visit in Dubai

3. Shopping Centers

Dubai is the perfect city for shopping lovers by having the most spectacular shopping centers in the world and with the largest number of stores of all international brands.
In addition to shopping, these shopping centers have a wide range of restaurants and leisure activities, including skiing and skating rinks.
Our shopping centers to see in Dubai favorites are:

Dubai Mall: It is the largest and most visited shopping center in the world with more than 1200 stores of all kinds. Among its most famous places are the ice rink, the aquarium, the Gold Souk and an incredible indoor waterfall.
Mall of the Emirates: another shopping center full of luxury stores and international brands, which highlights its interior ski slope.
IBN Battuta: Although its stores are not as luxurious as the previous two, the decoration of the building with thematic areas of Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China, will leave you speechless.
Souk Madinat Jumeirah: one of our favorite shopping centers with a traditional design and views of the Burj al Arab.

Dubai Mall

Our recommended hotel in Dubai
Our recommended accommodation in Dubai is the DAMAC Maison Dubai Mall Street, located 10 minutes walk and with a free bus service to the Dubai Mall. In addition to its excellent location, this aparthotel has spacious and clean rooms, attentive service and one of the Best quality / price ratios in the city.
For more information you can consult this post about the best neighborhoods and hotels to stay in Dubai.

4. Burj al Arab, one of the places to see in Dubai

The Burj al Arab hotel, built on an artificial island located less than 270 meters from the beach, is another of the most beautiful places to see in Dubai.
With 321 meters of sail-shaped height, this hotel is located among the best accommodations on the planet and ranked as the only 7-star hotel, with prices per room and night (in this case all are suites), from 1500 Euros
To visit its interior with a spectacular hall and full of luxurious shops, you have to stay or have a reservation at one of its restaurants or bars. In this case, the cheapest option is to book at the Skyview Bar, located 200 meters high, where a minimum consumption of about 70 euros is required. You can book the ticket that includes two drinks here.

Another more complete and expensive alternative is to book the afternoon tea experience that takes place in the same bar or food in one of its restaurants, also including pick-up at the hotel.

In addition to the visit to Burj al Arab we recommend watching the sunset from the Umm Suqeim beach, while you take a bath or just sit on the sand to enjoy the views of one of the most famous hotels in the world.

Burj Al Arab

5. Dubai Frame

One of the tourist attractions to visit in Dubai Newer, it opened in 2018 and is the Dubai Frame, a spectacular museum that will surprise you. Located in a huge frame 150 meters high and 105 wide, the museum offers you a trip through the past, present and future of Dubai through its immense structure that aims to frame all the symbols of the city and It is located in such a way that on one side you will see the modern part of Dubai and on the other the old part.
During the tour of the upper part of the building you will enjoy magnificent views of the city skyline with the Burj Khalifa in the background and you will release some adrenaline when the ground becomes transparent.
Visiting hours: every day from 9am to 9pm. 50AED price

Dubai Frame

Recommended travel cards
Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

6. Dubai Parks

Another of the best things to do in Dubai It is walking through its magnificent parks like Safa Park or the Miracle Garden.
Safa Park is one of the green lungs of the city, with more than 64 hectares and where you can practice all kinds of outdoor sports, in addition to walking around a large lake, a waterfall, a wooded area and the most amazing , enjoy the incredible views of the Dubai skyline.

Miracle Garden is the largest natural flower garden in the world and another one of the wonders to see in Dubai where you will find structures such as an Airbus A380 made of flowers, a heart-shaped path and a garden with more than 15,000 butterflies.
The only drawback of Miracle Garden is that it only opens from October to April due to the extreme heat of the flowers during the rest of the year, so this place to see in Dubai is reserved only for travelers visiting the country during this time of the year.

Safa Park

7. Dubai Marina

The Dubai Marina district, located around an artificial canal of less than 4 kilometers, is another of the essential places to visit in Dubai.
In this area of imposing skyscrapers, recreational yachts, luxurious hotels, shopping centers such as the Dubai Marina Mall and pleasant restaurants with terraces, a large part of foreigners working in the city is concentrated, so the atmosphere is quite different from that You will see in the rest of the city.
The best time to approach the Dubai Marina is at night when temperatures drop and the terraces on the bank of the canal are full of atmosphere but if you arrive early, it is highly recommended to approach the JBR beach area, located a few minutes walking, where you can also enjoy a good atmosphere and even a few hours of beach.

If you want to have the best views of the illuminated skyscrapers and the entire canal you can book this dinner cruise that leaves Pier 7 pier.

Dubai Marina

8. Jumeirah Mosque

The Jumeirah Mosque is the only one in the city that accepts non-Muslim visitors and another of the most beautiful places to see in Dubai. This religious building is built in white stone, with two twin minarets that rise on both sides of the central dome and the only way to get to know it is by visiting the guided interior, which takes place at 10 am from Thursday to Saturday (except Fridays). Keep in mind that you cannot access it in shorts and women should cover their hair with a handkerchief.
In addition to its beautiful architecture, this mosque offers during the hour and a half that the visit lasts a good opportunity to get to know the Muslim religion and customs.

Jumeirah Mosque, one of the places to see in Dubai

9. Jumeirah Palm

The Jumeirah Palm is the most famous set of artificial islands to see in Dubai and in the world. Built in the shape of a palm tree, these islands are characterized by being full of luxury hotels and residences, for which large amounts of sand and rock were used in their construction.
The best way to observe this complex is from the heights by booking this helicopter ride or parachute on the palm tree with the company Skydive Dubai, one of the best places to practice or start in this sport.

Another option to see the Jumeirah Palm, although it is not appreciated at all, is from the Observatory restaurant, located at the top of the Dubai Marriott Harbor hotel or from the Burj Al Arab Sky Bar, where you can approach to have a drink night or lunch or dinner. In case you opt for this option, it is highly recommended to book on their website or directly call to reserve a table.

If you have more time you can arrive by monorail to the spectacular Atlantis hotel and enjoy Aquaventure, one of the largest water parks in the world. You can book the ticket in advance here.

Another project that has not yet been completed of artificial islands is The World, where they form a world map, but today they are said of them, it has been a failure as they are sinking. if you want to have a good perspective, during a clear day, you can observe it from the Burj Khalifa.

Jumeirah palm

10. Excursions in Dubai

If you have an extra day or two in the city, we recommend you complete the list of places to see in Dubai, doing some of the best excursions in Dubai.
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Among the most valued by travelers is the Abu Dhabi day trip, where you can see the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and also make a stop at the Louvre, take a walk and a swim on the beaches of Corniche, see the Emirates Palace Hotel and visit the Qasr Al Watan .
You can get to Abu Dhabi from Dubai in an hour and a half by taking a bus at Al Ghubaiba Bus Station, a taxi or even rent a car if you later want to continue the route through the country or make a desert getaway.

A more comfortable and interesting option, with which you will know the history of the mosque and the city, is to book this excursion with a guide in Spanish by minibus or this one that includes the visit to the Louvre of Abu Dhabi and the entrances, taking into account that in Both will pick you up at the hotel.
For more information you can read this post on how to go from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.

Another of the best things to do in Dubai It is the safest desert safari in the world during which you will release adrenaline with the driving of the 4 × 4 and the descent of dunes on a sandboarding board. You can find more information about this tour in this post about the best desert excursion from Dubai.

To have this unique experience you have to book one of these excursions: