How to do Dubai – Part 2 – What to do

Dubai is so much more than just your hotel and the beach. Make sure if you visit you get out and explore as there’s so much to see and do. Typically in Dubai everything is the largest in the world! There’s so much construction here constantly adding more and more, meaning you can go back year after year and still experience something different.

THE MUST DOS:

Burj Khalifa & Fountains
The tallest building in the world is a must see. Plus, the fountain show outside is amazing. You can go up to the viewing platform – called At The Top or visit one of the hotels (such as the Armani hotel) to see the views – you’ll need to prebook. For the fountains, just rock up in the evening and the shows are around every 30 mins.

Malls
Dubai Mall – this is where the Burj Khalifa and fountains are located. It’s enormous and has an aquarium and waterfall which you can see by just walking through.
Mall of the Emirates – this is a bit smaller (but still huge) and has an indoor ski slope!

Saturday Brunch
If you are here on a Saturday (and I’d make sure you are!) and like food and drink – this is my top recommendation The brunches are 100x bigger than anything we have in London. There’s one for every kind of traveller too. See my top picks for more details.

Waterparks
There are two big ones – one at the Atlantis the Palm and the other is Wild Wadi at Jumeirah Beach. I’d say Atlantis is a bit better (you get free access if you stay here) but if you stay at a Jumeirah hotel you get free access to Wild Wadi. There’s also a small kid friendly one called Jungle Bay at The Westin/Le Meridien which is more suited to younger children.

Areas to Visit

Dubai Marina/JBR/Bluewaters – this area is worth a visit for a wander, to get a boat trip, go to the beach and stroll along the JBR walk with it’s shops, restaurants and beach clubs
Souk Madinat Jumeirah – I’d suggest going to this area at sunset/evening to have a walk through the souk and have dinner with great views of the waterways and Burj Al Arab
Downtown – make sure you visit this area for the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and fountains
West Palm Beach – new area on the palm with beach clubs and restaurants

Viewing Platforms

Your trip to Dubai isn’t complete without seeing a view from above, there’s so many options for views:

Burj Khalifa At The Top – the tallest building in the world
Dubai Ain – the largest observation wheel in the world
Aura Sky pool – the highest 360 infinity pool in the world
Address Sky View – the highest infinity pool in the world

Dubai Ain Observation wheel from Marina beach

THE BEST EXCURSIONS:

Desert Safari
This is lots of fun and involves driving through the sand dunes in 4x4s. You also get to see the real Dubai in the desert and have a meal and entertainment.

Boat Trips
The best way to see the skyline of Dubai. If there’s a group of you, hiring a yacht for the day/night for a party isn’t as expensive as you might think.

Helicopter tours
The best way to see the Palm and the World islands is from above. Helicopter tours leave from the Atlantis and I can’t recommend them enough!

Golf
There’s so many courses in Dubai including the famous night golf where the courses are lit up and perfect if you don’t fancy playing in the heat of the day. Contact me for recommendations.

SkyDive
If you’re feeling brave you can sky dive over the Palm….

Contact me to help you book any of these experiences

Dubai marina and the bridge over to Bluewaters Island

Ideas for different types of travellers:

FAMILIES

Burj Khalifa and fountains
Atlantis the Palm
- visit the waterpark
- swim with dolphins
- visit the aquarium
Dubai Mall – there’s so many things to do inside the mall
- Aquarium – if you don’t want to pay to go in you can just see this from the mall itself
- Ice skating
- Toy shops
- KidZania
Mall of the Emirates
- Ski slope – with real snow obviously.
Jumeirah Beach
- free public beach
- Aqua Fun Dubai – inflatable aqua park
Kite Beach
- free public beach
- views of Burj al Arab
- kite surfing
Desert safari – includes sandboarding and camel riding
Theme parks
- Legoland which also has a waterpark
- Virtual Reality park
- IMG (Marvel and Cartoon Network) park
- Motion Gate (for younger kids – Madagascar, Shrek and Smurfs)
- Aventura Parks (zip lining etc)
Glow Garden
Miracle Garden
Green Planet – tropical eco forest

FOR A GIRLS TRIP

Brunch – the BEST thing in Dubai in my opinion. If you’re doing a girls trip make sure you’re there for a Saturday
Ladies Days/Nights – Throughout the week there’s lots of offers where ladies drink for free in some of the best bars. Check out TimeOut to see what’s on when you’re there.
Beach Clubs – The best way to enjoy a day at the pool/beach. Check out TimeOut for prices and deals including Ladies Day offers. The best ones are:
- Nikki Beach (Bur Dubai)
- Cove Beach (Caesars Palace)
- Drift (One & Only)
- Barasti (free entry)
- White Beach and Nobu (Atlantis & Atlantis The Royal)
- Wet Deck (W Hotel Palm)
- Zero Gravity
- Bla Bla (JBR)
- West Palm Beach – February 30, The 305, Eva and many more along here
Yacht Hire – Hire a yacht to take you out for the day or night – it’s not as expensive as you think especially if there’s a group of you
Spas – Dubai has some of the most incredible spas and the prices are comparable to at home. The best are the Talise Spa located in Jumeirah or at the Zabeel Saray on the Palm.
Afternoon Tea – Lots of the hotels serve afternoon tea. The best one I’ve had was at the Burj Al Arab. Again, check out TimeOut for deals.

LAD’S TRIP:

Brunch – the BEST thing in Dubai in my opinion. If you’re doing a lads trip make sure you’re there for a Saturday
Beach Clubs – The best way to enjoy a day at the pool/beach. Check out TimeOut for prices and deals. The best ones are:
- Nikki Beach (Bur Dubai)
- Cove Beach (Caesars Palace)
- Barasti (free entry)
- White Beach (Atlantis) & Nobu (Atlantis The Royal)
- Wet Deck (W Hotel)
- Zero Gravity
- Bla Bla (JBR)
- West Palm Beach – February 30, Eva beach, The 305 and many more
Sport
- Golf – there’s multiple golf courses including some that offer night golf and there’s also TopGolf too. TopGolf even do a brunch….
- Padel – the popular tennis/squash game is huge out here
- Watersports – jet skis, paddleboarding etc
Desert 4x4s or buggies in the sand dunes
SkyDive Dubai
Yacht Hire – Hire a yacht to take you out for the day or night – it’s not as expensive as you think especially if there’s a group of you

BRUNCH RECOMMENDATIONS

Brunch is where you’ll find all the expats on a Saturday. Typically, they are around AED500 per person start at lunch time and last for around 3 hours. There are cheaper and more casual options available, but I’d recommend going all out! There are new brunches released all the time. Check out Time out for the latest listings. You’ll need to book in advance. Get in touch for more recommendations:
Here’s my top picks of the biggest and best:

Al Qasr Best outdoor option. Great for groups or couples. This is a beautiful hotel at the Madinat, and the buffet brunch is enormous. Great for first timers. Make sure you get on one of the boats to the after party at Bari bar too. This brunch does a Sunday version too with a carvery.
Bubbalicious at The Westin. Another huge buffet brunch, great for groups or couples. Fantastic after party too in the wine bar.
Traiteur at The Grand Hyatt This is one for foodies and would be better suited to smaller groups or couples. This is the best quality food. It’s a bit further out of Dubai at the Creek and looks back over the city. More expensive option but in my opinion is worth it. They’ll let you stay at your table for more drinks afterwards too.
Brasserie 2.0 at Royal Meridien great for families and groups.
Akira Back Candypants party brunch at the W Hotel Palm.
Other great choices:
Asia Asia Great for sushi and dim sum and conveniently located in Pier 7 at the marina
Coya Food is incredible, and the brunch is great for groups
STK voted best party brunch by Time Out
Zuma the world-famous restaurant offers a bottomless brunch
Hell’s Kitchen won brunch of the year in 2020

For any specific recommendations, get in touch. There are also brunches on offer in the evening and on Sundays although Saturday day-time has the best offering.

RESTAURANTS

There are so many restaurants in Dubai – let me know if you want a recommendation for a particular cuisine. Here’s some of my favourites:

Akira Back at the W Hotel Palm Sushi and Japanese
Coya at the Four Seasons Peruvian – also does a great brunch
Meat Company Madinat steaks etc…
French Riviera at the Jumeirah Al Qasr in the Madinat
The Rib Room Zabeel Saray steaks etc.
Asado Argentine Grill steaks etc. with great views of Burj Khalifa
Asia Asia at Pier 7 Marina Asian fusion with great views over the Marina
Cafe Bateel multiple locations The best dates and does great breakfast/coffee
Thiptara Thai with great views of the fountains at the Burj Khalifa
Fish Greek food at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi is a fantastic place for outdoor lunch on the beach
Atlantis the Royale has a great selection of restaurants – Javeo for tapas and Ling Ling for Asian plus Dinner by Heston if you’re looking for a super premium option.
TimeOut Market food dishes from around Dubai in an informal setting with fountain views

ITINERARY IDEAS

If you’ve only got 3 nights in Dubai:

Visit the Dubai mall in the afternoon and see the waterfall and aquarium, go up the Burj Khalifa at sunset and then watch the fountains in the evening
Saturday brunch (if you’re there for a weekend)
Beach time/waterpark

For a weekend of partying:

Saturday brunch
Ladies’ nights mid week
Beach clubs
Hire a yacht and have your own boat party – you can do this in the day or at night
Recovery at a spa/golf
Waterpark

For longer stays/if you’ve been before: