Dubai is a fantastic gateway to the Middle East, with a cosmopolitan vibe and contemporary culture to match any fast-paced city in the world. It’s one of the easiest cities to visit if you’ve never been to this region of the world but want to get started with exploring more. Along with the likes of New York City, Shanghai, London, Paris, and Tokyo, it’s the kind of place where you don’t feel out of place even as a visitor—perfect for first-timers! And like any major city, there is no shortage of things to see and do in Dubai.
Dubai is still in its nebula phase, developing and expanding rapidly every year. When I was planning for my trip, I noticed that a lot of travel and sightseeing information from just a few years ago was already outdated! That means new and exciting things to see and Dubai are popping up all the time—but these are some of the must-do things in Dubai if you’ve never been here before.
Though it was hard to narrow it down, this is my list of the top 15 things to see and do in Dubai. If you want to consolidate all these sights into an itinerary, check out my one week guide to the UAE that combines both Dubai and Abu Dhabi into one trip!
What to Know Before Visiting Dubai
What is the Best Time of Year to Visit Dubai?
The best time of year to visit Dubai is between November and March. During these months, the weather is pleasantly warm—perfect for sightseeing, desert safaris, and visiting the many places to visit in Dubai without melting in the heat. In fact, it’s even nice to have a light jacket with you at times because it gets cold when the sun goes down. Especially if you’re headed for the desert, make sure to pack an extra layer or two.
If you’re planning to explore a lot of outdoor things to see and do in Dubai, avoid the summer months. From June to September, temperatures can soar above 110°F (43°C), making it almost unbearable to enjoy outdoor activities.
How to Get Around Dubai
Dubai is a huge city with a plethora of roads, and it can actually be quite hard to get around due to the design. For example, our hotel was across the highway from the Dubai Mall, but it still took 30 minutes to get there!
I recommend using a combination of taxis and public transportation. The main public metro lines in Dubai are clean and hit many of the important areas and sights. However, I cannot stress enough that walking around Dubai is extremely difficult and time-consuming. The sprawling size of the city means that what looks like a short walk can actually take much longer than you think, especially if it’s in the blistering Middle Eastern sun. If you’re trying to get somewhere in Dubai that requires more than a ten minute walk from the metro station, I recommend taking a taxi!
🕌 Want to see more of the UAE? How about pairing a trip to Dubai with Abu Dhabi—it’s a classic! Read my itinerary here.
Where to Stay in Dubai
Like I mentioned, Dubai is a massive city, so you should choose where to stay carefully! Honestly, the neighborhood depends on your budget and interests.
If money is no object, stay in downtown. You’ll be close to the main sights like the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall, and many must do things in Dubai. If you want exclusivity and luxury, stay on Palm Jumeirah, which is home to some of the most expensive resorts in an already-expensive city. If you’re traveling on a budget and want a more authentic taste of the city, Deira is a historic district packed with souks and culture—and still offers easy access to the top things to do in Dubai. I’ve stayed both in downtown Dubai and in Deira, and they were both great!
Important Laws and Customs to Know in Dubai
Yes, Dubai is very modern compared to many other cities in the Middle East, but it’s important to respect local laws and customs while checking off your list of things to see and do in Dubai:
- Alcohol: There’s a misconception that alcohol is illegal in the UAE because it’s a Muslim country. Alcohol is served in specific hotels, bars, and restaurants licensed to do so, but public intoxication is illegal.
- Dressing Modestly: Modest clothing is expected in malls, public spaces, and traditional areas. Swimwear is fine at the beach or pools. Since Dubai is so cosmopolitan, there are no hard rules about what you can or cannot wear (except in mosques), but I will say that people dress on the more conservative side. Think long skirts and pants and no low-cut tops.
- Language: Arabic is the official language, but English is widely spoken across all the places to visit in Dubai. We had absolutely no problem communicating with anyone in English, even in small shops and local restaurants.
- Currency: The official currency of the UAE is the Emirati Dirham, which is fixed to the U.S. Dollar at a constant exchange rate of around 3.67 AED to 1 USD. However, Dubai is a mostly cashless society and in fact we didn’t withdraw any currency for the whole week that we were here. Credit card is accepted pretty much everywhere.
Now it’s time to get into the important stuff—the 15 top things to see and do in Dubai for first-timers! (And second-timers, if you didn’t get to see them all in one go 😉)
🕌 Read more: From Dubai to Abu Dhabi: The Ultimate 1-Week UAE Itinerary
1. The Dubai Mall and Fountain Show
The enormous Dubai Mall isn’t just a shopping center—it’s one of the top things to do in Dubai. It’s massive, with over 1,200 stores, an ice rink, an aquarium, and endless dining options. It literally took me half an hour to walk directly from one end to the other without stopping at any shops along the way! After shopping, head outside to watch the famous Dubai Fountain Show, which is orchestrated by the same team who made the Bellagio Fountain Show in Las Vegas.
The fountain show runs daily in the evenings, typically every 30 minutes after 6 PM. I recommend seeing it both from the bottom of the fountain and also from a restaurant terrace if you can, because it’s beautiful both ways! I went to Huqqah on the top floor of the Dubai Mall, which has a beautiful terrace with a perfect view of the fountain. Visiting the Dubai Mall is absolutely one of the must do things in Dubai.
2. Aura Skypool
The iconic Aura Skypool is one of the symbols of Dubai. Located on the exlusive manmade island, Palm Jumeirah, Aura is a 360-degree infinity pool—the highest in the world! With views of downtown Dubai, the Palm, and more, it’s a sight to behold the city from over a hundred floors in the air. Personally, this is one of my favorite things to see and do in Dubai.
I’ll admit that Aura is expensive, but totally worth it in my opinion! You need a timed entry reservation and each reservation slot is 3 hours. You also need to choose which bed reservation you want and which side of the pool/view you want to have. However, because you can access every side of the pool, my opinion is that it doesn’t really matter. We did the downtown Dubai skyline side, but the Palm Jumeirah side is also really popular because of the unique views. If you can, I recommend booking your slot 2 weeks in advance, because the “good” daybeds get booked out fairly quickly.
My word of warning—if you do the sunrise slot like me, bring a couple extra layers! As you would expect, it’s very windy at the top of a hundred-story-high infinity pool. While the pool itself is heated, it’s not enough to offset the fact that nighttime in the desert can get cold very quickly.
3. Wine & Dine With Burj Khalifa Views
The towering Burj Khalifa is the symbol of Dubai and arguably the entire UAE at large. It dominates the skyline and shapes the entirety of downtown, sparkling every night with lights, advertisements, and logos. While going to the top of the Burj Khalifa should also be on your list (and I’ll cover this list), I believe that having a meal or rooftop drink with Burj Khalifa views is even more iconic. You can’t see the Burj Khalifa from the Burj Khalifa, after all! This is definitely one of the top things to do in Dubai and you won’t regret the view from your table.
Since the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building around, it’s not too hard to find a restaurant or bar with Burj Khalifa views. Here are a couple of my recommendations!
- Shangri-La Terrace: If you can afford to splurge, the view of the Burj Khalifa and all of Dubai’s downtown from the luxurious Shangri-La terrace is a must-book. You have to either be a guest at the Shangri-La or specifically book one of their dining packages in order to access the terrace. Book a stay at the Shangri-La Dubai here.
- Ce La Vi: One of the most Instagram-famous restaurants with an open terrace and fantastic views of the Burj Khalifa, plus their iconic metal flower swing for photos! While I didn’t think the food was anything special in terms of quality, the views and service more than made up for it. Make a reservation for Ce La Vi Dubai here.
- Thiptara: An award-winning Thai restaurant offering a serene waterside dining experience with floor-to-ceiling views of the iconic Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain. It’s a lovely restaurant for a date because of the romantic and tranquil setting, especially when the fountain show lights up the night! Make a reservation for Thiptara here.
4. Atlantis the Palm
The famous pink hotel, Atlantis, boasts its original location in Dubai on the exclusive and expensive Palm Jumeirah. It features a huge waterpark, shopping gallery, aquarium, and more. You can’t visit Dubai without seeing Atlantis—it’s one of the most iconic things to see and do in Dubai.
Because Atlantis is a hotel, visitors are only allowed to see a small portion of the hotel. You can’t even access the lobby unless you have a confirmed reservation. If you want to access the rest of the hotel but don’t want to shell out thousands of dollars on a reservation, you can make a reservation at a cafe. I recommend Poseidon Cafe or Plato’s, both relatively affordable options that will grant you access to more of the hotel than outsiders get to see.
If you don’t care about seeing the inside of Atlantis the Palm but simply want to see it from the outside (and I will agree that the exterior is simply iconic), you can do this too! The best way to see Atlantis is from the tram and from the Pointe. The tram runs up and down Palm Jumeirah, making only a few stops along the way, with the final one being Atlantis the Palm itself. Meanwhile, the Pointe is an outdoor shopping gallery and eatery area across the water from Atlantis, and is completely free to access.
5. Dubai Miracle Garden
You absolutely cannot miss the Dubai Miracle Garden on your trip to Dubai. This is the largest natural flower garden in the world with over 150,000 blooms. I couldn’t believe my eyes the entire time we were here: so many varieties and colors of flowers, blooming with incredible vibrancy and density in the middle of the desert! I suppose they don’t call it a “miracle” garden for nothing. However, the Dubai Miracle Garden is only open seasonally, so make sure it’s open during the time you plan your trip to Dubai.
🌺 Read my full guide to visiting the Dubai Miracle Garden here—there’s so much to see in this park, you won’t want to miss it!
I actually only saw the heart arches in photos and didn’t realize how huge the Dubai Miracle Garden actually is. I recommend allocating at least a half day here to explore the whole garden and have lunch and a fresh juice (a little overpriced, but worth it after walking in the sun for hours). Besides the iconic heart arches, you can find the real Boeing jet covered in live flowers, the oddly placed but very cute Smurf Village, the working floral clock, and more. It’s a wonderfully curated thing of nature and definitely one of the best things to see and do in Dubai.
6. Top of the Burj Khalifa Viewing Deck
Yes, it’s expensive, but can you say you’ve been to Dubai if you didn’t go up the Burj Khalifa? Currently standing as the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa is the defining feature of Dubai’s skyline and has commanded awe and wonder from visitors all around the world. It’s hard to understand exactly how tall it is without seeing it in person—from the bottom, you can’t see the top.
To get to the Burj Khalifa observation deck, you’ll want to purchase tickets for one of the observation decks. The “At the Top” experience, which grants access to Levels 124 and 125, are a bit cheaper than the ones for “At the Top SKY,” which offers access to Level 148. Tickets start from 173 AED (or about 45 USD).
Personally, I think the regular At The Top experience is fine. At that height, everything kind of looks the same anyways! I recommend coming for sunrise—it’s cheaper than a regular hour ticket, so you can watch the gorgeous sunrise for less money and it includes “breakfast.” (”Breakfast” is a bit of an overstatement, as it’s just a hot drink and a pastry, but still better than nothing!)
7. Jumeirah Public Beach
Jumeirah Public Beach is one of the nicest free beaches in the city, and it comes with a postcard-worthy view of the Burj Al Arab in the background. I spent an afternoon here just relaxing by the water, and it felt like such a nice break from the busy pace of the city. The beach is wide and clean, and while it can get crowded on weekends, it still feels peaceful compared to downtown.
There are a few cafes nearby if you need a quick bite or coffee, and plenty of families and joggers enjoying the promenade. For me, it was the perfect place to reset and take in a more laid-back side of Dubai. If you’re looking for a simple, low-cost way to enjoy the city, this is one of the best things to see and do in Dubai.
By the way, if you want to see the inside of the Burj Al Arab without spending a fortune to stay the night, you can do a guided tour here to explore the interior!
8. Dubai Gold Souks
To be honest, I’m not much of a shopper when it comes to travel, but we absolutely had to stop by the famous Dubai Gold Souks. This complex of markets is teeming with dazzling gold jewelry, with shop windows decked out in absurdly flashy pieces. I was in awe just strolling down the street!
The gold souks in Dubai use the live gold price, which is updated every day. If you’re interested in acquiring some quality gold jewelry, this is a very good place to get it—still very reasonably priced, and with excellent craftsmanship and options. If you aren’t completely sold on a piece or can’t find a design you like, just head next door! It can actually get a bit overwhelming after a while, but after a few hours and a tea break, I came away with some beautiful gold bracelets and a matching necklace.
9. Dubai Creek Harbor
Dubai Creek Harbor really surprised me. It’s one of the newer developments, and while parts of it are still under construction, the waterfront promenade already feels like a spot locals love. I went in the late afternoon, and by sunset, the views of the skyline were stunning. You can see the Burj Khalifa in the distance, but what really stood out to me was how much open space there was—it’s a stark contrast to the tightly packed areas downtown.
One thing I enjoyed was wandering around the public art installations scattered along the promenade. It almost felt like walking through an outdoor gallery. One of the most interesting things about Dubai is how fast development and change occur. Knowing that this neighborhood is set to eventually house towers taller than the Burj Khalifa made me wonder how much it will change in just a few years. The landscape might look totally different from how it looks now and this guide will become outdated quickly. Visiting Dubai Creek Harbor gave me a sense of where the city is heading, and it’s a place I’d return to for a quieter evening walk.
10. Museum of the Future
Even if you don’t buy a ticket to go inside, the Museum of the Future is one of those places to visit in Dubai that you just have to see. The building itself is incredible—it almost doesn’t look real when you’re standing in front of it. The calligraphy cut into the silver ring-shaped structure caught my eye immediately, and I spent a good 20 minutes just circling around to take it in from different angles.
I didn’t pay for the full exhibit, but I did step inside the lobby. It was worth it for the air-conditioned break alone, but also to see the robotic fish floating above and the futuristic vibe of the atrium. Personally, I thought the outside of the museum was more impressive than anything else. It felt like the kind of place you just want to photograph over and over, and I’m glad I made the stop.
11. Dubai Desert Tour
The desert safari was one of the more touristy things I did, but I have to admit—it was a lot of fun. I booked a small group tour, and we started with dune bashing in a 4×4. It was bumpy, wild, and at times felt like a roller coaster! A typical experience includes dune bashing, sand boarding, riding camels, henna, and a fire show with dinner. It’s a bit touristy for sure (especially the dinner show), but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. The dune bashing is pretty fun—I don’t know how the drivers were completely unbothered with sand going up their nostrils every five seconds—and the sandboarding isn’t as hard as it sounds!
The evening ends with dinner under the stars, along with a fire show and live performances. Yes, it it’s very much designed for tourists, but sitting in the middle of the desert and watching the sunset over the dunes was a highlight for me. It felt like one of those must do things in Dubai, the kind of experience you remember long after the trip.
12. Al Fahidi / Al Bastakiya Historic District
Al Fahidi is one of my favorite discoveries in Dubai. After days of seeing futuristic skyscrapers and giant malls, wandering through this historic district felt like stepping back in time. The narrow alleyways, sand-colored walls, and traditional wind towers gave me a real sense of what the city might have looked like before all the modern development.
I stumbled into a small art gallery and then sat down at the Arabian Tea House, which I highly recommend if you visit. The shaded courtyard was a perfect spot to rest with some fresh juice and take in the atmosphere. Al Fahidi isn’t flashy, but it feels authentic and personal in a way many other areas of Dubai don’t. For me, it was one of the most memorable places to visit in Dubai.
13. Imam Hussein Mosque (Persian Mosque of Dubai)
A lesser-known beautiful Persian-style mosque in Dubai. I was absolutely dazzled by the design! There was no one else there when we visited and a helpful guide appeared to introduce the details and history of the mosque to us. The intricate blue and turquoise tilework reminds me of the mosque designs typical in Iran, which makes sense because the guide informed us this is one of the only Persian-style mosques in Dubai. I cannot believe how much hard work and detail goes into constructing a mosque, and I’m always blown away by the beauty. For example, did you know that each tile piece that makes up the mosque design is cut and assembled by hand? The guide explained that since each piece is custom designed, repairs are costly and time-consuming.
The outer facade of the mosque is my favorite part of the design, but unfortunately when we visited a large veranda had been placed directly in front of the facade so it’s not possible to see all at once. I’m not sure if it’s just a temporary seasonal installation or if it’s here to stay, but you might have to get a bit clever with the angles to try and shoot photos (and bring a wide-angle lens if you have one!)
14. Eat Local Indian Food
Originally, I actually wasn’t impressed by the food in Dubai. Maybe because it’s such an international city, most of the highly-recommended restaurants in Dubai are actually transplants from other countries. And since I live in New York, we have most of those restaurants already—I’m not going to fly all the way to Dubai to eat something I can have at home! Sit-down restaurants are also quite expensive in Dubai and I didn’t find the food quality up to par compared with restaurants in New York City. I was about to resign myself to a week of eating overpriced, uninteresting food.
However, all of that changed when we discovered local Indian restaurants in Dubai. More than 90% of Dubai’s population is expatriate, and the largest group of these is the Indian and Pakistani population. Many of these immigrants are here for work, and they brought their amazing food and excellent prices with them. We made it a mission to eat Indian food every day, finding tiny tucked-away local restaurants with authentic clientele and down-to-earth vibes.
The Indian food in Dubai is delicious, spicy, and super affordable—we were often able to get a meal for 2 for under 50 AED (less than 15 USD). A cup of delicious steaming karak chai set me back only about 50 cents, and a large, freshly squeezed pomegranate juice (which I was addicted to) was only around 7 AED (2 USD).
15. Visit Abu Dhabi
You can’t visit Dubai and not also visit Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. It is the center of the UAE’s politics, culture, and heritage. It’s actually very easy to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, and the bus ride only takes around 2 hours.
I highly recommend visiting Abu Dhabi if you have more than a few days in the UAE—Abu Dhabi has a slightly different vibe from Dubai, with more historic sights and a slightly less glitzy vibe. You’ll want to hit the amazing Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Presidential Palace, and more. Make sure to read my 1-week UAE itinerary that covers both Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the trip of a lifetime!
If you only have time for a day trip to Abu Dhabi from Dubai, you can do that too! It’ll be a long day, but there are plenty of tour options.
That sums it up for my list of the best things to see and do in Dubai for first-time visitors! Which one are you looking forward to the most?
Did you find this post helpful? Please consider pinning it on Pinterest with the buttons below, or following me on Instagram!
