Drawing up a list of things to do in Dubai is an arduous task because this dynamic city is constantly on the move, avowedly projected towards the future. At the time of writing, numerous construction sites are at work to complete colossal new works that will add to the astonishing attractions of this metropolis devoted to luxury, excess and the incredible.
In a constantly changing cityscape, however, one can recognise certain buildings that have become symbols of the city: they are masterpieces of contemporary architecture with stratospheric costs. And not far from the VIP hotels, the billionaire yacht marina, the world’s largest shopping centres and exclusive towers, one can discover corners where Dubai’s past resurfaces.
It is worth leaving the glossy neighbourhoods of the new Dubai for a while to dive into the atmospheric chaos of the souk, to be dazzled by the white walls of a mosque beautifully decorated with Arabic motifs, to feel the wind blowing into the houses expertly channelled by ingenious ventilation systems of the past or to photograph ancient fortresses.
Put it away, by the time you have decided what to see in Dubai there will be at least five more incredible new attractions worth a visit. The ones below, however, are the must-see attractions. The only way to add more to the list is to extend your holiday!
The symbol of Dubai is Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world: 163 floors with a total height of 829 metres and 57 lifts. In comparison, the Empire State Building in New York with its 443 metres looks like a small house!
Inside this futuristic skyscraper you can find everything: restaurants, clubs, swimming pools, luxury flats and a very expensive hotel owned by fashion designer Giorgio Armani. If you cannot afford the entertainment or a VIP stay, you can always go up to one of the panoramic observatories on floors 124, 125 or 128 and enjoy a spectacular view of Dubai from above.
The Burj Khalifa will soon have to surrender its supremacy to another grandiose construction destined to become a top attraction in Dubai: the Dubai Creek Tower designed by archistar Santiago Calatrava. The total height of this building currently under construction has not been declared, but it is certain to exceed 1,000 metres.
Another building that embodies the grandeur of Dubai is the Burj Al Arab, one of the most expensive hotels in the world and an icon of luxury worldwide. The official classification says ‘5-star’ but the hotel boasts of being a 7-star and no one dares contradict this bold claim.
Those who can’t afford to sleep in one of its sheiks’ rooms (you have 1000+ euros to spend per night? Lucky you!) can photograph from afar this futuristic sail-shaped building of astonishing design, built on an artificial island alongside Palm Jumeirah.
If you are willing to spend a little, you can treat yourself to a drink at the SkyView Bar on the 27th floor. It’s not cheap, but it definitely costs less than €1,000.
Another ingenious Dubai folly that has become a symbol of the city is Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island that, seen from above, is in the shape of a palm tree and on which rise billionaire residential complexes and the Hotel Atlantis, a luxury resort with a spectacular design.
The island is practically reserved for the inhabitants of its exclusive villas and resort guests; the only two experiences granted to ‘ordinary mortal’ visitors are visiting the island aboard the Dubai Monorail, a scenic monorail that runs along the trunk of the palm tree, and spending a day of family-friendly fun at the Aquaventure water park.
The View at The Palm is a panoramic observatory located on the 52nd floor of the Palm Tower in the heart of Dubai’s iconic Palm Jumeirah man-made island. Opened in 2021, it offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of the city, the Persian Gulf and the entire palm-shaped archipelago. Visitors can admire the villas, luxury hotels and white beaches that characterise Palm Jumeirah from above.
The experience includes aninteractive exhibition on the history and development of the island, as well as an outdoor platform for unforgettable photos. Standing 240 metres high, The View has quickly become one of Dubai’s top tourist attractions, allowing visitors to fully appreciate the grandeur and architectural ambition of the city.
The show with the most spectators in Dubai is the daily Dubai Fountain show, a stunning system of dancing fountains on the waters of Burj Khalifa Lake, the water basin adjacent to the Dubai Mall.
You have probably already seen other dancing fountains, with water sprays that move in time to music and are made even more impressive by spectacular light effects, but the one in Dubai is gigantic and boasts record-breaking numbers (just to name two: water jets up to 150 metres high, lights visible up to 30 km away). The show is repeated several times throughout the day, with different music and colours.
One more reason to put it on your travel schedule: Dubai Fountain is one of the very few free attractions in the United Arab Emirates.
Opened in 2018, Dubai Frame has already become one of Dubai’s must-see attractions. It is an eccentric building shaped like a giant 150-metre high frame and entirely covered in gold.
Visitors can climb up the catwalk that joins the two vertical sides of the frame and from there admire a splendid panoramic view of Dubai: on one side the modern business and shopping districts, on the other the Old City with its romantic old-world atmosphere.
The building houses an interactive museum dedicated to Dubai’s past, present and future.
The Dubai Museum of the Future is an iconic architectural structure that stands out in the city’s skyline. Inaugurated in 2022, this futuristic ring-shaped building represents the innovation and futuristic vision of the United Arab Emirates.
The façade, decorated with Arabic calligraphy, serves as a shell for a seven-storey exhibition space dedicated to the exploration of emerging technologies and future scenarios. Inside, visitors can immerse themselves in interactive experiences ranging from artificial intelligence to virtual reality, from robotics to innovations in health and sustainability.
The museum does not just showcase futuristic gadgets, but stimulates reflections on how technology can shape society and improve human life in the coming decades.
One of the most popular areas of Dubai for tourists is Dubai Marina, the marina area overlooking the waters of the Persian Gulf.
Here, too, you will find the ultra-modern skyscrapers that have made Dubai’s skyline world-famous, but the special feature of this area is its pedestrian promenade adorned with palm trees: a true oasis for those who like to walk or run, considering that Dubai is a city built purely for cars and walking is rather difficult.
In this area are the best publicly accessible beaches in Dubai (not reserved for hotels or villas).
Dubai is a shopping mecca: one could fill an entire holiday in Dubai just by visiting the shopping malls within the city. But if you only have time (or the desire) for one, head for the Dubai Mall, the world’s largest mall in terms of number of shops.
It is a true city within a city, with 1,200 shops ranging from high-fashion boutiques to small independent shops via franchises of international brands, plus 120 bars and restaurants and themed attractions.
Of the latter, the most spectacular is the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, an aquarium housing more than 30,000 marine specimens, while the most popular with children and teenagers is the video game theme park.
The Dubai Aquarium is one of the most spectacular attractions at the Dubai Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in the world. Opened in 2008, this world-class aquarium offers visitors a unique underwater experience in the heart of the desert.
The focal point of the attraction is the huge main tank, which contains 10 million litres of water and is home to over 33,000 aquatic animals belonging to more than 140 species. The tank is visible free of charge from the mall through a giant acrylic panel 32.88 metres wide and 8.3 metres high.
Visitors can fully immerse themselves in the experience through the 48-metre underwater tunnel, which offers a 360-degree view of marine life. The aquarium houses one of the largest collections of sharks and rays in the world, including the impressive sand tiger sharks. The Underwater Zoo, located on the upper floor, features unique ecosystems such as the rainforest, penguin cave and freshwater zone.
After indulging in modernity, spend some time in Dubai’s past, which is no less fascinating than its effervescent present. The ideal place to rediscover the atmosphere of the old Dubai of fishermen, traders and pearl hunters is the Persian quarter of Bastakiya located along the Creek, the waterway that laps the original core of Dubai.
The narrow streets of this district are lined with low houses of traditional architecture, famous for their so-called ‘wind towers‘: this is a unique ventilation system that allowed these houses to remain cool despite the torrid temperatures of the Emirates long before the invention of the air-conditioner.
The Dubai Miracle Garden is a spectacular floral oasis located in the heart of the UAE desert. Opened in 2013, it is the largest natural flower garden in the world, covering an area of over 72,000 square metres.
This botanical paradise boasts an impressive collection of over 50 million flowers and 250 million plants. Its attractions include giant floral sculptures, flowering arches and a variety of themed installations that change seasonally. Among the most famous attractions are the flower-covered Emirates A380 aircraft, the world’s largest floral aircraft, and Disney’s Castle, a flowered replica of the iconic fairytale castle.
The garden is a triumph of engineering and landscape design, using state-of-the-art irrigation techniques to maintain its beauty in the desert climate. It is open from October to April, offering visitors a unique and colourful experience in stark contrast to its surroundings.
The Dubai Gold Souk is one of the most famous and fascinating traditional markets in the UAE. Located in the heart of the Deira district, this historic bazaar is a maze of narrow alleys lined with over 300 jewellery shops.
Renowned as one of the largest gold markets in the world, the souk offers a wide range of gold jewellery, from delicate necklaces to elaborate bracelets, from intricate rings to lavish tiaras. Visitors can find 18, 21 and 22 carat gold jewellery, as well as a selection of precious stones and pearls.
A unique feature of the Gold Souk is the possibility to haggle over prices, a traditional practice that adds an element of excitement to the shopping experience. Gold prices are generally based on the weight of the metal and the daily cost of gold on the international market.
In addition to gold, the souk also houses the nearby Spice Souk, where visitors can immerse themselves in the exotic scents of traditional spices, herbs and incense. The entire area offers a unique sensory experience, blending Arabian tradition with modern Dubai luxury.
It is hard to imagine that the skyscrapers and futuristic buildings we admire today stand on an area that was once completely deserted. Yet the desert is still there, just a stone’s throw away from the hustle and bustle of modern Dubai.
Hop aboard a 4×4 for an unforgettable tour of the Dubai desert and enjoy dinner under the stars in a Bedouin-style camp after watching a breathtaking sunset from the dunes. To prolong the enchantment, choose a tour with an overnight stay in a tent, so you can experience the unique magic of a night in the desert.
You can fill your time in the desert with adrenaline-pumping activities such as quad biking or sand-boarding, or more relaxing ones such as taking a camel ride, taking a selfie in the dunes, smoking hookahs, watching belly dancing or dervish dancing.
The capital of the United Arab Emirates can be reached in an hour and a half from Dubai and is the ideal destination for a day trip. As opulent and stunning as Dubai, famous for the world’s most technologically advanced Formula 1 circuit, Abu Dhabi is focusing on culture to build a new identity.
The first colossal work inaugurated with this in mind is the Louvre Abu Dhabi, a museum that investigates the connections between artistic currents from around the world; it will soon be joined by other museums and art galleries of equal ambition.
The must-see attractions to include in a tour of Abu Dhabi are: the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a marvel of traditional Arab architecture; the sumptuous Qasr Al Watan Palace; the Etihad Towers, an exclusive complex of five buildings with a 360° panoramic observatory.
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
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