Dubai | United Arab Emirates

Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

This is the time that most travelers usually dedicate to this futuristic city that emerged from the desert, sheltered by the petrodollars of the Persian Gulf. And also 4 or 5 days were those that I arranged myself to visit in each of the 2 visits (the first for tourism and the second for work) that I have made to one of the most surprising cities in the world.

Is Dubai worth visiting? Opinions are there in every sense and mine does not try to teach, of course. But I am one of those who think that it is worth having the opportunity to see all the places in the world although I admit that things to do in Dubai may seem one of the most artificial.

On the other hand, it is true that Dubai is not a cheap city. Perhaps you can find somewhat cheaper accommodation in the Burj Dubai or Deira neighborhoods and if you are a little careful you can eat at somewhat adjusted prices. But it is also true that almost all the activities to do in Dubai tend to have a high price and the prices of mid-range restaurants are even higher than those in Spain.

Leave you with 10 things to do in Dubai and the activities to do in this Arab emirate.

1.Discover Old Dubai. Deira and Bur Dubai neighborhoods

The first of the places that I am going to list in this list of must-see things to do in Dubai is usually the last in the list of preferences of travelers who choose this tourist destination. However, it is worth knowing that before the Dubai of skyscrapers there was a small enclave of low-rise houses designed with the characteristic cooling towers and simple mosques. There we can find some of the old Arab souks, although many of them have been remodeled in recent years, or the old Dubai Fort, from the 19th century, which in its time was the seat of the government of the Emirate.

Some of the old buildings have been museumized in order to try to preserve the old and meager historical heritage. Some examples are the old school Al Ahmadiya or the House of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum.

Bur Dubai

2.Stroll through the best shopping centers in Dubai

The truth is that shopping is not usually among our preferences on almost any trip. However, it is true that getting lost in the old Arab souks, whether in Fez, Oman, or Cairo, we do tend to like it a lot, although we rarely end up buying any merchandise. Of course, the shopping malls of Dubai have nothing to do with those markets (except for those located in Old Dubai).

Things to do in Dubai, we talk about authentic luxury temples at their finest. These are shopping centers that have hundreds of stores where there is not a single brand missing, who else who, we all associate with the most exclusive of luxuries.

However, my opinion is that you don't have to be a shopping and luxury addict for visiting several of these centers to become a worthwhile experience. Many of them are provided with all kinds of things to do in Dubai that have nothing to do with commerce and that makes them true leisure centers. That is why there are several shopping centers that must be things to do in Dubai. Among our favorites, these 3:

- Mall of Emirates: the biggest of them all. Beyond the shops, we can enjoy the huge indoor ski slope, which I will talk about later, or an indoor amusement park: the Magic planet.

- Ibn Batutta Mall: set in the travels of this eminent traveler from the 14th century, it is perhaps the most beautiful of all in terms of design. One seems to be transported at times to ancient Persia, ancient China, or the old Tunisian bazaars.

- Dubai Mall: the star in this mall is its huge fish tank. It is the largest aquarium in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records and one of the must things to do in Dubai and, in addition, it is free (at least, look at it from the outside).

Ibn Batutta Mall

3.Climb the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world

Of course, climbing the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, is another of the things to do in Dubai. In this eagerness to go further, higher and more everything, the dubaitian sheikh embarked on this mammoth project that later could not be carried out without the rescue of the neighboring emirate, Abu Dhabi. This led to the loss of the name with which the skyscraper had been baptized, the Burj Dubai tower, to become the Burj Khalifa tower, in honor of the head of Abu Dhabi.

The views from the top of the tower reach tens of kilometers around, of course. However, whether or not it deserves to go up to it depends more on the pocket of each one, since the prices are not exactly cheap.

In my case, I went up to Burk Khalifa the first time I visited the city but not the second. the reason? Not having been proactive and not having tickets purchased in advance. So if you want to go up to the Burj Khalifa, your thing is that you have the tickets to go up to the Burj Khalifa purchased previously upon arrival in the country.

I leave you this post where we talk more extensively about the tallest building in the world.

Beyond the skyscraper itself, it is worth knowing that another of the must-see things to do in Dubai is at the foot of it. We refer to the beautiful dancing fountains that, imitating those at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, dance every night to the beat of the music.

Burj Khalifa, United Arab Emirates

4.Make a Safari to the desert of Dubai

What will the desert have that attracts things to do in Dubai so much? The truth is that one or fifty deserts have been visited, the experience of visiting one of them is usually always pleasant. With this premise, it is clear that enjoying a desert safari is one of the things to do in Dubai. With only a few dozen kilometers away from this futuristic city we will find a beautiful sea of ​​dunes. Of course, to enjoy them you must have a 4-wheel drive car and be a seasoned driver.

The Dubai Desert is a part of the largest Arabian Desert, one of the largest desert areas in the entire world and occupying a large part of the Arabian Peninsula, including nine different states, no more, no less. They are more than two million square kilometers of sandy seas that represent one of the most inhospitable things to do in Dubai on the entire planet.

His thing, and so we did, is to hire a half-day tour where you can enjoy a long walk through the dunes, aboard a four-by-four.

After witnessing an unforgettable sunset, you can end the evening with a dinner show in a Bedouin camp provided with a series of things to do in Dubai that are not less entertaining because they are touristy: dancing, tattooing with henna, smoking shisha, dressing up as Arabs, or Riding a camel is one of the things to do in Dubai and on this excursion you can do all of them.

Desert of Dubai

5.Ski indoor at the Mall of Emirates

As I mentioned before, skiing in Dubai is possible. It does not matter that outdoors the asphalt melts at 50 degrees in the shade. You just have to enter the Mall of Emirates and look for the huge covered ski slope to enjoy a few drops with artificial snow.

Of course, anyone who expects the experience to be comparable to that of skiing in Zermatt does not even need to go to the resort. But the truth is that it is a very curious things to do in Dubai that is worth doing.

It goes without saying that you do not need to carry your luggage with clothes and ski equipment, since all this is included in the price (you only have to pay an extra for gloves). Other things to do in Dubai that can be done at Ski Dubai are feeding a group of penguins or jumping on the zip line. All this, upon payment, of course.

Burj Khalifa Dubai Mall Metro Station - Dubai - Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

6.Stroll through Dubai Marina Bay

The Marina Bay area is not usually very crowded, it is true. But the truth is that the set of skyscrapers is especially dense in this place. It is an artificial marina, like almost everything things to do in Dubai, which stands out for a large number of steel and glass colossi, many of them more than three hundred meters high.

Dubai Marina Bay is one of the most exclusive areas of the things to do in Dubai. Of course, this port has nothing to do with the dhow ports, the old Arab ships, of the old port of Burj Dubai. The old wooden boats, so typical of Arabia, are replaced in this marina by modern outboard boats. However, it is an area that is worth knowing.

Dubai Marina Bay

7.Go to the beaches of Dubai

Some people think that all beaches are paid for in Dubai and it is not true. What's more, one of the best beaches of things to do in Dubai is public and has extraordinary views over one of the most iconic buildings in the emirate: the Burj Al Arab hotel.

We speak Umm Suqeim Beach. This is a good place to cool off in the warm waters of the Persian Gulf without having to pay the expensive entrance fee to one of the different private beaches of the hotels that have taken over the Dubai coast.

Beaches dubai

8.Visit the most beautiful mosque in the world

At least the most beautiful mosque in the world among the modern ones. Although this, of course, is nothing more than a personal opinion. I am talking about the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque which, in reality, is not in Dubai but in the neighboring and richer Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Its magnificent domes of immaculate white, its forest of columns reflected in a small lake, the wonderful Persian carpet, the delicate inlays of mother-of-pearl and semi-precious stones… everything in the Sheikh Zayed Mosque seems designed to impress. Both the faithful and the traveler.

Abu Dhabi day trip is probably the best things to do in Dubai. However, visiting the Sheikh Zayed Mosque by public transport is quite tedious, as it is located on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. To get to the temple, you must take a bus between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. And once there, a taxi to the mosque. It is wasted a lot of time, but it is worth it. Another possibility is to book a day trip from Dubai that includes a visit to the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, a walk along the Corniche, and visits to the luxurious Emirates Palace Hotel and the shopping centers of Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

9.Visit one of the best water parks in the world

I understand that for many travelers, traveling thousands of kilometers to visit skyscrapers, urban beaches, indoor ski slopes, shopping centers, or, as is the case, water parks, does not make much sense.

There will be those who even, making use of an absurd moral superiority, may qualify as a little traveler who visits these places. But hey, you come to Dubai to enjoy these types things to do in Dubai so it is not surprising that there are those who describe the destination as a great amusement park for adults.

The Aquaventure Atlantis is one of the most exciting water parks in the world. It is located next to the Hotel Atlantis The Palm, at the top of the famous artificial palm tree designed on the same waters of the Persian Gulf. A place to unleash your emotions with some slides with a frankly surprising slope that almost reaches verticality (the Leap of Faith).

A curiosity is that almost all of the routes through the slides are carried out on a giant tire. The particularity is that, during the rides, the slides not only descend to the adventurers but also often ascend them, thanks to the propulsion of a set of jets.

Atlantis The Palm - Dubai - United Arab Emirates

10.Eat in a 7-star hotel

Another of the things to do in Dubai is to visit the only seven-star hotel in the world: the Burj Al Arab. And if it cannot be to stay in it, at least enjoy lunch in one of its different restaurants (or, why not, afternoon tea).

Unfortunately, these two are the only ways to overcome the enormous security measures that prevent ordinary tourists from being able to walk inside the hotel without having a prior reservation.

It is true that the hotel has something of kitsch, but the truth is that visiting it is an experience things to do in Dubai. We really enjoyed the moment with our friends Enric and Dunia, with whom we made the trip, with lunch at the Al Muntaha restaurant, on the 27th floor. The food was delicious. That unless it was not for the price paid! But the bill is only justified by having the opportunity to have lunch in such an exclusive things to do in Dubai.

Burj Al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates