Dubai is a dream come true for modern architecture fans. The city has some bold and stunning new buildings and they are laid out in well-planned linear configurations or in clusters around the city.
As the city is quite spread out, plan your days by area to avoid the long commutes on the metro.
Before setting off, make sure you get a NOL card. The silver one allows you to pre-load an amount and can be recharged. The red one can only pre-load up to 10 trips of the same zone, so you will likely need to visit the ticket office for another one as your journey can range from 1-3 zones.
1 Day in Downtown Dubai
Start your day getting your bearings at Burj Khalifa's observation deck [Metro : Burj Khalifa]. Make sure you pre-book your ticket online first for the earliest slot possible (8:30am) to avoid the crowds. Alternatively, opt for a more expensive sunset slot in the late afternoon but make sure you pre-book. Expect to spend 1-2 hours door to door.
Resist the shopping temptations in the attached Dubai Mall and exit towards the bus stop (Tiffany / Cartier), head left and cross the street to walk northwards along Al Mustaqbal Street. There are many new tall buildings along this stretch, such as the DIFC, going all the way to the Emirates Towers, where you can catch the train [Metro : Emirates Towers]
Take one of the end cars of the train and enjoy the views as the train runs above the highway. These carriages are either for women only or you have to pay extra for Gold Class. Get off at Business Bay [Metro : Business Bay] and walk around this new district built around the extension of Dubai Creek.
An alternative to this itinerary to maximize walking is to start at Emirates Towers and walk towards Burj Khalifa, visiting the observation deck in the late morning, lunch there, then continue walking towards Business Bay.
If you still have energy, take the metro further out of the city to visit Burj al Arab. A reservation at one of its restaurants is necessary to gain entry if you are not staying there. From the Mall of the Emirates metro station, transfer to bus #81.
Photos :
Burj Khalifa |
Sheikh Zayed Road |
Business Bay |
Burj al Arab
1 Day Property Searching
The Dubai Marina is a densely-packed highrise residential district. Plenty of water views add to the class of living in this part of town. The waterfront areas are well-developed with lots of pedestrian paths and you can easily spend the morning walking around.
If the time is right, also make it up one of the hotels for a drink and a different perspective of the district :
Hilton Dubai The Walk | Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach |
Grosvenor Hotel
Take the tram to the monorail station for the Palm, a huge reclamation project that includes the giant and iconic Atlantis hotel at the end of the line.
If you still have time to spare after all this sightseeing, hop on the metro and head further out of the city to the Ibn Battuta Mall [Metro : Ibn Battuta], which is decorated in different regional themes following the explorer Ibn Battuta's journey to Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India, China, and Andalusia in the 14th century. Keep this at the end as this could be toured at night and in cloudy weather.
Photos : Dubai Marina | Ibn Battuta Mall
A day exploring Dubai's history
Spend your day in historic Dubai, exploring both sides of the Creek. Focus on one side of the creek at a time. For the southern part where Shindagha and Bur Dubai are located, get off at Al Ghubaiba station. Remember to venture into some of the historic buildings for a look at life before Dubai became glitzy, such as the Heritage and Diving Villages, Sheikh Obaid Bin Thani House, Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's residence, Traditional Architecture Museum, and the Dubai Museum. After you are done, take the abra for a short ride across the Creek to the Deira side, where there are many themed souks for spices, gold, and more. Following your window shopping, head back to the creekside and walk along the water's edge along Baniyas Road to see the traditional dhow wharves which are still used today.
Photos :
Bur Dubai |
Bur Dubai #2 |
Dubai Creek - Abras and Shindagha |
Al Ras District - Al-Ahmadiya School & Heritage House |
Souks |
Dhow Wharf
