Your Ultimate Guide to Dubai, UAE 🇦🇪

The United Arab Emirates consists of 7 states: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Umm al-Qaiwain, Fujairah, Ajman, and Ra’s al-Khaimah. Dubai is the most populous city out of all the 7 states which grew rapidly in the early 21st century into a cosmopolitan metropolis with a focus on hospitality and tourism. Given that Dubai focuses on hospitality and tourism, it has become one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.

Today, I want to take you all through a helpful guide about Dubai which includes topics from where to stay to where to eat the good food, including sites to see. Given that I was traveling during the pandemic, the city was pretty limited on things you could do but I was still able to do the majority of the things we had on our list. We just had to make sure we were wearing masks, social distancing, and using hand sanitizer. Before we jump into the details, here are some facts about Dubai you should know

Facts about Dubai:

There are 7X more foreigners than locals in Dubai
They have ATMs for gold
Dubai also holds the record for having the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa
Along with the world’s tallest building, Dubai also has the world’s largest mall which has a life size Boing 777 wide body jet in it.

Before you go:

Best times to visit Dubai:
- You can visit Dubai any time of the year but if you want to avoid the hot tempreatures, the best months to visit Dubai would be between October and March. Dubai is so popular and populus, there is no way to get around the crowd. Regardless of what time of the year you go, you will encounter a good amount of people everywhere.
  - When I was in Dubai, temperatures were as high as 105-110 F (40-45 C) degrees everday.
  - One of the days it eas so hot, the goverment actually advised construction frims to not let workers work form noon to 4 pm or the firm would be fined 5000 AED per worker that is seen working outside in the heat. That’s $1361.21 per person.
- 📅 I went June 10th, 2021 – June 17th, 2021 (6 nights, 7 days, Thursday (landed on Friday evening) – Thurday)
- 🥵 From experience, I would highly recommend going at a different time. Although I had a lot of fun, it was HOT. UNLESS, you are on a budget (which I was), then going during the off-season(summer months) will be good for your wallet.

COVID-19 Precautions

Dubai requires a Negative COVID-19 test 96 hours before DEPARTURE. Meaning before you leave for Dubai.
Dubai also requires you to have traveler’s insurance. Your airline will not let you board your flight without seeing a proof of your insurance policy.
- I used Travel Guard for my traveler insurance. Make sure to check the policy covers any COVID-19 related expenses.
Coming back to the US, you will need a Negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before your departure.

Today I will go through:

1) Airport (DXB)

2) Public Transportation

3) Where to stay in Dubai

4) Things to do

5) Excursions in Dubai

6) Food

7) Currency

8) Photos

1. ✈️ Airport: Dubai International Airport (DXB)

I flew Air Canada from Chicago’s O’hare International Airport to Dubai International Airport. The flight was pretty amazing. It was on their new Boing 787-9 Dreamliner and much of the flight was empty. Empty at a point that I had my whole row empty on both inbound and outbound flights. Dubai International Airport was VERY big and also very clean. Loved it. The only caveat was that my flight got the furthest possible gate and so I had to walk a lot to even get to passport control.

2. 🚍 Public Transportation

Public transportation in Dubai is actually pretty convinient. Dending on where you are staying, you will most likely be getting on the same metro line. There is only metro line that goes all the way from airport to the Dubai Marina which is the red line. They are also opening a green line soon and have some trams in the Dubai Marina Area.
Below is a picture of the overall map of Dubai’s Public Trasportation:
- I picked the Silver card and paybed for a daily pass everyday.

Dubai Metro Map — **Dubai Metro map. Circled are the stations in the three major areas in Dubai.**

3. 🏨 Where to stay in Dubai

Dubai is a BIG city and so staying in one area will make it hard to explore all of It. With public transportation, it will take you long to get from one end to another and with Ubers/ride-sharing, it will get expensive 💰

Mrshutterup Recommends:

(Spend 2-3 days in each area)

1️⃣ Spend 2 days in Old Dubai. Use this time to explore the gold and textile markets. You don’t necessarily need to buy anything but people from around the world come here to see the gold market.

2️⃣ Spend 2-3 days in Dubai Marina Area. Use this time to explore the amazing marina, its rooftop dining, beaches, and the Madinat Jumeirah Market, where you get a glimpse of the only 7-star hotel Burj Al Arab. This is also close to going to see the Palm Jumeirah.

3️⃣ Lastly, stay in the business district. This is where the new Dubai downtown is. You can see Burj Khalifa and the other attractions surrounding it such as the biggest mall in the world.

4️⃣ If you’re staying in between October 1st, 2021 and March 31st, 2022, stay 2-3 days close to the Dubai Expo 2020

I stayed in all 3 areas.

My hotel in Old Dubai was Canopy by Hilton Dubai Al Seef. This was a great hotel. It was a 9-minute walk to the metro and it had all the amenities a good hotel has. Cheerful rooftop, Caring Staff, and they also followed all COVID-19 rules. Although 9 minutes don’t sound bad, during the summer months, it is horrible. I was drenched in sweat. I would also like to mention that they don’t have any shuttle services either. They do have on-site free Valet parking.

Booking.com

My hotel in Dubai Marina was Rove Dubai Marina. This was also a great hotel but the same thing as the previous one. A 10-minute walk from the nearest metro station. It was still an amazing hotel though. They had a pool, restaurant on-site, free parking, and a really good lounge area.

Booking.com

Lastly, my hotel in the business district was the ultimate Taj Dubai. This is normally a very expensive hotel, almost $300-$400/night but with it being off-season, it was $200/night which is still VERY expensive but I used my booking.com points so I only ended up paying $36 in tax.

Booking.com

Taj Dubai - Lobby — **Taj Dubai – Lobby**

Taj Dubai - Night View — **Taj Dubai – Lobby**

4. Top Things to do in Dubai

Dubai has an abundant amount of things to do but if you’re only going to be in Dubai for a short amount of time, these are the top 5 things you should do while you are in Dubai.

1. Sharjah Mosque

💰 Free
It’s about a 28 minute drive from Dubai and I 100% recommended you make that drive/take an uber.
In terms of transportation in Dubai, their public transportation is great but I did have a rental car for the first day I was there so I can explore these out of the city areas.
1 thing that I would highly recommend is that you go at night to see the mosque light up. I saw it from afar away and it was so breathtaking. I can only imagine how great and grand it looked with all those lights close up.

Sharjah Mosque, Dubai — **Sharjah Mosque**

2. Etihad Museum

💰 25 AED / $ 6.81 / £ 4.97 / € 5.82
It’s a museum in Dubai that collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United Arab Emirates. It holds everything from old passports to personal artifacts of the rulers of United Arab Emirates.
I highly recommend visiting this museum because not only it looks cool, it holds some great information about UAE. The historic signing of the Constitution of the United Arab Emirates, the raising of the first UAE flag, and the formation of the United Arab Emirates as a country on 2 December 1971 took place within the area that forms the museum today.
If you were to see the museum from a bird’s eye view, you would see that it is designed as a document to signify the signing of the UAE constitution.

3. The View at The Palm

💰 100 AED / $27.23 / €23.37 / £19.69
💰(Sunset Time/Prime Hours 5-7:30p: 158 AED / $43.02 / €36.93 / £31.12
One of my top favorite photos that I have from Dubai is from this location. Dubai recently opened this attraction called “The View” where you can go up to the observation deck and take in this breathtaking view of the Palm.
You do have to reserve tickets in advance and so I decided to reserve my tickets for sunset. The price is a little bit more during the sunset time but I just booked the slot that was an hour before and stuck around until the sunset. You can also do that because once you’re up, there is no time limit to how long you can stay up there.
One one side it’s the Palm Jumeriah and on the other, it’s this spectacular view of the city. Can it get any better?
If you have some time on your hand, I would highly recommend going just right before the sunset time and staying into the evening. This way, you would be able to see three different types of views.
1️⃣ During the Day 2️⃣ Sunset time 3️⃣ Evening/Night time with all the lights
This is definitely a MUST when in Dubai!

4. Ali Ibn Abi Talib Mosque

💰 Free
I ran into this really colorful mosque by accident. I was actually just walking back to my hotel and got lost.
After walking through a bunch of random markets and alleyways, I saw this entrance and had to check it out. Although, it turned out that only Muslims can enter the mosque. So, I obviously wasn’t able to go in but the entrance was pretty spectacular anyways.
Right along side of this mosque, there are a bunch flea markets that you can checkout! They have everything from clothes to snack stalls. Don’t forget to bargain! 🙂

5. The Dubail Mall

💰 Free
Right next to the tallest building in the world is the largest mall in the world, The Dubai Mall. It’s so big that I actually got lost trying to find the same entrance I used to get in the mall.
It also features an illusion waterfall with human figures on display that are plunging headfirst and arms open. This signifies pearl diving, which was one of the main sources of livelihood for the people of United Arab Emirates before the oil boom. It also signifies the importance of water in this desert region.
It’s super cool in person and you have to check it out!
Lastly, in addition to all the shopping, you can go to the Nike store and watch the grand Dubai fountains!

The Dubai Mall - Illusion Fountain/Waterfall — The Dubai Mall – Illusion Fountain/Waterfall

The Dubai Mall - Ice Rink — The Dubai Mall – Illusion Fountain/Waterfall

6. At the top Burj Khalifa

💰 149 AED / $40.57 / £ 29.69 / € 35.02
Just like any other tall skyscrappper in other cities, Dubai’s very own Burj Khalifa also features an observation deck known by the name “At the top Burj Khalifa”
There are multiple options for you to go up and check out the view. From a $300 brunch at the deck to afternoon tea. You can do it all.
Me being on a budget, I went for the regular admission ticket to the top. Which by all means was not cheap either.

5. Excursions

While I was in Dubai, I also booked two excursions. As a solo traveler, this is a great way for me to make friends and also for once have everything planned for me. From picking me up from the hotel to my food, everything is figured out for me. All I have to do is sit and enjoy.

I trust GetYourGuide with all my excursion needs. Even when I was in South East Asia, I used them for all the excursions I had booked. I’ve never had any problems with them. EVER. All their drivers are on time, super respectful and they all speak very good English. On the right-hand side are the two excursions I did and would 10/10 recommend it.

I was always told by everyone that has visited Dubai in the past to make sure I go to a desert safar tour and to take it a notch up, I booked one where I could stay overnight! Everything is taken care for you. They pick you, feed you, show you cultural dances and make your bed.
- $119 (They also have day tours which is cheaper. This one was a little expensive because I was staying overnight at the camp)
Second excursion was more of a spontaneous booking. I made 2 friends on my Safari tour from the above excursion and they told me that they were doing this evening dinner boat tour and asked me if I would like to join. Of course I said YES! It was the best decision I made because you are taken on a mega yacht full with food and get to see the Dubai Skyline form the water at night.
- $54.18

Below are some additional activities through GetYourGuide that you can enjoy while you are in Dubai:

6. Food 🌮

Now that we’ve talked about everything from the airport to things to do in Dubai, let’s talk about the food scene. Dubai is SOO big which means it has a crazy amount of food options. I mean, you will literally get tired of figuring out where to eat but here are some of the food places you should try when in Dubai:

Level 43 Sky Lounge
- This is a rooftop dinner spot with the best view. They do have a bar where you can go just for drinks but why would you do that when you can go for dinner?
- Usually when I come to a place like this, I expect it to be super expensive, mainly because of the view. But, surprisngly, the food was very cheap and I ordered quite a lot!
- I would highly RECOMMEND this place. Plan on making a reservation ahead of the time. I did.
- Menu
Arabian Tea House
- If you want a very Authentic Middle Eastern breakfast, this is your place to go. There had a lot of amazing options on the menu and not to mention how great of a setting it was.
- I ordered Hummus with Foul with Coconut Water.
- It’s a creamy, thick dip made of mashed chickpeas and freshly cooked fava beans mixed with fresh lemon juice, minced garlic and olive oil served with fresh tandoori bread. 10/10
- Menu
Just Vegan
- All the dishes at this restaurant are vegan.
- Sometimes vegan food is a hit or a miss but I enjoyed it entirely and even made a plan on coming back here when I’m in Dubai again to try other things on their menu.
- They have locations all around Dubai but I went to the one in Dubai Marina.
- I ordered Pink Pitaya Pancakes. 8/10. The only reason why I gave this a 8/10 was because it felt very little for me and the pancakes did seem a little rubbery.
- Menu
Soul Sante Cafe
- Another full vegan restauarant. I would say their dish was better than what I got at Just Vegan. So, if you’re vegan and want to try a place, I would reccommend soulsante over Just Vegan.
- I ordered a Regular Latte with an Eggless Omlette that came with Mango Salsa
- 10/10
- Menu
Buddha-Bar Dubai
- This is a fancy but cheap restaurant and you will need to have a proper attire. Mainly pants and a decent collared shirt.
- This place was on my list for the longest time and the food actually was beyond good.
- It’s an Asian fushion restaurant and my folks from home, if you’ve been to Tao in Chicago, it’s a similar concept. I actually thought they were the same brand just different names but upon my research, it’s not the same brand but the concept is 98% same.
- I ordered Vegetables Curry (Vegetarian) and it was really good. 10/10
- Menu
Karak House
- Really good Emirati Cuisuine with an amazing view of the Burj Khalifa.
- I ordered their Signature Karak and it came with 2 biscuits. What Singature Karak really is strong Indian tea. Karak or Kadak means Strong.
- It was so good that I had to ordered another one. They also have a lot of food options, more than I can see online. So, if you only see 6 items online, there is a high chance you’re not seeing the full menu.
- Menu

Arabian Tea House, Dubai — Hummus with Foul W/ Tandoori Break

7. Currency

Currency Exchange. Local Currency: United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED). 1 USD = 3.67 AED

You have 2 options, I recommend option 2:

1) You can also carry around cash but I DO NOT recommend this option. When you’re exchanging cash, you won’t get a good exchange rate and there is a chance of it getting stolen or lost.

2) Open a credit card that has no foreign transaction fees. I recommend this option because when I left for my backpacking trip for the first time, I did not know such credit cards existed and so I never did my research. My personal favorite is United Explorer Visa Card that you can apply for here.

I use this card pretty much anywhere I go abroad and since it’s a Visa card, it works almost everywhere. Another reason why I really like a credit card is that no one will give you a better exchange rate than your own credit card company/bank. It’s also very easy to use, simply use it as if you were to use it in the US, and when prompted to choose between USD or AED, pick AED. It’s also contactless, has no foreign transaction fees, and you 2 lounge passes for United. So, if you’re in a place to open a credit card, I really recommend this option.

6. Photos

I hope you enjoyed reading my itinerary for Dubai and I also hope that in one way or another, I’ve helped you plan your trip to Dubai. It’s an amazing city and not as expensive as people make it out to be. It’s also a very safe city. I never once felt like I was in danger. If you liked this, please check out my other city blog/itineraries and leave a comment! I would really appreciate it. Also, Check out my most recent blog post about Tulum, Mexico 🇲🇽!

Lastly, before I let you go, check out & follow my journey @mrshutterup on Instagram, and don’t forget to Subscribe for new blog posts about cities around the world. Lastly, feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions or need help planning your next trip!