How to Get the Best out of Your Visit to Dubai – A City of Marvels

Dubai is one of the United Arab Emirates' most popular tourist destinations. The flashy, ultra-modern city features an impressive skyline and a city full of fun activities to keep kids and adults of all ages entertained and thoroughly satisfied during their trip. Here are some of the best things to see and do while you're there to get the most out of your visit to Dubai.

Stop by the Planet's Tallest Building

The Burj Khalifa is so tall that you can spot it towering above all the other buildings in the city's skyline from even as far as around a hundred kilometres away. Being the planet's tallest building, this skyscraper also unsurprisingly boasts the planet's northernmost observation deck. If you stay at a luxury hotel in Dubai during your visit, such as Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai or similarly located others, the Burj Khalifa can be reached in around 20 minutes by cab.

Shop at the Planet's Biggest Mall

If you haven't figured it out yet, one of the main themes of Dubai is to do everything on a grand scale. And this emirate boasts not only the world's tallest building but also the planet's largest shopping mall. Emiratis just love to shop, and so do the thousands of visitors that flock to Dubai each year – you can too, while you stay at a hotel near Ibn Battuta Mall. You'll find the Dubai Mall to be filled with stores by world-famous designer brands, a range of international restaurant brands, an aquarium, an ice rink, and an indoor theme park! It's practically a mini-city all by itself. Where can you find it? The mall is located in downtown Dubai. From the mall's waterfront terrace, you can also enjoy a good view of another one of Dubai's most iconic attractions, the Dubai Fountain.

Take in the Show Put on by the Dubai Fountain

Also located in downtown Dubai, the Dubai Fountain is an iconic part of the city's landscape. Featuring graceful jets of water that can reach as high as 140 metres, the fountain puts on quite a show for onlookers. To top it off, the water displays have been choreographed to sync with the traditional Arabic music that blares out of the speakers set up for the fountain.

Choose from a Dizzying Array of Eateries

Just like the city features a multitude of boutiques and flagship stores in terms of designer clothing, shoes, accessories, and the like, there are countless world-class restaurants owned by renowned chefs here as well. Many of these are also Michelin-Star restaurants. Apart from these, there are also several local eateries that serve popular local cuisine including the iconic shawarma; a wrap that has gained popularity all around the globe.

Master the Art of Falconry

If you plan on staying for a few weeks in Dubai, consider signing up for a falconry class. In the days of yore, this was a popular method of hunting small prey as well as a pastime. The practice of falconry is said to date back to almost four millennia ago.

Explore the Dunes

From camel riding and dune bashing to sunset excursions, one of the main highlights of Dubai is its desert. Quite a contrast to the urban landscape of the city, the desert region of Dubai is a wondrous display of nature's beauty, and a must-visit while you're in the emirate.

Bahnfrend, Dune bashing, Dubai, 2007 (06), CC BY-SA 4.0

Haggle at the Blindingly Dazzling Gold Souk

Situated in the commercial district of Deira in Dubai, the Gold Souk is a dazzling marketplace full of glittering wares. From rings and chains to gold bars, there's an abundance of gold to be found everywhere at the souk. Sharpen your haggling skills here as you bargain with the vendors on some of the best gold to be found in the world.