Dubai is arguably the most popular of all the emirates, and with all the food, shopping and attractions, it's no surprise why. Sometimes it can be overwhelming traveling to a country where the language, culture and landscape are so foreign to you, but it can also be exhilarating! Here's some of the amazing Dubai activities that I found on my trip.
If you've never traveled to the United Arab Emirates, or UAE, you're missing out on a whole world of adventures! There are seven emirates but the most popular are propbably Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The food, the clothes, the attractions and activities, it all combines to provide you with a one-of-a-kind getaway. On my visit we stayed with friends who live there as expats, so we got to enjoy plenty of things the way locals do. By having people who could tell us the social and cultural norms of each site we visited, we were able to avoid some of the common pitfalls tourists can face when it comes to clothing or gestures. Once you do a little research and keep a few things in mind, you'll be able to enjoy your time in the Middle East carefree!
Let's dive in and see what adventures await!
1--Souks
One of the quintessential experiences as a tourist in Dubai is the souk, or marketplace. Whether you head to a traditional or modern one, you'll be able to choose from a plentiful amount of jewelry, fabrics, spices and other unique items. You can also find souks that are dedicated to certain items, like the Gold souk (https://www.visitdubai.com/en/places-to-visit/the-gold-souk), Perfume souk (https://www.visitdubai.com/en/places-to-visit/perfume-souk), or Textile souk (https://www.visitdubai.com/en/places-to-visit/the-textile-souk).
Part of shopping at a souk is haggling about the price. If you're anything like me, just the thought of trying to haggle makes me anxious, but fear not, there's still a souk for you! If you like the look of a traditional souk but would rather have a more modern experience, then you'll want to check out Souk Madinat (https://www.visitdubai.com/en/places-to-visit/souk-madinat) where you won't have to worry about haggling to gee the best price.
2--Belly Dance Performance
I'm a sucker for anything traditional, so this was a no-brainer for me. Some of the belly dancing performances come as part of a dinner show, but you can definitely find them as the main attraction. Belly dancing is a part of Emirati culture, so it's something you wanna put on your to-do list. The show that I saw came as part of a package deal that included a several activities all bundled into one excursion. Arabian Nights Tours (https://arabiannightstravel.com) was top notch at ensuring their guests had plenty of fun cultural experiences!
3--Desert Safari
When I found out that I was going to Dubai, one of the first things I looked up was a desert excursion. I searched through a few companies, but I ended up booking with Arabian Nights Tours (https://arabiannightstravel.com). They have a number of options to choose from, including city tours and day trips, so they can accommodate different budgets. We did their half day safari with dune bashing and a dinner BBQ at their desert camp. They picked us up where we were staying and then they picked up the other passengers and we hit the desert. Once we got to their camp they had hookahs, falconers, belly dancing, camel rides and delicious middle eastern cuisine-like, SOOOO freaking good-I haven't had falafel or hummus that good since!
4--Dhow Boat Cruise
A dhow boat is and Arab sailing vessel that was mainly used in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea regions. Generally they're wooden on the bottom and they have at least one mast. There's a ton of places that offer dinner cruises on dhow boats. I did a daytime tour down the river, but it was a no frills affair that only lasted a few hours. If you're more into a dinner cruise, you can use this as a guide:
5--Ride A Camel
Look, if you're gonna live a whole Arabian Nights fantasy, you're gonna need to ride a camel at some point. Dubai has several different options for camel rides, and if you choose wisely, you may score yourself some fresh camel's milk too! The desert safari that I booked actually offered camel rides as part of their half day dune bashing and BBQ package. I'm not really the animal riding type so I chose not to mount up, but they were still nice to admire...from afar, so as not to upset my allergies too much!
6--Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Museum
I'm not sure who's idea it was to put an aquarium inside of a mall, but I'm glad they did because it was delightful! Located inside the Dubai Mall, the Dubai Aquarium is perfectly situated for you to marvel at without spending a dime, er, dirham ;) There's one side of the 36 foot tall tank that's visible while walking through the mall. If you decide to explore the aquarium, you'll get to do the walk-through tunnel, so you can really immerse yourself under the sea! And when you're done with the fishies, you'll have no problems finding somewhere to get a bite to eat, or shop. You can plan your visit at thedubaiaquarium.com.
7--Dubai Museum
I'm not super into museums, but sometimes they can be quite informational and entertaining. Housed in the oldest building in the city, the museum offers exhibits on life in the UAE before the discovery of oil. I enjoyed learning about the ancient history of the city, especially the Bedouin people. I've always been drawn to the rich vibrant colors of that aesthetic, so it was very cool to see its origins.**Unfortunately, the museum is temporarily closed, but you can check here: https://www.visitdubai.com/en/places-to-visit/dubai-museum to see if/when it's back open**
8--Burj Khalifa
Standing at 2,717 feet, the tallest building in the world is a must see. I couldn't help but marvel at how soaringly tall it is, especially because I couldn't manage to get the whole thing to fit the frame of my camera! On the inside, all the way up on the 153rd floor, is The Lounge (https://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/the-lounge/) The view is unmatched...literally! You can have cocktails and appetizers while you take in the sweeping views of the city. They also offer observation decks so you can breathe in the air way up there. The Burj Khalifa is actually located in the same area as the Dubai Aquarium, so you could get to both of those in the same day.
9--The Irish Village
You wouldn't expect to get a little piece of Ireland in Dubai, but you can! I happened to be in Dubai over St. Patrick's Day and it.was.WILD!!! There were so many people and so much food. They had raffles with amazing prizes, like trips to Ireland! I was so blown away by what I thought would be a chill night at the local pub, but The Irish Village isn't just any old neighborhood pub. It has a cricket stadium attached to it, which I learned about while waiting in the endless pub bathroom line that night. A woman mentioned that there was no one using the stadium bathrooms, which meant it could be like my own little private-public restroom. So if you happen to be traveling there on March 17th, you're in for a treat! You can learn more about the venue here:
10--Cruise on the Persian Gulf
The morning after our arrival, our hosts surprised us with a yacht cruise for the day! And while I can't take credit for planning it, the cruise ended up being a perfect kickoff for our trip. We had a group of about 25 which included children and adults, and since we could bring our own food there was an abundance of yummy snacks.
Another bonus of the cruise is that you get to see all the coastal highlights while taking in the beautiful weather. This may not be the best activity for summer, but it was perfect for springtime.
There's SO much more to see and do in Dubai but I was only there long enough to experience a fraction of it. Have you ever been to Dubai or any of the other emirates? I'm sure we'll go back eventually and I'll be ready to find new things to explore.
Happy Travels!
Comments