Guided Tours & Things to Do in Dubai

Levels 124 and 125 are the standard observation decks and are what most people mean by "At The Top". Level 148 is a separate, considerably more expensive ticket with its own lounge and a much shorter queue. All of them are timed entry, and the sunset slots cost the most and sell out first. The combo with the Dubai Aquarium is good value if you were going to do both anyway. Our Burj Khalifa tickets guide compares the levels properly.

Yes, and it is the one thing almost nobody regrets. The differences are in the camp and the driving. A standard evening safari gives you dune bashing, camel ride, sunset and a buffet with shows. A VIP option buys you private seating rather than a shared table. If the driving is what you want, take a quad or buggy instead. Dune bashing is rough, and it is not advised in pregnancy or with back, neck or heart conditions — you can always ask your driver for a gentler run. Full detail in our desert safari guide.

Easily. The Metro Red and Green lines cover most of what visitors want, including the Burj Khalifa, the Marina and the creek, and a Nol card works across metro, tram and bus. Taxis and Careem are cheap by international standards and everywhere. The one thing to plan around is traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road in the late afternoon, which is heavy enough to cost you a timed entry slot. Our getting around Dubai guide has the practical detail.

It is worth it, and it is the cheapest good few hours in the city. Al Fahidi is a district of coral-and-gypsum houses under barjeel wind towers that genuinely work — the lanes run several degrees cooler than the street. From there an abra crosses Dubai Creek to the gold and spice souks, where haggling is expected and a guide who knows real saffron from safflower earns their fee. Take the heritage walk with the souks and an abra crossing or the street food version, and read our old Dubai and the souks guide first.

Dubai is relaxed by regional standards and normal summer clothing is fine in malls, hotels and on the beach. Where it matters is mosques, which require covered hair, arms and legs for women and long trousers and sleeves for men, and the older districts and souks, where covering shoulders and knees is respectful and more comfortable in any case. Air conditioning indoors is set genuinely cold, so carry a layer.

Do not assume it is. Traditional creek dhows are usually dry, while the larger Marina yachts and premium dinner cruises are more often licensed. It is decided by the individual boat rather than by the type of cruise, so check the inclusions on the option you select. Alcohol in the UAE is served in licensed venues, and buying it outside them is not straightforward for visitors.

Three full days covers it without rushing. Day 1: old Dubai, the souks and the abra, then the Dubai Fountain after dark. Day 2: a desert safari from mid-afternoon into the evening. Day 3: the modern city — Burj Khalifa, the Museum of the Future and Dubai Frame, and the Marina in the evening, for which our Dubai Marina and the Palm guide is the orientation. Our 2-day Dubai itinerary is the tighter version, and the UAE itineraries run from three days upward.

Unusually good. It is safe, everything is air-conditioned, and the attractions are built for families — the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, the Atlantis Lost Chambers, and the waterparks. The things to check are height limits on rides, which are enforced at the ride rather than the gate, and the heat, which is the real constraint from June to September. See our Dubai with kids guide.