Posted by: Sahil
While visiting Dubai last fall I took notes everyday which led to this post, Dubai Travel Guide for First Time Visitors! I don’t know about you but one of the most frustrating things to me when preparing for a trip is researching items all over the internet. I review so many articles to gather enough information to make sure I am prepared for that city or country.
Because let’s face it, how many of us have time to read an entire Lonely Planet book? (Although I do still occasionally download them Therefore, I will continue to write travel guides for my readers. My first post about Dubai included my favorite pictures and was on overview of how I spent 5 days there. That post will help you build your Dubai itinerary. This post is a long list of Dubai travel tips that will cover almost everything else you need to know. So here is my Dubai Travel Guide!
Do You Need a Visa to Go to Dubai?
No—with a US passport, you do not need a visa to go to Dubai (or Abu Dhabi), which is a part of The United Arab Emirates.
How to Travel to Dubai
We took Emirates airlines directly from NYC to Dubai. They had a 2 for 1 deal airfare which was great! Emirates airlines has deals often and they fly from several cities across America so I do suggest signing up on their website. They also offer free layovers in Dubai. We met several people who were taking advantage of traveling to other countries on Emirates but stopped in Dubai on the way.
You can also fly on Etihad Airways into Abu Dhabi and take a shuttle bus or taxi one hour to Dubai. Qatar Airways is another option. They make a stop in Doha before continuing on to Dubai. Of course you can use US based airlines as well.
The Best Times to Visit
Dubai is HOT! I know-Duh. During the “winter months”, which correlate to ours, the temperatures are cooler with highs in the 80s to lows in the 60s. This is from November to March. Based on these temperatures, this is tourist season in Dubai, so expect it to be more crowded and prices to be a bit higher if you plan your Dubai trip for this time period. However, in the summer months from June to August, temperatures average a high of 105!
The Best Places to Stay
There is no shortage of hotels in Dubai, especially luxury hotels. You can also check rental sites such as Airbnb. In terms of the best location, you should first think of Dubai as a long strip. I compare it to Las Vegas or Cancun if you have been to either. We kept driving back and forth, up and down the same main road.
The most central location, and hence the most crowded, is around the Dubai mall which is where Burj Khalifa is located. At the other end is the Dubai Marina with Palm Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab close by. On the complete opposite end of this “strip” is the Dubai airport and Old Dubai with the souks. Along most of this strip is Jumeirah Beach filled with beach resorts, shops and restaurants. Based on your interests, you may prefer to stay closer to one of these landmarks.
Getting Around Dubai
Just like any major city and tourist area, there is a lot of traffic in Dubai. There is also rush hour traffic. You should be aware that the work week in Dubai is Sunday through Thursday. Their weekend days are Friday and Saturday. This affects the time it takes by car/taxi getting from one location to the next. Traffic is much lighter on the weekends.
Taxis
For the best prices use the regular taxi cabs and not the fancy Lexus taxis. Check to see if there is a meter in the taxi and you can also ask what the price will be from one location to the next. For example, we were unaware of an automatic surcharge leaving from the Metro station on Palm Jumeirah to the Dubai Mall.
Metro
Dubai has a very clean and easy to use Metro system. During the week and rush hour this may be your best bet based on the traffic. However, the day we used it we found it be crowded (no seats available), we had to change trains and wait for long stretches since it was a weekend day and the distance to the metro in the Dubai mall was a long walk! It took us over an hour to get to our location using the Metro so give yourself plenty of time if you have to change trains. During the week the trains run more often.
