What to do in Dubai? — 10+ cool, must & best things to do in Dubai

Traveling to Dubai, what should you see and do besides the luxuries and lavish skyscrapers? Indeed, Dubai not only has splendor but also many other interesting things for you to explore. Below I will suggest 10 places worth visiting and must do for you to fully enjoy your Dubai trip. So, what to do in Dubai? Let’s check out our top rated 10+ cool, fun, amazing things to do in Dubai, best things to do in Dubai, cool things to do in Dubai, fun things to do in Dubai, must things to do in Dubai and top things to do in Dubai as follows!

Watch water music performance at Dubai Mall (#best things to do in dubai)

Address: Downtown Dubai – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Hours: Daily 6PM to 11PM (Every 30 minutes)

This is the world’s largest musical performance system located at Dubai Mall. In Dubai they call this water show is the Fountain Show. From 6 pm to 11 pm every day, water music show will be shown every 30 minutes. The show is completely free.

Alternatively, for a more memorable experience, you can reserve a table for dinner at one of the restaurants overlooking the fountain system. When dining at these restaurants, you will have a beautiful virtual living corner. I recommend a high-class restaurant that is highly appreciated by many guests, Third Avenue Boutique with a view of the Burj Khalifa and the Fountain Show.

Getting there: The nearest metro station to go to Fountain Show is Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall on the red line.

Visit Dubai Mall and the top of Burj Khalifa (#top things to do in dubai)

Address: 1 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd, Dubai – United Arab Emirates

Dubai Mall is the second largest shopping mall in the world after Iran Mall. Inside there is a lot of things so you can spend all day just spending money? Some things worth experiencing are Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, Kidzania, Souk Al Bahar, man-made waterfall, ice skating, skiing. Of course, there is no shortage of food services.

There are many restaurants in the Food Court area, so go take a look around and then decide what to eat. I ate a few times at Vapiano Italian restaurant and Din Tai Fung Taiwanese restaurant. I am satisfied with the quality of the food, so you can refer to it.

Getting there: From Dubai Mall you can walk to Burj Khalifa very easily. Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world with observatories located on the 124th and 125th floors.

Miracle Garden and Butterfly Garden

Address: Street 3 – Al Barsha – Al Barsha South – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Hours: 9AM-6PM

Miracle Garden is hailed as the world’s largest natural flower garden located in Dubailand with 50 million flowers and 250 million species of plants.

The official entrance fee is 55 AED. You can buy through Klook, have discounts and don’t have to wait in long lines. I also bought it through Klook while taking my sister. Here, you can freely take pictures, so please dress well.

Meanwhile, Butterfly Garden is the world’s largest covered butterfly garden located next to the Miracle Garden, with more than 15,000 species of butterflies. There are four attractions for you to see different kinds of colorful butterflies.

In addition, you should note that Miracle Garden will be closed in the summer due to the heat. So you should go between December and March every year.

Getting there: The nearest train station is Mall of Emirates (red line), then you need to take a taxi to get there. The entrance fee is also around 50-55 AED depending on where you buy it. I bought on Klook and got a little discount.

(Note: if you just want to go to Butterfly Garden, when you buy it, you only need to choose the Butterfly Garden entry ticket and then pay.)

Take a desert tour

Hanging out in the desert and watching the sunset is a must do when you come to Dubai.

I recommend taking a small group tour. This is a cost-effective way that you can also enjoy the thrill with your companions. In addition, going on a small group tour, you also have the opportunity to meet valuable companions. My sister and I went on tour in March 2022 and met a super cute French family.

A day tour usually includes:

Dune Bashing, Land Cruiser 4 × 4, sand boarding, Henna drawing, camel riding, Tanoura Show, Belly Dancing Show, Fire Dance Show (dancing around the campfire).

My sister and I booked the tour through Klook, the tour price I went was 330 AED for 2 people including shuttle service at the accommodation.

In addition, you can also book tours in many packages here.

Visit Al Seef District in Dubai Creek (#must things to do in dubai)

Embracing nearly 2 km of the beautiful coastline of Dubai Creek, Al Seef is Dubai’s tourism model consisting of two parts:

• The heritage area with nostalgic architecture.
• the second space has more modern buildings.

In Al Seef you will admire the ancient fishing village houses and shop for typical Arab items.

If you buy clothes, remember to bargaining. I bought an abaya in this area and was very satisfied with it for 120 AED. The price is more expensive than usual but the fabric and texture are very nice.

In addition, it is also in Al Seef that there is a very Instagrammable Starbucks coffee shop that everyone wants to take pictures to check-in. It must be said that the ancient architecture is wonderfully beautiful. I spent the whole afternoon walking and taking pictures here without getting bored.

Getting there: The nearest metro station to Al Seef District is Burjuman. From this metro station, you walk about 10-15 minutes to arrive. The scenery around when walking is very beautiful, so I recommend walking instead of taking a taxi.

Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Cafe – Al Fahidi

Address: Al Fahidi St – Bur Dubai – Al Fahidi – Dubai
Hours: 7AM-11 PM

This is a restaurant specializing in Emirati cuisine located in the historic district of Al Fahidi. The interior of the restaurant is very nicely decorated, quite similar to the island of Santorini in Greece.

You can take a look at my experience when dining here through this video. In addition, Arabian Tea House is close to Al Seef area, so you can go here for dinner after visiting Al Seef.

The dishes that you should try when coming here are hummus, biryani rice, Arabic breakfast and the dessert I ate in the video above.

Getting there: The nearest metro station to get here is Sharaf DG (green line). From the metro station you walk about 10 minutes to get to the shop. Because the shop is quite crowded in the evening and weekend, please call to reserve a table in advance.

Ride an Abra boat for only 1 AED at Dubai Old Market

Dubai Creek was the lifeblood of locals for generations before the oil industry boomed. The site was the first port in Dubai and where the pearl mining industry flourished. Today, it remains a vibrant spot, attracting visitors year-round.

Here, with only 1 AED (about $0.27), you will be traveling on a traditional boat (abra). The ferry are called “abra”. The abra journey is one of the cheapest yet most authentic experiences in Dubai that you cannot afford to miss.

Abra in Arabic means “crossing”. Ferries run every few minutes a day between four terminals along Dubai Creek. Have coins ready to pay the ferry drivers.

The best time to take an abra trip is at sunrise and sunset. Take a trip in the morning to watch local traders drop anchor to trade. At sunset, admire the charming scenery of ancient Dubai including traditional houses, wind towers and mosque towers under the beautiful golden sunlight of the desert.

JBR and Dubai Marina

Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR)

JBR is a bustling beach in Dubai. This place concentrates sea lovers and accompanying entertainment activities. This beach is located at Jumeirah Beach Residence – a residential area overlooking the Persian Gulf.

The beach has no entrance fee and you can swim at the beach until sunset. However, if you want a sun lounger, you have to pay depending on the spot you rent. And if you bring your own towel to spread and lie down, it’s free?

In addition, because it is a beach combined with a residential area, JBR also has a shopping and dining street called The Walk. Eating places in JBR will cost more than other places because this is a tourist area. I also recommend some places people should visit as follows:

Cafes, restaurants

• Common Grounds Café
• Starbucks overlooking the sea (the view upstairs is very beautiful in the afternoon),
• The Cheesecake Factory
• Shiro Sushi Wok JBR
• Afternoon tea at The Riz-Carlton.

Bars

• Bliss Lounge Sheraton,
• McGettigan’s JBR
• Bla Bla’s beach club

Getting there: The nearest station to the beach is Jumeirah Beach Residence 2. You can take the tram line to get to the right station. If you take the metro, you need to go to an intermediate station and switch to the tram. The transit station between metro and tram is Sobha Realty or DMCC.

Dubai Marina

Dubai Marina is a residential area opposite JBR and famous for its man-made Marina Walk.

I highly recommend walking along the canal in the early morning or evening when the city lights up. When you go, you will admire a flashy metropolis that was conceived in the early 2000s.

In addition, another famous service you should not miss in Dubai Marina is a cruise on a yacht. The accompanying services on the yacht are of course indispensable for food and parties. The best time to go on a cruise is in the morning before 10 am and in the evening at sunset.

Getting there: The nearest metro station to Marina Walk is Sobha Realty. From here you can walk 5 minutes to the entrance of Dubai Marina Walk.

Bluewaters Island (#amazing things to do in dubai)

From JBR beach, you can easily walk to Bluewaters Island. This walking path is quite romantic. From here you’ll get great shots, so have your camera ready.

The most prominent feature in Bluewaters is Ain Dubai, which is recognized as the tallest ferris wheel in the world. From the cabins, you will admire the impressive skyline of Dubai.

• The time for each turn is about 40 minutes.
• Ticket prices to Ain Dubai at sunset will be higher than other time frames of the day.
• You can check the ticket prices on the official page here.
• In addition, you can consult more on Klook when you want to book the accompanying services.

In addition, Bluewaters Island is also home to Caesar’s Palace Dubai – a resort with a wide range of accommodation types and good dining venues. Besides, you can also experience chef Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen restaurant and Cove Beach lounge.

Note: The Ain Dubai ferris wheel is not available in the summer from June to November.

DIFC

The last place you should visit is DIFC – the financial center in Dubai.

This is my most favorite area in Dubai. The design of buildings at DIFC is very delicate and luxurious, everything around is very neat and clean. This area also has more shade trees than other areas (something that is almost non-existent in Dubai :'<)

Because it is a financial center, the atmosphere here is quite, not as busy as tourist areas like JBR or Marina.

The central area of DIFC is very photogenic, especially the Sculpture Park area – where sculptures of Italian architects are displayed.

In addition, restaurants that are delicious and reasonably priced for service and quality are all located at DIFC. Some of the restaurants and cafes I recommend you to go to are:

Coffee, brunch, tea, cake

• LDC Kitchen
• Common Grounds
• 1762 DIFC
• Café Belge (inside the Riz-Carlton Hotel)
• CAKE (right in front of the Riz-Carlton Hotel)
• Scotta Café (Burj Daman building)

Restaurants

• BOCA
• Royal China Restaurant
• Blue – Seafood Asia
• Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse
• DAIKAN Ramen

Pubs/bars

• Flair 5
• Clap
• Amazonico
• BB Social Dining

Getting there: The closest metro station to DIFC is the Financial Center or Emirates Towers depending on the specific spot you want to visit. The places I mentioned above are not more than 5-10 minutes walk from the metro station.

Traveling in the inner city when traveling to Dubai

Buy a NOL card

Metro (subway) in Dubai is very safe, clean and punctual. Most of the places I listed above can be reached by metro.

To use metro, tram and bus, you need to buy a pass called NOL card at ticket counters at metro stations.

Buy a Silver card. The Silver card is priced at 25 AED which includes 19 AED for you to use for travelling. When you run out of money, just top up at the top up machines at the stations. You need a minimum of 7 AED to be able to use the pass for travel.

Taxi

However, there are a few places where you need to take a taxi from the metro station as the train only runs on the main route, Sheikh Zayed Road!

If you don’t take a taxi, you can only walk, but I don’t recommend it because the roads in Dubai are not suitable for walking. Not to mention if you go in the hottest weather of the year, you will die?!

Taxis are relatively cheap but always google map as most of the drivers in Dubai come from outside the UAE, so sometimes they don’t know the way. Download the Careem app and book a Halah taxi. Uber in Dubai is quite expensive.

Self-drive car rental

In addition, if you know how to drive and go for a long time (from 4 days or more) then you can consider renting a car. You can rent a car through the S’hail app.

In my opinion, in Dubai, people drive quite carelessly because people from all over the world gather here, so everyone has their own style! However, in general, it is not bad, still more organized than many other places because fines in Dubai are expensive.

The Dubai tourist season is also coming and I hope this article has given you more suggestions for your upcoming Dubai trip.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Dubai you can refer to

• Dubai Fountain Lake Ride
• Burj Khalifa Observation Deck with Dubai Aquarium & More
• IMG Worlds of Adventure
• Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park
• Wild Wadi Water Park
• Bollywood, Motiongate And Legoland Tickets At Dubai Parks And Resorts
• [Sale] Ski Dubai Admission Ticket
• Dubai Garden Glow Ticket
• [Sale] Dubai Dolphinarium
• [Sale] Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo And Penguin Encounter At Dubai Mall
• Evening Desert Safari Tour with BBQ Dinner
• Shared Transfers between Dubai Hotel and Dubai Attractions
• Private Dubai International Airport (DXB) Transfers for UAE Emirates
• Global Village Ticket in Dubai
• Ain Dubai: World’s Largest Observation Wheel
• VR Park Dubai Ticket
• Dubai Frame Ticket
• Go Dubai Explorer Pass (3, 4, 5, or 7 Attractions)
• Dubai City Sightseeing Bus Pass
• Dubai Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tours (Open-Top)
• Half Day Dubai City Tour
• Half Day City Tour in Dubai with Dubai Frame
• 4G WiFi (DXB Airport Pick Up) for Dubai
• 4G SIM Card (DXB Airport Pick Up) for Dubai

Are you looking for more top things to do in Dubai: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Let’s check it out here. And My trip to Dubai — The memorable experiences in the mysterious city of Middle East.