Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.com
Dubai
Trip Planning & Itineraries
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Part of the United Arab Emirates or UAE, Dubai is the quintessential home of sand, sun and shopping. A century ago, it was a tranquil port of Bedouin traders and pearl divers. Today, the merchants have gone international deluxe, and science-fiction skyscrapers stand alongside the mosques and wind-towers of Old Dubai. Don your Gucci sunglasses and latest D&G gear - Dubai is rich, lavish and absolutely ab-fab.
Whatever your pleasure, whether romantic desert safaris, trawling the world's most opulent shopping malls or riding over sand hills on an adrenaline-charged dune-buggy tour, our itineraries cover the very best of Dubai..
Best of Dubai: Top 3 Must-Do Experiences
Best of Dubai: Suggested Itineraries
Not only is Dubai a shopper's paradise, it attracts sports-lovers from around the world to tennis tournaments, boat and horse races, desert rallies and one of the largest air shows on the planet. Other high-profile events, such as the annual Dubai Shopping Festival, bring scores of visitors into town. Whatever your reason for visiting, read our tips for things to do in Dubai.
Start the day with a cultural breakfast at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU), a rare opportunity to try authentic Emirati food and learn about traditional and contemporary Gulf life.
Then get oriented on a hop-on hop-off bus tour. It's the key to the best of Dubai, from the glittering Gold Souk and cruising the Creek in an Arabian dhow, to visiting the Dubai Museum and Dubai's best shopping malls - Wafi, BurJuman, Atlantis and Mall of the Emirates.
Take a late-afternoon meander through the Bur Dubai souq to check out the tempting textiles, sparkling slippers and kitsch T-shirts. As the suns sets, go for a stroll along the Creek's edge before plunging into Dubai's famously sparkling nightlife. Find a rooftop bar with panoramic views of the Gulf, fine dine at internationally renowned restaurants or dine under the stars Arabian-style amid the desert dunes.
Start the day with a half-day sightseeing tour, then base yourself for the rest of the day at Jumeirah, Dubai's beachside residential area. Drop into the exotic Jumeirah Mosque, go for a splash in the Gulf at a beach resort, take a photograph of the ship-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel and shop in the air-conditioned comfort of Mall of the Emirates - boasting its very own ski slope - or in the re-created Arabian ambiance of Madinat Jumeirah.
On Day 3, head into the desert for a day or three on a private desert safari! Go driving over the sands in a dune buggy, be beguiled by exotic belly dancers and sleep under the stars in a Bedouin tent. Or visit neighboring Emirates like more-traditional Sharjah or glossy Abu Dhabi, the Garden City of Al Ain or the famous Hatta rockpools.
Best of Dubai: Top 3 Restaurants
Best of Dubai: Top 3 Hotels
Dubai is famous for its opulent hotels, like the iconic, sail-shaped Burj al-Arab. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars a night for a room, but you can if you want to. For more ideas, browse Dubai luxury hotels from Freestylecollection.com or check out this list of self catered Dubai apartments.
An eye-poppingly kitsch slice of Moscow, this quirky theme hotel goes delightfully overboard in its decor. Though some design details are ersatz (think faux French provincial), we love the relatively low rates. This place is a steal, given its amenities and location.
This startling blue glass edifice shaped like an upside-down tuning fork adds yet another architecturally intriguing shape to the Sheikh Zayed Rd strip. The rooms are exceptionally comfortable with Thai-inspired furnishings. The service is excellent and there's a spectacular view from the rooftop pool on the 36th floor.
In the shadow of the Burj Dubai, the Palace is among the city's top new luxury hotels. Silk-clad hostesses greet you with cool towels and fresh juice; a white-gloved butler escorts you to your room.
- Plan Dubai vacations on Yahoo! Travel
- Dubai hotels from PlanetWare
- Dubai hotels from HotelsCombined.com
- English-language news from the Khaleej Times
