Dubai
The Burj Al Arab's graceful silhouette – meant to evoke the sail of a dhow (a traditional wooden cargo vessel) – is to Dubai what the Eiffel Tower is to…
Must-see attractions in Dubai
Downtown Dubai
The Burj Khalifa is a stunning feat of architecture and engineering, with two observation decks on the 124th and 148th floors and a restaurant-bar on the…
Dubai
One of Dubai’s most attractive developments, Madinat Jumeirah is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Arab village, complete with a souq (market…
Dubai
This long, pristine stretch of white sand, a little way north of Jumeirah Public Beach, is a major draw for sporty types, with a range of activities on…
Dubai
Housed in an air-conditioned hangar the size of 28 football fields, IMG Worlds of Adventure is the world’s largest indoor theme park. The US$1 billion…
Bur Dubai
The city's main historical museum charts Dubai's turbo-evolution from fishing and pearling village to global centre of commerce, finance and tourism. It…
Dubai
Opened in 2017, this striking modern museum engagingly chronicles the birth of the UAE in 1971, spurred by the discovery of oil in the 1950s and the…
Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Bur Dubai
Anyone keen on delving deeper into Emirati culture and history should take advantage of the activities, Emirati meals and tours offered through this…
Bur Dubai
Traffic fades to a quiet hum in the labyrinthine lanes of this nicely restored heritage area formerly known as the Bastakiya Quarter. Its narrow walking…
Dubai
Snowy white and intricately detailed, Jumeirah is Dubai's most beautiful mosque and one of only a handful in the UAE that are open to non-Muslims – one…
Bur Dubai
This nonprofit foundation runs the most dynamic cultural space in the Al Fahidi Historic District. Galleries showcasing traditional and cutting-edge works…
Dubai
More than a dozen hot shots of the international street-art scene, including Aiko, Blek Le Rat, ROA and Nick Walker, have turned new urban-style quarter…
Downtown Dubai
Edgy contemporary art from the Middle East and beyond has found a home in Dubai thanks to the vision of Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal. The local developer…
Dubai
In 2016, 16 local and international street artists, including Hua Tunan, Ashwaq Abdulla and Inkman, mounted their cherry-pickers to turn the rather drab…
Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo
Downtown Dubai
Dubai Mall’s most mesmerising sight is this gargantuan aquarium where thousands of beasties flit and dart amid artificial coral. Sharks and rays are top…
Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary
Downtown Dubai
Incongruously framed by highways, this surprising sanctuary on Dubai Creek is an important stopover for migratory waterbirds on the east Africa–west Asian…
Downtown Dubai
Creative folks have a new HQ in Dubai. The fresh-off-the-drawing board Dubai Design District (d3) has drawn both regional and international talent and…
Dubai
If you can build a ski slope in the desert, why not a rainforest too? The Green Planet is an indoor tropical paradise intended to 'edutain' about…
Dubai
Covering some 2000 sq metres and touted as the largest natural flower garden in the world, there’s a sense of Alice in Wonderland–esque surrealism when…
Bur Dubai
Recently restored as part of the new Shindagha Historic District development, this grand courtyard house served as the residence of Sheikh Saeed, the…
Dubai
Spread across five zones, Bollywood Parks celebrates Mumbai’s legendary film industry. There's a handful of 3D and 4D rides based on blockbusters such as…
Dubai
Designed for kids under 12, this colourful theme park has 40 rides and attractions across six themed areas. There’s plenty to keep youngsters entertained…
Downtown Dubai
This dancing fountain is spectacularly set in the middle of a giant lake against the backdrop of the glittering Burj Khalifa. Water undulates as…
Bur Dubai
Strategically located at the mouth of Dubai Creek, Shindagha was where the ruling sheikhs and the city elite lived until the 1950s. While a few of the…
Bur Dubai
In the early 1900s this historical area was Dubai's trading hub, during a period when the pearl diving industry was being developed. Stretching some 1.8km…
Dubai
Whether you're seeking thrills or a family-friendly day out, this Hollywood-inspired theme park has something for everyone. The park is divided into four…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
Rare albino alligators Ali and Blue are the latest stars in this fantastic labyrinth of underwater halls, enclosures and fish tanks that re-creates the…
Dubai
This high-tech indoor theme park is squarely aimed at serious gamers. Tickets buy access to 18 attractions, including a head-spinning VR experience, 3D…
Crossroads of Civilizations Museum
Bur Dubai
This private museum in the Shindagha Historic District provides a fascinating glimpse of Dubai's historic role as a trading link between East and West. On…
Downtown Dubai
For guilt-free shopping without your kids, drop them off in this indoor miniature city – complete with a school, a fire station, a hospital and a bank –…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
Paralleling the beachfront for about 1km, The Beach at JBR is an open-plan cluster of low-lying, urban-style buildings wrapped around breezy plazas…
Bur Dubai
Dubai’s tallest minaret (70m high) lords over the more than 50 small and large domes that give the city's largest mosque its distinctive silhouette. Today…
Bur Dubai
Ancient Egypt gets a Dubai-style makeover at this lavishly designed hotel, residential, restaurant and shopping complex, complete with pyramids,…
Dubai
Just north of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, this public beach (also known as Sunset Beach) is perfect for snapping that envy-inducing selfie with the Burj Al…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
If you don’t know the story behind it, you might wonder why people are taking so many pictures of an ornamental elephant. But when you learn it’s a…
Downtown Dubai
Two wooden bridges link the massive Dubai International Finance Centre to Gate Village, a modernist cluster of 10 midrise stone-clad towers built around…
Bur Dubai
Dubai's oldest souq (market) flanks a central arcade canopied by an ornately carved wooden roof. Friday evenings here are especially lively, as it turns…
Saruq Al Hadid Archaeology Museum
Bur Dubai
Only discovered in 2002, Saruq Al Hadid sits deep in the desert sands of the southern reaches of the Dubai emirate and is believed to have been an iron…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
In a city of air-conditioned malls, this attractive outdoor shopping and dining promenade was an immediate hit when it opened in 2008, originally to meet…
Dubai
Some 15,000 butterflies flutter around these beautifully styled indoor domed gardens. Visitors love to pose with them as they land on shoulders and…
