Dubai in a day: the best route

In this guide to Dubai in one day we leave you the route we followed during this day through some of the most interesting places in the city, making the most of all the time available, after the flight to Dubai, with which we started this trip to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Rub' al Khali in 9 days.

After arriving at the Damac de Vogue, our accommodation in Dubai for the next 4 nights and resting a little, we reviewed the planning we have for this first day in Dubai of the trip to the United Arab Emirates and confirmed that despite the cancellation of the flight the day before and the delay, we can continue quite well with the itinerary we had planned, so without thinking much more, we started with the first visit we have planned for this Dubai in one day.

But before we start, we would like to give you a series of recommendations about transport in Dubai or the best way to get around, because contrary to what it may seem, it is easier than it seems and at the same time, more surprising than you can imagine.

Transport in Dubai. Getting around the city

The first thing to bear in mind is that Dubai is a huge city and still under construction. Add to that the high temperatures and the fact that it's not exactly a pedestrian-friendly city, and getting around Dubai on foot is practically utopia unless you want to cover very short distances.
That's why before you start planning your route around Dubai in a day, we recommend looking at an app like Maps.me or Google Maps to check the distances and see that it's impossible to cover most of the places to see in Dubai on foot. Just to give you an idea, from the Burj Khalifa to the Burj Al Arab is more than 20 kilometres, so although on the map it looks like you can make this journey on foot, leisurely strolling, this is totally impossible.

Dubai Metro

This is the cheapest way to get around Dubai, but it's only recommended if your visits are very close to any of the metro stops, as most of the time they are quite far away, although on the map it may seem otherwise.
There are 2 metro lines in Dubai, the red line, which runs north to south, and the green line which connects the main points in the Deira and Bur Dubai neighbourhoods, and you can connect from one to the other at Union Square and Bur Juman stations.

To use the metro in Dubai, you have the following options:

• Buy an individual ticket (zone pricing). This is the most expensive option but the most suitable if you are only going to use the metro rarely.

• Buy a rechargeable card (NOL Card), with an initial cost and a balance, which you will have to top up as you use it up:

• Red Card: This is one of the most common cards for tourists. It costs 2AED and can be recharged for up to 10 journeys.

• Silver Card: The price is 25AED and includes 19AED of credit. If your trip lasts several days, this is the most recommended option.

• Gold Card: The price of the journeys is double that of the silver card and allows you to use the Gold cars, which are first class and from where you can have a unique perspective of the city as the metro is driverless. It is recommended to use it at least once as an experience.

• Blue Card: Only recommended for residents or if you are staying in the city for a long period of time.

Dubai Metro

Taxi

For us this is the best option for getting around the city, especially if you are several people, as sharing expenses, the price is very tight and will allow you to go from door to door, without complications to reach the main tourist attractions or find them several kilometres away from the main metro stations.

The only problem is that you have to make sure you get your change back if you pay in cash, as they sometimes give you bad change. Besides this, you should know that you can pay by card in taxis, although some will tell you that you can't, so if this happens to you, insist, as they will eventually connect the POS.

Uber

Our experience tells us that the price is a little higher than taxis, although it is true that with this form of transport in Dubai you avoid bad changes or problems with payment.

Tourist bus

After our tour of the city and even after our one-day tour of Dubai, we have to say that another of the best options we've seen for getting around the city is the tourist bus.
Although we don't use it, taking into account the distances in the city and the strategic stops it has at all the tourist spots, this can be a perfect option to get to know and move around the city.

The bus has three lines, one that runs through the city, one that runs along the beaches and one that runs along the Dubai Marina. In addition, the one-day pass includes a ride on a traditional boat (dhow), a night tour of the city and entry to 7 museums. The two-day pass, in addition to all of the above, also includes a cruise in Dubai Marina and an excursion to Sharjah and the 5-day pass also includes free entry to the aquarium, a desert tour, a visit to the Flamingo Lagoon, a tour of Palm Island and free tours of Meydan and Sharjah.

It's 11am when we leave the flat and the first thing we do is get a taxi for 40AED to go and see the Burj Al Arab, one of Dubai's landmarks, which is 16 kilometres from our accommodation.

More practical information to prepare your trip to Dubai

- 15 must-see places to visit in Dubai
- Top 5 tours and excursions in Dubai
- 10 restaurants to eat in Dubai
- Guide to climb the Burj Khalifa: tickets and price
- 10 must-do tips for travelling to Dubai
- Where to stay in Dubai: best neighbourhoods and hotels

Burj Al Arab

Known for being the only 7-star hotel in the world, the Burj Al Arab is undoubtedly one of the icons of the city and the world, as well as being one of the places you can't miss on a day trip to Dubai.
Built on an artificial island almost 300 metres off the coast, the hotel has a characteristic sail shape and is 321 metres high and opened in 1999. The average room price is 1500 euros per night and all rooms are suites, with the smallest being 200m2.

How to visit the Burj Al Arab hotel

Although many travellers believe that the only way to visit the Burj Al Arab is by staying at the hotel, nothing could be further from the truth. You can experience the hotel and its fantastic facilities by booking a breakfast at the Sahn Eddar restaurant on the first floor, an afternoon tea or one of the lunch or dinner options in the restaurants.

Located next to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, another of the city's most famous hotels, this beach is famous for having the best views of the Burj Al Arab as well as one of the best sunsets. With several areas, including a special swimming area, the beach has showers, a couple of bars/restaurants and a lifeguard service.
If you drive here, you can easily find paid parking along the promenade.

Considering how hot it is practically all year round in the city, it is highly recommended to come to this area early in the morning and late in the afternoon, to watch the sunset and see the illumination of the hotel as well as stroll around in the cooler temperatures.

After being in the area for a little less time than we thought we would spend in Dubai in one day, as it is over 40 degrees, it is 1 o'clock when we take another taxi for 35AED, this time heading for the Dubai Mall, right next to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, which we will visit this afternoon.

Recommended travel cards

Remember that to avoid paying commissions and to always have the current exchange rate, we recommend you use the Revolut card and the N26 card, which are the ones we use, are free and will save you a lot of money.

You can find more information in this article on the best cards for commission-free travel.

Dubai Mall

This mall is the most famous in the city, not only for its location next to the Burj Khalifa, but also for being the largest mall in the world with more than 1200 shops, almost 15000 parking spaces and 110 hectares where you can find the best luxury shops, international brands as well as shops focused on other types of items such as household goods, accessories, bookstores and even jewellers, many of them located on the first floor in the area known as "souk", with a decoration that will take you back to another era.

In addition to all these shops, the Dubai Mall has dozens of restaurants, many of them world-famous chains, and a couple of food courts on the ground floor, where you can have lunch or dinner at more affordable prices. If you want to enjoy a more special moment, we recommend you opt for one of the restaurants on the upper floors, overlooking the fountains, from where you can watch one of the light and sound shows that take place every 30 minutes every night.

As a curiosity, the Dubai Mall also has an ice skating rink, an aquarium and the largest cinema in the city, as well as several arcades.

Although as you know we are not very fond of shopping malls, in this case we have to say that it is a real marvel and of course, one of the places to see in Dubai in one day.
In principle you can get a first impression in 2 hours or so, although whenever you can, we recommend spending a little more time and even staying nearby, as the gastronomic offer is very good and having the opportunity to have lunch or dinner every night in addition to seeing the spectacle of the fountains, is a real luxury. To see the best illuminated places in Dubai, we recommend you book this night tour with an English-speaking guide.

It is 2 o'clock in the afternoon when after visiting some of the most famous areas of the Dubai Mall in Dubai in one day, we decide to make a technical stop for lunch, opting in the end for Eataly, a chain that is an Italian market, where we order a pasta al fungui, pasta al tartufo plus lemonade and water, coffee and dessert for 265AED, which we can only recommend as it is really incredible.

Eataly

After lunch and enjoying a quiet after-dinner drink, we go back to walk around the shopping centre and when it's 3pm we spend an hour walking around the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa, where we find the lagoon with the fountains where the most famous show in the city is performed, which we'll talk about later, and the Souk Al Bahar, another of the places we visited on this route around Dubai in one day and which we also recommend you to visit. If you want to watch the spectacle from a privileged position you can book this access to the walkway in front of the Fountain.

Al Bahar Souk

Located next to the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa, Souk Al Bahar is another must-see shopping mall or souk in the city. Although we've read that it's best to visit it at night, to enjoy the illumination, we visited it in the afternoon and we have to say that we were equally delighted and surprised.
With lesser-known shops than those you might find in the more famous shopping centres, the Souk Al Bahar is a haven of peace and tranquillity, which you can enjoy strolling through its corridors while marvelling at the exquisite decoration and architecture.

After this brief visit, it's time to visit one of the icons of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, which is none other than the imposing Burj Khalifa, for which we have tickets booked at 4pm.

Burj Khalifa

Known for being the tallest building in the world at 828 metres, twice as tall as the Empire State Building in New York, the Burj Khalifa is one of the must-see sights in the city. In addition to being one of the symbols of the city, this building is famous for housing the Armani Hotel on its floors as well as several residential areas, something totally unusual until its inauguration in 2010, after 6 years of construction and being visible from 95 kilometres away.

Viewpoints of the Burj Khalifa

Although the building itself is already incredibly striking, the most famous of all are the observation decks, from which you can enjoy 360-degree views of the city. The first observation deck is on the 124th floor at 442 metres above sea level and the second is on the 125th floor, both of which are included in the same ticket

The other option is to climb in addition to the 124th and 125th floors to the 148th floor, at 555 metres above sea level, which has become the highest observation deck in the world, surpassing the Canton Tower in Guangzhou and from where you can enjoy unbeatable views of the city and the surrounding area.

Please note that tickets sell out very quickly, especially those for the sunset hour, so it is highly recommended to book early to avoid running out of seats. If you can't go at sunset, we recommend going up during the day, as the views are much better than at night, as Dubai is not a city with particularly interesting lighting.

Where to buy tickets

As we mentioned earlier, it is highly recommended that you book your tickets to the Burj Khalifa in advance to avoid running out of seats, especially if you are travelling during high season, holidays, weekends or if you want to go up to the observation decks at sunset.
You can buy tickets here, both for the viewpoints and for the viewpoints themselves, plus an extra snack, lunch or dinner.

Observation decks 124th and 125th floors Burj Khalifa

Observation decks 124, 125 and 148 floors Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa ticket with coffee and sweets at The Cafe

Burj Khalifa: 124th floor and lunch or dinner at The Burj Club

In addition to the above, there is another more exclusive option known as "The Lounge", where you can climb to 575 metres and enjoy even more incredible views from its open-air terrace, which includes a range of gourmet experiences:

"Tea in the Clouds": takes place between 12:30h and 17h and includes fresh cakes and delicious desserts, along with a selection of the finest teas and coffees. The price is AED 608 and you can book in advance here.

"Cocktails under the Stars": takes place between 7.30pm and 9pm and includes drinks and gourmet canapés, accompanied by the songs of a vocalist. The price is AED 608 and you can book here.

"Sunset with bubbles": takes place between 17:30h and 19h and includes champagne, gourmet canapés and musical entertainment. The price is AED 657 and you can book here.

Breathtaking views from the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa

Tips for visiting the Burj Khalifa

After our experience on this one-day tour of Dubai, here are some tips for visiting the Burj Khalifa.

• One of the best times to visit the observation decks is at sunset. Depending on the time of year, the schedule changes, but we recommend booking your entrance about an hour before sunset, bearing in mind that you should arrive 30 minutes before sunset and you will need about 30-45 minutes to get to the first observation deck, taking into account the security checkpoints.
  This way you will be sure to enjoy the views of the city by day, the sunset and also, if you wait a while, see the city light up little by little.

• There is no problem if you have a backpack or large bag, although you will have to go through security checks.

• Don't forget your passport, as you'll be asked for it when you book your ticket.

• Once you are at the observation decks, we recommend that you focus on the one on the 124th floor as it has better visibility than the one on the 125th floor.

• Remember that there is no maximum length of stay, so if you like photography or want to stay longer, it is preferable to book your entrance 1 hour beforehand to have time before sunset.

• We think it's best to combine your visit to the Burj Khalifa with visits to the Dubai Mall, the Souk Al Bahar and the fountain show at night. This can take up a whole afternoon.

• If you want to know much more about this amazing place, be sure to read the post Guide to the Burj Khalifa: tickets and price.

After enjoying the sunset and with 15 minutes to go before the Dubai Fountains sound and light show starts, we get down from the tallest tower in the city to stand in front of it and enjoy this incredible show.

Dubai Fountain Show

At 275 metres long, with almost 7000 lights and 50 video projectors, the Dubai Fountain is one of the most recommended shows in Dubai. Designed by the same engineers as the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, the show takes place in the artificial lagoon built between the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa, which makes it even more interesting, as the view from either point is a real spectacle for the senses.

Dubai Fountain, one of the things to see on a day trip to Dubai.

Opening hours

The opening hours to see the Dubai Fountains are:

• Every day from 18h to 23h with a frequency of every 30 minutes.

• In the mornings, at 1pm and 1.30pm (Fridays, 1.30pm and 2pm).

Remember that the show is free of charge.

Where to see the Dubai Fountains Show

There are several locations from which you can watch the show, each with its pros and cons. Here's a selection of what we think are the best:

• In front of the Dubai Mall gate, with the Burj Khalifa on one side.

• On the bridge leading to the Souk Al Bahar, to have the Burj Khalifa in front of you.

• Terrace of the Apple shop in the Dubai Mall. In this case you'll have to queue a bit to get in. A perfect option is to arrive just as one of the shows ends to get the best spot.

• One of the terrace restaurants in the Dubai Mall or Souk Al Bahar. We dined at Tribes Carnivore and it was spectacular.

• Dubai Opera House area. There are usually very few people here and the view is highly recommended.

• From the Burj Khalifa itself if you have gone up to see the sunset. Keep in mind that the first show is at 6pm so it can be an opportunity to see it from a totally different perspective.

• Another option to see the fountain show is from the lagoon itself, from a totally new and incredible perspective.

Recommendations to see the show

• Whenever you can, it is always interesting to see the show both during the day and at night, as it changes a lot.

• In addition to this, we recommend that you don't watch just one show or from the same place, as both the music and the show itself change every 30 minutes and it is worth seeing at least a couple of them.

• Whenever possible, arrive 30 minutes early at the location you want to see it from, as it is usually one of the most visited attractions in the city and the lagoon is always very crowded.

• Check out the locations above to get a bit of clarity on where you want to see it from, if you can only see it once. If this is the case, we would opt for the Souk Al Bahar area.

Dubai Fountain Show

And so after seeing two shows from different areas, we say that the time has come to finish this Dubai in one day by going back to the Dubai Mall, where tonight we opted for dinner at the EatGreek restaurant where we ordered a starter of mezze, saganaki and squid plus water for 189AED.
Highly recommended! Everything was delicious and the service was excellent.

And after lunch all we have to do is take a taxi for 15AED that takes us to the Damac de Vogue, our accommodation in Dubai and where we fall like children after a full day.

Map of the route around Dubai in one day

We leave you the map with the location of all the places we have visited during the Dubai in a day, including some of the most touristic points of the city.

If your one-day tour of Dubai starts early in the morning, we recommend adding a visit to the Deira district, one of the oldest in the city, separated from Bur Dubai by the Dubai Creek, which is a natural estuary, where you can get to know the oldest part of Dubai and stroll through the Gold Souk, the Spice Souk and part of the Dubai Creek promenade and lose yourself for a couple of hours in this neighbourhood. We have marked the locations in yellow and with the star symbol.