5 Things to Do in Dubai: What to Do, Where to Go, What to See, and How Much It Costs

Go on a desert safari 

Say Dubai — imagine a desert safari and no wonder, as a safari is one of the most popular attractions in Dubai. Safari tours are offered by local travel agencies and can include camel rides, jeep tours, quad bikes, overnights in the desert, tastings of local food and everything else you could want.

The approximate cost of a safari is $50-60 for adults and $40 for children.

You can buy a safari at any travel agency in the city. The bureaus are located in large shopping malls, hotels, or just on the streets. Safari takes an average of 4-5 hours and it is recommended to go on such a trip before sunset. 

If you do not want to look for a travel company on the spot, make a reservation safari online – after completing the reservation you will receive an email with a receipt, and you can pay immediately or at the place of the tour. 

Visit Ski Dubai and go skating, sledding, and snowboarding in the 40-degree heat

Anything is possible in Dubai, which is why you can get up on skis or snowboard and descend from 60 meters. 

The area of Ski Dubai (the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East) is 22,000 square meters, and the snow under the roof never melts. It has 5 slopes, a 90-meter track for snowboarding, sledging slopes, ski lifts, rental items for ski equipment, and warm clothing.

The cost of visiting Ski Dubai from 200 dirhams (50$).

Take a ride on a traditional Abra boat.

The 14-kilometer-long Dubai Creek divides the city into two parts — Bur Dubai and Deira. The best way to see the real Dubai is to take a boat, which is called abra here, and ride along the bay. This is the only way to see skyscrapers giving way to small, traditional-style apartment buildings, and luxury beachfront villas being replaced by romantic boat stations.

Boats are used for all sorts of purposes: to get around the bay, for recreational boating, to get from one hotel to another. 

A short trip costs only 1 dirham (in Dubai abras are used as public transport), and if you want to enjoy the views longer and take the best pictures of Dubai, for 100 dirhams ($27) you can rent an abra for an hour. 

You can also book an excursion Dinner on a traditional Arabian boat for only $55. 

Visit the world-famous Dubai Mall

Dubai Mall does not need advertising, because it is the symbol of perfect shopping. That is a great opportunity to rent a luxury Rolls-Royce at https://renty.ae/cars/rolls-royce-dawn and visit one of the best shopping malls in the world. The shopping area covers 350 thousand square meters, and that’s not counting all the surrounding areas, which makes Dubai Mall the largest shopping center in the world: 1200 stores, including 70 stores “couture”, entertainment complex SEGA Republic, a children’s entertainment center of 8 thousand square meters, where you can leave your children under the supervision of experienced teachers and go shopping, one of the largest aquariums in the world, which has 33 thousand fish, a multiplex cinema, skating rink, indoor playground, parking for 14 thousand cars. 

Next to Dubai Mall is the tallest tower in the world, Burj Khalifa. In general, it is worth going here even if you are not going to shop.

A glimpse into Old Dubai and its culture.

How did the Arab Emirates come into being? Who governs them? Why do UAE residents dress like this? What, how, and why do mosque services take place? What is traditional Arabic cuisine like? Answers to these and many other questions can be found at the Sheikh Mohammed Cultural Cooperation Center (House 26, Al Mussallah Road, Al Fahidi District, Bur Dubai), which was opened with the aim of allowing visitors to learn more about the country’s culture. 

You may take an introductory tour to one of the most interesting historical districts of Al Fahidi ($20 per person), visit the Jumeirah Mosque ($5), take part in a traditional lunch where you can ask your questions to the guides ($25).