Dubai in 2 days: all you have to see

Here is my recommendation for two days in Dubai. It's not necessary to follow it to the letter, but I would recommend you take it as a starting point and adjust it according to what you're most interested in seeing in Dubai and the time you have.

The idea is to get to know a bit of the Deira area and the centre of Dubai during the first day, and on the second day, enjoy the most interesting places along the Jumeirah coast. Let's get started!

I recommend starting your 2-day trip by visiting Dubai' s gold and spice souks in Deira. From here you will board an abra (a kind of boat) to go straight to the Bur Dubai.

At this point, all you need to do is get to the centre and visit the three most famous areas of Dubai: Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the Dubai Fountain.

Deira Gold and Spice Souk

The Gold and Spice Souk is located in Deira, the old part of Dubai. Most of the shops in Deira are open between 9am and 10am, except on Fridays when they open a little later.

You can buy clothes (including Arabic clothing), gold, spices, small carpets and all sorts of other items. Prices are much lower than in the malls, so if you plan to buy a lot of souvenirs, it might be worth shopping in Deira.

Remember that you can bargain, as it is part of the culture of the area. Deira is also a great place for a cheap lunch. I suggest lunch there or a little further south in the La Mer area.

Bur Dubai in Abra

Take advantage of the proximity for a short and intense abra ride, the traditional, popular and super cheap water taxis.

The most authentic abra ride is usually taken from the gold and spice souk, Deira Gold Souk abra station, to get to Bur Dubai. It will only cost you a few cents and is a nice, cheap way to get to the other side of the creek to continue your journey.

For centuries it has remained one of the most used means of transport in Dubai, becoming a symbol of Dubai's history and a heritage site in its own right.

Bur Dubai

Once you get to Bur Dubai you will see some museums and a smaller souk where you will find more spices, gold and other things.

Of course, you can spend a whole day exploring this part of Dubai, but if you only have 2 days in Dubai, I recommend spending between 2 and 5 hours to see these two interesting areas of Dubai.

Burj Khalifa

From Bur Dubai you can take the metro, bus or taxi to get directly to the Burj Khalifa, with the bus option being the cheapest. Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world at 828 metres. You can enjoy incredible views from the Burj Khalifa observatory.

It will probably take you 2-4 hours to enjoy the views and areas of this building. Of course, the queues to get to the top can be very long.

You can get tickets to the Burj Khalifa for levels 124 and 125 or buy a ticket for levels 124, 125 and 148. Of course, level 148 is the most expensive level, but the beauty of it is that with level 148 you can skip the queues.

Dubai Mall

Dubai Mall is located right next to Burj Khalifa. Visiting the Dubai Mall is definitely worthwhile, even if you don't consider yourself a shopaholic, as it's not the only place to go.

I recommend buying tickets for the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, which is inside, as well as Dubai Dino, VR Park Dubai and other interesting attractions to spend hours and hours.

Dubai Mall also has a food court offering a huge variety of food. Of course, there are also fine dining restaurants if you feel like indulging on your first dinner in Dubai.

Dubai Fountain

Next to the Dubai Mall is the Dubai Fountain. Here you can see amazing water and light shows. I recommend ending your first day in Dubai here, as it's a great way to enjoy a Dubai night to remember.

The fountain's nightly shows take place from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM, and occur every 30 minutes. Watching the show is free, but the area fills up quickly, so be sure to arrive at a good time.

If you have time you can also book a boat ride and watch the fountain show from there. Oh, and Dubai at night is just as safe as it is in the morning.

On this second day I recommend you to explore the coast of Dubai and its most interesting areas. I suggest you start the day at the famous Dubai Marina and then, taking advantage of the proximity, spend some time at the famous JBR-The Walk beach.

Then you could take a stroll through Madinat Jumeirah and wander through its famous alleyways. Finally, I recommend you take a look at the Dubai Canal (bridge), one of the most attractive and newest places in the city, and then finish the day in the centre of Dubai.

Dubai Marina

Start the second day with a pleasant stroll through Dubai Marina, one of the most pleasant places to be in Dubai and one of the largest man-made marinas in the world. There are also several things to do in Dubai Marina.

The marina will amaze you with its massive canal and the yachts that can be seen giving the marina a luxurious feel. You can spend a few hours wandering around aimlessly and sipping refreshments in one of the many bars along the way.

If you're on a tight schedule, you can book a yacht tour of Dubai Marina or, alternatively, continue straight ahead to end up on the famous JBR-The Walk beach.

JBR-The Walk Beach

There is no entrance fee for JBR-The Walk and it is the ideal place for swimming. You can also hire water sports equipment and enjoy a great afternoon on the beach. Leaving the beach you'll find plenty of street art, live music and a lively atmosphere.

I'd also recommend climbing the Flying Cup, a new attraction that will give you a 360-degree view. Best of all, they also offer food services, so if you want lunch with a panoramic view from 40 metres up, you know where to go.

What's more, although it may not seem like it, both tickets and lunches are reasonably priced. There are also several restaurants in the area for a quieter, less adrenaline-fuelled lunch.

Get lost in Madinat Jumeirah

Madinat Jumeirah is a city full of entertainment, accommodation, restaurants and plenty of places for different leisure activities. However, for this occasion, I recommend you head to the souk of this mini-city paradise.

This souk is not as overwhelming as the Dubai Mall and you can find gifts, clothes and much more. You can also stroll around the area while breathing in the fresh air, as the alleyways are very traditional and the atmosphere is very pleasant.

The Madinat Souk also has many good licensed food out lets if you fancy a bite to eat. For dinner in Madinat Jumeirah there are everything from humble traditional food stalls (near the souk) to high-end restaurants.

Dubai Canal

The water canal is one of Dubai's most recent constructions. It cost around 660 million euros and is approximately 5 kilometres long.

The disadvantage of the canal is that during the day the sun hits it hard as it is completely uncovered, so it can be a bit uncomfortable. However, nowhere is more romantic for a quiet evening than the Dubai Canal.

Dubai's water canal is the perfect place to say goodbye to the city, enjoy the incredible lights that are projected on and from it and listen to the pleasant sound of the water moving underneath.