10 Best Tips for Visiting Dubai

If you're visiting the Middle East for the first time and you've already thought about what to see and do in Dubai, you may have some questions about your trip.

To make it easier for you to get to know the city, in this post you'll find 10 practical tips for travelling to Dubai to help you organise the perfect getaway. Let's get started!

The summer in Dubai is very hot and the thermometers can easily reach 50ºC. Temperatures are so high that many of the outdoor activities you might have thought of (such as a trip to the Dubai desert) can be difficult.

Unless you're used to high temperatures and don't mind extreme heat, it's not a great time to visit Dubai. Even if it's low season and hotel and flight prices are considerably cheaper.

If you're planning to visit Dubai and want to enjoy the sun, sea and pools, two good times to travel are spring and autumn (mid-season). Both are also warm seasons but not as hot as summer, so you'll be able to do outdoor activities without the stress.

Winter is another good time to travel to Dubai if budget is not an issue for you, as it's high season. Temperatures are mild (not usually above 30ºC) but prices soar between December and March.

Don't miss the post the best time to travel to Dubai, where you can find more detailed information.

When you land in Dubai after a long flight, you'll probably feel tired and want to get to your hotel as soon as possible to rest. Dubai International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world and the last thing you want to do after flying for hours is to have to walk around the airport terminal carrying your luggage to find a free taxi to take you to your hotel.

My advice is to book a Dubai airport transfer that picks you up at the airport and takes you directly to your hotel without waiting. You'll be travelling in modern vehicles with comfortable seats, with professional drivers who know Dubai inside out, and you'll know in advance how much it's going to cost. No surprises with the meters!

When taking a taxi in Dubai you should be aware that not all taxi drivers are locals, so it's likely that some of them don't know the city very well. As well as giving them the address of your destination, remember to bring a map or give them a reference to a nearby tourist attraction in the vicinity.

Dubai is a peaceful and safe destination with a modern and advanced healthcare system. However, health care can be very expensive if, unfortunately, there is an incident and you don't have medical cover during your trip.

To avoid surprises that could spoil such a special trip, the best thing to do is to take out medical insurance for the United Arab Emirates. But before you take the plunge and buy travel medical insurance, I advise you to check the clauses of your bank card contract to see if they include any insurance when you pay for your trip with them.

Although Dubai continues to be a city dependent on private transport, the transport network has been greatly modernised in recent times and is a very interesting option for getting from one place to another during your stay.

• Metro: There are 2 lines (red and green). Although its coverage is limited, it is fast, with a high frequency and stops close to the main hotels.

• Bus: The network has more than 100 lines of which one is at night and you also have the option of taking the Dubai sightseeing bus with free stops at different tourist spots in the city.

• Taxi: Taxis are fairly cheap and you're likely to use them on several occasions. Carry cash in AED (dirham) as many don't have a card machine.

How to buy a ticket?

If you prefer public transport, you'll need to buy an NOL card to travel on the metro or bus as you can't pay in cash.

Don't miss the post How to get around Dubai to find out in detail all the options available to you to get around the city.

The minimum age for drinking alcohol is 21 but some bars may not serve alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 25.

Although tourists are allowed to drink alcohol in licensed venues such as hotels, restaurants and nightclubs, drinking or being drunk in public is not permitted.

Under UAE law it is a punishable offence, so if you decide to have a drink just make sure the alcohol doesn't go to your head to avoid getting into trouble.

What to eat in the city?

In Dubai you can enjoy the best local and international cuisine, and one of the best ways to do this is to book a food tour of the city. If you're a fan of Middle Eastern food, Lebanese, Syrian and Iranian cuisine is very popular, but you can also sample delicious dishes from Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Moroccan cuisine, to name but a few. There's plenty to choose from!

Where to eat in Dubai?

If you fancy eating in restaurants where the locals do it, I recommend you go inside the malls or in Deira (the old centre of Dubai) where there are traditional restaurants serving fairly cheap dishes while if you prefer to try the renowned restaurants, you will find them inside the hotels.

In case you want some inspiration, I recommend you take a look at the post Where to eat in Dubai where you will find several ideas that will surely please you.

Knowing the exact public holidays in the United Arab Emirates is quite difficult as most of the holidays are determined according to the lunar calendar, but you can check the internet for some approximations to make it easier to plan your trip to Dubai.

If your trip coincides with popular holidays in the Islamic calendar such as Eid al-Adha or Ramadan, you're likely to find the city too quiet and bustling as Emiratis gather at home to celebrate with their families and loved ones.

Bear this in mind when planning your holiday in Dubai and consider taking a trip from Dubai to the surrounding area; you'll find tourists, but the crowds during these times will still be smaller than at other times of the year.

Ramadan is the Arabic name for the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic calendar. At this time of year, Muslims celebrate the time when Allah revealed the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad and families pray and fast from sunrise to sunset.

If your trip to Dubai coincides with Ramadan, this is a good time to immerse yourself in Islamic culture and learn more about its customs. Tourists are welcome to join the community but are not required to follow the same precepts as Muslims. In fact, you can learn more about their culture by booking a city tour that includes a visit to the Blue Mosque.

Non-Muslim tourists can eat in hotels and shopping centres, where restaurants extend their opening hours during Ramadan to accommodate all customers. However, Dubai will be much quieter at night during Ramadan, so you can take advantage of this time to book night tours. However, it is considered a sign of respect and courtesy not to eat or drink in public during the Ramadan fasting period.

When packing your luggage, remember that the UAE is a conservative country that adheres to Muslim customs, so it's important to dress in an attire that respects local sensibilities. When visiting public places, it's best to wear sober clothing that covers the shoulders and knees. Although Dubai is the most liberal of all the emirates and swimming costumes can be worn on the beach and by the pool,

Because of Dubai's hot climate, I recommend packing light, loose-fitting cotton clothing, as well as a hat and a pair of sunglasses to protect you from the intense sunlight.

For women, it is not compulsory to wear the hijab in Dubai but it is advisable to pack a light headscarf that can be easily stored in your bag in case you need to cover your hair during a visit to a mosque, for example. If you have any further questions, I recommend you read the post How to dress in Dubai where you can find more tips on how to dress appropriately in the city during your holiday.

The official language of Dubai is Arabic but the most widely spoken language in the tourist areas is English. With an intermediate level, you'll be able to communicate with ease in Dubai's different neighbourhoods. However, it never hurts to learn a few words in the local language to bond with the locals.

Some useful Arabic expressions for your trip to Dubai include: