5 things to see in Dubai on a stopover

5 things to see in Dubai on a stopover

In this article we tell you what to see in Dubai on a stopover and what to do on a stopover in Dubai. We, between flight and flight, had 11h and 30 mins of stopover in UAE and want to see not only Dubai best beaches, but smth else.

As the stopover was long, we asked ourselves... Should we stay at the airport as a precaution, or should we take advantage of it and get to know Dubai?

Being the restless asses that we are, we decided to go out and visit Dubai in a few hours, and it was the right decision. So, here are 5 things to see and do on a stopover in Dubai.

What to see and do on a stopover in Dubai
- Visit the Financial Center
-  See the Burj Khalifa
-  Go to the Dubai Mall
-  Stroll along the Marina Walk
-  Swimming in the Persian Gulf

RECOMMENDATION! Book the Airport Tour to visit Dubai without wasting a single minute; it lasts 3:30 hours and you don't have to worry about anything, you are picked up and dropped off at the airport.

If you have more time, take the full Dubai Tour, it lasts 5 hours. We also recommend the Dubai Sightseeing Bus and the Dubai Helicopter Tour for an unforgettable souvenir of your stopover in Dubai.

Below we extend the information on each of the sights to see in Dubai in 1 day. But first, we tell you how to get out of Dubai airport; how to get a visa and how to get around.

VISA

No special visa is required to enter Dubai. When you get out of the plane, you have to queue to get your passport stamped, and you get your Dubai visa for free; with permission to stay up to 30 days in the UAE. So, without further trouble, we were able to leave the airport and spend a few hours in Dubai.

Exiting the Airport

As soon as we exited the Dubai Airport (DBX), a bunch of cab drivers started to swarm us offering their services. We went decisively to the ticket vending machine for the bus. There, a very nice man, dressed in a T-shirt of the Dubai Public Transport Company, recommended us to use the metro.

We had plenty of time, and we didn't need a cab driver to take us to see the sights of Dubai in a few hours. If you only have a few hours in Dubai, the cab is a good option, but we recommend that you consider the Dubai Tour from the airport.

If you don't know what to do on an overnight stopover in Dubai, taking a cab tour is the best option. Below we tell you what to do if you have a stopover in Dubai at night and want to visit Dubai at night.

The Dubai metro opens at 5.50 in the morning. So we had to wait almost an hour, which we took advantage of to have breakfast. We took a full day ticket, which cost us about 5€ per person. We made three trips on the metro; if you make more than two you will amortize it.

1.  Visit the Dubai Financial Centre

Our first stop was the Financial Center; the metro stop before the Burj Khalifa. We decided to get off there to make the walk to the tallest building in the world, and be able to admire it from afar. The Financial Center is a row of skyscrapers located on both sides of Sheikh Zayed Avenue; a road with seven lanes in each direction. The Dubai Metro tracks run above the road, on a bridge, at a higher altitude.

If you have a short layover in Dubai and decide to leave the airport to see the Burj Dubai during the plane layover you will cross the Financial Center by cab. You will be able to see it, if only through the window.

2. See the Burj Khalifa Dubai

Buy tickets here to go up to the 124th floor, or here to treat yourself and break records by going up to the 148th floor! If you're wondering what to see and do in a few hours in Dubai, seeing the tallest skyscraper in the world is a must. And, booking in advance, besides being cheaper, there is no need to queue; there is the possibility of fast track.

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is 828 meters high. The truth is that its height is best appreciated from afar, because you can compare it with the rest of the skyscrapers, which are already tall. When you are at the base and you stand there looking up, you can't really see how tall it is; as the top is very far away, it looks very small.

We walked around the Burj Khalifa and saw an exclusive housing area with an artificial lake. You can take a canoe ride on the lake, and between 18h and 23h, every half hour, you can see the fountain show, which combines music, lights and water. The fountain show leaves no one indifferent. Very luxurious.

For those who have a short stopover in Dubai, it is possible to see the Burj Dubai in a short plane stopover. So it won't be necessary to book a hotel, if you want to do that - check various hotel offers at https://karta.com  

3. The Dubai Mall, the commercial center

We crossed streets and streets as best we could, to go to the metro, where we realized that there was a walkway, about a kilometer long, connecting the metro to The Dubai Mall; a three-story mall where everything is luxury and consumerism.

The big brands like Dior, Armani, Dolce&Gabanna, Gucci even have stores exclusively for children... mind-blowing for us. They even have an aquarium inside the mall, with a HUGE glass window through which you can see all kinds of marine animals.

4. Stroll along the Marina Walk

It is the residential maritime area of the super rich of Dubai; there are some gigantic skyscrapers. Between the skyscrapers, there is an artificial bay with access to the sea that is full of super luxury yachts. It is one of the few promenades that the city has, and it is worth a walk.

5. Swimming in the sea

From Marina Walk we walked to a public beach (most of the stretches of beach belong to hotels), where we had a nice swim. The sand is white and fine, and the water is warm and crystal clear; reminiscent of the Caribbean.

The beaches offer all kinds of activities; from parachute jumping to see the Palm Jumeirah (the artificial palm tree that has been created to build houses and hotels), to a camel ride.

After leaving the beach, we walked to the subway and rode almost the entire line to get to the airport. There we had to wait in line for quite a while to get our visas stamped, and that was it. We had plenty of time, we were not in a hurry.

What to do on a stopover in Dubai at night

Many travelers going from Europe to Asia have a stopover in Dubai with Emirates. Sometimes, it's an overnight stopover in Dubai. For those who have an overnight layover in Dubai and want to get out of the airport to see the city, the best option is to take a cab.

It is possible to tour Dubai by cab at night, and it is not expensive. The cab driver can be asked to make a specific itinerary around Dubai, but if you do not know what are the best things to see in Dubai, the cab drivers themselves will take you; just tell them that you want to see the best of Dubai and return to the airport in X hours.