Dubai is the easiest big city in the world to add to a trip. It sits within an eight-hour flight of two-thirds of the planet, its airport is a hub for Emirates and flydubai, and a stopover of two or three days costs little more than flying straight through. It is also a destination in its own right: beaches, desert, world-record architecture and some of the best-value luxury hotels anywhere, if you travel at the right time. This guide covers when to go, what it costs and how to keep the bill down.
Best time to visit Dubai
Dubai has a pleasant season and a hot season. From November to March daytime temperatures sit between 24°C and 30°C, evenings are cool, and this is when the city is at its best for beaches, outdoor dining and desert trips. It is also peak season, with hotel rates and flights at their highest, particularly over the Christmas and New Year period and during the Dubai Shopping Festival in January.
From June to September the temperature regularly passes 40°C with high humidity, and most outdoor activity stops between late morning and sunset. The upside is price. Five-star hotels drop rates by half or more, and the Dubai Summer Surprises sales run through July and August. If your plan is malls, indoor attractions, pool time and air-conditioned everything, summer is the cheapest way to see the city.
The shoulder months of April to May and October give the best balance: warm rather than hot, and rates noticeably below the winter peak.
Getting there and getting around
Dubai International (DXB) is one of the busiest airports in the world, with direct flights from almost every major city. Emirates and flydubai are the home carriers, but Gulf competition from Qatar Airways, Etihad and the Indian and European airlines keeps fares reasonable. A second airport, Al Maktoum (DWC), handles some low-cost and charter flights and is about 45 minutes from the centre.
If Dubai is a stopover, check whether your airline offers a free or discounted stopover package. Emirates and flydubai regularly bundle a hotel night with a long connection. When you compare flights to Dubai, look at both DXB and DWC and at multi-city itineraries, which sometimes price lower than a simple return.
In the city, the Metro is clean, cheap and air-conditioned, and runs along the main spine from the airport past Downtown and Dubai Marina. A Nol card covers Metro, tram, buses and water buses. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are plentiful and affordable by the standards of a major city. Renting a car makes sense only if you plan day trips to Abu Dhabi, Hatta or the northern emirates.
Where to stay in Dubai
Dubai is spread along a 30-kilometre coastline, and the area you choose shapes the trip more than the hotel does.
- Downtown Dubai: Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall and the fountain show. Central, well connected by Metro, and the widest range of hotels from mid-range to ultra-luxury.
- Dubai Marina and JBR: a beach, a boardwalk and a dense cluster of hotels and apartment rentals. Good for families and for anyone who wants sea and nightlife within walking distance.
- Palm Jumeirah: resort hotels with private beaches. Expensive, and you will need taxis for everything, but this is the postcard Dubai stay.
- Deira and Bur Dubai: the old city around the Creek, with souks, abras and the best budget hotels and Indian and Pakistani restaurants. Twenty minutes by Metro from Downtown.
- Jumeirah: low-rise, villa-style neighbourhoods near Kite Beach and Jumeirah Mosque. Quieter and popular with longer stays.
Hotel rooms include a Tourism Dirham fee of 7 to 20 AED per night depending on the star rating, plus service charge and VAT. Most booking sites show these in the final total, but not all show them in the headline price, so compare Dubai hotels on the total, not the nightly rate.
What Dubai costs
Dubai can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it. Rough per-person daily figures, excluding flights:
- Budget: US$70 to US$110 with a three-star hotel in Deira or Bur Dubai, Metro travel and meals from cafeterias and food courts.
- Mid-range: US$180 to US$300 with a four-star hotel in the Marina or Downtown, taxis, a desert safari and a couple of restaurant dinners.
- Luxury: US$500 and up, with a beach resort, fine dining and paid attractions every day.
The big-ticket attractions have set prices: Burj Khalifa observation deck from around AED 170, the desert safari with dinner from AED 150 to 350, and theme parks from AED 250. Booking online a few days ahead is almost always cheaper than walking up. Alcohol is served only in licensed hotels and venues and is heavily taxed, so it is the fastest way to inflate a budget.
Things to do that are free or nearly free
- The Dubai Fountain show at the foot of the Burj Khalifa runs every 30 minutes each evening.
- Kite Beach, JBR Beach and Jumeirah Beach are public, with showers and lifeguards.
- An abra ride across the Creek between the spice and gold souks costs one dirham.
- Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood and the Al Seef waterfront show what Dubai looked like before the towers.
- The Dubai Mall aquarium wall, the Global Village in winter and the Miracle Garden are cheap or free to browse.
Practical tips
- Citizens of many countries receive a visa on arrival or a visa-free entry for 30 to 90 days. Check the UAE government’s list for your passport before booking.
- Friday is the weekend’s holy day, and some attractions open later. Most shops and malls run seven days a week.
- Dress is relaxed in tourist areas, but cover shoulders and knees in malls, old Dubai and government buildings.
- During Ramadan, eating and drinking in public during daylight is restricted, though many hotels and malls serve visitors discreetly. Rates are often lower.
- Tap water is safe but heavily treated; bottled water is cheap and everywhere.
Is Dubai worth a stopover?
Yes, and it rarely costs much to find out. A two-night stopover in shoulder season, booked as part of a longer routing, adds very little to the fare and gives you the Burj Khalifa, a desert evening and a beach day. Compare the multi-city option against the straight-through flight before you book, and check hotel rates for the exact dates, because Dubai’s prices swing more by season than almost any other city.