United Arab Emirates

Asia · United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates dazzles with futuristic architecture, luxury desert safaris, and world-class shopping in gleaming modern cities. Experience the stark beauty of golden deserts, traditional Emirati culture in heritage districts, pristine beaches, and cosmopolitan hospitality in this Arabian jewel.

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Before you go

Before you go

Best monthsNovember, December, January, February, and March
Typical daily budgetBudget: USD 50-80/day (budget hotel, local food, public transit). Mid-range: USD 120-200/day (4-star hotel, restaurants). Luxury: USD 400+/day (5-star hotel, fine dining)
Visa noteTourist eVisa available for Chinese citizens (30 days). No visa required for transit. Apply online or on arrival

Travel guides

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Places to stop

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Al Fahidi Historic District
Sightseeing

Al Fahidi Historic District

Al Fahidi Historic District (Al Bastakiya) is the best-preserved historic neighborhood in Dubai, a quarter of traditional courtyard houses with distinctive wind towers (barjeel) dating from the early 20th century. Now a cultural hub housing art galleries, cafés, and the Dubai Museum, it provides a striking contrast to the city's glittering modernity just blocks away. The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding offers excellent programmes for visitors seeking to understand Emirati culture.

Dubai · United Arab Emirates
Atlantis Resort
Lodging

Atlantis Resort

Atlantis The Palm is Dubai's landmark resort hotel on the tip of the Palm Jumeirah artificial island, modeled on the legendary lost city of Atlantis and housing over 1,500 rooms, suites, and underwater suites beside an underwater aquarium window. Its Aquaventure Waterpark with 105 water rides, white-sand private beach, and the Ambassador Lagoon shark-filled aquarium make it one of the world's most ambitious resort concepts. The hotel's enormous scale and the palm island setting create a spectacle visible from space.

Dubai · United Arab Emirates
Burj Al Arab
Lodging

Burj Al Arab

The Burj Al Arab is Dubai's most iconic building, a sail-shaped luxury hotel rising 321 meters from an artificial island off Jumeirah Beach. Built in 1999 as a symbol of Dubai's ambition, it is consistently rated one of the world's most luxurious hotels, with a fleet of Rolls-Royces, gold-leaf-decorated interiors, and suites beginning at several thousand dollars per night. Non-guests can visit its restaurants and bars with advance reservation, offering access to the extraordinary atrium interior.

Dubai · United Arab Emirates
Burj Khalifa
Sightseeing

Burj Khalifa

The Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building, a 828-meter crystalline spire piercing the desert sky in downtown Dubai. Completed in 2010, it houses residences, offices, a hotel, and the world's highest restaurant (At.mosphere on the 122nd floor). The At the Top observation decks on floors 124, 125, and 148 offer astonishing panoramas over the Arabian Gulf and desert, and the Dubai Fountain on the lake below puts on twice-daily light and music spectaculars.

Dubai · United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari
Sightseeing

Desert Safari

Desert Safari in Dubai offers a quintessential Arabian experience: an evening excursion into the red sand dunes of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve by 4WD for dune bashing, followed by a traditional Bedouin camp experience with camel rides, sandboarding, henna painting, and a lavish dinner of Arabic cuisine under the stars. The golden dunes at sunset create an unforgettable backdrop, and watching the sky darken over the desert while drums beat in the camp is genuinely magical.

Dubai · United Arab Emirates
Dubai Creek
Sightseeing

Dubai Creek

Dubai Creek is a natural attraction valued for scenery, fresh air, and photo-friendly views. It works well in itineraries that need a quieter outdoor stop, a walk, or a landscape-focused break between busier sights. Conditions can vary by season, so check access, weather, and local safety guidance before going.

Dubai · United Arab Emirates
Dubai Mall
Sightseeing

Dubai Mall

Dubai Mall is the world's largest shopping mall by total area, a 502,000 sq meter retail, entertainment, and leisure complex in Downtown Dubai adjacent to the Burj Khalifa. Beyond its 1,200 shops, the mall features an Olympic-sized ice rink, a shark-filled aquarium and underwater zoo, a massive indoor waterfall with a human-sculpture cascade, and the Dubai Fountain show outside. It attracts over 80 million visitors annually, making it the world's most visited destination.

Dubai · United Arab Emirates
Dubai Marina
Sightseeing

Dubai Marina

Dubai Marina is an artificial canal city built along a 3.5-km stretch of Dubai's coastline, lined with gleaming residential towers, yacht berths, and a vibrant promenade of cafés, restaurants, and boutiques. The Marina Walk is the most popular evening strolling destination in Dubai, where dhows and superyachts bob in the water and the twinkling towers reflect in the canal. The area also contains several of Dubai's best beach resorts and the Dubai Marina Mall.

Dubai · United Arab Emirates

Inspiration trips

Inspiration trips

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