Activities and tours

Following are some of the most popular activities and tours while in Dubai:

Bus tours

One of the best ways to see the sights about town is to hop aboard a tour bus. Dubai’s most popular such service is the Big Bus Tour which runs two daytime routes and a night time service. It’s a hop-on/hop-off service which means that you are free to roam about a location and just hop-on the next bus to continue on the tour. In addition, you’re guaranteed to see the most famous sights in town.

The Big Bus usually is a double decker with the top deck partially enclosed and air conditioned, while the remainder is open air. The Blue Route stops at all the cities shopping malls, as well as the Jumeirah Beach Park, Jumeirah Open Beach, Madinat Jumeirah, and the Atlantis Hotel.

The Red Route is more focused on “old Dubai” running a circle around Deira and Bur Dubai so you’ll be able to stop at the Souks, the Creek, and the Dubai Museum. You can change bus routes at the Deira City Center and Wafi Mall stops.

Big Bus Tours | Website | Phone: +97143407709 | Adult 220 AED, Children 100 AED, or Family 540 AED

Desert safari and camping tours

Definitely one of the most popular activities for any tourist is the desert safari, especially if you have never seen sand dunes before. Unlike African safaris of the bush, you’re not going to come across any animals except camels. This safari is more focused on enjoying the sand dunes which means you’ll get a thrilling ride in a 4×4, a chance to sand board down some dunes, take camel rides, and finally end up in a desert camp for dinner with some belly dancing. These day-safaris include pick up and drop service as well as offering a morning (winter only) schedule with lunch and the more popular evening schedule with dinner.

While a lot of operators offer the safari, they all consist of the activities described above. There are significant differences in price (ranging from 185 – 300 AED per adult) so make sure to call around, especially for group rates.

In addition to the day-safari, most operators offer an overnight safari as well. It is also possible to book off-road dune buggy or 4×4 driving sessions with them.

Helicopter and seaplane tours

One of the best ways to see Dubai’s man-made marvels is from the air. Several tour operators offer helicopter and sea plane tours of the city with an opportunity to see, film and photograph the Palm, the World, Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai (and the Burj Dubai), the Creek, Burj Al ARab, and more.

Most helicopter rides originate from Festival City while most Seaplane rides originate at the Jebel Ali Beach Resort. Transportation to these sites is not included in the fare.

Approximate prices for shared rides are as follows. You can always call the operators for discounts if you go in groups.

• Helicopter 30 minute: 800 – 1250 AED per person
• Helicopter 45 minute: 1200 – 1500 AED per person
• Seaplane 30 minute: 900 AED per person
• Seaplane 40 minute: 1100 AED per person

Beaches, parks and water sports

Dubai has a number of public and private beaches. Many of the public beaches are part of public parks which have a nominal entrance fee associated with them but offer barbecue pits, cafés and other facilities.

We recommend these beaches and parks:

Beach	Description	Location	Type	Cost
JBR Open Beach	Located directly across from the JBR Walk, this is a popular spot for tourists and expats. It’s proximity to many resorts and dining options makes it very popular on the weekends. Only issue is that there aren’t any public washrooms except in the surrounding hotels and restaurants.	Dubai Marina	Public	Free
Russian Beach	This is a beautiful and vast sandy beach in the Jumeriah area. It’s rarely crowded and features a jogging track. It also offers an awesome vantage point of all the tall buildings on Sheikh Zayed Road. Washrooms and changing rooms are a bit of a walk at the adjacent public beach.	Jumeirah	Public	Free
Mamzar Beach Park	Definitely one of the finest beach parks in Dubai. It features several smaller crescent shaped beaches and several barbecue pits. There are small convenience stores and cafés on site. Perfect for a large family outing.	Deira	Public	30 AED/car or 5 AED person
Nasimi BeachWebsite+97144260000	Nasimi Beach is part of the Atlantis Hotel on the inner side of the Palm Jumeirah island, which means that it won’t see the Gulf facing waves. But, you can drink on this beach and there is a DJ spinning music during the evening.	Atlantis Hotel	Private	Free with waterpark ticket: 200 AED adult, 165 child
Jumeirah Beach HotelWebsite+97143480000	With extraordinary views of the Burj Dubai, this vast beach is great for families with kids who can enjoy Wild Wadi or the hotel’s pools as well. You can drink on this beach too.	Umm Suqeim	Private	Call
Jebel Ali Golf ResortWebsite+97148836000	A little removed from the city, this beach still offers a lush landscape, a variety of food an drink options from the hotel and does not get overly crowded. There is a public beach adjacent to the hotel as well.	Jebel Ali	Private	Call

You can access the beach and pool area at most of Dubai’s beach side resorts by purchasing a day pass which can cost from 70-150 AED per person (more on weekends). This is also where you will be able to enjoy water sports such as parasailing, and banana boat rides. Renting jet skis is not possible in the territorial waters of Dubai–you’ll have to go to another emirate for that.

Remember that Dubai has decency laws so don’t plan to sun bathe topless, consume alcohol (unless on hotel premises), or engage in inappropriate behavior on a public beach.

Water parks

You can use the region’s waterparks throughout the year, and some them even have night sessions during the warmer months. Notably, there is Aquaventure at the Atlantis Hotel, Wild Wadi at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Wonderland near the Wafi Mall, and Dreamland Aqua Park in the close by emirate of Umm Al Quwain.

Diving

The waters in the region offer an excellent environment for pleasure diving as well as several diving schools.

Diving in the region can be divided into the Arabian Gulf, the East Coast and Musandam. The Arabian Gulf off the coast of Dubai and Abu Dhabi is a nice spot for wreck dives and the most accessible. The East Coast around the emirate of Fujairah (2 hours from Dubai) is an ideal location to dive amongst coral reefs and vivid marine life. Musandam on the other hand is arguably the best spot for diving in the region located a short ways from the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah–and actually in the Sultanate of Oman.

Many beach resorts have on-site dive centers which organize day trips. Alternatively, you can contact the dive centers listed below which also offer dive courses.

Al Boom Diving | Website | Phone: +97143422993
Pavillion Dive Center | Website | Phone: +97144068828

Dinner cruises on the Creek

The Creek has played a big part in Dubai’s history, and to this day most of the cultural and heritage sites are located all around it. One way to enjoy the Creek is by taking a dinner cruise on it watching the typical Abras that shuttle passengers across from the Deira to Bur Dubai and admiring the hustle on both its banks. Most of these evening cruises are aboard a wooden dhow, which were traditionally commerical sailing vessels that transported cargo between the Persian Gulf and East Africa. The dhows have since been refitted to accomodate dining areas and now use diesel engines instead of sails.

The dhow cruise dinners go from around 8:30 – 10:30pm and most offer pick up and drop service as well. Costs range between 150 – 250 AED per adult including a buffet dinner on the dhow. Alcohol is available on some dhow crusies for an additional cost. There is a similar–but less frequent–dhow cruise in Dubai Marina.

For a more upscale and contemporary experience, we recommend Bateaux which is essentially five star dining while cruising on the Creek. Bateaux uses a purpose built glass walled boat and offers multi-course fine dining. They are also licensed to serve alcohol.

Bateaux | Website | Phone: +97143994994 | 325 – 333 AED per person (transfers extra)

Yacht rentals and fishing trips

Many tour operators offer yacht rentals for cruising or deep sea fishing. Trips are usually four hours and include insurance, bait, tackle, soft drinks and light snacks. They depart in the morning (and the water is usually smoother) or the afternoons. Costs are about 2800 AED exclusive rentals for up to 8 people or 500 AED per person (with minimum two people).

Ski Dubai

Yes, you can ski in the desert. This indoor ski and snowboard slope is attached to Mall of the Emirates and provides a nice hiatus from the heat. There’s a ski slope with five different runs as well as a snow park. Two hour pass for adults is 180 AED, and 150 AED for children which includes apparel and equipment rental.

It’s fun for the whole family, but obviously if you’re used to skiing in the Alps, then you can just go there to marvel at man’s ingenuity.

Ski Dubai | Website | Phone: +97144094000

Motorsport and go-karting

For the speed freaks, a visit to the Dubai Autodrome will be a thrilling time. Here you can enjoy outdoor go-karting, do performance drives with a Audi S5 or Subaru STi, learn the techniques of the skid pad, or strap into a F1 style race car for laps of the circuit.

The Autodrome also hosts some international motor racing events throughout the year. You can even get a group together and book track time to lap in your own cars or motorbikes.

Another popular go-karting center is located in Jebel Ali near the Jebel Ali Beach Resort.

Of course, the really big event is the annual Formula 1 race at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. If you make it to this one, make sure to send us some pics!

Dubai Autodrome | Website | Phone: +97143678700 | Track experiences from 240 – 995 AED
Emirates Karting Center | Phone: +97142827111
Abu Dhabi Formula 1, Yas Marina Circuit | Website | Phone: +97124460384