Best Tours and Day Trips from Dubai

What is now a futuristic skyline was desert fifty years ago. From the aridity of another era, souks and mosques of a nomadic culture remain. The best way to see them is on a guided tour.

There are many ways to see Dubai and many tours available in the city, so I have selected those that include all or most of the city's sights.

This Dubai Street Food Tour is designed as a photographic tour of Dubai, taking in the city's most iconic sights with camera in hand while a guide gives you the perfect background in English to understand the history behind each building and some interesting facts about life in Dubai.

But what is Dubai without its cuisine? The city's ancient souks and its food are undoubtedly one of its greatest attractions. That's why I suggest that, while you get to know the cultural richness of Dubai by strolling through its streets, you should also try its exquisite traditional food, tasting coffee, tea, dates, different chocolates, but also the typical falafel or shawarma.

With this complete tour you will also have tickets for the Museum of Illusions and the Dubai Museum and, to top it all off, a boat trip on Dubai Creek. Combine history, culture and gastronomy with this magnificent tour.

What you will see on this tour

If Dubai is worth visiting, it's because of its nights. The skyscrapers light up, the temperatures warm up, and the city magically transports you to the future. This night bus tour of Dubai will take you on a tour of the entire city, visiting all the city's sights with a tour guide and in a small group, with pick-up and drop-off at your hotel - a must in my opinion!

This tour lasts about four hours and I recommend it if you want to see the city in a relaxed way and without the heat of the day, especially if you visit Dubai during the hottest times of the year.

What you will see on the night tour

Among the incredible buildings you'll see in Dubai is the Dubai Frame, a huge arch-shaped monument that represents the evolution of the emirate throughout the city's recent history. With this transfer-inclusive tour, you'll get to see the unique architecture of a city that has grown from a fishing village to a luxury tourist destination.

But in the city of contrasts you'll see, alongside the modernity of the Palm Jumeirah or the Burj Al Arab, the Arab tradition and religion, very present in Dubai. On a must-see tour like this one, you won't leave behind the beautiful Blue Mosque or the Old Dubai neighbourhood, the cultural centre of the city.

I recommend it if you want to see how the city of Dubai has evolved in a 5 or 6 hour tour through its impressive buildings.

What you will see on the Dubai City Tour with Dubai Frame Tickets

Dubai's ancient mosques and souks are worth a visit to marvel at the contrast between the almost impossible skyscrapers and the humbler places. This four-hour boat tour of the historic centre of Dubai will show you an area of Dubai that is largely unknown to many. And, as the name suggests, part of the tour takes place on a traditional boat, combining three of the most interesting aspects of Dubai.

I recommend it if you're interested in exploring the oldest part of Dubai and experiencing a boat ride among the skyscrapers.

What you will see on the historic city centre tour

To go big in Dubai you have the option of taking this tour of old and modern Dubai with a visit to the Blue Mosque where you will visit all that the city has to offer, both old and new, with a tour guide. Going from tour to tour in a bus that will pick you up from your hotel, you'll get an in-depth view of the city without missing a thing.

You can visit the beautiful Blue Mosque, famous for its Ottoman architecture.

What you will see

You already know which of Dubai's top sights are included in each tour, but you might want to know a bit more about each specific place, so don't worry, read on and I'll tell you in detail what makes each of the city's highlights a must-see.

Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa needs little introduction: it's the tallest building in the world and an architectural marvel inspired by the white Hymenocallis, Dubai's signature flower. From its observatory you can see the whole of Dubai and the desert beyond the city, as well as the light and water show that takes place in the man-made lake at the foot of the skyscraper. If you're interested in visiting it from the inside or going up to the observation deck, you can find out how in my article on Burj Khalifa Tickets: how to buy, prices and schedules.

Jumeirah Beach

Jumeirah Beach is Dubai's star beach, an entire recreational area with parks, open-air bars and of course the sand and waters of your dreams. Everything you can imagine about Dubai as a tourist destination is on Jumeirah Beach, where you're sure to spend a good part of your visit to the city.

Jumeirah Mosque

As the only mosque in Dubai that is open to non-Muslims, it is one of the most visited buildings by tourists travelling to the city. And it's no wonder, as its white stone exterior is a fantasy matched only by the decoration of its diaphanous interior.

Al Fahidi Fortress

The Al Fahidi Fortress is the oldest building in the city and represents a past when it was necessary to defend Dubai from invaders, and within its walls you'll find the boats that were used in the past for fishing and warfare. It also houses the Dubai Museum, one of the most visited museums in the city.

Dubai Museum

This museum is dedicated to telling the story of Dubai's evolution from a small community in the desert to the city of the future that it is today. In its galleries, you can see how the ancient Bedouin lived, the tools they used, their craftsmanship, and their livelihoods.

Visiting the Dubai Museum is a highly recommended activity as it gives a historical context to your visit beyond the skyscrapers and luxury.

Gold Souk

The name doesn't disappoint, as within minutes of entering the Gold Souk you'll be surrounded by bazaars and shop windows filled with gold jewellery such as rings, bracelets, necklaces and rings - in fact, you can even find the world's largest gold ring (being the best in the world at something is something Dubaiites love, as you may have noticed). Even if you don't buy anything, this place of almost intoxicating opulence is well worth a visit.

City Walk

City Walk is an open-air shopping mall in Dubai with all kinds of shops, restaurants and children's entertainment venues. Visiting the City Walk at night is quite an experience, as just seeing the light and colourful installations is worth it.

Dubai Mall

Dubai Mall is Dubai's main shopping mall and the main shopping destination for most tourists visiting the city. It is also one of the places where you can find restaurants of all kinds of food and the most affordable in the city, so you will probably visit this mall more than once on your trip.

Madinat Souq

Within the Jumeirah complex, Souq Madinat is a modern reimagining of a traditional souk with galleries filled with perfume, spice and food stalls. Visiting Souq Madinat at night is a unique experience thanks to its warm atmosphere of lanterns reflecting off the water.

Palm Jumeirah

Palm Jumeirah is the artificial palm-shaped island where Dubai's most luxurious residences are located, as well as the city's top hotels and restaurants. It is crossed by the city's famous monorail track, making it a popular spot for tourists who are also looking for water activities such as boating, yachting and jet skiing.

Dubai Marina

Dubai's grand canal, known as the Marina, is the perfect place to take a boat ride through the city surrounded by skyscrapers. Of course, there is no shortage of entertainment in this district in the form of restaurants and bars in shopping malls. It even has the world's largest urban zip line, one of the most unique and spectacular activities you can do in Dubai.

The vast majority of Dubai tours pick you up from your hotel and take you on the itinerary in an air-conditioned vehicle, given the weather conditions in the city. For the same reason, they usually drop you back at your hotel, but my advice is to make sure before booking a tour that the pick-up and drop-off includes your hotel or drops you off at a nearby hotel or other point in the city.

Keep in mind that Friday is the religious day of rest in Dubai, so if you have to choose a day to do a city tour I would recommend avoiding this day so that you don't find some things closed or reduced in the itineraries. As you've seen, there are tours of varying lengths but generally half-day tours last 4 hours and full-day tours last 9 hours.

Practical information on how to take a tour of Dubai

Many tours don't include food, but do stop at some of the city's shopping centres, so I recommend you check in advance where to eat and even make a reservation if you can to save yourself from having to find a table in a crowd of tourists.

Islamic religious holidays are not as important in Dubai as in other states in the UAE, but even so, during Eid and Ramadan, celebrations can affect transport and the times at which food and drink is served (during Ramadan, for example, food is only served after sunset).

Speaking of how religious practices can affect eating and drinking in Dubai, note that you can't drink in public (and you can't espresso in the street), nor can you smoke, including e-cigarettes which are confiscated at the airport.

What to bring

Even if it's obvious: take a bottle of water with you! It's hard to find a cool spot in Dubai and even if you're doing most of your tour in a car, you'll miss a drink of water as you get off the bus and walk around the desert city.

If you're already in love with Dubai but don't want to give up an authentic desert experience, here's my article about the desert. Desert safari from Dubai. Here you will find the best excursions with all the details you need before booking yours.

Another good option from Dubai is a visit to Abu Dhabi. They are close enough to get there and back in a day and there are also several organised tours so you don't have to worry about anything. Here are the best ones: Abu Dhabi Day Trips from Dubai.

Another excursion not to be missed is the one that takes you to the country's third emirate, Sharjah. Just 25 minutes from Dubai, you will find what is known as the Pearl of the Gulf, where you can discover the King Faisal Mosque, the Fort and the Sharjah Heritage Museum. With this 4-hour organised excursion with guide and transfers, you won't miss out on another of the wonders that await you very close to Dubai.

And if water activities are your thing, the emirate of Fujairah is just 1 hour away from Dubai, where you can travel on organised excursions with activities such as snorkelling and scuba diving. Discover the marine fauna of the United Arab Emirates!