United Arab Emirates (Dubai)

Dubai is a long strip along the coast, and knowing the four zones saves you hours in traffic. Downtown holds the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the fountains, the most convenient base for first-timers. Dubai Marina and JBR is the beach-and-towers end, walkable and full of restaurants. Jumeirah is low-rise villas, beach clubs and the Burj Al Arab. Deira and Bur Dubai, either side of the creek, are the old city and where a trip actually gets interesting.

The Metro runs the length of the strip and is cheap, spotless and air-conditioned, but stations are far apart and the walk between them is punishing outside winter. Taxis and ride-hailing are inexpensive; a rental car only pays off if you plan day trips to Abu Dhabi, Hatta or the east coast.

Start at Al Fahidi (Bastakiya), the restored wind-tower quarter of coral-and-gypsum houses, then the Dubai Museum in Al Fahidi Fort. Cross the creek on an abra - a wooden water taxi that costs a single dirham and is the best value in the city.

On the Deira side, the Gold Souk and the far better Spice Souk run into the vegetable and fish markets around Al Ras. Come late afternoon, haggle without embarrassment, and finish with a Deira Fish Market dinner or a karak chai at a roadside cafeteria.

For context on how quickly all this changed, the Etihad Museum covers the 1971 founding of the UAE, and Al Shindagha Museum traces the creek's pearling economy.

Burj Khalifa: book At the Top (level 124/125) online for a timed sunset slot weeks ahead, since walk-up tickets are far more expensive and often sold out. Level 148 buys a shorter queue and a lounge, not a better view. Free alternatives: the terrace of Souk Al Bahar or any Downtown rooftop bar over the Dubai Fountain, which runs every 30 minutes each evening.

The View at The Palm looks back across the Palm Jumeirah fronds, Ain Dubai is the giant observation wheel on Bluewaters, and the Museum of the Future is worth it for the building even if the exhibits are thin. Global Village (November–April only) is a sprawling, cheerful, very un-glossy night market.

Skip nothing on principle, but be honest about the indoor attractions, the ski slope, aquarium and waterparks are excellent with kids and forgettable without them.

A desert evening is the standard excursion: dune-bashing in a 4×4, camel photos, dinner and shisha under lights. For something less packaged, book a smaller operator in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve - no dune-bashing, better wildlife (oryx, gazelle, sand cats at dusk), and an overnight camp if you want the stars. Dawn hot-air balloon flights over the same reserve are the other splurge worth making.

Hatta, 90 minutes inland in the Hajar mountains, has a dam with kayak rentals, mountain-bike trails and genuinely cool air in spring. The east coast at Fujairah and Snoopy Island off Al Aqah offers the country's best easy snorkelling, and Abu Dhabi is 90 minutes down the E11: see the Abu Dhabi guide for what to do once you're there.

If you want the same region without the skyline, Oman is a four-hour drive or a short flight, and pairs naturally onto the end of a Dubai trip.

Public beaches are free and good: Kite Beach (with a running track and food trucks), JBR's The Beach, and Umm Suqeim for the classic Burj Al Arab photo. Sea temperatures are swimmable year-round and bath-warm by summer. Beach clubs sell day passes with pools and shade: worth it in April and October.

The heat dictates everything. From June to September daytime highs sit at 40–45 °C with heavy humidity, and outdoor sightseeing is genuinely unpleasant. Even in winter, plan mornings outside, afternoons indoors, evenings outside again.

Dubai's real food story is the migrant one. Eat South Indian thalis and dosas in Karama, Pakistani karahi and grills in Al Satwa, Emirati dishes (machboos, chicken salona, luqaimat) at Al Fanar or Aseelah, and Lebanese and Iranian grills across Deira for a few euros a plate. Shawarma and karak from a cafeteria is the late-night default.

At the top end the city now holds a serious Michelin-starred group plus a huge fine-dining scene: book weeks out for anything with a view. Friday and Saturday brunch is a local institution and priced accordingly.

Fly into DXB (central) or DWC (further out, low-cost carriers). Most nationalities get a free visa on arrival. Tap water is safe, English is universal, and Dubai is very safe to walk at night.

Alcohol is served in hotels, licensed restaurants and bars, not in ordinary cafés or shops; public drunkenness is an offence. Dress is relaxed but cover shoulders and knees in malls, souks and mosques; swimwear stays on the beach. Public displays of affection and photographing people without asking are both best avoided.

Ramadan shifts the rhythm: no eating or drinking in public during daylight, shorter attraction hours, and spectacular iftar meals after sunset. Check the dates before booking if that matters to you.

November to March is the season: 24–30 °C, low humidity, everything outdoors open, and the busiest, most expensive hotel rates around Christmas and New Year. April and October are hot but workable shoulder months with better prices.

June to September is best avoided unless you specifically want cheap five-star rooms and plan to live between the pool and the mall.