The old town first, then the coast and the tower, the capital by train, and the newest Dubai with the desert at sunset. Stay near a Red Line metro station, and start on a Thursday.
Day 1 · a Thursday
The old creek town
- Breakfast: Al Khayma
- Al Fahidi
- The abra across the creek
- The Spice Souk
- The Gold Souk
- Lunch with Emirati hosts
- Al Shindagha Museum
- Sunset: Al Seef
Have breakfast at eight at Al Khayma, in a courtyard under a shade tree, then walk the narrow lanes of Al Fahidi, where the square towers on the roofs catch the breeze. Cross the creek to Deira by abra, a low wooden boat, for one dirham. Walk the Spice Souk before one, when many stalls close, then the Gold Souk's three hundred and eighty shops. Back across the creek, book the Emirati lunch at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, see the Perfume House at Al Shindagha Museum, and be at Al Seef by half past five for the sunset over the creek.
Our verdict: the abra is the best one dirham in the city. Skip the sixty-dirham heritage cruises: it's the same boat, on the same water.
Tip: the abra is cash only: keep ten dirhams in coins and small notes. At the Gold Souk, prices go by weight plus a making charge, and haggling is normal.
The free planner has this day's times, the walk and the map →
Day 2 · not a Friday
The coast and the tower
- Jumeirah Mosque
- Umm Suqeim beach
- Lunch: 3Fils
- Souk Madinat Jumeirah
- Dubai Mall and the aquarium
- Sunset: the Dubai Fountain
- Burj Khalifa: At the Top
Take the ten o'clock guided tour of Jumeirah Mosque, then a taxi down the coast to the public beach at Umm Suqeim for the free view of the Burj Al Arab, built to look like a dhow's sail. Lunch at 3Fils on the fishing harbour wall, give Souk Madinat Jumeirah an hour for its canals, then take the Red Line to the Dubai Mall: walk it, don't shop it. Watch the six o'clock fountain show as the sky goes dark, then go up the Burj Khalifa.
Our verdict: don't go up at sunset, when prices are highest. Book the first off-peak slot after dark, at about half past seven, from about 170 dirhams. Skip level 148.
Tip: Jumeirah Mosque has no tours on Fridays. Cover your hair, arms and legs, and bring your own scarf. The Burj Al Arab closed for a long restoration: check before you go.
The free planner has this day's times, the rides and the map →
Day 3 · a Saturday
Abu Dhabi by train
- The 8:14 from Al Yalayis
- Louvre Abu Dhabi
- Zayed National Museum
- Sunset: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
- The last train back
Take the Red Line to Jumeirah Golf Estates and the covered footbridge to Al Yalayis for the 8:14 train, about sixty-four minutes across the desert. Mohamed Bin Zayed City station is opposite Dalma Mall, so take a taxi to Saadiyat Island. Be at the Louvre Abu Dhabi at ten and stand under its dome of 7,850 aluminium stars at midday, when the sun falls through as a rain of light. Next door, the Zayed National Museum has five steel towers shaped like falcon wings. At about half past three, take a taxi to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and stay as the white marble turns gold, then blue.
Why Saturday: the last weekend train back leaves at 6:43. On a weekday it's 5:43, so see the mosque in the morning instead.
Tip: book the mosque online (10 dirhams). Loose, ankle-length clothes, sleeves to the wrist, hair covered: bring your own abaya and skip the queue. Missed the train? The E101 bus runs to Ibn Battuta.
Rather have it arranged? Book an Abu Dhabi day trip →
The free planner has this day's times, the train and the map →
Day 4
The new coast and the desert
- The Palm Monorail
- The View at The Palm
- Dubai Marina
- JBR: The Walk
- Lunch: Bait Maryam
- Sunset: the desert
Ride the Palm Monorail out along the island and go up The View at The Palm, two hundred and forty metres up: the only place you see the palm shape from above. Walk one loop of Dubai Marina, cut through to the beach at JBR, and have lunch at Bait Maryam in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, home-style Levantine cooking on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list. In the afternoon, a licensed operator picks you up for the desert: the sand turns red, then orange, and dinner is at a camp under the stars.
Our verdict: choose an operator that drives into the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, home to the UAE's largest free-roaming herd of Arabian oryx. Ask for the reserve permit before you pay.
Tip: get car sick? Choose a calm nature drive, falconry and a camp dinner over dune bashing. Flying out today? Keep the morning, and skip the desert.
Book an evening safari in the reserve →
The free planner has this day's times and the map →
