Dubai Travel Tips
Located in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai has risen to become one of the most visited cities in the world. With its record breaking skyscrapers and adrenaline fuelled actives, Dubai continues to attract tourists in the millions. In this guide we are going to share our top Dubai travel tips to help you plan your visit to Dubai.
Dubai Travel Tips
Table of Contents
1. Best Dubai App?
Our first Dubai travel tip is to download the app, Careem. The app offers a range of services, including taxi rides, food delivery, restaurant bookings and even laundry services. They have frequent promotions running too, such as free grocery deliveries or bonuses. It really is a fantastic all-in-one app that we used throughout our stay in Dubai, especially for booking taxi rides.
2. Which SIM card?
When you go through passport control in Dubai airport, they give you a free 5G SIM card with 1GB. We were really impressed by this, especially as finding SIM cards and finding the best deal can take some time. If you’re visiting short-term and connecting to local wifi networks during your stay, 1GB should be enough data. However, if you travel a lot like us or need more data we would recommend an eSIM. We use Airalo for reliable service during our international trips.
3. Hire a car or rent?
If you’re planning on spending a fair amount of time in Dubai it may work out cheaper to rent a car rather than pay for taxis frequently. You can hire a car for approximately £20 per day. Fuel is also much cheaper than what you would expect to pay in places like the UK. You can find car rental services in the above mentioned app, Careem.
4. What can I wear?
Dress code is probably the biggest concern for most visitors to Dubai. However, it is not as strict as many believe it to be. The main city of Dubai is quite relaxed in comparison to the more local areas of Dubai and the UAE in general. We would still advise you to dress appropriately and a good rule we heard was if your shoulders are on show, cover your knees. Though this is not a strict rule of course.
Generally, most tourists are welcome to wear what they want. I packed a shawl for travelling on the metro and to use as sun protection while walking outside, which was really useful. Also, if you’re visiting a public beach or pool, then usual swimming attire is completely fine too.
5. Can you drink alcohol?
Yes! Alcohol is allowed to be consumed in Dubai, though walking around the streets intoxicated would not be advised at all. Most hotels, beach clubs and restaurants all serve alcohol and it’s absolutely fine to drink there. However, do not wander out into the public spaces if you feel like you’ve had one too many, as this may cause some attention. Enjoy a taxi ride back to your accommodation instead!
6. How much is the Metro?
If you want to travel the Dubai metro, you will need to purchase a Nol card. The recommended option for tourists is the silver card, they cost 25 AED and are pre-loaded with 19 AED credit. Using the Dubai metro is very straightforward, we used it a handful of times and it was easy to navigate. There is a separate carriage for gold card users and another for women and children.
7. Where should I stay?
Dubai is a large city and it can be a bit overwhelming deciding where to stay. The main tourist hub is Downtown Dubai, this is where the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall is located. It’s a great location to stay and there’s plenty of accommodation options but it is also very busy.
Somewhere a bit quieter is Jumeriah Beach, its a really nice area with some great cafes and only a 10 minute taxi ride to Downtown Dubai.
The Palm is another option, it’s an iconic place to stay in Dubai and has some incredible hotels like the Atlantis. However, if you’re not located at the base of The Palm, it can take you a really long time to exit and to get back onto the mainland. We’re talking 1 hour at least to exit The Palm, which can really affect your travel plans!
Another recommendation is the Marina, this is really popular area with expats and is easier to connect to Downtown Dubai than The Palm as it is on the mainland.
8. When’s the best time to visit?
The best time to visit Dubai is during the months of November through to March. This is the their peak tourist season and falls across winter. Dubai is an extremely hot destination and so winter is when the weather is more manageable. You can also visit during the should seasons (September, October and April) where you will be able to find some cheaper deals for accommodation. However, not all of the attractions may be open, in particular any outdoor day events.
Summer in Dubai is low season – we would not recommend visiting during this period as it is far too hot.
Thank You
Hi adventurers, thanks for reading this guide!
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