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Dubai is a city of superlatives: tallest building in the world (Burj Khalifa), largest man-made island (Palm Jumeirah), Largest Shopping Mall (Dubai Mall), and the World’s Only 7 star hotel (Burj Al Arab), just to name a few. Whether you’re staying for an extended period to do some shopping, sun bathing, and sightseeing, or just dropping by during an extended layover because you took a flight with Emirates, Dubai is sure to surprise you in many ways. Most people think it’s an expensive city, which can be the case depending on what your taste is, but if you have a longer layover like myself, you can easily see the most popular sights in about a day. You can find a Google map of the places I will discuss at the end of this post. Also, if you have more time in this part of the world, consider seeing places like Jordan (see blog post) and Egypt (see blog post).

If you’ve never flown with Emirates before (or any middle eastern airline like Qatar and Etihad), you’re missing out. When planning your next jaunt across the world, try to find yourself a flight with Emirates and engineer yourself a large slice of time between flights to get a taste of what the UAE has to offer. Dubai is a concrete jungle with ‘half of the world’s cranes’, you could say the only natural part of the city is the beaches, however even some of the islands just off shore are man-made. So since it is a city where architectural dreams can be made into reality, your first step to enjoying it is to accept that it too has much to offer, despite its lack of nature (except the desert).

Most of the stops that are worth seeing are along the Sheikh Zayed Road, named after the former ruler of Abu Dhabi for over 30 years and an integral part in the formation of the U.A.E. You can choose to rent a car from the airport, giving you maximum flexibility, or to use a combination of taxis, buses, and the Dubai metro.

The weather here is good practically any time of the year, so a visit to the beach after landing is never a bad idea. You can get an excellent view of the Burj Al-Arab hotel from the nearby Jumeriah public beach. This is unfortunately as close as you can get to it since you ultimately need a reservation at the 7 star hotel to access the grounds near it. For most, the view from this beach will more than suffice. You may have to take a taxi from the nearest metro station to the beach but it won’t cost much (First Abu Dhabi Bank - Red Line). 

Anyone who has been shopping in a traditional souk in an Arabic country can expect the same from Dubai, however with a more modern twist. The Souks at Madinat Jumeirah are just that. If you prefer an even more modern shopping experience (and maybe even some skiing?!), the Mall of the Emirates is just nearby.

For more gorgeous views, sand, and great shopping and dining, head towards Dubai Marina. This area is ripe with skyscraper apartments that serve as the perfect backdrop in this idyllic concrete jungle paradise.

In addition to the Burj Khalifa (discussed below), one should not miss the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. This is much further away from the airport and so you can take a moderately priced taxi or take bus E100 from the Bur Dubai bus station (located next to the Al Ghubaiba metro stop) to Abu Dhabi. Alternatively, you can take bus E101 from the Ibn Battuta Metro Station as well.

There is no denying the opulence of this mosque, and surely it is fascinating to see what a place of worship as this would look like with unlimited financial resources.

The decorations are elaborate and ornate and every part of this mosque, inside and out, is impressive. You will have to take off your shoes upon entering (standard procedure for a muslim place of worship and conservative dress is strongly suggested, covering the knees and shoulders, and for women, the head).

The white marble facade, as stunning as it is, is blinding in the sun, so bring sunglasses. Take your time and walk through the archways to appreciate the scale and grandiosity of the architecture. The amount of detail is truly astonishing. Allow anywhere from 1-2 hours to see the entire mosque.

The mosque can be enjoyed any time of the day as well, but most opt for sunset and night time for great photos. I went during the day since my layover dictated I had to be near the airport during the sunset time period. 

The Burj Khalifa is 829.9 meters tall, has over 160 stories, and is the pinnacle achievement of the Dubai building industry/government to turn Dubai into a tourism-based economy, as opposed to one fueled by oil. It's highly recommended to book your tickets in advance to go up to the viewing points (w/ or w/o a guided tour). The most ideal times to go up are around sunset and later. You can get to the base of the tower by entering through Dubai Mall.

For in my opinion, the BEST view over the Sheikh Zayed Road and all the Dubai skyline, swing on over to Level 43 Sky Lounge, located in the Four Points by Sheraton hotel. They have great drinks and stunning views.

If you intend on shopping on your trip to Dubai, set aside some time before or after your trip up to the top of the Burj. The 'tour' starts off an exhibition of the history of the structure and how it was built, which leads you all the way to the elevators that will take you up the whole way. If you would like to take photos of the city lights below, invest in a lens hood to cover over your camera lens, to minimize glare off of the glass.</h3>

You can see all of these places in a long layover (about 12 hours), but you'll need to be efficient with your time, stick with taxis, and plan ahead. Enjoy!

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