Dubai · Things to do

Things to do in Dubai

By Ramya ChinnaduraiPublished 5 November 2026Updated 5 November 2026

Things to do in Dubai fall into three zones you can reach by metro: Downtown for the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the fountain, the Creek for the AED 1 abra and the souks, and the Marina and Palm for water and views. Official prices and hours on this page were opened on 5 November 2026. The Museum of the Future is closed until the first quarter of 2027, so it is not on the list.

This is the all-traveller page for Dubai. If you are travelling with children, the Dubai with kids page covers age bands and metro cabins instead. Sibling pages: 3 day itinerary, best time to visit, where to stay and trip cost.

Downtown: tower, mall, fountain

At The Top is the Burj Khalifa observation experience, and Visit Dubai describes the view as reaching up to 555 metres. The official ticket site lists the Silver ticket for Levels 124 and 125 at AED 189, 10:00am to 9:00pm with last entry at 8:15pm, and the Gold ticket, which adds Level 148, at AED 399. Those are the listed prices on 5 November 2026; confirm the price for your date and slot when booking, and buy there rather than from a reseller.

The Dubai Fountain sits on Burj Lake beside Dubai Mall. Shows run at 1:00pm and 1:30pm Saturday to Thursday, 2:00pm and 2:30pm on Friday, and every 30 minutes from 6:00pm to 11:00pm daily. The mall's page lists no ticket for standing on the promenade. Be on the lake side of the lower ground floor 20 minutes before 6:00pm for the first evening show, then watch a second one from further along the water.

Get there on the Red Line. Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall and Business Bay are consecutive stations. Leaving after the late shows, Business Bay is the quieter platform.

Between Downtown and the Creek, the Dubai Frame in Zabeel is AED 50 for adults and AED 20 for children aged 3 to 12, with under 3s free. It opens 8:00am to 9:00pm, and the site says those timings may change during Ramadan and on public holidays.

Old Dubai for one dirham

RTA's marine fares list the motorised traditional abra at AED 1 per passenger per trip, paid in cash on board, on two routes: Bur Dubai Abra Station to Deira Old Souq, and Dubai Old Souq to Al Sabkha. That crossing is the cheapest attraction in the city and the best way to see the Creek. A private charter of the same boat is AED 120 an hour if you want the water to yourself.

On the Deira bank, the Green Line stops at Gold Souq and Al Ras. On the Bur Dubai bank, Al Ghubaiba is the stop for the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood and the textile souk. RTA's timetable names Union and BurJuman as the two interchanges with the Red Line, so Downtown to the Creek is one change.

The Jumeirah Mosque visit run by the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding costs AED 45 per person and runs every day except Friday at 10:00am and 2:00pm. It is one of the few mosques in Dubai open to non-Muslims. Dress modestly and arrive 15 minutes early to register at the majlis across the road.

Two seasonal parks

Global Village Season 31 opened on 14 October 2026 and runs to May 2027. Any Day tickets are AED 30 and weekday tickets, Monday to Thursday excluding public holidays, are AED 25. Children under 3 and visitors aged 65 and over enter free with ID. Its plan your visit page lists 4:00pm to midnight Sunday to Wednesday and 4:00pm to 1:00am Thursday to Saturday and on public holidays, and says Tuesdays (except those falling on a public holiday) are exclusively reserved for families, couples and ladies. Visit Dubai places it at exit 37 on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, with no metro station close by.

Dubai Miracle Garden Season 15 runs from 8 October 2026 to 31 May 2027, daily 9:00am to 9:00pm with last entry at 8:30pm, in Al Barsha South. Adults pay AED 105 and children aged 3 to 12 pay AED 84, VAT included. Go in the first hour after opening; shade is scarce.

Both parks are shut in summer. If you are visiting between June and September, best time to visit Dubai covers what stays open.

Marina and the Palm

RTA's water taxi loops the Marina between Marina Promenade, Dubai Marina Mall, Marina Walk and Marina Terrace for AED 7 a single stop. Its May 2026 timetable runs Marina Mall North to Marina Walk from noon to 11:15pm, 2:00pm to 12:15am on Friday and to 12:25am on Saturday. The Dubai Tram links the Red Line at Sobha Realty and DMCC to the Palm Monorail, running along Al Sufouh Road and Jumeirah Beach Road.

The View at The Palm is open daily 9:00am to 7:00pm at 240 metres above sea level. Standard admission shows two "from" figures on the official site, AED 80 and AED 115, and the site does not say which applies to which slot. The Next Level ticket is listed the same way at AED 130 and AED 190. Expect the higher figure in the hour before sunset.

Kite Beach on Visit Dubai's listing is watersports, beach bites and sun, with the Burj Al Arab in the background. No entry fee is listed; sunbeds are hired from private operators. The beach is open 24/7, and its shops and leisure venues open 10:00am to 10:00pm.

What is closed

The Museum of the Future closed at the beginning of September 2026 and is set to reopen in the first quarter of 2027. Tickets go on sale closer to reopening.

What travellers say

In Adu-Dhabi, Dubai itinerary planning suggestions and questions (r/travel, posted 2023, accessed 5 November 2026), replies pointed out that the Burj Khalifa, the fountain and the mall's aquarium share one site and fit in one day; one visitor went up just before sunset and saw the first fountain show from the top. The same thread routes the old souk, the abra across the Creek, the spice souk and then the gold souk, which one reply saves for after dark when the shop windows shine, and notes that the Creek's working boats are the cheap way across. In Visiting for the first time, any opinions on this itinerary? (r/dubai, posted 2023, accessed 5 November 2026), one reply rated the mall aquarium poor value, another preferred The Lost Chambers at Atlantis, and a third warned that a day of souks means a day of vendors calling you over. Paraphrased, nothing embedded.

Metro hours shape the day

RTA's timetable lists metro stations open 5:00am to midnight Monday to Thursday and Saturday, 5:00am to 1:00am Friday, and 8:00am to midnight Sunday. A Sunday morning plan that depends on the metro starts late, so make Sunday the beach or the Creek by taxi. Ask Hey Ula to sort these sights into days for your dates and your arrival time.

All Dubai guides