Luxury hotels in Dubai

Dubai guide

Burj Khalifa: when and how to go up

The world's tallest building is the first stop in Dubai. Sunset tickets sell out first, so plan ahead.

At 828 metres, the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest building in the world since 2010, and going up is the first thing every guide to Dubai suggests. The standard visit, At the Top, goes to levels 124 and 125; At the Top SKY reaches level 148, with a quieter lounge and faster access.

Book a timed ticket for about an hour before sunset: you see the desert and the coast by daylight, then the city lighting up below. Those slots sell out first, especially from November to March, the best months to visit. Clear days after a breeze give the longest views.

Afterwards, the Dubai Fountain performs every evening at the foot of the tower, and a table on a terrace facing the lake is the best seat. A Downtown hotel puts all of this a short walk away, and a night or two on Palm Jumeirah adds the beach.

The desert safari and Al Marmoom

A desert safari is one of the most cited experiences in Dubai: an afternoon in the dunes, falconry displays, camel rides and dinner in a camp under the stars. The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve offers a quieter, more authentic version, with vintage Land Rovers and Arabian oryx.

At dawn, hot-air balloon flights over the dunes are unforgettable, and the Al Marmoom reserve has lakes where flamingos gather. The cooler months, from October to April, are the season for the desert.

Old Dubai: the Creek, abras and souks

Old Dubai, along the Creek, is one of the city's most cited areas: the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, with wind towers and courtyard houses, and the Dubai Museum area show the city before the oil boom. A crossing on an abra, a traditional wooden water taxi, costs a single dirham.

On the Deira side, the Gold Souk and the Spice Souk are best explored in the late afternoon. The Etihad Museum, the Museum of the Future and the new Dubai Creek Harbour show how the city keeps reinventing itself.