Top 10 Places In Dubai For Tourists To Visit

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the most populated city in the country. It's known for its skyscrapers, beaches, ports, and ultramodern architecture, as well as its luxury shopping, nightlife, and global hub status. Dubai is also known as the "Venice of the Gulf" and has been a center for international trade since the early 20th century. 

Location: Dubai is located on the northern coast of the UAE, facing the Arabian Gulf. It's bordered by Abu Dhabi to the south, Sharjah to the northeast, and the Sultanate of Oman to the southeast. Dubai is within an eight-hour flight for two-thirds of the world's population, making it easy to reach from Africa, Asia, and Europe. 

Economy: Dubai's economy relies on revenues from trade, tourism, aviation, real estate, and financial services.

Top 10 Places In Dubai For Tourists To Visit:

1.Dubai Shopping Festival 

2.Palm Islands In Dubai

3.Dubai Aquarium And Underwater Zoo in Dubai

4.Jumeirah Mosque In Dubai

5.Dubai Muesum

6.Dubai Miracle Garden

7.Jumeriah Beach

8.Burj Khalifa At The Top

9.Burj Al Arab

10.Dubai Fountain

1. Dubai Shopping Festival:

Most holidays begin with packing your bags — not this one. When you’re visiting the world’s biggest retail extravaganza, you’ve got to travel light. After all, you’re going to have your hands full on your way back. So take those empty suitcases and make your way to the Dubai Shopping Festival, 2023. Dubai shopping festival is from 15 December 2023 to 29 January 2024.

After over two decades of enticing and satisfying millions of shoppers from across the world, DSF 2023 promises to be bigger and better than ever. With discounts and deals as explosive as the firework displays, a carnival atmosphere that sweeps across the entire country, spectacular live events curated to make every traveller happy and a host of other brilliant moments between all the main action.

 There’s a lot to take in — even for the most accomplished shopper. So to give yourself the best experience of the festival, read on and discover all the handy details compiled for your convenience.Gold and Jewellery: DSF is one of the best places to buy jewellery, especially gold. You can find pure gold, platinum, diamond and precious gems jewellery, exquisitely designed and affordably priced. 

Cosmetics: Trending brands from across the cosmetics and fragrance industry have their stores across Dubai, so the festival is perfect to start a collection or stock up on your favourites. 

Accessories: From premium watches to leather jackets and bags, you’ll be spoilt for choice with the accessories on sale at DSF 2023. Make a list so that you don’t miss out on any of the things you want. 

Home Decor: Give your home a luxurious makeover with some of the best deals on furniture, furnishings and appliances from renowned global brands. Dubai is well-known for its carpets, which would make a great souvenir. 

Gadgets: Give in to your gadget cravings with all the latest products available at incredibly low prices. Every mall has electronic stores selling all your favourite brands. 

Exotic Goods: Look beyond the brands and discover local speciality items on sale such as dry fruits, spices and perfumes. It’s a great way to explore the local souks and brush up on your bargaining skills.

2.Palm Islands In Dubai:

Often referred to as the 'eighth wonder of the world', Dubai's Palm Islands are the largest man- made islands in the world and take their name from their artificially crafted palm tree shape. These offshore islands were created from reclaimed land and have since become a popular holiday destination, thanks to their uniqueness and Dubai's fast-growing tourist trade.

There are three islands in total that make up Dubai Palm Islands - Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira, however the only island open to visitors is Palm Jumeirah. Home to the popular tourist attraction and famous luxury hotel Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah also features a residential property, some of which are home to the likes of celebrities including David Beckham. It also includes commercial attractions such as Crescent, The Trunk and 16 Fronds.

Dubai's Palm Islands are home to 5,000 waterfront apartments, 4,000 residential villas, 1,000 water homes and 60 luxury hotels, as well as a number of marinas, health spas, shopping malls, restaurants, cinemas, sports facilities and dive sites. However, despite their name and shape, there are no actual palm trees in sight on the Palm Islands. Another interesting fact worth noting is that as the world's largest man-made archipelago, they are visible from space.

Palm Islands were dreamed up by Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum to attract more interest to Dubai as its oil supply dwindled. The Sheik's vision has since been responsible for attracting tourists to the smaller coastline and desert climate of Dubai, a feat that had previously proved difficult. The Palm Islands were completed in only four years, with each island using over 53 million pounds of sand and 12 million pounds of rock to be created.

Palm Jumeirah

Palm Jumeirah is known all over the world as the synonym of beauty and elegance. From the air, this stunning island looks like a huge palm tree. Considered to be the UAE’s latest and greatest tourist attraction, Palm Jumeirah houses many of Dubai's premier destinations such as Atlantis, Lost Chambers Aquarium and Aquaventure Waterpark.

The main parts of Palm Jumeirah are referred to as the Crescent, the Spine, the Trunk and the Fronds. The entrance to Palm Jumeirah is through the huge trunk that forms a bridge between the island and the mainland.

Another bridge forms a connection between the Spine and the Trunk. The Crescent happens to be the breakwater, which is linked with the Spine through a tunnel. The long and beautiful Fronds form the most amazing part of this island destination and its actual beauty can be witnessed in an aerial tour over the island.

3.Dubai Aquarium And Underwater Zoo in Dubai:

The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo located in The Dubai Mall is home to thousands of aquatic creatures with more than 33,000 aquatic animals, comprising of over 140 species. The aquarium has more than 400 Shark and Rays in the 10 million litre tank. The aquarium also includes sand tiger sharks, Giant Groupers, and a host of other marine species. This is one of the reasons why you must pay a visit too this place on your Dubai tour.

The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is one of the largest indoor aquariums in the World and holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s “Largest Acrylic Pane”. This progression of carefully designed and planned experience allows visitors to come up close with our aquatic animals like sea horses, piranhas, crabs and many other.

Apart from the marine life, the underwater zoo houses crocodile, UAE’s night creatures, penguins, otters and a host of different animals.

4.Jumeirah Mosque In Dubai:

Dubai is filled with architectural marvels and the Jumeirah Mosque is just one of them. The mosque is one of the best places to visit in Dubai. Built from white stone, in the Fatimid tradition, the mosque is open six days a week between 9 am to 5 pm to all its visitors. However, during prayers, no visitor is allowed in the mosque. Keep in mind that women will need to cover their heads to enter the mosque. 

Try to catch the sight of the mosque post-sunset, as the mosque is lit up and is a sight for sore eyes. There are also special tours held by Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, every Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 10.00 am, if you wish to know more about the beautiful attraction of Dubai.

5.Dubai Muesum:

Dubai is not just all glitz, glamour and high rises. The Dubai Museum is one of the must place to visit and lies with the Al-Fahidi Fort. The Fort itself has significant importance and today houses the history of Dubai itself.

The fort was built in 1787 and was originally a barricade to protect the seas and the kings. It was eventually converted into the residence of the ruling party and was also used as a prison. Some of the most popular displays include small wooden boats, life-size dioramas, jewellery, paintings, instruments, weapons, etc.

You can see the remnants of ancient settlements, mock souks and dhows. The museum also has special presentations that show the growth of Dubai and its transformations.

Entrance Fee: INR 30-40 approximately for adults and INR 20-30 approximately for children.

Timings: 8.30 am to 8.30 pm between Sunday to Thursday and on Fridays between 2.30 pm to 8.30pm.

6.Dubai Miracle Garden:

Flowers In the desert sand is truly a miracle. The Dubai Miracle Garden in one of the best places to visit in Dubai as you will be surrounded by about 45 million flowers, arranged in various shapes and sizes. This floral magic land holds the world record for the largest floral structure of the Airbus A380.

The Garden has a special butterfly garden which is filled with about 15000 types of butterflies. They also hold special events each season. They have a special souvenir shop if you want to pick you something special.  One thing you need to remember is that the garden is only operational October to April when the weather is pleasant.

7.Jumeriah Beach:

The beach is one of the best attractions of Dubai. The white sandy beach will invite you to just sit back and lounge. You also have the option of enjoying some water sports and of course shop around the boulevard. You can go jet skiing, jogging, swimming on a hot day.

8.Burj Khalifa At The Top:

The Burj Khalifa is undoubtedly one of the most iconic towers in Dubai. The Burj Khalifa top view is at a staggering 828 meters and is currently the tallest building in the world. No trip to Dubai would be complete without a top view from the Burj Khalifa’s observational deck. 

At the top, the focal central emerges and to form the shape of a tower. Burj Kalifa’s top floor sways a total of 1.5 m. The exterior temperature at the Burj Kalifa’s top floor is thought to be 6 °C (11 °F) cooler than at its base.

9.Burj Al Arab:

Jumeirah Burj Al Arab is undoubtedly one of the most famous landmarks and tourist attractions in Dubai, and is renowned for its 'seven-star status'. The luxury record-breaking all-suite hotel includes a range of fine-dining restaurants, incredible beaches and the expansive Burj Al Arab Terrace.

Since its opening in 1999, the Jumeirah Burj Al Arab has played host to a covetable guest list of VIPs and celebrities from all over the world, helping put Dubai on the global luxury tourism map. Built on its own island, the sail-shaped building rises 321m, providing guests with an amazing hotel room view of the Arabian Gulf.

The distinctive sail-shaped silhouette of Burj Al Arab Jumeirah epitomizes modern Dubai's elegance. Crafted to resemble the graceful sail of an Arabian dhow, it reaches a majestic height of 321 metres, asserting its prominence along Dubai’s coastline.

The eiderdown duvets in the rooms are some of the most exclusive in the world 

Renowned for its unwavering commitment to opulence, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah embraces nothing short of the extraordinary. Its eiderdown duvets stand as a testament to this pursuit, sourced meticulously from abandoned eider duck nests in Iceland. With each nest yielding a mere 15-20g of down and an annual harvest limit of 2,000kg, these duvets embody exclusivity and refinement, embodying a luxury beyond compare.

10.Dubai Fountain:

The Dubai Fountain, which sits in the Burj Khalifa Lake in Downtown Dubai, is the world’s largest choreographed fountain system with jets that shoot 500 feet (150 meters) into the air. Visitors flock to the shop- and restaurant-lined lakeside to watch the spectacle, as water jets burst into life and sway in synchronicity to lights and music 12 times each day.

Created by the designers of Las Vegas’ Bellagio fountains, The Dubai Fountain is the world’s tallest fountain comprised of 1,000 water formations and 6,600 lights, plus images and music. It’s free to watch from the lakefront, but you can also pay to ride an abra boat or walk on the floating Dubai Fountain Boardwalk for close-up views. The Dubai Fountain is also a regular stop on Dubai city tours, Burj Khalifa experiences, and more.