Dubai Discovery: Four Superlative Days

Take a day tour to get an overview of the city’s variety and contrasts. Highlights include:

• Riding a traditional wooden abra (water taxi) over the canal to the gold and spice souk markets. Pick up the famed Dubai chocolate here—US currency is valued!

• Palm Island, three artificial archipelagos with high-end hotels on white-sand beaches

• Ski Dubai, a remarkable indoor “resort” at the Mall of the Emirates.

• Ain Dubai, the world’s tallest observation ferris wheel.

• Photo ops of the Burj Al Arab, one of the most luxurious hotels in the world (shaped like a sail); the Presidential Palace (and the nearby smaller palace of the ruler of Dubai’s brother); Museum of the Future; the Dubai Frame, and more.

• Admiring the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa, where we’ll spend our day tomorrow.

Today, we’re going gawking at the world’s largest shopping mall and the world’s tallest building.

At 12 million square feet, the Dubai Mall is about the size of 50 football fields and three times the size of the Mall of America (though both have comparable leasable square footage). Expansion plans are in place!

Tip: Be prepared for a lot of walking, including from the single taxi station into the mall.

Nicely air-conditioned, the mall boasts 1,200 mostly high-end stores and 200 food outlets, including an entire Chinatown. You can enjoy one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world or dive in to swim among sharks, skate on an Olympic-sized ice rink, or see a movie in the gigantic theater. Admire the beautiful locals—men in long white kandoras with ghutrah headpieces and women in long black abaya with shayla head coverings.

Tip: You’ll see visitors in all states of dress, but it’s recommended you be a little conservative, with shoulders and knees covered.

Ready to go up? You will have prebooked a timed ticket to enjoy sunset at Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. The entry is on the bottom floor of the mall.

At 2,717 feet, Burj Khalifa is twice the height of the Empire State Building and 1,000 feet higher than One World Trade Center. There are 163 floors with 1,044 apartments—90% were sold before the building opened, and one sold for $4 million in 2024.

The highest that visitors can go is to the 154th floor, at 1,929 feet. This is the priciest ticket (about $250 per person), but it gives you access to the lounges and fabulous outdoor terrace on the 152nd floor—the highest in the world. You’ll get premium snacks, soft drinks and one complimentary drink; access to all the floors; and skip-the-line access to the astonishingly fast and quiet lifts—this is a great perk when crowds are leaving for the day.

Tip: The outdoor terrace on the 148th floor is more enclosed, crowded, and limited. The views are far superior on the 152nd floor.

Meander among the different floors and lounges to get your fill of sunset, twinkling skyscrapers, and treats.

Then make your way down to Haidilao (where you will have made a reservation) for a delicious hot pot meal. Make sure to order the noodles so you can enjoy the noodle dancer.

Swim, shop, or relax today before being picked up for your evening desert safari.

Just an hour from the gleaming city are undulating golden dunes, where you can be a Bedouin nomad for a day. Tour options range from “dune-basing” on quad bikes to camel rides to vintage Range Rover drives. You can even stay overnight in the desert and then enjoy a sunrise hot-air balloon tour.

We chose Platinum Heritage’s camel desert safari and loved it. The company picks you up at around 3:30 pm for the drive to its Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, where you’ll get a water bottle and headscarves. You’ll mount a big, docile, healthy camel for a 45-minute meander across the desert, led by a walking guide. (The company prides itself on its care of its animals, and on its conservation focus.)

Tip: You can wear flip-flops and go barefoot while on the camel (how cool is that?!). There are small hooks/bags on the mount for your stuff.

You’ll reluctantly dismount as sunset begins, then enjoy a drink before your evening at a charming Bedouin camp. Here, you can get henna tattoos, watch a coffee maker, and enjoy delicious Arab snacks and dinner, followed by Emirati drumming and entertainment, and, finally, stargazing. Sated and lulled by the night, you’ll be back to your hotel by 11:30 pm.

Tip: Platinum Heritage does a great job capturing your adventure, selling photos and video packages at night’s end. But the guides are also very amenable to taking pictures with your phones. (Remember to tip!)

On your last day, you might have awoken in your desert abode, ready for your hot-air balloon ride. Or, you will be picked up from Dubai as early as 3 am for a stunning sunrise ride over the red sand desert. A Michelin-inspired breakfast greets you afterward, followed by a short camel ride before you return to Dubai.

Alternatively, take a day trip to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, just 1.5 hours away. The largest of the seven emirates, it’s more traditional, conservative, and elegant compared to Dubai.

Key attractions include the Louvre Abu Dhabi; Qasr Al Watan; and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi on Yas Island, home to the world’s fastest rollercoaster. (This amusement area is where Disney will build its seventh theme park, its first in the Middle East. It will open in around five to nine years.)

Abu Dhabi’s crown jewel is Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the largest in the world, accommodating more than 40,000 worshipers. It welcomes non-Muslims and offers free tours to admire the 82 white marble domes, four towering minarets, seven impressive chandeliers made of Swarovski crystals and 24-karat gold (the largest weighs 12 tons), and the main prayer room—which can hold 7,800 people—featuring 96 columns and the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet.

What a whirlwind four days of superlative experiences!

It’s back to Dubai and time to return home, probably on a late-night flight. Tip: The US security check-in, required for all flights going to the US, will not be manned until around 10 pm, so no need to hurry to the airport.