Must-see attractions in Dubai

  • Top Choice
    Burj Al Arab

    The Burj Al Arab's graceful silhouette – meant to evoke the sail of a dhow (a traditional wooden cargo vessel) – is to Dubai what the Eiffel Tower is to…

  • Top Choice
    Burj Khalifa

    The Burj Khalifa is a stunning feat of architecture and engineering, with two observation decks on the 124th and 148th floors and a restaurant-bar on the…

  • Top Choice
    Madinat Jumeirah

    One of Dubai’s most attractive developments, Madinat Jumeirah is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Arab village, complete with a souq (market…

  • Top Choice
    Gold Souq

    All that glitters is gold (and occasionally silver) along this covered arcade where dozens of shops overflow with every kind of jewelry imaginable, from…

  • Top Choice
    Kite Beach

    This long, pristine stretch of white sand, a little way north of Jumeirah Public Beach, is a major draw for sporty types, with a range of activities on…

  • Top Choice
    IMG Worlds of Adventure

    Housed in an air-conditioned hangar the size of 28 football fields, IMG Worlds of Adventure is the world’s largest indoor theme park. The US$1 billion…

  • Top Choice
    Dubai Museum

    The city's main historical museum charts Dubai's turbo-evolution from fishing and pearling village to global centre of commerce, finance and tourism. It…

  • Top Choice
    Al Fahidi Historic District

    Traffic fades to a quiet hum in the labyrinthine lanes of this nicely restored heritage area formerly known as the Bastakiya Quarter. Its narrow walking…

  • Top Choice
    Jumeirah Mosque

    Snowy white and intricately detailed, Jumeirah is Dubai's most beautiful mosque and one of only a handful in the UAE that are open to non-Muslims – one…

  • Top Choice
    Alserkal Cultural Foundation

    This nonprofit foundation runs the most dynamic cultural space in the Al Fahidi Historic District. Galleries showcasing traditional and cutting-edge works…

  • Top Choice
    Dubai Walls

    More than a dozen hot shots of the international street-art scene, including Aiko, Blek Le Rat, ROA and Nick Walker, have turned new urban-style quarter…

  • Top Choice
    Alserkal Avenue

    Edgy contemporary art from the Middle East and beyond has found a home in Dubai thanks to the vision of Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal. The local developer…

  • Top Choice
    Etihad Museum

    Opened in 2017, this striking modern museum engagingly chronicles the birth of the UAE in 1971, spurred by the discovery of oil in the 1950s and the…

  • Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

    Dubai Mall’s most mesmerising sight is this gargantuan aquarium where thousands of beasties flit and dart amid artificial coral. Sharks and rays are top…

  • Green Planet

    If you can build a ski slope in the desert, why not a rainforest too? The Green Planet is an indoor tropical paradise intended to 'edutain' about…

  • Dubai Fountain

    This dancing fountain is spectacularly set in the middle of a giant lake against the backdrop of the glittering Burj Khalifa. Water undulates as…

  • Al Seef

    In the early 1900s this historical area was Dubai's trading hub, during a period when the pearl diving industry was being developed. Stretching some 1.8km…

  • The Beach at JBR

    Paralleling the beachfront for about 1km, The Beach at JBR is an open-plan cluster of low-lying, urban-style buildings wrapped around breezy plazas…

  • Jumeirah Public Beach

    Just north of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, this public beach (also known as Sunset Beach) is perfect for snapping that envy-inducing selfie with the Burj Al…