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Overview

About

Dubai and the UAE

Dubai

Essential Information

Prepare for your trip and learn more about life in Dubai and the UAE, from what to wear to local customs and which languages you can expect to hear on your travels.

Language

While Arabic is the national language of the UAE, with the country being home to a large population of expats from around the world, English is most commonly spoken. If you’d like to practice your Arabic with the locals, you’ll be interested to know that the Emirati dialect has its own unique terms, distinguishing characteristics, and distinct pronunciations, and forms one branch of the regional Gulf dialects family.

Vaccinations

For the latest available information on health requirements for your journey to the UAE, use the Emirates Health / Vaccination Requirements search tool. We also recommend checking with your health authority at the time of booking.

Dress code

The UAE has a generally relaxed dress code, but out of respect for the local culture, modest clothing (covering shoulders to knees) is recommended in public and essential in mosques or places of worship. Beachwear is fine on the beach, beach clubs and at the pool.

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Dubai

Dining in Dubai

Dubai loves to be different, and the same goes for its dining experiences. Aside from enjoying the city’s incredible Michelin-starred restaurants and hole-in-the-wall hidden gems, you can also dine in the sky in a 50-metre high crane overlooking the city, indulge in an underwater dinner surrounded by 65,000 sea creatures, or tuck into a decadent breakfast at the top of the world’s tallest building.

  • Explore Food

    Home to a large population of expats from all around the world, Dubai offers a smorgasbord huge variety of international flavours, with eating playing a starring role in the city’s culture. Order authentic Filipino, Indian and Lebanese dishes on the bustling streets of Satwa, or tuck into the catch-of-the-day at a rustic beach shack in Jumeirah. Enjoy a flashy lavish five-star brunch at one of Dubai’s many plush fabulous hotels, or explore the city’s hidden foodie hotspots on a walking tour in the old quarter. Sip on your favourite brews in a street-side coffee shop, or order a snack whipped up in an edgy food truck.
    Home to a large population of expats from all around the world, Dubai offers a smorgasbord huge variety of international flavours, with eating playing a starring role in the city’s culture. Order authentic Filipino, Indian and Lebanese dishes on the bustling streets of Satwa, or tuck into the catch-of-the-day at a rustic beach shack in Jumeirah. Enjoy a flashy lavish five-star brunch at one of Dubai’s many plush fabulous hotels, or explore the city’s hidden foodie hotspots on a walking tour in the old quarter. Sip on your favourite brews in a street-side coffee shop, or order a snack whipped up in an edgy food truck.

  • Celebrity Chefs

    Celebrity chefs from Pierre Gagnaire, Marco Pierre White to Gordon Ramsay, have opened enticing eateries across the city. These high-end restaurants are always in demand, so it’s best to make a booking beforehand. Homegrown restaurants are also making a name for themselves across the city, playing with ingredients in new and exciting ways and showcasing the talents of chefs who call Dubai home.
    Celebrity chefs from Pierre Gagnaire, Marco Pierre White to Gordon Ramsay, have opened enticing eateries across the city. These high-end restaurants are always in demand, so it’s best to make a booking beforehand. Homegrown restaurants are also making a name for themselves across the city, playing with ingredients in new and exciting ways and showcasing the talents of chefs who call Dubai home.

  • Dubai Creek Dinner Cruise

    Immerse yourself in old-world Middle Eastern charm with a dinner cruise on a traditional wooden dhow, complete with scintillating views of the Dubai Creek, live entertainment and exquisitely prepared dishes.
    Immerse yourself in old-world Middle Eastern charm with a dinner cruise on a traditional wooden dhow, complete with scintillating views of the Dubai Creek, live entertainment and exquisitely prepared dishes.
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Dubai

Hidden Gems

Captivating secrets are stowed away in vibrant corners of a city waiting to be discovered

Al Qudra Lake

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Choose your experience

Explore and discover an incredible range of Experiences we’ve created for you. Each Experience is packed with activities, fully customisable, and promises to fulfil every taste and visitor. Select your favourite, and start creating your itinerary using your very own interactive calendar.

    A little more about Dubai

    Whether you plan to take a business trip, book a family holiday, or travel alone in Dubai, there are so many things to do in Dubai. The city has everything you need to plan a holiday of a lifetime. Ideal for both city breaks and time relaxing on the beach, here you can discover incredible sights and unique holidays, from luxury experiences to adventure holidays to desert experiences. Enjoy boat cruises and helicopter tours, beach restaurants and al fresco restaurants, skyscraper views or desert safaris, bargain shopping or luxury fashion, live entertainment, gourmet restaurants and much more.  


    Book a foodie holiday
    Expect to enjoy great food in Dubai. If you want to know where to find the best food in Dubai, a quick search through our recommendations will reveal fine dining restaurants, food tours, hidden gems in Dubai, food trucks in Dubai, and so much more. You’ll find delicious dishes across the city, including the best Filipino food in Dubai, the best Indian curry, the best steak in Dubai, gold cappuccinos, truffle ice cream, British food, Chinese food, Russian food and of course the best Arabic flavours.
     
    Book a family holiday
    Not sure where to travel in winter or summer this year? Put Dubai into your holiday planner. If you plan a holiday in Dubai, you’ll be glad to know there are always plenty of things to do in summer in Dubai and plenty of things to do in winter in Dubai. While you can always enjoy luxury holidays in Dubai, you will also find fantastic budget holidays in Dubai. Family holidays in Dubai can include family discounts in Dubai, as well as a range of things to do with kids in Dubai. The city is one of the best places for family holidays, featuring some of the best theme parks for kids. Think Dubai Parks and Resorts and IMG World of Adventures. The city also offers the best waterparks for kids, from Wild Wadi Waterpark to LEGOLAND Waterpark, and Aquaventure Waterpark. Adventure holidays for families include desert adventures, skydiving, indoor skydiving, safari tours, and more. Don’t miss the chance to visit Dubai Aquarium in The Dubai Mall and explore a massive and mesmerising underwater wonderland.
     
    Best place for a business trip
    Enjoy exciting activities and attractions in Dubai, whether you’re travelling on business to Dubai, are on a family holiday in Dubai, or are travelling alone to Dubai. If you’re planning a business trip to Dubai, you can stay in some of the best hotels in the world, enjoy getting around Dubai using the best public transport, savour sightseeing in Dubai, and sample some of the best restaurants in Dubai. If you’d like to enjoy a little art and culture in Dubai, check out the theatre in Dubai. There are many theatre houses in Dubai, including the beautifully-designed Dubai Opera House that showcases the world’s best theatre shows featuring international theatre productions.
     
    Of course, great shopping in Dubai is always an option, with the city featuring not only the biggest mall in the world, The Dubai Mall, but other great places to shop, too. Buy electronics, buy fashion, buy gifts and more from local and international brands across the city at Mall of the Emirates, BurJuman, Ibn Battuta Mall, Deira City Centre, Mirdif City Centre, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai Festival City and City Walk, among others. If you’re wondering where to buy gold in Dubai, then head to Gold and Diamond Park, where you’ll also find some of the best jewellery in Dubai. For a more authentic Middle Eastern experience, visit the souqs or markets in Dubai to buy gold, buy diamonds, buy fragrances, buy spices, buy fabrics, buy antiques, or just enjoy the many scents and food offerings along the way.
     
    History tours in Dubai
    There’s so much more to the emirate than just glitz and glamour. If you’re looking for the best places for history in Dubai, you’ll enjoy the many museums in Dubai. The Etihad Museum – housed in a beautiful building designed in the shape of a manuscript – is an ideal starting point for your journey, offering incredible insights into the UAE’s formation. History walking tours in Dubai and history tours in Dubai are also incredibly popular, covering the oldest areas in Dubai that reflect the land’s rich heritage. Visit Dubai Creek, one of Dubai’s historic areas that offers an authentic Middle Eastern experience and beautiful backdrops for Instagram-worthy photographs. Catch an abra in Dubai (traditional water taxi) before wandering along charming alleyways. At sundown, indulge in a refreshment at nearby Al Seef before sailing on Dubai Creek in a traditional wooden dhow (boat). Book a dinner cruise in Dubai and watch live entertainment while taking in views of the creek’s glittering skyline.
     
    Visit famous landmarks
    Dubai is also well known for architectural wonders conceptualised by the city’s visionaries. Visit the Palm Jumeirah, an entirely manmade island; visit the top of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building; visit the Burj Al Arab, an iconic landmark hotel; or visit the Dubai Frame, a window to the emirate’s many skylines.
     
    Beach holidays
    Dubai offers some of the best beach holidays. Dubai’s best beaches include Kite Beach, JBR Beach, Jumeirah Beach, and La Mer Beach. An incredible offering of hotels, beach dining and attractions makes these areas great choices for beach breaks in Dubai, with some of the best beach resorts in Dubai being nearby, too. If you decide to stay at Dubai beach resorts or Dubai hotels in the winter, make the most of the superb weather by enjoying al fresco poolside dining at some of the best pools in Dubai.
     
    Wildlife in Dubai
    There’s plenty of nature in Dubai, too. Enjoy exhilarating Dubai desert adventures and beautiful desert landscapes during desert adventure tours. An adrenaline-pumping Dubai desert safari riding Dubai dune buggies is a must-do activity. Other activities in the desert include sandboarding in Dubai, camel rides in the desert, and camping in the desert. Book a Dubai wildlife safari to see unique desert animals like the Arabian oryx, desert fox, caracal, and Cape hare. You can also picnic in Dubai in one of many plush parks, where locals and expats gather throughout the year. The best parks in Dubai include Zabeel Park, Mushrif Park, Dubai Creek Park, Safa Park and Al Barsha Pond Park.