Fear not if you’re unfamiliar with Dubai and wondering how to spend your first afternoon and evening in the city – we have just the thing. This half-day itinerary gives you both a quick hit of Dubai’s major sights and an introduction to its modern (think massive ostentatious developments) and age-old (think historic souks) sides.
Start with afternoon tea in the Skyview Bar at the Burj Al Arab (Jumeirah Road, +971 4 301 777). Here, at the top of the iconic sail-shaped hotel, you’ll gorge on endless sandwiches and cakes and feast your eyes on the uninterrupted views of the city, all the while rubbing shoulders with the kind of bling-heavy movers and shakers that this part of the world has become renowned for.
Next, hop in a taxi for the 5-minute ride to Madinat Jumeirah (Souk Madinat Jumeirah, +971 4 366 8888), a massive high-end resort built to resemble a traditional Arabian town that contains countless top-class restaurants and shops. It’s exactly the kind of grand scale, ostentatious and slightly tacky development you’d expect of Dubai. But don’t let that put you off. The awesome shops, charming cafés and little palm-fringed waterways make this well worth the visit. If shopping’s not your thing, head over to the resort’s two boutique hotels Al Qasr (Al Sufouh Road, +971 4 366 8888) and Mina A’Salaam (Al Sufouh Road, +971 4 366 8888), to enjoy their great beaches or check out the turtle sanctuary.
Round out the day by scaling the 124th-floor viewing platform of the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa (1 Emaar Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, +971 4 888 8888). Don’t worry, lifts take you all the way to At The Top. Time your visit around 6pm to see Dubai Fountain’s magnificent water jets fire up just as the sun goes down. Naturally, this time slot’s pretty popular, so you’ll need to book ahead.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Image: Thamer Al-Hassan)
