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On the Arabian peninsula lies a city that has become an international haven for travellers looking to experience things out of the ordinary, that is where the city called Dubai comes into the picture. Dubai has become the beacon of luxury and opulence that attracts several travellers from all over the globe. The city over the years has become one of the rising metropolitans to have changed the way people look at the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is popular for the low tax privileges that locals and tourists enjoy on any service or product being purchased in the city. However, if you find yourself in the city and have roughly twenty-four hours to spend it. We have compiled a list of how to spend twenty-four hours in Dubai. Along with an itinerary we followed while we explored the city within twenty four hours.
Itinerary On How To Spend 24 Hours In Dubai
Go For A Morning Walk
For the first activity on how to spend twenty-four hours in Dubai. We started by heading to one of the nearby beaches called Jumeirah public beach in Dubai. An early morning walk at this beach is a mesmerizing experience. The experience can be described as something that brings a sense of calm, peace and tranquility. We found that the beaches are accessible twenty-four hours. However, the lifeguards are on duty from 8 AM to 6 PM. So if you are visiting the beach late at night. It is recommended to stay out of the water and not go for a swim in the dark.
Locations: Jumeirah open beach, Al Mamzar, Al Sufouh
Grab A Middle Eastern Breakfast
One thing that Dubai as a city has done is introduce food lovers to the unique Middle Eastern cuisine the countryhas to offer. Breakfast, being the most important meal of the day gets a new meaning in Dubai. The city of Dubai has many options to choose from, but the best breakfast would be a local morning feast. Dishes like hummus, fool, kaek, manakeesh and many more middle eastern dishes are a must-try. Also, see if you can get ‘sulemani chai’ or go for some classic kahwah with your mouth-watering meal.
Locations: Sikka Cafe, Mum’s Table Cafe, Mama’esh
Go On A Shopping Spree
On the list of how to spend twenty-four hours in Dubai, we did what the city is most famous for, shopping. The city of Dubai is home to some of the most popular brands found across the globe. The low taxes that Dubai levies on the products bought and sold in the city turns shopping into a spa therapy for your brains. From fashion to electronics to gold, Dubai is a haven for travellers looking to shop to their heart’s content. The best part is that while shopping if you do get hungry, there will always be a small eatery or food court nearby, to satiate your hunger.
Locations: Bur Dubai Souq, WAFI Mall, Souq Madinat Jumeirah
Play In Ice
It seems ironic and close to impossible when one talks about playing with ice in the middle of the desert. Dubai is the land of wonders and it is here that one may often find reality meeting fantasy. Yes, you heard us right. Dubai has managed to bring ice in the middle of the desert in the form of the ‘Dubai Ice Rink’. Where we witnessed state of the art facilities that make it a popular family attraction in Dubai. The Dubai ice world is one place where one can experience the joy of skiing and snowboarding within the safety of the mall. Yes, that’s right the entire ice rink lies in the heart of the famous Dubai Mall.
Location: The Dubai Mall
Grab A Nice Lunch
The next activity on the list of how to spend twenty-four hours in Dubai is to grab lunch. After half a day of walking the beach, shopping and venting it out on the ice. We decided to grab a hearty lunch at one of the popular restaurants. The restaurant is called the ‘Al Ustad Special Kebab’, that lures in loyal patrons all year round. Some of the popular dishes to grab here would be the restaurant’s signature lentils and dill soup, Iranian kebabs, shawarma, manousheh, machboos, al harees and many more. Also, make sure to have a glass of laban before your meal. Which is a local digestive drink similar to buttermilk. There are also other locations where one can experience a hearty middle eastern feast.
Locations: Al Fanar, Baba, Gunaydin, Kaftan
Walk The Streets Of Old Dubai
Dubai is not all malls and big brands, there are some corners of the city that started small. These small shops soon transformed Dubai into the city that stands before us today in all its glory. The government and the locals of Dubai made certain that these old treasures do not fade away with time. Dubai municipality to this day have made conscious efforts to ensure that the old Dubai is being refurbished and maintained the same way it was all those years back. We took a stroll through the lanes in Deira and Karama while experiencing the nostalgia first hand.
Locations: Deira, Bur Dubai, Karama
Go For A Desert Safari
As we move into the later part of the afternoon the next activity on the list of how to spend twenty-four hours in Dubai that we went for was the desert safari. This is one of the most popular, exhilarating and adventurous activities to do when visiting Dubai. The safari gives you the option to choose from many activities such as sand skiing, dune bashing, quad biking, camel ride and many more for a few extra dirhams. There are also group safaris with an option for a barbeque dinner and the option for a belly dancer. However, personally if you are on a limited time constraint skip the dinner and belly dancing.
Locations: Al Lahbab, Jebel Maleihah, Rub Al Khali
Enjoy A Fountain Show
After the desert safari, we took a cab to the Dubai Mall to catch a show at the Dubai Fountain. The fountain is one of the tallest fountains in the world. It lies at the foot of the Dubai Mall. The fountain consists of high-pressure fountain jets strategically placed across the lake, which expands to a length that equals the length of two football fields. The fountain uses up close to 22,000 gallons of water with the jets of water reaching heights of nearly 140 meters. This is one show that is certain to leave a first time viewer in complete awe. We booked a boat ride in advance that happens in the lake offering a close up and personal view of the fountains.
Location: The Burj Lake
Enjoy A Bedouin Style Dinner
The next thing on the list of how to spend twenty-four hours in Dubai has finally come down to the last two activities. The second last activity we had planned for was a big hearty Bedouin-style dinner at one of the popular restaurants in Dubai. Bedouin’s were the early nomadic settlers that came and settled in Dubai. These ancient people slowly and steadily repopulated the entire Arabian peninsula. Bedouin-style food takes its influence from the nomadic lifestyle and cooking methods that the ancestors of Dubai mastered over the years. Hence, you can expect a lot of game meat, seafood and even camel meat as a part of a Bedouin style meal.
Locations: Al Marhabani restaurant, Al Ustad Special Kebab, Bu Qtair
Catch A Late Night Movie
As we moved into the final hours of the night, the last activity we decided upon was to catch a late-night movie in one of the many unique cinemas of Dubai. It is one of the best things to do after an eventful day in Dubai. We ended up making some new friends at the restaurant where we had our dinner who recommended some popular late night spots in Dubai. Dubai is known for going high or not doing it at all. The city has some of the most unique cinema halls that do not exist anywhere on the Arabian peninsula. So choose your movie and head to one of these extreme movie halls for a once in a lifetime experience.
Locations: IMAX at IMG World Of Adventure, Guy Fieri’s Kitchen & Bar, On The Roof
