UltimateCity Guide Dubai
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Burj Khalifa and the towers of Business Bay reflected in the water at blue hour Burj Khalifa and the towers of Business Bay reflected in the water at blue hour Downtown Dubai and Sheikh Zayed Road at night, with Burj Khalifa on the left Abras moored on Dubai Creek at sunset Madinat Jumeirah’s waterways, with Burj Al Arab beyond

The city guide to Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Best of Dubai

Burj Khalifa at blue hour, abras crossing the Creek, resorts on the Palm, the wind-tower lanes of Al Fahidi and a dining scene the MICHELIN Guide has nearly doubled in a year.

Where to eatWhat to see

Your trusted, one‑stop guide to Dubai

Dubai began on the Creek, where abras still cross between Bur Dubai and Deira, and grew south along the coast to Downtown, Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and the Palm. Here are the grand hotels and the 2026 MICHELIN stars, the souks and the wind-tower quarter, beaches, desert lakes and day trips to Abu Dhabi, Hatta and Sharjah. We’ve checked every listing against the venue’s own website or an official source, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Etihad Rail: Dubai Station

New this year

By train to Abu Dhabi

Jumeirah Golf Estates·Railway station

Etihad Rail’s passenger trains now run from Dubai Station at Jumeirah Golf Estates to Abu Dhabi in about 64 minutes. Make a day of it: the Grand Mosque in the morning, Louvre Abu Dhabi after lunch and coffee at Emirates Palace.

Plan the day

Dubai by neighbourhood

From the Creek to the Palm: each area has its own guide.

Burj Khalifa and the towers of Business Bay reflected in the water at blue hourNeighbourhood guideDowntown DubaiBurj Khalifa and the FountainThe towers of Dubai Marina lit up at night around the yacht basinNeighbourhood guideDubai Marina & JBRTowers, yachts and the beachAtlantis The Palm and the monorail, seen from The PointeNeighbourhood guidePalm JumeirahAtlantis and the crescentMadinat Jumeirah’s waterways, with Burj Al Arab beyondNeighbourhood guideJumeirahBeaches, Madinat and Wasl 51Abras moored on Dubai Creek at sunsetNeighbourhood guideOld Dubai: Deira & Al FahidiThe Creek, abras and souksDowntown Dubai and Sheikh Zayed Road at night, with Burj Khalifa on the leftNeighbourhood guideDIFCGate Village and LunaDubai Water Canal and the towers of Business Bay at sunsetNeighbourhood guideBusiness BayThe canal and The LanaThe Downtown skyline and Burj Khalifa at sunset, seen across the water from Dubai Creek HarbourNeighbourhood guideDubai Creek HarbourSkyline and flamingosA Dubai Metro Red Line train beside Sheikh Zayed RoadNeighbourhood guideExpo City DubaiThe Expo site and the railway

Plan your trip

The practical things to know before you go.

The arrivals hall at Dubai International AirportBefore you goDubai essentialsEntry, money, etiquette and getting aroundA Dubai Metro Red Line train beside Sheikh Zayed RoadGetting aroundGetting aroundMetro, tram, rail and abrasBurj Khalifa and the towers of Business Bay reflected in the water at blue hourItineraryFour days in DubaiThe classic first visitMadinat Jumeirah’s waterways, with Burj Al Arab beyondLuxury guideLuxury DubaiThe finest addresses

Beyond Dubai

The capital by train, the mountains, art in Sharjah and the desert.

The “rain of light” falling through the dome at Louvre Abu DhabiBeyond DubaiAbu DhabiThe Grand Mosque and the LouvreThe green water of Hatta Dam between the Hajar MountainsBeyond DubaiHattaA lake among the peaksRestored coral-stone buildings in the Heart of SharjahBeyond DubaiSharjahArt and a UNESCO landscapeSunset over the dunes in the desert outside DubaiBeyond DubaiThe desertDunes, oryx and desert lakes

In depth: Dubai’s back stories

The grand hotels, the MICHELIN year, the city’s story and where to buy.

Atlantis The Royal across the water from The Pointe, Palm JumeirahThe back storyThe grand hotelsThe Palm to the CreekAbras moored on Dubai Creek at sunsetThe back storyDesert to skylineHow Dubai grewDried rosebuds, herbs and spices for sale in the Spice Souk, DeiraThe back storyEating in DubaiThe 2026 MICHELIN yearThe towers of Dubai Marina lit up at night around the yacht basinThe back storyBuying in DubaiFreehold areas and feesThe Dubai Fountain at dusk in front of The Dubai MallFun factsDubai fun factsThings you might not know

ULTIMATE City Guides: Europe & beyond

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos HillGreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.Visit the guide The old town of Belgrade above the Sava, with the spire of the Cathedral Church of St MichaelSerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.Visit the guide The Romanian Athenaeum in its gardenRomaniaULTIMATE BucharestBelle Époque palaces, concerts at the Athenaeum, a buzzing food and coffee scene, and the castles and mountains of the Carpathians.Visit the guide The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the DanubeHungaryULTIMATE BudapestThermal baths, grand coffee houses, ruin bars and MICHELIN-starred dining on both banks of the Danube, with day trips to the Danube Bend and Lake Balaton.Visit the guide Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini calderaGreeceULTIMATE Greek IslandsIsland hopping made easy: Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos and the Cyclades, plus Crete, Rhodes and Corfu, with ferries, beaches, hotels and tavernas.Visit the guide Helsinki Cathedral above the South HarbourFinlandULTIMATE HelsinkiSuomenlinna and the South Harbour, saunas by the sea, Aalto and the Design District, two-starred Palace and day trips to Porvoo and Tallinn.Visit the guide The Golden Horn and the mosques of the old city, IstanbulTurkeyULTIMATE IstanbulTwo continents, one city: Hagia Sophia and the bazaars, Bosphorus ferries, meyhanes and rooftop bars, Sinan’s hammams and the car-free Princes’ Islands.Visit the guide The Triple Bridge over the LjubljanicaSloveniaULTIMATE LjubljanaSlovenia’s green, car-free capital of river cafés and Plečnik’s bridges, an hour from Lake Bled, the Julian Alps, the caves and the Adriatic.Visit the guide The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth TowerUnited KingdomULTIMATE LondonRoyal palaces and the Thames, world-class museums, West End theatre, grand hotels, and the restaurants and bars of Soho, Mayfair and the City.Visit the guide Yachts in Puerto BanúsSpainULTIMATE MarbellaWhitewashed lanes and orange trees in the Old Town, the yachts of Puerto Banús, beach clubs on the Golden Mile and day trips to Ronda and Gibraltar.Visit the guide Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountainsOur sister guideULTIMATE MonacoThe Casino and Monte-Carlo’s palace hotels, the Prince’s Palace on the Rock, superyachts in Port Hercule, Larvotto’s beach clubs and the Grand Prix streets.Visit the guide The Millennium Bridge over the MoračaMontenegroULTIMATE PodgoricaMontenegro’s relaxed capital of rivers and café terraces, and the gateway to the Bay of Kotor, Lake Skadar, Cetinje and the mountains.Visit the guide The Sebilj fountain and the square of BaščaršijaBosnia & HerzegovinaULTIMATE SarajevoWhere East meets West at a line in the pavement: an Ottoman bazaar, Habsburg boulevards, Bosnian coffee and the 1984 Olympic mountains, with Mostar two hours away.Visit the guide The Stone Bridge over the VardarNorth MacedoniaULTIMATE SkopjeA 15th-century stone bridge between a 21st-century square and an Ottoman bazaar, Kenzo Tange’s concrete city, Matka Canyon, and Lake Ohrid three hours away.Visit the guide The gilded domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, SofiaBulgariaULTIMATE SofiaRoman streets beneath the city, golden domes, warm mineral springs and a mountain at the end of the main boulevard.Visit the guide Skanderbeg Square with the Et’hem Bey MosqueAlbaniaULTIMATE TiranaAn Ottoman mosque painted with waterfalls, museums in bunkers, Blloku’s cafés and the Dajti cable car, with Berat, Gjirokastër, the Alps and the Riviera within reach.Visit the guide The tiled roof of St Mark’s Church in Zagreb’s Upper TownCroatiaULTIMATE ZagrebCroatia’s elegant capital of cafés, museums and markets, and the gateway to Plitvice Lakes, Istria, Dubrovnik and the islands of the Adriatic.Visit the guide Goat Cay and the turquoise shallows of the ExumasOur sister guideULTIMATE The BahamasSeven hundred islands: Nassau and Paradise Island, the Exuma Cays and the swimming pigs, Harbour Island’s pink sand, marinas and island hopping.Visit the guide The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. JamesOur sister guideULTIMATE BarbadosThe Platinum West Coast and Sandy Lane, UNESCO-listed Bridgetown, rum where it was born, Friday nights in Oistins and the wild Atlantic east.Visit the guide Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coastUSAULTIMATE CaliforniaSan Francisco, Napa and Sonoma, Big Sur and the Pacific Coast Highway, San Diego, Palm Springs, Lake Tahoe and the national parks.Visit the guide The beach at Rosemary Beach on the Gulf of MexicoUSAULTIMATE FloridaOrlando and the theme parks, Palm Beach, Tampa Bay, Sarasota, St. Augustine and Scenic Highway 30A.Visit the guide The Las Vegas Strip at duskNevadaULTIMATE Las VegasThe Strip and its shows, MICHELIN dining, Sphere and Fremont Street’s neon, with Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon beyond.Visit the guide Griffith Observatory with downtown Los Angeles beyondCaliforniaULTIMATE Los AngelesHollywood and the Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills’ grand hotels, the Sunset Strip, the Getty and the beaches from Santa Monica to Malibu.Visit the guide Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami BeachFloridaULTIMATE MiamiSouth Beach and the Art Deco district, Wynwood’s murals, the Design District, Little Havana’s cafecito and the beaches of Key Biscayne.Visit the guide Sunset at the Naples PierFloridaULTIMATE NaplesWhite-sand beaches and sunsets on the Gulf of Mexico, Fifth Avenue’s terraces, grand beach resorts and golf, with the Everglades and Marco Island close by.Visit the guide The New York City skyline from Top of the RockNew YorkULTIMATE New YorkManhattan’s grand hotels and MICHELIN dining, Broadway and the Met, Fifth Avenue shopping, Central Park and the walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to DUMBO.Visit the guide The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery SpencerCaliforniaULTIMATE San FranciscoCable cars over Nob Hill, North Beach cafés, the murals of the Mission, three-star tables and the Golden Gate Bridge.Visit the guide Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed PitonsOur sister guideULTIMATE St LuciaThe UNESCO Pitons and Soufrière’s drive-in volcano, Marigot Bay, Rodney Bay and the Gros Islet street party, reefs, rum and cocoa.Visit the guide The Grand Palace reflected at dawnThailandULTIMATE BangkokThe Grand Palace and Wat Arun on the river, the grand hotels of Charoen Krung, MICHELIN stars from street food to tasting menus, rooftop bars and the Thai islands.Visit the guide An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the MaldivesOur sister guideULTIMATE MaldivesUndersea restaurants and overwater bars, Hanifaru Bay’s mantas, the whale sharks of South Ari, private islands and the little capital, Malé.Visit the guide The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbourIndiaULTIMATE MumbaiThe Taj and the Gateway of India, Marine Drive’s Queen’s Necklace, three UNESCO sites, modern Indian restaurants and day trips to Elephanta and the Ghats.Visit the guide The Lujiazui skyline and the Oriental Pearl Tower lit up at night across the Huangpu RiverChinaULTIMATE ShanghaiThe grand hotels of the Bund facing the towers of Pudong, every MICHELIN star, Yu Garden, the two Shanghai Museums and day trips to Suzhou and Hangzhou.Visit the guide The Nine Arch Bridge near Ella, in the hill countryOur sister guideULTIMATE Sri LankaColombo, the ramparts of Galle Fort, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, the tea country by train, Sigiriya and leopards in Yala.Visit the guide

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

The latest from our readers: visitors and locals talking about Dubai, its restaurants, theatres, museums and neighbourhoods.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    Dubai Design District (d3)

    This week's pick

    Dubai Design District (d3)

    d3·Design district

    Dubai Design Week runs at d3 from 3 to 8 November 2026, and the Dubai Fitness Challenge starts on 31 October. Global Village’s 31st season opened on 14 October.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    Burj Khalifa and the towers of Business Bay reflected in the water at blue hourItineraryFour days in DubaiFour daysAtlantis The Royal across the water from The Pointe, Palm JumeirahItineraryThree days in Dubai: the luxury editionThree daysAbras moored on Dubai Creek at sunsetItineraryOld Dubai and the CreekHalf a day, on foot and by abraThe “rain of light” falling through the dome at Louvre Abu DhabiItineraryAbu Dhabi by trainOne dayThe Downtown skyline and Burj Khalifa at sunset, seen across the water from Dubai Creek HarbourItineraryA property viewing day: Business Bay, Creek Harbour, the Palm and Dubai HillsOne day, by car

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Eating in Dubai: the back storyDubai · In depth
    2. 2FZN by Björn FrantzénPalm Jumeirah · Tasting menu
    3. 3Trèsind StudioPalm Jumeirah · Indian tasting menu
    See all 38

    Cafés

    1. 1Arabian Tea HouseAl Fahidi · Café
    2. 2XVA CaféAl Fahidi · Café
    3. 3Comptoir 102Jumeirah · Café and concept store
    See all 7

    Bars

    1. 1Luna, Four Seasons DIFCDIFC · Rooftop bar
    2. 2Il Bar, Bvlgari ResortJumeira Bay Island · Hotel bar
    3. 3Bitter Honey, The LanaBusiness Bay · Cocktail bar
    See all 8

    Hotels

    1. 1The grand hotels of Dubai: the back storyPalm Jumeirah · In depth
    2. 2Atlantis The RoyalPalm Jumeirah · Resort hotel
    3. 3Atlantis The PalmPalm Jumeirah · Resort hotel
    See all 26

    Sights

    1. 1Desert to skyline: the back storyDubai · In depth
    2. 2Burj Khalifa: At the TopDowntown Dubai · Observation decks
    3. 3The Dubai FountainDowntown Dubai · Fountain show
    See all 21

    Art & Culture

    1. 1Alserkal AvenueAl Quoz · Arts district
    2. 2Jameel Arts CentreAl Jaddaf · Contemporary art
    3. 3Dubai OperaDowntown Dubai · Opera house
    See all 7

    Parks & Beaches

    1. 1Ras Al Khor Wildlife SanctuaryRas Al Khor · Wetland reserve
    2. 2Zabeel ParkZabeel · City park
    3. 3Creek ParkUmm Hurair · City park
    See all 7

    Walks

    1. 1Dubai Marina WalkDubai Marina · Promenade
    2. 2The Walk at JBRJBR · Beachfront promenade
    3. 3Al Fahidi to the souks by abraBur Dubai · Heritage walk
    See all 8

    Shopping

    1. 1The Dubai MallDowntown Dubai · Mall
    2. 2Fashion Avenue, The Dubai MallDowntown Dubai · Luxury wing
    3. 3Mall of the EmiratesAl Barsha · Mall
    See all 10

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: call 999 or 998Dubai · Emergency numbers
    2. 2Mediclinic City HospitalDubai Healthcare City · Hospital
    3. 3American Hospital DubaiOud Metha · Hospital
    See all 11

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Dubai: the back storyDubai · In depth
    2. 2Knight Frank UAEDubai · Property consultancy
    3. 3Savills Middle EastDubai · Property consultancy
    See all 8

    Developments

    1. 1Etihad Rail passenger trains (open)Jumeirah Golf Estates · Railway
    2. 2Dubai Metro Blue Line (under construction)Dubai · Metro line
    3. 3Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) terminal (under construction)Dubai South · Airport
    See all 7

    Luxury Cars

    1. 1Ferrari – Al Tayer MotorsAl Manara · Showroom
    2. 2Rolls-Royce Motor Cars DubaiAl Wasl · Showroom
    3. 3Lamborghini DubaiUmm Al Sheif · Showroom
    See all 6

    Getting Around

    1. 1Dubai International Airport (DXB)Al Garhoud · Airport
    2. 2Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)Dubai South · Airport
    3. 3Etihad Rail: Dubai StationJumeirah Golf Estates · Railway station
    See all 10

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