Dubai attractions

Jumeirah Beach is Dubai’s main beach: a 13-mile (21-kilometer) ribbon of sugar-soft sand and azure Gulf water. Jumeirah is divided into sections, including the Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) beach and Kite Beach, which are interrupted by private beaches associated with hotels, such as the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab. The public stretches of beach offer perfect escapes from Dubai’s urban jungle. People flock here to sunbathe, swim, take boat trips, and participate in water sports, as well as relax in the parks, restaurants, and malls along its sands.

Sheikh Zayed Road is Dubai’s main artery and carves through the city north to south, parallel to the coast, before continuing to neighboring Abu Dhabi. Extending for a total of 346 miles (558 kilometers), it’s best-known for the skyscrapers along its central Dubai section—creating a scene reminiscent of a sci-fi movie.

The Dubai Fountain is a spectacle of swaying sprays, multi-coloured illuminations, and booming music, rising from the vast Burj Lake beneath Dubai’s Burj Khalifa tower. Composed of multiple jet formations accompanied by dazzling light displays, the fountains reach up to 459 feet (140 meters) as the water sprays dance in time to classical, pop, and Arabian music. Locals and visitors gather at the lakesides for the free-to-view shows that run at regular times every afternoon and evening.

Set inside Dubai Mall, the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is one of the world’s biggest aquariums. Walk through the 270-degree glass Aquarium Tunnel, where you’ll be surrounded by colorful fish, sand tiger sharks, and sting rays; admire rainforest, coastal, and river creatures such as penguins and giant crocodiles at the underwater zoo; and immerse yourself in the aquatic environment with close-up animal encounters, boat tours, and diving experiences.

South of Dubai Creek, the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood—sometimes referred to as the Bastakia Quarter—is comprised of wind tower (barjeel) houses, courtyards, and lanes dating from the late 1800s when Persian merchants first settled the area. As Dubai’s oldest district, it’s filled with museums and cultural attractions.

The first national park in the United Arab Emirates, the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) offers visitors a stunning landscape of sand dunes and desert fauna. The reserve is a must-visit for adventure travelers and outdoor enthusiasts, with its rolling dunes setting the scene for fat bike riding, dune buggy trips, camel trekking, sandboarding, and falcon demonstrations.

Come face-to-face with 65,000 marine creatures, dive with sharks, and walk underwater at the Lost World Aquarium in Dubai’s Atlantis, The Palm hotel. This state-of-the-art aquarium is themed around the mythical Lost City of Atlantis and consists of illuminated underground chambers brimming with sea life from across the world.

Smack dab in the heart of modern Dubai, the Mall of the Emirates is more than the city’s second-largest mall. The multilevel center, one of Dubai’s most popular destinations, draws visitors with a huge array of international stores and leisure attractions, from fashion outlets and restaurants to theaters and an indoor ski resort.

Prepared to be amazed at Dubai’s first permanent show,La Perle by Dragone. A feast for the senses,La Perle is an immersive theater experience that features thrilling aerial displays, aquatic stunts and acrobatics, and cutting-edge special effects and illusion, all unfolding in a purpose-built “aqua theater” that includes an on-stage pool.

One of the most recent additions to Dubai’s skyline, this museum serves both as an architectural landmark and a fascinating glimpse into our changing world. Housed in a gigantic silver “eye” adorned with Arabic calligraphy, the futuristic museum certainly looks the part. Inside, interactive exhibitions and experiences invite visitors to explore the future of humanity, science, travel, and technology.

No place gives better insight into life on the Mekong Delta than the Cai Rang Floating Market (Chợ Noi Cái Rang), where hundreds of wooden rowboats showcase everything from rice and clothing to exotic fruits and vegetables. Located just 4 miles (6 kilometers) from the city of Can Tho, the market can be admired from dry land or during a boat ride.

Ski Dubai is an indoor ski resort with five slopes of varying difficulties, lengths, and gradients, including the world's first indoor black run and largest indoor snow park. Aside from the sporting opportunities, the park offers plenty of snow-centric fun for nonskiers as well.

Covering an area of 28 American football fields, IMG Worlds of Adventure in Dubai is the world’s biggest indoor theme park. Situated on the edge of the city, this destination offers six adventure zones—Marvel, Cartoon Network, Lost Valley, IMG Boulevard, The Haunted Town, and IMG Kids Zone—all based on the fantasy worlds of movie superheroes.

Explore the world of illusions and test the limits of your perception at Dubai’s immersive Museum of Illusions. Spanning around 4,845 square feet (450 square meters), the museum features more than 60 interactive exhibits, mind-bending optical illusions, stereograms, and holograms, as well as a playroom with puzzles to challenge the mind.

Fly over Dubai or get an aerial view from one of its many skyscrapers, and you’ll notice something unusual about the shoreline: Hundreds of small manmade islands have been created along the coastline, fashioned into elaborate shapes that can only be admired from above. The palm tree-shaped Palm Jumeirah is most famous, followed by the larger but less developed Palm Jebel Ali and the World Islands, shaped like a map of the world.

Overlooking the Burj Al Arab hotel on Jumeirah Beach in Dubai, Wild Wadi Waterpark boasts 30 water attractions and draws almost a million visitors annually. Adrenaline-junkies, water lovers, and families wanting a fun day out flock here to enjoy everything from white-knuckle chutes to lazy rivers, play pools, surf waves, and more.

Fringing the town of Hatta in the eastern United Arab Emirates’ Hajar Mountains, the Hatta Heritage Village is a restored mountain village that showcases life as it was before the country’s oil boom. Comprised of the reconstructed houses of what was once a working village, the village illustrates different aspects of traditional life, from customs and crafts to agriculture.

Overlooking Dubai Marina, Dubai Marina Mall is one of the city’s smaller and more understated shopping and entertainment destinations. Opened in 2008 with a central domed atrium and around 140 outlets spread across four levels, the mall exudes a calm and unhurried atmosphere in keeping with its waterside location.

The Ain Dubai observation wheel soars 820 feet (250 meters) above sea level on Bluewaters Island, located on the southwest side of Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah archipelago. Opened in 2021, it’s one of the world’s highest observation wheels and treats passengers to rotating views of the Dubai skyline and Persian Gulf.

Experience a tropical rainforest in the middle of the desert at Green Planet. Located in Dubai, Green Planet is a biodome and indoor rainforest experience. Spanning 60,000 square feet (5,574 square meters), Green Planet houses more than 3,000 plants and animals and the world’s largest artificial tree.

Experience the magic of Hollywood in the desert at Motiongate Dubai, the largest Hollywood-inspired theme park in the Middle East. Part of Dubai Parks and Resorts, Motiongate features five separate zones, 27 rides, interactive play areas, and plenty of live shows and entertainment inspired by 13 popular Hollywood blockbusters.

Unleash your creativity and explore the colorful world of LEGO® at LEGOLAND® Dubai, the first of its kind in the Middle East. With six themed lands, more than 50 LEGO-themed rides, shows, building experiences, and millions of LEGO bricks, this 73-acre (30-hectare) theme park offers a fun and educational day out for the whole family.

Located in the Mirdif neighborhood of Dubai, iFly Dubai is a skydive center that lets you replicate the experience of a parachute drop in a controlled indoor environment. iFlyers—as they’re called—fly on air gusts created in an acrylic wind tunnel. You’ll get the sensation of a real skydive—without having to jump from a plane.

Dubai Parks and Resorts has grown to become the region’s first integrated resort destination, comprising three theme parks, a waterpark, an entertainment district, and a Polynesian-style family resort. From Lego-building experiences to Bollywood-themed stunt shows and fireworks every Friday night, there is truly something for everyone.

Escape the heat of the desert at LEGOLAND® Water Park, the only water park in the United Arab Emirates designed specifically for families with kids ages 2 to 12. Enjoy more than 15 water slides, raft and tube slides, a toddler play area, and the opportunity to customize your own LEGO raft and build your own miniature boat.

Overlooking the mouth of Dubai Creek, the Sheikh Saeed al Maktoum House was home to Dubai’s rulers during the early 20th century and is now a museum. Dating from 1896, the house is composed of wind towers (barjeel), courtyards, and rooms featuring exhibitions on Dubai and its ruling al-Maktoum clan from the late 1800s to the 1960s.

Tucked into Dubai’s Times Square Center alongside Sheikh Zayed Road, the Chillout Ice Lounge is the city’s—and the Arabian Peninsula’s—first ice bar. While outside temperatures can hit 118°F (48°C), this fun and beautiful venue lets visitors relax in an illuminated, ice-carved lounge—a novelty in the usually scorching metropolis.

While Dubai is known for its glitz and glamour, you still can find great deals in the city. The most famous place for shopping like a local is Karama Market, with its 300-plus shops selling everything from apparel to souvenirs. The market is also an excellent place for photography, with numerous colorful murals painted across area buildings.

Situated on Jumeirah Beach Road in Dubai’s Jumeirah 1 district, the Mercato Shopping Mall is hard to miss for its pastel-painted Italian-style design. Relatively small by Dubai standards, the mall accommodates around 140 shops—fewer than most of the city’s larger shopping centers—but scores highly for its upscale atmosphere and laid-back Mediterranean vibe.

Located in Dubai Mall, KidZania Dubai is an educational theme park where kids can learn about different professions, money, and the real world in a safe, interactive, and fun environment. A kid-size scaled replica of a real city, KidZania Dubai offers more than 60 real-life role-playing activities that teach kids important life skills.