Don’t be afraid of the Middle East in the summer. It’s always hot, so its infrastructure is built accordingly. Rest assured, you’ll be comfortable. Summer is low season and you’ll find hotels are deeply discounted. We booked 5 Star hotels for a fraction of the prices charged during high season, with rates as much as 75% off. If you want to get your feet wet in the Middle East, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the two cities to do it in. They are clean, safe cities with some of the best shopping and finest dining in the world. And no one does hospitality quite like the Middle East. Go.
3 DAY ININERARY
DAY 1 (Dubai)
Morning: Desert Tour
Afternoon: Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall
Evening: Souk Al Bahar & The Dubai Fountain
DAY 2 (Abu Dhabi & Dubai)
Morning: Sheikh Zayed Mosque (Abu Dhabi)
Afternoon: Burj Al Arab
Evening: Resort
DAY 3 (Dubai)
Morning: Wild Wadi Waterpark
Afternoon: Mall of the Emirates
Evening: Resort
Dubai and Abu Dhabi can be done in as little as 48-72 hours, making it a fantastic layover destination.
Fly into Dubai with a day trip to Abu Dhabi. Uber operates in Dubai so book your ride as you exit customs and arrive at your hotel in 20 minutes. There’s a car park immediately upon exiting the airport where the driver will be. Everyone speaks English which makes getting around a cinch. Local drivers can be excellent tour guides, so engage them while you have a native captive. Check-in to the Palace Downtown hotel and unwind before tomorrow’s full day.
DAY 1
Maximize your time by staying in the midst of it all in this downtown Dubai oasis. Connected to the Dubai Mall, and the Souk Al Bahar, this opulent Middle Eastern palace resort looks onto the dancing Dubai Fountains and has unobstructed views of the Burj Khalifa. Dine like royalty at the abundant breakfast buffet of traditional delicacies, laze by the palm-fringed swimming pool overlooking the world’s tallest building, wander through the oh so fragrant Arabic Souk next door, people watch at the Dubai Mall, and cap the day watching the Dubai Fountain show from your room. All of the day’s sightseeing in one location makes for a truly relaxing day.
Feast on the hotel’s breakfast buffet of Arabian goodies before the 7am Desert Tour pick up.
You didn’t come all the way to the Middle East to skip the desert. Book a morning dune tour before midday heat, and get out of the city and into the stillness of the desert. Our morning tour included dune driving, sand boarding, camel rides, ATVs, and a refreshment stop. In under an hour you’ll arrive at the quiet and vast desert. We seemed to be the only ones during our entire time in the desert, no doubt another perk of the off season and the morning tour vs the evening tour. During the dune drive, the driver will stop for you to explore the desert and take photos.
You can also sandboard while stopped, provided you’re willing to climb back up the dune. Think opening scene in The Force Awakens, but thankfully a bit smaller.
After sandboarding, you can take a short camel ride. Yes, short. You don’t want to ride a camel for more than a few minutes in the desert. You’ll see. Hang on tight and hope it feels like carrying you that day, unlike ours.
After a camel ride you can hop on ATVs if you wish. We shopped instead for hijabs and shmaghs sipping cold drinks. To replenish those electrolytes, hydrate with fresh coconut water and enjoy the machete show. He sure makes it look easy.
Admire the wild dates growing everywhere, which have been an important part of survival in the UAE for 7,000 years. Bedouins were known to have survived on dates and camel milk alone. Though I’m more impressed they survived on top of camels.
You’ll arrive back at the Dubai Mall just in time for lunch. The Dubai Mall is the 2nd largest mall in the world by total land area. At 12 million sq. ft. it has over 1,200 retail stores and more than 200 food and beverage outlets. Check out the aquarium (which you can admire at no cost running the entire length of the mall corridor while shopping), the ice rink, and the Dubai Dino, a 155 million year-old Diplodocus dinosaur skeleton from the late Jurassic Period.
During Ramadan some restaurants are closed, but there are still plenty serving food. The places that are open simply put up dividers so you’re not on display to passersby while eating.
Someone spotted The Lego Store in the Dubai Mall.
After grabbing a quick bite at the Dubai Mall Food Court, head over to the Burj Khalifa via the mall’s Ground Level. The world’s tallest building with over 160 stories stands 3 times as tall as the Eiffel Tower. Burj is the Arabic word for tower, and this tower is something to behold. Book tickets to the 124th Level outdoor observatory via the world’s fastest double deck elevators cruising at 10m/s. The 360 degree views of Dubai from the top of the world’s tallest building are incredible. Downtown Dubai stands in stark contrast to the desert just past it.
Looking down from the 124th floor observatory onto the Dubai Mall (left), the Souk Al Bahar (center), and the Palace Downtown hotel (right). The Palace Downtown hotel stretches from the pool overlooking the lake all the way out to the main road shown.
Looking out over the Persian Gulf at The World, the artificial archipelago of small islands constructed into the shape of a world map.
It takes a team of 36 window cleaners 3 months to wash the Burj Khalifa, which stands at 206 storeys tall, reaching half a mile into the sky. On average window washers make $10-$25 per hour, about what McDonald’s workers in the US want to be paid.
Capturing the entire building in a photo proved difficult. A few countries later, I’ve since learned a sideways panoramic does the trick. Until next time, we have to live with these gems.
Before returning to the hotel, stroll through the Souk Al Bahar, meaning “market of the sailor” in Arabic. It’s a modernized experience of traditional Arabian markets accessible through the walkway of The Dubai Mall overlooking the Dubai Fountain and the Burj Khalifa. As you step inside, cold icy air blows at you permeated with the scent of fresh flowers.
Stop by Bateel to select from their vast selection of local dates on display behind endless glass cases. You’ll find their shops all over Dubai, including the airport. We continue to have them shipped long after our trip.
The Souk has many shops to stock up on regional treats.
And of course, pick up any other snacks to enjoy in the room for the Dubai Fountain show later in the evening.
Relax like royalty the rest of the afternoon at the Palace Downtown hotel in the middle of everything Downtown Dubai has to offer. The Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Foundation are straight ahead, the Souk Al Bahar entrance to the right, and the Dubai Mall is peeking out just behind the Souk.
Leaving the hotel entrance heading to the Souk Al Bahar entrance just adjacent a few feet away is the only distance you have to bear in the heat.
There’s no shortage of places to pray or meditate on the hotel grounds. While the West prides themselves on division of Church and State, we miss out on experiencing the serenity of standing in line at a food court or at an airline counter and hearing prayer chanted over the loudspeaker.
Off-season the pool is all yours. To cool off, hop into the pool or pop into the complimentary air conditioned cabana behind your lounge chair.
Looking up at Burj Khalifa stretching half a mile up into the sky never gets old. At this hotel enjoy unobstructed views morning, noon, and night.
Starting at dusk, The Dubai Fountain show plays every 30 minutes, lasting around 5 minutes. Reserve a room with a view to enjoy the shows from the balcony through the night watching the water and lights dazzle and dance to music from all over the world.
DAY 2
It’s check-out time because the morning kicks off with a drive to Abu Dhabi to visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and a drop back to a new hotel. The next two days will be spent visiting the sights on the other side of Dubai on the Persian Gulf. Plan to arrive when the Mosque opens to avoid midday heat and crowds. After an early breakfast it should be a smooth ride. We didn’t hit any traffic in route.
A little over an hour’s drive from Dubai is one of the world’s largest and most beautiful mosques with a seating capacity for 40,000. With 82 domes, over 1,000 columns, 24 carat gold gilded chandeliers, and the world’s largest hand knotted carpet, it is absolutely gorgeous. The mosque is open daily to visitors, unlike many mosques in the UAE. Proper attire is required and also provided by the mosque upon entrance so don’t bother hunting around for long dark clothes to meet the dress code.
If you arrive when it opens, you’ll likely have the place almost entirely to yourself for almost an hour like us.
Explore the outside before you head into the Prayer Hall, while it’s still relatively cool before the temperature spikes.
The Mosque is massive. More than 90,000 tons of pure white Greek and Macedonian marble were used.
Over 80 marble domes sit on a roofline held by 1,000 pillars punctuated by minarets.
It’s comfortable under the column-lined walkways, and there’s no shortage of them.
Floral designs are inlaid with semi-precious stones including lapis lazuli, red agate, amethyst, jasper, and mother-of-pearl.
After exploring the outside of the Mosque, take your shoes off and head inside. The largest chandelier weighs 11 tons and sparkles with Swarovski crystals.
The Prayer Hall contains the world’s largest loomed carpet at 60,546 sq. ft. Made from Iranian cotton and New Zealand wool and flown in from Iran, it took over 1,000 weavers more than a year to complete. It’s comprised of 2.2 billion individual hand-tied knots and weighs 12 tons. It’s green, symbolic of life in the desert with a yellow perimeter symbolizing the desert sand surrounding an oasis.
Our visit lasted a little over an hour, and the tour buses arrived just as we were heading to the gift shop. At the on-site cafe, we enjoyed camel milk ice cream and picked up some cold drinks for the ride back to Dubai.
Check-in to your resort (we’ll talk more about the resort later), freshen up and get ready to head over to the Burj Al Arab for lunch. Arguably the world’s most iconic hotel, a visit to Dubai would not be complete without seeing “The Burj”. You don’t have to spend 4 digits a night to experience the hotel. Booking a reservation, well in advance, at one of their restaurants will get you in. Carry photo ID so security can match your name to the reservation on file. And if you’re staying at the Madinat Jumeirah, which is part of the same hotel group, they will shuttle you there and back.
Arrive early to explore the hotel before your meal because you will be escorted out upon completion. The helipad Tiger Woods likes to tee off on towers over the entrance.
Scroll down three photos and then scroll up to see the view in the lobby. Another job for the sideways panoramic.
At least window shop.
There are a number of restaurants to choose from when booking your reservation, and Scape is as affordably priced as any dining establishment. It sits overlooking the Arabian Gulf, and again, during off-season, we were one of two tables in the restaurant.
Since endless Arabian breakfast and dinner buffets were included in our stay, we kept lunch light for both our stomach and wallet.
Quite possibly the most beautiful view from a restaurant restroom in the world.
Your ride back is waiting for you in a decked out golf cart.
Time to enjoy that private resort beach you came to this side of town for. It’s gorgeous, warm and you got it, empty!
Enjoy the views of the Burj Al Arab from the beach.
Feast time. Cuisine stations in every direction.
I generally avoid buffets like the plague, except at 5-Star Middle Eastern and Asian hotels.
Dates and fresh squeezed lemon mint juice, the only two reasons you need to visit Dubai.
That was a full day. Tomorrow will be chill before your journey on.
DAY 3
After a lazy breakfast sampling 400 of the breakfast buffet options, catch a resort buggy to Wild Wadi Water Park, ranked one of the world’s 20 best water parks.
Admission was included in our room rate, so keep an eye out for the deal when you book.
Unlike most other locations in the world, pools in Dubai are kept chilled.
Escape the midday heat and make your way to the Mall of the Emirates on the complimentary resort shuttle to grab lunch. When you disembark at the mall, be sure to check with the driver what time the shuttles return and from which parking spot, otherwise it won’t be easy figuring this out later. Welcoming more than 42 million visitors annually, the Mall of the Emirates is home to the Middle East’s first indoor ski resort and snow park, the largest cinema ever built in the Middle East with 24 screens, a luxury 5 star hotel, over 500 retailers, and 100 restaurants.
Shop til you drop, or spend some time people watching before heading back to the resort.
There’s a reason many Dubai tours include a stop at the Madinet Jumeirah Resort. Set on its own private beach stretching 2 kilometers along the Arabian Gulf, the resort is a recreation of ancient Arabia and that will be evident upon arrival. Nothing short of massive, it’s comprised of 3 grand hotels, 29 Arabian Summerhouses, 7 private villas, a Spa, a Fitness Club, a Theater, a Souk, 3 km of waterways, and over 50 restaurants and bars. It’s indeed a mini city, and sits adjacent to it’s world famous sister property, the Burj Al Arab and Wild Wadi Waterpark. Complimentary transportation around the resort grounds is provided via golf cart buggies and abras, and complimentary shuttle bus service is available to all guests to the Mall of the Emirates, as previously discussed. In addition to free entrance to Wild Wadi Park, summer deals also include meals, and are worth every single penny. The buffet spreads are truly endless with every type of cuisine and desert imaginable. It would be hard to eat, stay and play for less anywhere else with everything Madinet Jumeirah has to offer. This is how you do Dubai.
Exploring the resort grounds.
Souk Madinat Jumeirah is a mix of stands, barrows and stalls of souvenir gift shops, luxury fashion, jewelry and over 25 restaurants and cafes each with picture perfect views of the Arabian architecture, waterways or the Burj Al Arab.
No, it isn’t the dirty, loud, crowded, oven hot experience of old Dubai. That simply wouldn’t be an “enjoyable” option with my children.
Enjoy one last Middle Eastern Feast. You didn’t believe me, did you?
For me, Dubai isn’t a final destination. Rather, its an ideal place to pause for a few days before an onward journey. Its magnificence is awe inspiring. Its hospitality is warming. If you need to break up long flights between continents, or you’d like to incorporate an additional country into your itinerary, Dubai is an easy, excellent choice. Go.
As-salám aláykum. (peace be with you)
