Dubai

You come to Dubai for “luxury and skyscrapers,” and that’s half the story. The other half: it was a fishing town in 1990. Today: world’s tallest building, biggest mall, most luxurious hotel, 200 nationalities of expats. The result of a 40-year masterplan — everything is planned, spotless, hot (May–Sept 40°C+), and not cheap. Excellent as a short city break, 4 days is plenty.

Best time to visit

November–March is best: 22–28°C, dry, beach-ready. Dec–Jan is peak and priciest (hotels 2×). April–May and October are warm but tolerable. June–September is brutal (42°C+, 70% humidity) — you live inside hotels and malls. Cheap but punishing. During Ramadan, no eating/drinking in public during daylight (tolerance for tourists, but vibe shifts). Burj Khalifa NYE fireworks require booking weeks ahead.

How many days?

3–4 days is enough. Day 1 Marina + Palm Jumeirah + beach, Day 2 Downtown (Burj Khalifa + Dubai Mall + fountain), Day 3 Old Dubai (Spice Souk + Gold Souk + Al Fahidi + abra boat), Day 4 desert safari. Adding 1 more day? Abu Dhabi (Sheikh Zayed Mosque + Louvre Abu Dhabi). In summer 3 days max — you can’t leave the AC.

What to see

Burj Khalifa (124th floor or 148th for sunset — book 24h ahead). Dubai Mall + Aquarium + Fountain (every 30 min after 6 PM). Palm Jumeirah + Atlantis + The View at the Palm. Marina walk + JBR beach. Old Dubai: Al Fahidi, Spice/Gold Souk, abra crossing (1 dirham). Desert safari (Bedouin camp, dune bashing, sandboard). Under-the-radar: Alserkal Avenue (art), Hatta mountain, La Mer beach.

Food & drink

Lebanese + Indian + Iranian + Filipino + Ethiopian + Levantine — Dubai is a global food court. Must-try: machboos (Emirati rice), shawarma (Operation Falafel), camel burger (Local House Bastakiya), karak chai (1 dirham everywhere), Filipino Jollibee (just for fun). Skip mall fine dining — same dish in Old Dubai costs 1/4. Brunch culture: Friday 1–5 PM all-you-can-drink+eat (250–400 dirhams). Alcohol only at licensed hotels/restaurants.

Getting around

Metro is excellent (2 lines) and connects airport to downtown — get a Nol Card. Taxis are cheap and honest (meter works). Careem/Uber/Hala via app. Renting a car makes sense for Palm/Hatta (€25–35/day, fuel 1/3 of Europe). Roads are perfect but radars are strict — usually 100 km/h. Abu Dhabi 90 min taxi (~250 dirhams) or bus (25 dirhams).

Things to watch out for

Strict decency laws: public kissing/hugging is fined, walking with alcohol is illegal, complaining on social media → travel ban risk. During Ramadan, no water in public during daylight. Bikinis fine, thongs not. Zero tolerance on drugs (urine test catches a month-old joint). “Free” concerts/events are usually timeshare traps. Decline anyone offering a “limousine” instead of a taxi — 4× the cost. Many things shut Friday 12–2 PM (Friday prayer).

Budget estimate

Economy €60–100/day is hard (few hostels, food court Indian/Filipino, metro). Mid €120–200/day (3–4★ hotel, mixed restaurants, one activity). Luxury €300–800/day (5★ Palm/Burj, fine dining, VIP desert safari). 4-day mid trip is €600–900 (flights excluded). Flights from Europe €200–500 (Emirates/Flydubai/Pegasus). Desert safari €50–80, Burj Khalifa 124th €40, 148th €100. Bottled water is cheap (1 dirham), coffee is not (15–25 dirhams).