3 days in Dubai: Family trip Itinerary to the City of Gold

Neha Singh

5 years ago

Day 1: Begin with a Cultural Tour (Morning & afternoon)

The Dubai Creek divides Dubai into Old and New Dubai. On one side of the creek lies Bur Dubai and the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, and on the other side, Deira and the rest of modern Dubai.

The traditional houses and wind towers are lovely.

Begin your day exploring the old Al Fahidi or the Bastikaya neighbourhood. Stroll the meandering pathways scattered with wind towers and traditional Arabian homes. Here is a detailed itinerary of what to do and see in this area –

- - Visit the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding to learn more about the Emirati culture.
  - Check out the Majlis Gallery, Dubai’s very first art gallery.
  - Stop for a coffee at the famous Basta Art Café.
  - Visit the Al-Fahidi Fort, which is the oldest surviving building in Dubai, which now houses the Dubai Museum. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn about the history, culture, and traditions of Dubai.
  - Do some marketing at the Bur Dubai Souq, where you can purchase every kind of spice that was ever grown.
  - There’s also a bustling textile market here that’s been in business since the 1830s.
  - Take the short abra ride from Bur Dubai to Deira. Watch the colourful dhows on the creek, and explore the Grand Souq and the Spice Souq of Deira.
  - Explore the Heritage House and the Al-Ahmadiya School, both of which are excellent examples of late-19th-century Arabian architecture.

The thing about Dubai is that even a cultural tour is not boring – your kids will enjoy it if you educate them as to the significance. Old Dubai has many lovely cafes that your kids will love.

Day 1: Take a Dinner Dhow Cruise (evening)

This evening dhow cruise makes for an enjoyable affair for the whole family.

A dhow dinner cruise is a fabulous way to finish off your first day in Dubai. The beautifully renovated and decorated dhow cruise, either on the Dubai Creek or the Dubai Marina, takes you past some of the finest landmarks in the city. The 2-hour dinner dhow cruise allows you to take in the Dubai skyline from a unique perspective.

Watch the city lights sparkling, their reflections glittering on the dark water as you enjoy some on-board belly dancing, henna painting and a full Emirati buffet dinner. A dhow dinner cruise is a must-do in your Dubai itinerary for 3 days.

Check out this guide to where to stay in Dubai across all budgets.

Day 2: Hop on Hop off Big Bus Tour (morning)

Broaden your exposure to Dubai on the second day by taking a hop-on-hop-off big bus tour. There are several bus tour routes – choose the one that fits your timelines best. If you choose a route that takes you to most of Dubai’s landmarks, you can see a great deal of the city in just half a day.

The beauty of this bus tour is that you can get off at various stops and explore attractions on foot. There’s another bus lining up at the next stop every 15 minutes so it’s easy for you to get back on the tour.

Day 2: Desert Safari Tour (evening)

No Dubai trip itinerary is complete without a visit to the famed sand dunes! Book a desert safari for your second evening in Dubai and by 4pm, you’ll be on the road to the majestic dunes for your evening desert safari.

You have to see a sunset in a desert to admire nature’s beauty.

If you like, you can participate in various desert sports such as dune bashing, quad biking, sand boarding and camel riding on the dunes of the Arabian Desert. You’ll camp at a typical Arabian Bedouin campsite and enjoy the live in-tent entertainment, including belly dancing, Tanura show and henna artists. When it’s time for sunset, be sure to get your tripod out and take some scintillating, Instagram-worthy pictures of a desert sunset.

Also, read – Adventure at the Wahiba Sands: An overnight trip to a desert camp

Day 3: Ski Dubai (morning)

Nothing seems more incongruous and fantastical in Dubai than an indoor ski resort in the middle of a desert. Incongruous or not, it’s there, and worth a visit on your 3-day trip. The huge indoor manmade mountain has several ski slopes, even offering different scales of challenges, from beginner to expert-level.

There’s a snow playground for kids that has live penguins scampering about. There’s a café on the tallest mountain for those who want to sip their hot coffees and watch the fun. You can ski, toboggan, snowboard or just enjoy the show as you wish.

Day 3: Wild Wadi Water Park (noon)

Here’s something for the kids – Dubai’s most exciting water park just as the sweltering sun hits an all-time high at noon. When it’s 40 degrees and more outside, nothing feels better than cool water as you gush through a sky-high slide.

Grownups will delight in the perfect view of the Burj Al Arab from the Wild Wadi Water Park – another attraction to see on your list. The water park has a lazy river, a shallow wave pool, a surf machine, and a number of adrenalin-pumping rides that both kids and grownups will enjoy in your party. The scariest ride is the Jumeirah Sceirah, wherein you get into an upright capsule, and then the floor gives away beneath you as you tumble into a pool of water below.

Check out this post on other amazing water parks in UAE.

Day 3: Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the Dubai Fountains

End your Dubai trip in style! From the Wild Wadi Waterpark, head to the incomparable Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building. The city of world records has many more interesting facts.

At the Burj Khalifa, visit the observation deck on level 125, which is 465 metres above the ground. Enjoy a falcon’s eye view of the city from here. Make use of the telescopes that are placed in different spots to gaze into the distance.

On the ground floor, explore the Dubai Mall and its many retail outlets and food court eateries. The Dubai Mall has 1200 plus retail outlets and it’s not possible to take them all in one afternoon, so don’t even try. Just follow the map and visit only those stores that you absolutely want to. Don’t miss a visit to the gold souqs – you’ll never see so much gold anywhere else!

Outside, the Dubai Fountain – a choreographed fantasy of laser lights and fountain jets – awaits to thrill you. The Dubai Fountain has been designed by the same people who set up the Las Vegas Bellagio fountain show. It’s a delightful show that plays to some of the fanciest tunes in the world.

Cultural immersion, show-stopping landmarks, an evening in the open desert, skiing in the morning, a water-park in the afternoon and the world’s tallest building and a fantastical show to end your evening – where else will you experience so much in just 3 days!

This is a Guest Post by Neha Singh. Neha is an avid trekker who often takes off time from her busy life for mountaineering. She loves meeting new people and gets attached to their culture easily. Her ambition is to explore as many places as she can in her life. She strongly believes in Gandhian principle – “simple living high thinking”. Neha writes about Dubai at http://dubaiwikia.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.