Al Fahidi Historic District

Dubai

　　Traffic fades to a quiet hum in the labyrinthine lanes of this nicely restored heritage area formerly known as the Bastakiya Quarter. Its narrow walking lanes are flanked by sand-coloured houses topped with wind towers, which provide natural air-conditioning. Today there are about 50 buildings containing museums, craft shops, cultural...

Alserkal Avenue

Dubai

　　Edgy contemporary art from the Middle East and beyond has found a home in Dubai thanks to the vision of Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal. The local developer and arts patron has turned a sprawling warehouse complex in dusty Al Quoz into a buzzing gallery and cultural campus that also features...

Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary

Dubai

　　Incongruously framed by highways, this surprising sanctuary on Dubai Creek is an important stopover for migratory waterbirds on the east Africa–west Asian flyway. Gracious pink flamingos steal the show in winter, but avid birdwatchers can spot more than 170 species in this pastiche of salt flats, mudflats, mangroves and lagoons...

Cartoon Art Gallery

Dubai

　　This bi-level space is the first gallery in the Middle East dedicated to cartoon and animation art from across the entire spectrum of media, from paint to video and print. Exhibitions might feature artwork and posters illustrating the world of Tintin or present animated cartoons by such famous names as...

Coffee Museum

Dubai

　　This cute private museum in a historic Emirati home offers an aromatic bean-based journey around the world and back in time. Learn about the importance of coffee in different cultures, examine a rotating roster of old grinders, pots, roasters and related implements, and sample freshly brewed Ethiopian coffee (Dhs10) prepared...

Sheikh Zayed Bridge Waterfall

Dubai

　　This illuminated and motion-operated waterfall cascades down both sides of Sheikh Zayed Bridge, stopping only for passing vessels. It's an impressive sight to enjoy while strolling alongside the canal. ...

XVA Gallery

Dubai

　　Tucked into the Al Fahidi Historic District since 2003, XVA has a knack for ferreting out top-notch up-and-comers from around the Middle East and India. Works often express the artists' cultural identities and challenge viewers' preconceptions. It also participates in prestigious art fairs such as Art Basel and Art London...

Dubai Miracle Garden

Dubai

　　Covering some 2000 sq metres and touted as the largest natural flower garden in the world, there’s a sense of Alice in Wonderland–esque surrealism when entering this place. Wander past quirky bloom-covered peacocks, clocks and castles (a full-size Emirates Airbus A380 was the 2017 showstopper). Alternatively, chill out in a...

Dubai Design District

Dubai

　　Creative folks have a new HQ in Dubai. The fresh-off-the-drawing board Dubai Design District (d3) has drawn both regional and international talent and brands, including hot shots like Adidas and Foster + Partners. Visitors can tap into this laboratory of tastemakers by checking out the edgy architecture and public art,...

Al Qudra Lake

Dubai

　　One for the nature lovers, this series of man-made lakes is in the middle of the Saih Al Salam desert on Dubai’s southern outskirts. Swap skyscrapers for wide open dunes and oasis-like pools where you can spot plenty of free-roaming wildlife, more than 100 species of birds and several desert...

Dubai Butterfly Garden

Dubai

　　Some 15,000 butterflies flutter around these beautifully styled indoor domed gardens. Visitors love to pose with them as they land on shoulders and outstretched hands, sadly often unaware of the butterflies' fragility. If you want to deepen your knowledge about these pretty flying insects, pop into the museum, even though...

Jumeirah Mosque

Dubai

　　Snowy white and intricately detailed, Jumeirah is Dubai's most beautiful mosque and one of only a handful in the UAE that are open to non-Muslims – one-hour guided tours are operated by the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. Tours conclude with pastries and a discussion session during which you're...

Perfume House

Dubai

　　This waterfront museum is part of the Al Shindagha Museum restoration project and is the former home of a Dubai sheikha who loved all things perfume. The old building has been restored and interactive exhibits detail all things scent, smells and fragrance. There’s also a gift store stocked with wonderful-smelling...

Dubai Frame

Dubai

　　Opened in January 2018, this 150m rectangular 'picture frame' sits in Zabeel Park, right between historic and modern Dubai, and provides grand views of both parts of the city. Galleries on the ground floor tell the story of Dubai (the past) before visitors are whisked up to a viewing platform...

Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa

Dubai

　　It may only be 65km southeast of Dubai, but Al Maha feels like an entirely different universe. Gone are the skyscrapers, traffic and go-go attitude. At this remote desert eco-resort, it’s all about getting back to some elemental discoveries about yourself and where you fit into nature’s grand design. 　　Part...

Souk Al Bahar

Dubai

　　Translated as 'market of the sailor', Souk Al Bahar is a small arabesque-style mall next to the Dubai Mall that sells mostly tourist-geared items. It's really more noteworthy for its enchanting design (arch-lined stone corridors, dim lighting) and Dubai Fountain–facing restaurants, some of which are licensed. Also handy: a branch...

Etihad Museum

Dubai

　　Opened in 2017, this striking modern museum engagingly chronicles the birth of the UAE in 1971, spurred by the discovery of oil in the 1950s and the withdrawal of the British in 1968. Documentary films, photographs, artefacts, timelines and interactive displays zero in on historic milestones in the years leading...

White Dubai

Dubai

　　The Dubai spawn of the Beirut original did not need long to lure local socialites with high-energy rooftop parties under the stars. International spinmeisters shower partygoers with an eclectic sound soup, from house and electro to bump-and-grind hip-hop and R&B, all fuelled by dazzling projections and light shows. 　　It's the...

Museum of Illusions

Dubai

　　Opened in September 2018, this museum is fast becoming a favourite for families and Instagram fans, with several of the 'illusions' frankly looking a lot more amusing through the viewfinder than the naked eye (think rotated rooms and 'head on a platter'). That said, the rooms of mirrors, distorted perspective...

Spice Souq

Dubai

　　Steps from the Deira Old Souk abra station, the sound of Arabic chatter bounces around the lanes of this small covered market as vendors work hard to unload cardamom, saffron and other aromatic herbs photogenically stored in burlap sacks alongside nuts, incense burners, henna kits, shishas and dried limes, an...

Al Seef

Dubai

　　In the early 1900s this historical area was Dubai's trading hub, during a period when the pearl diving industry was being developed. Stretching some 1.8km along Dubai Creek, the developers have divided the area into two distinct areas: one sharply contemporary, with buildings that resemble piled-up shipping containers, and the...

Dubai Fountain

Dubai

　　This dancing fountain is spectacularly set in the middle of a giant lake against the backdrop of the glittering Burj Khalifa. Water undulates as gracefully as a belly dancer, arcs like a dolphin and surges as high as 140m, all synced to stirring classical, Arabic and world music soundtracks played...

Dubai Mall

Dubai

　　With around 1300 shops, this isn't merely the world's largest shopping mall – it’s a small city, with a giant ice rink and aquarium, a dinosaur skeleton, indoor theme parks and 150 food outlets. There’s a strong European-label presence, along with branches of the French Galeries Lafayette department store, the...

Mushrif National Park

Dubai

　　One of the oldest parks in Dubai, dating from 1974, Mushrif covers more than 5 sq km of natural ghaf forest, which is a haven for birds, including owls, Orphean warblers, hoopoes and black redstarts. The park has plenty of man-made attractions as well, including walking trails and bicycle tracks,...

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

Dubai

　　On the outskirts of Sharjah, the 225 sq km Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve accounts for 5% of the Emirate of Dubai's total land. The reserve was established in 1999 and has been involved in projects to reintroduce mountain gazelles, sand gazelles and Arabian oryx. It's possible to stay inside the...

Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

Dubai

　　Anyone keen on delving deeper into Emirati culture and history should take advantage of the activities, Emirati meals and tours offered through this nonprofit centre, based on the edge of Al Fahidi Historic District. Guided by the motto 'Open Doors, Open Minds', this unique institution was founded in 1995 by...

Dubai Museum

Dubai

　　The city's main historical museum charts Dubai's turbo-evolution from fishing and pearling village to global centre of commerce, finance and tourism. It has an atmospheric setting in the compact Al Fahidi Fort, built around 1800 and considered Dubai's oldest remaining structure. A walk-through mock souq, exhibits on Bedouin life in...

IMG Worlds of Adventure

Dubai

　　Housed in an air-conditioned hangar the size of 28 football fields, IMG Worlds of Adventure is the world’s largest indoor theme park. The US$1 billion park is truly impressive, with more than 20 rides and attractions split across four themed zones – Marvel, Cartoon Network, Lost Valley Dinosaur Adventure and...

Kite Beach

Dubai

　　This long, pristine stretch of white sand, a little way north of Jumeirah Public Beach, is a major draw for sporty types, with a range of activities on offer, including kitesurfing, beach tennis, beach volleyball and kayaking. There's also a jogging track and a shaded skatepark nearby. 　　The sand here...

Gold Souq

Dubai

　　All that glitters is gold (and occasionally silver) along this covered arcade where dozens of shops overflow with every kind of jewelry imaginable, from delicate pearl earrings to lavish golden wedding necklaces. Simply watching the goings-on is a treat. Settle down on a bench and take in the lively street...

Madinat Jumeirah

Dubai

　　One of Dubai’s most attractive developments, Madinat Jumeirah is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Arab village, complete with a souq (market), palm-fringed waterways and desert-colored hotels and villas festooned with wind towers. It’s especially enchanting at night, when the gardens are romantically lit and the Burj Al Arab gleams...

Burj Khalifa

Dubai

　　The Burj Khalifa is a stunning feat of architecture and engineering, with two observation decks on the 124th and 148th floors and a restaurant-bar on the 122nd. The world’s tallest building pierces the sky at 2715ft (828m) and opened in January 2010, six years after excavations began. Up to 13,000 workers...

Burj Al Arab

Dubai

　　The Burj Al Arab's graceful silhouette – meant to evoke the sail of a dhow (a traditional wooden cargo vessel) – is to Dubai what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. Completed in 1999, this iconic landmark hotel sits on an artificial island and comes with its own helipad and...