Apart from the sands and dunes and camels, Dubai is popular for its amazing tourist points. From luxurious hotels to expensive shopping malls, towers and museums, everything you see here is highly planned and astonishingly beautiful. From the tallest architectures to the widest highways, Dubai emphasizes on the power of money and its way of utilization. There was a time, when people used to imagine the dunes and then the Sheikhs and their way of dressing after uttering the name – Dubai. With time, the country has changed and people’s thoughts as well. Now, people think of Burj Khalifa – the tallest building on the earth whenever they hear Dubai.
Along with the notable architectures, it also has its cultural highlights. If you visit the Bastakia District you can explore the cultural side of this rich place. In the following lists, the top 15 tourist attractions have been mentioned based on their importance. These places are –
15. Mall of the Emirates:
Though, there are several shopping malls situated in the Glitzy Dubai but Mall of the Emirates is the most popular one. It is also famous for the Ski Dubai sport. In this in-house curved ski floor, you can see penguins and enjoy the environment, where the temperature is constant at 4 degree Celsius. This mall also include multi-screen movie complex. It also offers the families to get entertained by riding several adventurous rides for both the adults and juniors. With 700 shopping stores, this mall has to offer a variety of things to the visitors. This mall is open all seven days but the time differs. It is open from 10:00 am to 1:00am from Saturday to Wednesday and 10:00am to 2:00am from Thursday to Friday.
14. Jumeirah Beach:
JUmeirah Beach with the white sands is the best beach in Dubai, offering a great scenic beauty and highly urban surrounding with the expensive hotels. Here you can see the hotels in different heights, where the tourists from every part of the world gather to enjoy the beach view from their hotel rooms. The popular restaurants, water-sports stations and a lot of sun lounges are available in the beach for better enjoyment.
13. Jumeirah Mosque:
As you are in Jumeirah and have already visited the beach for a couple of times, you can visit the Jumeirah Mosque. Along with the Muslim tourists, the non-muslim visitors can also visit this place in an organized trip. Made in Fatmid style, this establishment features amazing architectural beauty in golden walls and stunning traditional designs on them. According to people, this is the most pictured Mosque in the world.
12. Burj al-Arab:
There is no doubt that the world’s most of the beautiful hotels are perhaps situated in Dubai. Burj al-Arab is one of them. This is the tallest hotel in the world. 321mitter tall, this sail-shaped tower is just five minutes away from Wild wadi Water Park and also close to the Emirates Mall. The specialty of this multi-storied hotel is that you can see the gulf from each of the suits of this tower. In the night, you can enjoy a marvelous choreographed light show on Burj al-Arab. This 27-storied tower includes 9 luxurious restaurants, one of which is at the top of the building from where you can see the entire view of the city and the other one is an underwater restaurant, which has a lot to offer you besides a fine dine.
11. Ibn Battuta Mall:
Located on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Ibn Battuta Mall is one of the largest malls in the city and another attraction for several tourists. The beauty of this mall, from inside and outside, in unparallel. This mall has 50 luxurious restaurants, 21 screen movie halls, 270 shops and much more to offer. The huge parking layout of this mall offers spaces to the 4,500 cars at a time. This themed shopping mall is well-decorated from every corner of it. The architecture has its own beauty and shows perfection in the craftsmanship. This mall includes 6 amazingly designed courts, which are – Egypt Court, China Court, Persia Court, Andalusia Court, India Court and Tunisia Court. The concept of making the courts is inspired by the popular explorer Ibn Batutta and the mall is also named after him.
10. The Dubai Mall:
This prime mall in Dubai is the world’s largest mall. Located in the Downtown Dubai, this mall unveils entrance to the famous Burj Khalifa too. Visitors are offered box full of entertainment options including shopping and food joints. Along with a lot of opportunity to enjoy a number of entertaining in-house sports, people can check in the movie theaters or enjoy the live shows that always happen in the mall. Popular for annual Dubai Fashion Festival, this mall is visited by several professionals from July to August. This mall is open throughout the week from 10:00am to 12:00am.
9. Dubai Aquarium:
When you are in Dubai, you should have interest on the oceanic lives. Fish lovers would definitely love to visit the Dubai Aquarium not to eat fishes but to explore 140 species of sea animals. Full of adventure stored underwater for the global tourists in this place. This consists of an underwater zoo, where they can see Kraken’s Lair, the popular night creatures of UAE and the King Croc along with excellent Aquatic experiences. Here you can enjoy cage snorkeling, shark walker, scuba diving etc. Popular for the Shark Week, this place is visited by thousands of tourists every day. This huge suspended tank shaped Aqua museum is located under the Dubai Mall. It is open throughout the week. From Monday to Friday, you can visit here anytime between 10:00 to 10:00 but in the Saturdays and Sundays this amazing underwater adventure spot is open from 10:00 AM TO midnight.
8. Heritage Village:
When there were no skyscrapers in Dubai, this amazing land used to belong to the Bedouin communities and fishing villages. Weavers, pearl divers and the potters were the residents of this land. If you want to enjoy your leisure in different way, far from the city crowd and all the modern amenities you must visit this heritage village. Here you will get to see reformed version of the village with a lot of palm trees, mud made houses and small huts, where you can explore the work of the potters and pearl jewelers and also get introduced to the local people. In the evening, you will also get the chance to enjoy the local music and dance programs under the open sky. In the starry nights, this cultural environment will make a mark in your heart.
7. Bastakiya Mosque:
Though, it is not one of the highlights of Dubai but an amazing place to be in your walking trip to Bastakiya. Located in the most engaging neighborhood in Dubai, Bastakiya Mosque is known for its photogenic environment and architectural beauty. This mosque doesn’t include a huge area but its exclusive lattice work details make it more beautiful. Here, you can also witness Dubai’s city walls, made from coral and gypsum. Along with this place you can also visit Majlis Gallery and Arabian Tea House & Café.
6. Dubai Creek:
Dubai Creek is one of the greatest attractions in Dubai. Mostly visited by the tourists from out countries love to roam across this popular saltwater creek in Dubai. This creek is connecting the desert to the Dubai Port. You can also visit Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary in this trip. Dubai Creek was known by the ancient Greeks as River Zara. Al Maktoum Bridge, Business Bay Crossing etc. are the tourist highlights in the trip to Dubai Creek. If you are a Dolphin lover you also visit Dubai Dolphinarium to click selfies with the Dolphins. You can also take a walk through the lanes during the trip and buy some excellent spices for your kitchen. The best way to travel in creek is to hire a dhow – a popular tourist boat in this area. You will find several dhow workers in this route, who belongs to Oman, India, Iran, Kuwait and many other places.
5. Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum House:
Built in 1896, this house is located at the above extended part of the Creek. This was the resident of Dubai’s ruler, where they were residing for last couple of generations. Now a museum, this establishment emphasizes the beauty of Arabic architecture beautifully. The house is facing the creek and was built to meet the purpose to look after the fishing work in the creek from its balconies. Consisting 30 rooms around a courtyard, each of them has fascinating wooden doors along with amazing lattice screen on the windows. The beautiful geometric designs with floral embellishments, this historic house leaves a deep impression on the visitors. In the museum, you can see some amazing photographs of Dubai taken between 1948 and 1953, which includes the photographs of fishing boat making and pearling also. Along with that, you will get to see several small coins, letters, maps and stamps emphasizing the noticeable change in the UAE in past few decades.
4. Dubai Museum:
Located at the south of Dubai Creek, Dubai museum is based in Dubai fort which is also known as Al-Fahidi Fort. Established in 1787, this fort was made to protect the creek. The out walls of the fort are made of coral breaks. You can see an amazing architectural variation in this establishment. Along with the wooden works in the second floor, you can see the ceilings made of mud and plaster. It also used to be the residents of the rulers, government employees etc. A large numbers boats made in traditional style kept at the courtyard of this fort. In this building there is a room full of Emirates and Dubai’s traditional musical instruments. Here, they have showcased the traditional Dubai lifestyle in a beautiful way which would certainly mesmerize you. You can also visit the popular Al Quasis archeological site, which is actually a grave of three to four thousand years old with full of artifacts.
3. Palm Island:
This artificial island consists of three islands – Deira Island, palm Jabel Ali and Palm Jumeirah at the sea cost of Dubai. Apart from Palm Jumeirah, the rest of the island is still under construction and the established one was finished in 2014. Palm Island resort is very popular among the tourists for its beauty and natural view. Surrounded by the blue sea, this resort is an ultimate destination of the business tycoons and the rich personas. Not too far from Burj Khalifa, this resort is an ideal one to frame your memory for the lifetime. The greeneries, elegant establishments and the architectural excellences would blow your mind. Here, you can enjoy luxurious well and comforts and cherish your leisure in a different way.
2. The Dubai Fountain:
The Dubai Fountain is the most popular and world’s largest choreographed fountain established in the Burj Khalifa Lake. This choreographed fountain is a great eye catcher. You can spend hours staring at it. The dancing and falling water look eventful. This well-crafted fountain looks more beautiful with light-effect.
1. Burj Khalifa:
Though, Dubai is popular for its wealth and desert but Burj Khalifa is the best thing in the Emirates huge has made it more popular around the globe. This 829.9 miter tall skyscraper is the tallest building in the world. Many people visit this 124th floor high rise, when they visit Dubai. It consists of a top observational deck from where you can get an amazing look of the entire city and enjoy the 360 degree view. In one hand you can see all the skyscrapers, where in the other the desert is welcoming you. If you want to enjoy the view you must book your at the top deck ticket earlier. When you are at the ground you can roam around the beautiful gardens of this building and can also enjoy the Dubai fountain.
Apart from the mentioned places, you can also visit Al-Ahmadiya School, Deira City Centre Mall, Mamzar Park, Oud Metha District, Camel Racecourse etc.
