24 Hours in Dubai

If you find yourself in Dubai for a holiday or just on a long transit, Dubai houses some of the most interesting adventures! If you feel like doing some good shopping you can take a taxi to the Spice, Perfume and Diamond Souks. These outdoor markets offer amazing deals on anything from blocks of gold, perfumes or clothing that’s either traditional or tailored! You can see the world’s biggest diamonds, buy some camel milk chocolate or simply browse the thousands of shops with a plethora of souvenirs.

With lots of small restaurants and food vendors on hand, it’s a good place to grab some traditional Emirate food, or you can take a quick 10-minute walk and eat in a proper restaurant in the surrounding areas.

Text continues below the gallery

How to non-rev to Dubai

With Dubai being one of the premier destinations in the Middle East and also home to flag carrier Emirates, there are plenty of options to non-rev.

Amsterdam	KLM, Emirates, Transavia
Atlanta	No direct flights
Bangkok	Thai Airways, Emirates
Beijing	Air China, Emirates
Chicago	Emirates
Frankfurt	Lufthansa, Emirates
Istanbul	Turkish Airlines, Emirates, FlyDubai, Pegasus
London	Emirates, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic
Los Angeles	Emirates
Madrid	Emirates
New York	Emirates
Paris	Air France, Emirates
Sydney	Emirates
Tokyo	Emirates
Toronto	Emirates

Things to do

For those wanting a more adventurous day out, you can opt for both a day or night Arabian Adventure. There is a multitude of companies that offer vastly different experiences, from 4×4 dune riding to camel rides in a mini Oasis, with so many options on hand it may be hard to narrow it down.

My advice is to find a tour that offers either lunch or dinner, some sand dunes and a camel ride. This is a good mix of traditional and modern to suit everyone’s tastes. Some places even offer free henna tattoos and belly dancing with dinner.

For the thrill seekers, Dubai has enough to offer as well: what to think about a skydive above the amazing skyline of the Dubai Marina? Or why not take a high-performance car around the circuit on the Dubai Autodrome?

For those traveling with young kids, you can’t go wrong at Atlantis Aquaventure water park or Wild Wadi Water Park, especially during Ramadan when it’s extra cheap!

As with all Muslim countries, just remember to dress and behave appropriately by covering your knees and shoulders.

Nightlife

Dubai is a huge cosmopolitan destination with exciting spots to go on the day or at night. Quite famous are the brunches on Friday at various hotels throughout the city. For a fixed fee, you’ll get unlimited drinks and food. The quality of the food differs per hotel. You can’t go wrong by choosing a high-end hotel.

Almost every night of the week one of Dubai’s many clubs host a popular theme night. Mondays are crew nights in the Zinc, with free drinks for ladies and all cabin crew until midnight.

Should you prefer a more relaxing drink, you can try one of the many rooftop bars that the city has to offer. One of the most exciting rooftop bars is 40 kong which offers you exceptional cocktails and stunning views.

It is hard to keep up with the hottest place in town as it changes quite rapidly. A few really hot nightclubs to check out are The Act, White Dubai, Billionaires Mansion and the recently opened Boa Lounge & club.

If you feel like going to Ibiza during winter you’re also fortunate to be in Dubai. Some of the famous Spanish clubs found their way to Dubai as well. You can spend your money at Nikki Beach and Blue Marlin. For a more laid back atmosphere, Barasti is a famous place for daytime drinks and good parties during night.

Culinary Dubai has a lot to offer. One of its highlights is The Atmosphere, which is the highest restaurant in the world, situated on the 122nd floor of Burj Khalifa. Next to good food, The Atmosphere offers breathtaking views of Dubai and surroundings.

New restaurants from renowned chefs open all the time, so it’s always wise to check out Google or ask around for the best choices of the moment.