There was a time when Dubai was viewed as a mere springboard to other destinations, but not anymore. The city has blossomed like an oasis in the desert in the last few decades. High-rise buildings compete with each other in height, shape and beauty, and new attractions are created every year. Anything seems possible in Dubai.
I had last been there in 2006 and the city has changed drastically since then. My children were experiencing Dubai for the first time. I would recommend spending a week in Dubai on your first visit. However, we had much less time there and there was so much to see in a short space of time, so we took the hop-on hop-off bus, one of our favourite ways to explore a new city, especially when we have limited time. Having experienced it in London, Johannesburg and many other cities around the world, we did not hesitate to add it to our itinerary in Dubai too.
Dubai Skyline
It was a 10 minute drive from the Hilton Dubai Al-Habtoor City to Dubai Mall, the largest mall in the world (by total area). The mall is one of the main hubs for the City Sightseeing Bus. There are six routes for the Day Tours and two for the Night Tours. We managed to do the three main routes with our one-day tickets - red, blue and yellow.
City Sightseeing Bus Dubai
Our tickets included free entrance to the Dubai Museum and Global Village, a cultural and shopping festival. They also included a complimentary dhow cruise on the creek, a walking tour and a night tour. Unfortunately, we did not get to take advantage of all of these, as one of Dubai’s rare bouts of rain began to fall while we were on the bus, preventing us from engaging in outdoor activities. On a more positive note though, our bus had a covered air-conditioned section, so we didn’t get thoroughly soaked.
The Dubai Museum is housed in the Al Fahidi Fort. Built in 1787, it is the oldest existing building in Dubai. The museum has some fascinating exhibits of life in Dubai before the oil boom.
Dubai Museum
This is the tallest building in the world at 828 metres. You can visit the Observation Decks for great views of Dubai.
Burj Khalifa at night
The sail- shaped Burj Al Arab hotel is one of the most luxurious and unique hotels in the world. We had great views of it from the bus.
Burj Al Arab
This majestic 5 star luxury hotel is located on The Palm, a palm-shaped man-made island. It is one of the iconic symbols of Dubai. The Aquaventure Waterpark is also located there. We spent some time there the following day.
Atlantis The Palm
This is a recreation of a traditional souk with its narrow alleyways and relaxing courtyards. You can go on an abra ride on the water canals amid the Arabian architecture. Do visit the traditional souks as well, if you have time.
Souk Madinat Jumeirah
The beautiful Jumeirah Mosque is said to be the most photographed mosque in Dubai. Guided tours are available.
Jumeirah Mosque
The saltwater Dubai Creek, flows between Deira and Bur Dubai. The best way to experience it is to cross it on an abra.
Dubai Mall at Night
Although malls are associated with shopping, we did not go there to shop. Rather, we went to see the Dubai Fountains (the largest choreographed fountains in the world), the indoor Dubai Aquarium and the waterfall in the mall.
We saw the huge golden Dubai Frame which opened on 1 January 2018 and the Ain Dubai Ferris Wheel, which is the world's largest ferris wheel.
Dubai Frame
The Orange Route takes one to the Dubai Miracle Gardens (which we visited separately) and Global Village but as these are both some distance away, it is advisable to do them with multi-day tickets.
Miracle Gardens
The buses offer individual commentary in 13 languages. There is a kids’ channel too. Among the interesting trivia we heard on the on-board commentary was where the name Dubai came from. Although no one is really sure, a popular theory suggests that the name 'Dubai ' may have been derived from an old Arabic proverb "Daba Dubai", which means "They came with a lot of money." The city is certainly evidence of this.
There are 1 day, 3 day and 7 day passes for the City Sightseeing Bus. You can also get combination tickets which include a variety of other activities.
As in other cities around the world, we found that the City Sightseeing Bus was a great way to see the highlights of Dubai in one day . The buses ran on schedule, and helpful staff were easy to find.
To get the most out of your day, get to Dubai Mall or Mall of the Emirates before 9 am when the buses start running.
For more information, visit City Sightseeing Dubai .
See more on Dubai here.
Book your accommodation here.
If you have more time, see this 3-day Dubai itinerary.
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Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 49 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.
Cool Blog, Dubai really has the best Tourist Spots and the city itself is one of a kind.
Nice info, Just surfing the net and found your blog. I enjoyed myself while reading it.
Thanks for Sharing
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