This Essential Dubai City Guide will tell you about all the must-see attractions Dubai has to offer. Many people hear about Dubai and think about glitzy skyscrapers and fancy cars. What are you actually supposed to do in Dubai? I’ll share what I did and maybe it can help you plan your next trip.

Dubai City Guide 1st Stop – Dubai Museum

One of my first stops was the Dubai Museum. It takes you back to what life was like before Dubai found oil. Life was much simpler before oil was found in the late 1960s. Pearls were the most important export back then and many men were pearl divers.

The museum shows you how things were during that time. You are able to experience full scale dioramas of daily life in Dubai. It’s the old Dubai, that you don’t often see in postcards, but it’s a very important part of their past.

Global Village

Would you like to experience the whole world without stepping foot on a plane or boat? Global Village is the answer. Here you can experience mini bites of countries all over the world. You start out in countries close to the UAE and continue all the way to Europe and the U.S.

Is it possible to see the whole thing in one day? Possibly, but you probably will be exhausted and not enjoy it. I suggest only going to the places you are least likely to travel to in real life. Or to places that you have especially enjoyed visiting.

Each “country” has local crafts, food and entertainment that are native to it. Inside there is even a gondola ride that will have you believing you are in Venice, Italy. I enjoyed it and would consider it mid-level on my list of places to visit.

Miracle Garden

The Miracle Garden was a beautiful garden filled with different structures covered in flowers. It’s a wonderful place to stroll and just take in the sites.

The Emirates plane is the largest flower structure in the world, and the official award is next to me in the above picture.

There are different vendors throughout that sell things from juice, to perfume to souvenirs. It also smells like a bouquet of flowers, which was nice. Is it at the top of my list of things to do? No, but it is a nice place to go if you have the time to take a nice scenic stroll.

Dhow River Cruise

The Dhow river cruise was a nice end to one of our last evenings. We boarded a double-decker wooden boat and traveled down what I believe was the Dubai Creek. It was so nice to see all the buildings illuminating the night sky. We enjoyed soft drinks followed by a buffet dinner.

I’d rate the dinner 6 out of 10. There was a mix of Middle Eastern and Western foods, however the taste wasn’t anything to write home about. I enjoyed the atmosphere the most. A nice relaxing cruise with friends, under the Dubai sky.

At the Top- Burj Khalifa

You don’t go to the city with the tallest building in the world to not visit it. The Burj Khalifa is located next to the Dubai Mall. It may actually be connected, but don’t quote me on that.

Purchase your tickets. Then wait in line where you can take a photo in front of a green screen. This you can purchase later. As you continue you pass information about the building and learn about what it took to build it. The line eventually takes you to two elevators, where you wait your turn. I was unsure of how long it would take to get to the 125th floor (163 floors total). We zoomed up in a matter of seconds and I could feel my ears popping as we went.

The view is something you just have to see for yourself. Pictures just don’t do it justice. Check out my post about Dubai Architecture for pictures of the view from the 125th floor.

There are so many things to do in Dubai. This Dubai City Guide will guaranteed you don’t run out of things to do. I was going to include the Desert Safari, but honestly it needs its own post. Click here for the Dubai Desert Safari post.