Things to Do in Dubai
Discover 23 activities and experiences in Dubai, United Arab Emirates — from outdoor adventures to cultural events. Curated from real traveler recommendations.
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Global Village
Annual festival (usually during winter). Countries around the world gather and set up a small village in the outskirts of Dubai. Each country/region has its own pavilion with a unique replica of their famous landmark(s). This is usually like a flea market where you can get souvenirs from almost every corner of the earth for a bargained price and experience as if you're in that certain country for at least 10 minutes of your life even if you're 10,000 km away. Raffles for cars and gold bars also happen. You'd see the hieroglyphics of Egypt, temples of Thailand, Forbidden city of Beijing, the Eiffel tower and many more.
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- Exit #37 on Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Rd
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Ski Dubai
Dubai has a snow skiing centre in the Mall of the Emirates, offering both skiing and snowboarding. The slope is quite large for an indoor area. All equipment is available for hire. Although it is -4°C inside, you do not need to bring a jacket because they supply pretty much everything except gloves and a hat (which you can buy right there). A 2 hour pass costs AED180 plus AED20 for a locker.
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- Sheikh Zayed Rd
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Wild Wadi Waterpark
The perfect place for the entire family to spend a day as well as being a great way to beat the heat and enjoy the day away from the bustle of the city. Located close to the hotels and resorts of Jumeriah Beach, the park has water rides, slides, and a lagoon that is hidden away. You'll enjoy waterfalls, out of the way swimming holes, and a tidal pool.
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Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
This leisure hub is an ideal destination for golfers. It provides wide-ranging set of services, floodlit par-3 course, modern golf academies and driving ranges. Visitors can enjoy a challenging game of golf, hire a private boat to enjoy the calm waters or take a swim.
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- Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, Bani Yas Rd, 476
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VOX Deira City Centre
VOX has 11 screens with various types of experiences for movie lovers. The immersive experience of DepthQ 3D technology, fully reclining seats, VIP seats, 20 meter screens and brightest and clearest pictures is their latest addition.
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- Deira City Centre
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Hatta House
Visit this famous mud house to understand the architecture and ancient designs. Explore the culture and pre-modernisation mud houses, ancient homes, stone buildings and traditional fort in the heritage village of Hatta.
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Atlantis
Atlantis-themed but Arabian-styled resort on the artificial island of The Palm. Has a huge water park with plenty of thrilling water slides, housed inside a large shopping area with plenty of places to eat and drink.
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- The Palm
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Dubai Marina Yacht Club
A quiet and peaceful place with awesome colorful lights at the night. You can rent a boat for a few hours or a day or just sit there for hours watching the skyscrapers and eating out at great restaurants.
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Hatta Rock Pools
The Hatta Rock Pools are located just 20km from the historic town of Hatta. The pools developed along the riverbeds are made up of cracks in the rocks. It has crystal clear waters and are safe to swim in.
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Burj Khalifa
Visit the tallest building in the world with the magnificent centrepiece of downtown Dubai, Burj Khalifa is surrounded by hotels, must-visit shopping destinations and a world of entertainment options
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Switch Bowling
A multi-lane bowling section, one of the perfect indoor entertainment venue for families and kids. In addition, it has billiards section, video gaming areas, toddlers' play area and restaurants.
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CINECITY - Al Ghurair Centre
Previously Grand Cinemas, now CINECITY, is the largest cinema chain in the Middle East. It is a part of Novo Cinemas group. This 8 screen cinema complex including 14 anchor stores has 2 levels.
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- Al Ghurair City, Al Riqqah St
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Jebel Ali Shooting Club
This club has awesome architecture and design. It has wide range of shooting options to practice right from automatic ball trap, Olympic trap, down the line, Olympic skeet to compak sporting.
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Seawings
Experience live areal views and sightseeing excursions of Dubai's modern skyline and dazzling landmarks. The water-based take-offs and landings further adds greater experience.
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- 1700 UAE
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Dubai Autodrome
This is 5 km world-class motorsports circuit hosted many international championships. You can take thrilling driving experience here in some of the world's fastest sports cars.
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- On E-311, Dubailand
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Yacht charter
An easy way to explore the man-made Palm Islands and coastal skyscrapers. Fleets are available for hire from Dubai Marina from many of the yacht charter agencies.
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Peekaboo!
An ideal place for children below 7 years, for entertaining and creative activities. There is a variety of play equipment, toys and classes for kids.
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Megaplex
Experience the next generation of cinemas and impressive effects in the Middle East. You can also book tickets via app or online.
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Jetty Lounge
This is an elegant beach lounge that has fantastic drinks. Cozy, but over-crowded during the sunsets.
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Hot Air Balloon Ride
Great fun seeing all the sand dunes and mountains early in the morning or during sunset.
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Big Bus Company tour
You can take a bus tour, both day time and night time, of many of attractions in Dubai.
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Oasis Town of Dahid
Explore the village, its traditions and the oasis.
Exploring Dubai: A Traveler's Guide to Activities
Dubai rewards curious travelers with an exceptional range of experiences. Whether you have a weekend or several weeks, the city's 23 documented activities cover the full spectrum — architectural landmarks and world-class museums at one end, local neighborhood festivals and underground cultural scenes at the other. The activities listed on this page come from Wikivoyage contributors who have personally explored Dubai and written detailed, practical descriptions to help you plan your visit.
The most rewarding way to experience Dubai's activities is with company. Solo travelers who arrive without plans often find that meeting a fellow traveler at a hostel, cafe, or through the Nomax app opens up entirely new itineraries — a museum visit becomes a half-day exploration, a street food crawl turns into an evening of discovery, a day trip to a nearby site becomes an adventure. Dubai has an active traveler community, and the city is designed to reward those who explore it with open curiosity.
When planning what to do in Dubai, consider mixing well-known attractions with neighborhood-level experiences. The city's most photographed sights are popular for good reason, but Dubai's character lives in its quieter corners too — the local markets, the parks where residents spend their weekends, the small performance venues where the next generation of artists and musicians are finding their voice. The 23 activities on this page include both categories, ordered by the richness of their traveler-written descriptions.
How to Get the Most from Dubai's Activities
Timing matters in Dubai. Many of the city's best attractions have shorter queues and better atmospheres on weekday mornings. Major cultural sites — museums, galleries, historic monuments — often run free admission windows on certain days or evenings; check before booking. Outdoor activities and walking tours are best enjoyed in the morning before the city heats up or fills with tour groups.
Budget-conscious travelers will find that Dubai has a strong free-to-access layer. Public parks, open-air markets, architectural walking routes, and many community events cost nothing. The price information included with activities on this page (where available) helps you plan a realistic daily budget. A mix of free and paid activities across a week in Dubai is entirely feasible for most traveler budgets.
For travelers who want to do more than just sightseeing, Dubai offers organized activities through local guides, tour companies, and traveler apps like Nomax. Group activities — cooking classes, cycling tours, kayaking excursions, photography walks — are a natural way to meet people while experiencing the city. Many travelers who use Nomax in Dubai coordinate these types of group experiences together, splitting costs and building memories that last beyond the trip itself.
Activities for Different Travel Styles
Not every traveler wants the same experience. History enthusiasts will gravitate toward Dubai's museums, heritage sites, and guided historical walks that reveal the layers of the city's past. Outdoor and adventure travelers will focus on the parks, cycling routes, climbing areas, and day trips to surrounding natural areas. Food travelers will treat Dubai's markets, restaurants, and food tours as the primary activities of each day. Culture seekers will fill evenings with concerts, theater, gallery openings, and street performances.
The 23 activities documented on this page span all these categories. Use the numbered list above to browse in order of description quality — longer descriptions generally mean more detailed, firsthand traveler knowledge. For each activity, the address and opening hours (where available) give you everything you need to plan your visit without needing to search elsewhere.
Connecting with Travelers in Dubai
One of the best things about traveling to Dubai is the community of international travelers already there. Backpackers, digital nomads, long-term expats, and short-trip tourists all share the same city at any given moment. Nomax makes it easy to find who is in Dubai right now, see what activities they are joining, and coordinate plans. Whether you want a hiking companion, someone to split museum entry with, or a group for an evening out — the app connects you to people with the same itinerary in minutes.
Download Nomax before your trip to Dubai to set your travel dates and start discovering who else will be there at the same time. The app is free, requires no subscription, and works across all the major traveler destinations worldwide — meaning the community you build in Dubai often extends to your next destination too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best things to do in Dubai?
Dubai offers 23+ activities and experiences for travelers. Top highlights include Global Village, Ski Dubai, Wild Wadi Waterpark, and much more. This page lists every documented activity in order of description quality, so you can find both the major attractions and the hidden gems.
Are there free things to do in Dubai?
Yes — Dubai has a strong selection of free activities. Public parks, open-air markets, walking routes through historic neighborhoods, and many cultural institutions offer free admission on specific days. Scroll through the list above and look for activities marked with free or no price information — these are often the city's most authentic experiences.
How do I meet other travelers while exploring Dubai?
Download Nomax — a free travel companion app that shows you other solo travelers currently in Dubai. You can join group activities, chat with travelers at the same spots, and plan outings together. Many travelers in Dubai use Nomax to find companions for day trips, museum visits, and evening activities.
What activities can I do with travel companions I meet in Dubai?
Dubai has activities for every interest — guided tours, food experiences, outdoor adventures, cultural events, and nightlife. Use Nomax to coordinate with other travelers: join a group for a walking tour, split a day-trip cost, or simply explore the city together. The app makes spontaneous plans easy.
Explore Dubai with fellow travelers
Download Nomax — find travel companions, join group activities, and chat with solo travelers in Dubai right now. Free forever.
Travel tips by Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA 3.0). Content may have been updated since publication.
