Hello there! If you are looking for a guide on how to have the best weekend in Dubai when visiting it for the first time, you came to the right place! For me, Dubai is like a window to the world. As a European, it is the ideal stop on the way to Asia. This time, instead of just having a short layover, I decided to have a weekend in Dubai before leaving for Malaysia. These 48 hours were filled with luxury and opulence, but also with catching a glimpse of a Dubai before the glass towers took over. I loved seeing these different sides of Dubai and immersing myself in all the Arabian nights, I could get!
This post contains affiliate links. This means I will get a commission if you click on the products and book your tour or hotel via this link. By doing so, you are doing me a huge favor, making it easier for me to be financially able to keep providing travel content for you! So it would mean the world to me if you book your hotels and tours via my links. Of course, this comes with no additional costs for you!
Day 1: Dubai Marina, Jumeirah & Desert Safari
Ok, before we start into this itinerary for your weekend in Dubai, let me put up a small disclaimer: Spending only two days is not enough to explore everything in Dubai. There are countless things to do and experience in this vibrant city and with two days you can get a great overview but won’t be able to experience it all. When planning my time in Dubai, I wanted to see as many things as I could but I was a bit restricted due to me being there during the New Year’s festivities. However, I filled in my blanks with what I would have done if I was there on any regular day!
Dubai Marina
Dubai is such a brilliant place. It somehow is so chic and elegant, while from time to time you just get the feeling of having stept into a giant theme park. One of those places where I got that feeling was the Dubai Marina. With all the sky scapers framing the canals of the Marina, you can this metropolitan scenery and while you have your breakfast overlooking the yachts and boats, someone flies past you on a zipline. Like I said, it feels like a theme park.
From the Dubai Marina Mall where we enjoyed coffee and a climatised stroll, we continued to walk through the Marina, soaking up all the fantastic views along the way. If you are interested, you can also explore this area by boat (or zipline!). Most of the Yacht Tours even show you an even better view of the coastline of Dubai!
Jumeirah
The next stop during our weekend in Dubai and on this Dubai itinerary is the legendary and breathtaking Jumeirah. Jumeirah is a conglomerate of many hotels close to the beach and the iconic Burj Al Arab. On its grounds you will find many cafés and restaurants and even a bazaar! The entire place is very picturesque and looks like a palace from 1001 nights. If you want to explore it even further, you can also take a boat ride along its pretty canals!
Jumeirah is an incredible place to spend some time but for me, the main reason to visit it are the views of the Burj Al Arab. Right in the Jumeirah, you can see it from the most amazing viewpoints!
Desert Safari
As Dubai is a city that was built right into the heart of a desert, it is almost logical, that I when you visit Dubai, you have to do a trip to the desert right? So I went for an desert sunset tour and it turned out to be one of the absolute highlights of my trip to Dubai. For the tour, we had our tourguide pick us up at the Jumeirah.
From there we drove to the desert in a 4×4 vehicle and headed towards the desert “base camp”, where we had the opportunity to buy desert-like merch or go on a camel or quad ride. After this, it was time to board the 4×4 car again to actually go on the desert safari. It was the most amazing experience to cruise the sand dunes and watch the sun set over the red hills. Being able to see that was a once in a lifetime experience, I will never forget!
After the sun had set, we drove back to the desert base camp, where we brushed off the sand from our toes and headed towards the last stop of the desert safari: the BBQ dinner! And what a dinner it was! We had drinks and an amazing variation of entreés and delicious BBQ while we were also served more than dinner. While we were sipping and eating we saw belly dancers, firebreathers and dancing dervishes! What a night!
Check Out these Tours for Your Desert Safari!
Day 2 – Dubai Old Town, Breakfast in the Tea House, Bazaars, the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa
Although I stayed in the desert camp long after my usual bedtime (which is 10:00 pm), I didn’t spend any time lingering in bed the next morning and got up early. When visiting a place for only two days, you have to make the most of any given moment! The day I visited all the places listed below was the 31.12.2024, which means that around the afternoon, I couldn’t continue exploring Dubai the way I wanted to. Nevertheless, I will still state all the activities in here, that I missed, that I would have done, if it wasn’t for the New Year’s celebrations!
Breakfast in the Arabian Tea House
What do we need for the perfect start into a glorious day in Dubai? Of course, a decent breakfast! When researching about what to do when spending a weekend in Dubai, the Dubai Old Town was one of the places that fascinated me the most. However, before we started to explore all its wonders and beautiful streets, we had to have breakfast at the Arabian Tea House! There we ordered the breakfast platter for two along with tea and nice cold drinks and to say we loved it, would be an understatement. Everything on the breakfast platter was incredibly delicious and for that breakfast alone, I would return to Dubai at any given time!
Dubai Old Town
Now that you are satisfied on the food front, let’s get back to exploring! Right in front of you is the beautiful Dubai Old Town, where you can get a glimpse of what Dubai once looked like. Here is the oldest building in Dubai, a coffee museum and lots of more stores for arts and crafts showcasing a more traditional side of Dubai apart from the modern metropolis. I loved its color and vibe.
Within the Dubai Old Town you can also visit a bazaar that feels more “authentic” and raw compared to the one in Jumeirah, although I must say that also the sales people here also were much more pushy and rude compared to the ones in Jumeirah.
Dubai Mall
Next up on this Dubai itinerary, we have the one and only, the famous Dubai Mall! The paradise for every shoppaholic out there and worth a visit even for those who are not. I loved to explore all the shops I could squeeze in and admire all the incredible architectural highlights like the famous fountain!
Burj Khalifa
Last but not least – if it wasn’t for New Year’s, the next activity I would have booked is visiting the viewplattform of the highest building in the world – the Burj Khalifa. Sadly, we missed it this time but I can’t wait to return to Dubai one day and go up there!
