Dubai is a welcoming city. It has, after all, gladly received upwards of 85% of its population from overseas with open arms. The metropolis that has risen from the sands of the desert spans just 13.5 square miles (for now), but within its gilded confines, you’ll find a city with many sides, created by people from many places, who each bring a piece of culture from their homeland. But for all its hospitality, many visitors to the city still arrive with some common misconceptions. Below, the editors of Condé Nast Traveller Middle East round up the top advice they want everyone to know before visiting Dubai.
1. This is not a pedestrian city
While many major cities around the world will cause you to clock up tens of thousands of steps a day, Dubai isn’t one of them. This is not a city built with pedestrians in mind, and it’s hard to walk from one place to the next (it is 104 degrees Fahrenheit for much of the year, after all). However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t places to walk. Areas like the Dubai Marina, with its towering skyscrapers and superyacht-filled waters, have several miles of pedestrianised walkways, while Kite Beach, one of the city’s most vibrant stretches of sand, has 4.3 miles of walking, running, and cycle track. Luckily, getting around Dubai is straightforward, with a vast and affordable taxi network, and a regular Metro, which runs like an artery through the city, connecting areas like Downtown, Business Bay, and the Marina.
2. Download the Careem app
On the subject of taxis, make sure to download the Careem app. It’s a bit like Uber (in fact, it was bought by Uber in 2020), but as well as private taxis you can also virtually hail local Dubai taxis, which are cheaper and regulated by Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority. While taxis are generally easy to hail when out and about in busy areas of the city (just look for the yellow light to signal it’s available), Careem can be handy when you don’t spot a free taxi around. You can also order food for delivery via Careem (a bit like Uber Eats) and unlock a Careem Bike to cycle around the city.
3. Beware of rush-hour hell
As we have mentioned, Dubai is not a city for pedestrians, and while there is a good Metro system, it doesn’t serve all corners of the city and so the vast majority of people here do get around by car. Unfortunately, that means busy roads, especially at peak times in peak season. If you are planning a dinner in Downtown or planning to leave Palm Jumeirah post-sunset, be sure to factor traffic into your journey. It can take close to an hour to reach an 8 p.m. weeknight dinner reservation in DIFC if you are coming from the Marina, and JBR gets particularly congested, especially in the early evening. Always allow extra time (that goes for taxi-hailing too).
4. Choose your neighborhood wisely
Given the traffic, it’s best to think ahead to your itinerary and choose your base wisely. While, as we said, it’s very easy to get around the city, if you know you are going to be eating at a restaurant in Downtown every night, it’s best to book a stay nearby. Equally, if you are looking to spend most of your time on the beach with a string of lively bars nearby, look to stay on Palm Jumeirah. For some inspiration, see our neighborhood guides for Dubai Marina, JLT, Palm Jumeirah, City Walk, Downtown, and DIFC.
