Travel writing based on first-hand experience
Discover the best Dubai excursions—from thrilling desert safaris and dune bashing to luxury yacht cruises, Burj Khalifa views, old town food tours, and even helicopter rides. Plan your ultimate Dubai adventure today.
Planning more Dubai adventures?
Dubai excursions are where the city stops pretending to be subtle. One minute we are booking “just one tour,” and suddenly we are choosing between desert safaris, yacht cruises, Burj Khalifa views, Old Dubai food walks, theme parks, helicopter rides, and enough sandboarding drama to make our itinerary sweat. If you’re building a fuller Dubai trip around tours and day trips, these guides will help you connect the big experiences with hotels, budget planning, family fun, and practical travel tips.
- Best Desert Hotels in Dubai — perfect if your desert safari has convinced you that one afternoon in the dunes is simply not enough.
- 3 Days in Dubai Itinerary — the obvious next read if you want to fit excursions around Old Dubai, Downtown, beaches, malls, and desert views.
- 2 Days in Dubai Itinerary — ideal if you’re short on time and need the big-ticket tours, sights, and meals to behave like an actual plan.
- Dubai Travel Tips — practical advice for transport, timing, etiquette, heat, taxis, bookings, and avoiding rookie mistakes before your tours begin.
- How to Visit Dubai on a Budget — useful if excursions, taxis, hotels, and “just one more attraction” are starting to look a little too enthusiastic with your wallet.
- Best Indoor Attractions in Dubai — handy for heat-proof days with aquariums, malls, museums, art spaces, cinemas, and aggressive air-conditioning.
- Best Things to Do in Dubai with Kids — great if your excursions need to work around children, pool breaks, theme parks, mall attractions, and snack diplomacy.
- Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Dubai — useful if you want pools, kids’ clubs, beach access, family rooms, and a base that makes excursions easier.
- Shopping in Dubai — for souks, malls, gold, perfumes, spices, designer stores, and that dangerous “we have room in the suitcase” optimism.
- How to Dress in Dubai — practical for desert safaris, yacht tours, malls, restaurants, beaches, mosques, and very serious air-conditioning.
Table of Contents
Best Dubai Excursions & Tours
1. Red Dunes Safari, Sandboarding & Oasis Camp
If Dubai has a natural talent, it is turning a stretch of sand into a full-scale adventure. One minute we are watching the skyline shrink behind us. The next, a 4×4 is climbing a red dune at an angle that feels mildly unreasonable. Then come the sandboards, camels, falcons, sunset photos, and — if you choose the longer option — dinner at a desert camp.
The Red Dunes Safari is the easiest all-round choice for a first visit. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, so you do not need to organize transport or attempt dune driving yourself. The core experience includes dune bashing, sandboarding, and a camel ride. You can also add quad biking, while the extended option continues to Al Khayma Camp for a BBQ dinner and evening activities.
Best for: First-time visitors, couples, and families who want the classic Dubai desert experience without sorting out transport.
Book this if: You want the full sunset version with hotel pickup and the option to stay for dinner. The popular afternoon departures are worth reserving before your Dubai schedule fills up.
Prefer more time on the quad bike? The ATV-focused safari gives you a self-drive ride across the Lahbab red dunes, followed by camel riding, sandboarding, and a BBQ dinner at Al Khayma Camp. It is the better fit when the quad bike is not merely an optional extra but the main event.
Important: Do not skip sunscreen just because the desert air feels drier than the city. If you have back problems or are pregnant, dune bashing is not a sensible choice. It is entertaining, yes. Gentle spa treatment, no.
| Can you do it on your own? You can drive to the edge of the desert, but proper dune driving should be left to experienced guides. An organized safari saves time and includes the transport you actually need. |
2. Abu Dhabi Sightseeing Excursion
Dubai dazzles. Abu Dhabi slows the pace slightly, turns up the marble, and gives us a different side of the UAE. Skipping the capital entirely would be a shame, especially when it is close enough for a comfortable day trip.
The premium full-day tour is the strongest option if this may be your only day in Abu Dhabi. It includes hotel pickup and drop-off from Dubai, a guided visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, panoramic views from the observation deck at Etihad Towers, a photo stop at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, a drive along the Corniche, and entry to Qasr Al Watan.
That is a lot to coordinate independently in one day. With the tour, the long intercity drive, tickets, and timing are handled for you. You can simply look up at chandeliers, palace domes, and skyline views without repeatedly checking maps in the heat.
Best for: First-time UAE visitors who want Abu Dhabi’s major landmarks in one well-organized day.
Book this if: You want the fuller itinerary with Qasr Al Watan and the Etihad Towers observation deck included.
There is also a simpler Abu Dhabi sightseeing tour with hotel pickup, the Grand Mosque, the Founders Memorial, and photo stops at landmarks including the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Ferrari World. It is a useful alternative when you want the headline sights at a lower price.
Important: Bring your passport and dress modestly for the mosque. Women should cover their hair, arms, and legs. Men should wear long trousers and avoid sleeveless tops. For more ideas after the tour, see our guide to the best restaurants in Abu Dhabi.
| Can you do it on your own? Yes. Abu Dhabi is around 90 minutes from central Dubai by car, depending on traffic. A rental car or public bus can work, but an organized day trip is much easier when you want to fit several landmarks into one day. |
3. Day at Atlantis Aquaventure World
Atlantis Aquaventure World is not a small waterpark where we politely complete three slides and go home. It is the world’s largest waterpark, with more than 105 slides and attractions, dedicated children’s zones, and a private beach. In other words: arrive early.
The standard day pass gives you a full day inside the park. Families can split their time between the bigger rides, the Splashers areas for children, beach breaks, and a slower float when everyone needs five peaceful minutes. Adults without children are also allowed to behave like delighted eight-year-olds. Dubai understands.
You can also choose a ticket option that includes the Lost World Aquarium, home to more than 65,000 marine animals. It is a useful add-on when you want a calmer indoor break after several hours of water slides.
Best for: Families, teenagers, and anyone who wants an easy full-day attraction without planning a complicated itinerary.
Book this if: You want to lock in your day pass before arriving. Aquaventure is enormous, and buying ahead means you can start the day with the rides rather than ticket decisions.
Practical tip: Towels and lockers are available for an extra charge. AquaXpress priority access can also be purchased if you want to spend less time waiting for rides. Staying overnight at Atlantis, The Palm can make the day easier for families who prefer to avoid another journey across the city afterward.
| Can you buy tickets on arrival? Usually, yes. Booking online is still the smoother option, especially during school holidays and busy weekends. |
4. Dubai Marina Yacht Tour
Dubai makes much more sense from the water. The towers line up. The marina glitters. The Palm starts to reveal its scale. And we get all of this while sitting on a yacht rather than walking between attractions in the heat, which is a highly civilized arrangement.
A shared Dubai boat tour gives you the glamorous version of the city without the private-charter price tag. Depending on the option you choose, you can take a shorter Marina cruise or book a longer sailing with breakfast or a BBQ meal. Routes vary, but longer trips can include views of Ain Dubai, JBR, the Palm, and Burj Al Arab.
Best for: Couples, groups of friends, and anyone who wants skyline photos without booking a private yacht.
Book this if: You want a sunset departure. Those slots give you daylight views and the beginning of the evening sparkle, so they are usually the first ones worth checking.
Important: Bring your passport or ID. Check the exact route and meal option when booking, as the shorter and longer cruises do not all include the same stops.
| Can you book in the Marina? Yes, but reserving online makes it easier to compare departure times and secure the sunset slot you actually want. |
5. Old Town, Souks & Street Food Tour
If the skyscrapers are Dubai’s glossy front cover, Al Fahidi is the chapter that gives the city more texture. Here, the pace shifts. We trade observation decks for narrow lanes, wind towers, spice stalls, old trading stories, and wooden boats crossing Dubai Creek.
On the guided Old Town tour, you walk through the historic Al Fahidi district, visit an Emirati heritage house, taste street food and Arabic coffee, explore the Gold and Spice Souks, and ride a traditional abra across the creek. You could wander around alone, but the guide turns a pleasant walk into a much more useful introduction to the older city.
Best for: Food lovers, first-time visitors, and travelers who want more than malls and skyscrapers.
Book this if: You want to explore the souks without wondering which lanes matter, where to stop, or what to taste. It is a low-effort way to add culture and local food to a Dubai itinerary.
Important: Wear comfortable shoes. This is a walking tour, and Dubai’s older lanes are far more enjoyable when your footwear is not quietly plotting against you.
| Can you do it on your own? Absolutely. A taxi can take you to Al Fahidi, and the abra ride is easy to arrange locally. Book the tour when you want context, food stops, and a more efficient route through the souks. |
6. Burj Khalifa Levels 124 & 125 Entry Ticket
The Burj Khalifa is Dubai’s ultimate “because we can” moment. It is the world’s tallest building, and a first trip to Dubai feels slightly incomplete until we have stepped into the lift, risen above the skyline, and quietly recalibrated our sense of scale.
From levels 124 and 125, Dubai spreads below you in every direction: towers, highways, desert, and sea. The linked ticket also includes entry to Sky Views Observatory, giving you a second perspective over Downtown Dubai without having to book the attractions separately.
Burj Khalifa is easy to combine with Dubai Mall, dinner Downtown, and an evening walk around the fountain area. Choose your entry time first, then build the rest of the day around it. That is much easier than arriving and discovering that the convenient time slots are gone.
Best for: First-time visitors and anyone who wants two skyline viewpoints in one booking.
Book this if: You want a confirmed Burj Khalifa time slot and a simple combo with Sky Views Observatory. The linked ticket is for non-prime Burj Khalifa hours, so check the available times before planning dinner.
Important: Bring your passport or ID and arrive with enough time to find the entrance. Your Burj Khalifa entry is tied to the time slot selected when booking.
| Can you buy tickets on arrival? Sometimes. Booking online is the safer choice when the observation deck is one of your must-do attractions, as the most useful time slots can fill up. |
7. Half-Day Desert Safari
Short on time but unwilling to leave Dubai without a little desert chaos? A Half-Day Desert Safari gives you the most photogenic and energetic parts of the experience without taking over your entire day.
The tour includes hotel pickup, a drive to the Lahbab red dunes, dune bashing with an experienced driver, sandboarding, a camel ride, and refreshments in an air-conditioned tent. Quad bikes and dune buggies are available as optional upgrades when you want to add another layer of dust and questionable confidence.
Best for: Travelers with a packed itinerary, families who do not need a late camp dinner, and anyone who mainly wants the dunes and desert photos.
Book this if: You want hotel pickup and the desert highlights in around four hours. It is the more practical safari when you still want time for another Dubai activity later that day.
Important: Sunscreen is still essential. The 4×4 vehicles are air-conditioned, but the desert itself is not interested in your comfort. For a convenient base before an early pickup, see our guide to budget-friendly hotels in Dubai.
| Can you do it on your own? Not properly. You can reach quad-bike stations by car, but you should not attempt dune driving without an experienced guide. |
8. Helicopter Sightseeing Flight
Dubai is impressive from street level. From a helicopter, it becomes faintly absurd in the best possible way. Suddenly the Palm makes sense, the beaches form clean golden lines, the skyline rises out of the city, and the cars below look like pieces from a board game.
The sightseeing flights depart from The Palm and offer aerial views of Dubai’s most recognizable landmarks. Depending on the duration you choose, the route can include the Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah, coastal palaces, beaches, and the wider skyline. The helicopter has six seats, including three window seats.
Best for: Special occasions, couples, photographers, and travelers who want one memorable splurge rather than another standard sightseeing stop.
Book this if: You want a specific day and flight time. Helicopter capacity is naturally limited, so this is not the attraction to leave until the final afternoon of your trip.
Important: Bring your passport. Check the exact flight duration and route before booking, as the landmarks included depend on the option you select.
| Can you arrange a private flight? Yes. Dubai also has private helicopter charters, but a shared sightseeing flight is the more accessible way to get the aerial views without paying for the entire aircraft. |
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