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.
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1. Red Dunes Safari, Sandboarding & Oasis
If Dubai has a natural talent, it is taking a pile of sand and turning it into an extreme sport. We are talking dune bashing, sandboarding, quad biking, camel rides, desert camps — the full golden chaos. And honestly? If you are going to do the desert, you might as well do it with a little drama.
The GYG Original Red Dunes Safari packs the best bits into one big afternoon adventure. Think: bouncing across red dunes in a 4×4, sliding down the sand on a board, stopping for camel rides, trying an optional quad bike tour, and finishing with a BBQ feast at an oasis-style desert camp.
Your driver usually collects you from your hotel around 3:00 p.m. in a modern 4×4, and from there you head toward the Sharjah desert. This is where the city suddenly drops away and the red dunes take over — cue the quads, buggies, sandboards, and that first “oh, this is steeper than it looked” moment.
As sunset arrives, the desert turns gold and soft and ridiculously photogenic. Later, you settle in for a BBQ dinner under a clear desert sky. If you want things to feel a bit smoother, the VIP food service option is worth considering — because queuing for dinner after dune bashing is not everyone’s spiritual path.
Important: The desert may feel less humid than the city, but do not be fooled into skipping sunscreen. Also, if you have back problems, avoid dune bashing. It is fun, yes, but it is not exactly a gentle spa treatment.
| On your own: You can only properly reach the desert experience on an organized trip. With a rental car, you can drive as far as quad bike stations, camel farms, or desert camps, but do not attempt serious dune driving without a guide. |
2. Abu Dhabi Sightseeing Excursion
Yes, Dubai is dazzling. But skipping Abu Dhabi while you are in the UAE? That would be rude to your itinerary. The capital has a different energy: grander, calmer, more ceremonial — like Dubai’s elegant cousin who owns better marble.
The star of the trip is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a white-marble masterpiece that looks almost unreal in the sun. On a day tour, you will usually also visit the Etihad Towers Observation Deck, stop for photos at the Emirates Palace, drive along the Corniche, and browse Marina Mall.
Together, these stops show you the polished, monumental side of Abu Dhabi — less hyperactive than Dubai, but no less impressive. Think domes, towers, sea views, and enough architectural confidence to make your camera nervous.
Tip: This tour lets you see both of the UAE’s biggest cities in one trip. If it is your first visit, this is one of the easiest ways to widen the story beyond Dubai.
Important: Bring your passport. Abu Dhabi is more conservative than Dubai, especially at the mosque. Women should cover arms, legs, and hair; men should wear long trousers.
| On your own: Abu Dhabi is around 138 km from central Dubai. Driving a rental car takes about 90 minutes, and there is also a public bus if you prefer to go independently. |
3. Day in Atlantis Aquaventure Park
Atlantis Aquaventure is not a cute little splash park. It is the biggest waterpark on Earth, which is Dubai’s very Dubai way of saying, “Why build a few slides when we can build a small water-based empire?”
With more than 100 slides and attractions, plus a private beach, this is an all-day adventure for families, thrill-seekers, and adults who pretend they are only going “for the kids.” Sure. We believe you.
Your Atlantis Aquaventure Ticket gives you access to high-speed slides, lazy rivers, surf-style attractions, splash zones, and the beach at The Palm. It is the kind of place where you should arrive early, hydrate aggressively, and accept that your hair will not look normal again until dinner.
Upgrade to the Aquaventure Superpass and you can also visit the Lost Chambers Aquarium, where 65,000 marine creatures — from tiny seahorses to sharks — glide through atmospheric underwater spaces.
It is one of those rare Dubai attractions where everyone in the family can find something they love, whether that is adrenaline, sea life, beach time, or simply sitting down with a cold drink.
Important: Towels are available to rent, but bring your swimsuit. Lockers start at AED 75 if you need to store valuables.
| On your own: You can buy tickets on arrival, but they sometimes sell out. Booking in advance — or staying overnight at Atlantis — guarantees your spot. |
4. Dubai Marina Yacht Tour
Seeing Dubai from the water is one of those experiences that makes the whole city suddenly make sense. The towers, the marina, the beach clubs, the Palm, the impossible skyline — everything looks better when you are gliding past it from a yacht.
And no, you do not need to casually own a yacht or have mysterious billionaire friends. Shared yacht tours make the luxury version of Dubai surprisingly accessible.
Expect red-carpet boarding, a warm welcome, and your choice of a breakfast cruise, BBQ lunch, or sunset sail. The route usually takes you past Dubai Marina, Ain Dubai Ferris Wheel, Jumeirah Beach, The Palm, and the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab.
This is a brilliant option if you want a little glamour without turning your travel budget into confetti. Sit on deck, sip something cold, and let Dubai do what it does best: look expensive.
Important: Bring your passport or ID card. The dress code is smart casual, so save the bikinis for the beach.
| On your own: You can book yacht tours directly in Dubai Marina, either as a shared cruise or a private charter. |
5. Old Town Street Food Tour
If the skyscrapers are Dubai’s shiny front cover, Al Fahidi is the older, quieter chapter you actually need to read. Also known as Bastakiya, this is where you find wind towers, narrow lanes, creek-side trading history, and a very different side of the city.
On the Old Town Street Food Tour, you wander through spice-scented souks, peek into gold markets, taste local dishes, and cross Dubai Creek on a traditional wooden abra boat.
There are cultural stops too: the Coin Museum, historic mosque views, old palaces connected to Dubai’s early rulers, and plenty of chances to shop for textiles, perfumes, spices, and souvenirs. Yes, you may come for the culture and leave with saffron, dates, and a scarf you did not technically need. It happens.
This is one of the best Dubai excursions if you want to understand what came before the towers — and eat your way through the lesson, which is obviously the superior learning method.
Important: This is a walking tour, so wear comfortable shoes.
| On your own: A taxi will take you straight to the old town, where you can explore souks and heritage sites at your own pace. |
6. Burj Khalifa Level 124 & 125 Entry Ticket
The Burj Khalifa is Dubai’s ultimate “because we can” moment. It is not just tall; it is the tallest building in the world, and no first trip to Dubai feels quite complete without looking down from levels 124 and 125 and quietly questioning the scale of everything.
From the observation decks, the city spreads below you in every direction: towers, highways, desert, sea, and that very Dubai feeling that someone looked at reality and decided to upscale it.
Right below, the Dubai Mall waits with endless shops, restaurants, the Dubai Aquarium, and the famous Dubai Fountain. This makes the Burj Khalifa a very easy anchor for a full day downtown.
For better value, consider a combo ticket that includes Burj Khalifa entry and the Aquarium. Then stay for dinner and the fountain show after dark, because leaving before the city starts sparkling would be poor strategy.
Important: Bring your passport or ID. Booking ahead lets you skip the worst queues and choose a better time slot.
| On your own: You can buy tickets at the counter, but same-day slots often sell out. Reserving online first is the smarter move. |
7. Half-Day Desert Safari
Short on time but still want the desert experience? A Half-Day Desert Safari gives you the best bits without swallowing your whole day. It is Dubai’s desert adventure in fast-forward — efficient, sandy, and just bumpy enough to wake up every cell in your body.
In around four hours, you can race across red dunes in a 4×4, try sandboarding, hop on a camel, and add an ATV ride if you want extra adrenaline. Morning and afternoon departures, usually between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., make it easy to fit into a packed Dubai schedule.
Pickup is usually from your hotel, which is useful because nobody wants to begin a desert safari by decoding transport logistics in the heat.
This is a great choice if you want the dune bashing and desert photos, but not necessarily the full camp dinner and evening show. A little less commitment, plenty of sand in your shoes. Fair deal.
Important: The desert heat is dry, not always unbearable, but sunscreen is still a must. The jeeps are air-conditioned, which helps keep things civilized between dune-related chaos.
| On your own: Do not attempt to drive into the dunes alone. At most, you can reach quad stations outside Dubai by car, but proper safaris should always be done with a guide. |
8. Helicopter Sightseeing
If Dubai looks impressive from the ground, it looks completely ridiculous from the sky — in the best possible way. A luxury helicopter flight from the Atlantis Helipad on The Palm gives you that full “tiny cars, giant skyline, impossible islands” perspective.
Depending on the route, you will soar past the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, fly over golden beaches and coastal palaces, circle The Palm, and catch views of the World Islands. Longer flights also give you dramatic skyline views and a proper look at the Burj Khalifa.
Flights usually last around 17–25 minutes, which may sound short until you are up there with the whole city below you, trying to take photos, breathe normally, and pretend this is a casual Tuesday activity.
This is definitely one of the pricier Dubai excursions, but for a special occasion or once-in-a-lifetime splurge, it delivers the drama.
Important: Bring your passport. It is required for the flight.
| On your own: Helicopters can also be privately chartered in Dubai. You can choose between shared sightseeing flights or private charters for a special occasion. |
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