Did you know that more than half of the world’s population is only five hours away from Dubai? Isn’t that crazy? After reading that fact at the Burj Khalifa , it made sense to me why Dubai has been built up in the last several years. So many people pass through the city each year because of its location. It’s Emirates’ hub which makes it one of the cities with the most layovers. So, clearly Dubai is a perfect stopover city. And that may have you wondering, what can you do in 48 hours in Dubai?
48 Hours in Dubai
So many flights fly through Dubai. Because of that, many people choose to extend their layover either by several hours or a few days so they can leave the airport and explore. With the airport being so close to the downtown area, it makes it easy to see some of the top sights in the city, even if you only have a few hours to spare. But, if you’re interested in extending your time a bit longer, there is so much you can get up to!
Where to Stay
48 hours in dubai
There are so many hotels in Dubai. Literally hundreds. Some of them are very expensive, luxury hotels, while others are mid-range. We opted for a mid-range hotel because we knew we wouldn’t be spending a ton of time in our room. We checked into Rove Hotel – Downtown. It was perfect for us. The room was comfortable, there was a 24 hour super market in the lobby, and we were walking distance to the Dubai Mall. It was also close to the airport, which was important to us since our flight back to London was very late at night. We stayed for two nights.
Day 1 – Morning
Kick off your 48 hours in Dubai with a visit to the Miracle Garden! This place is so incredible! And you’ve probably seen it all over Instagram. The gardens are covered with over 150 million flowers. It’s open from Mid-November to Mid-May and costs 50AED for adults and 40 AED for children under 12. Each year, the Miracle Garden features new exhibits!
If you have extra time, visit the Butterfly Garden which is next door!
Day 1 – Afternoon
It is lunch time! Hop in a cab from the Miracle Garden (make sure it actually says taxi on top, as these have the most fair meters). Head to Kite Beach and grab lunch at Salt. When I was doing research for places to eat in Dubai, this burger joint came up several times. The burgers were absolutely delicious and whatever their special sauce is, it is divine! It’s located right on Kite Beach, which makes it the perfect place to kick off a nice walk along the beach.
So after you’ve filled up on delicious sliders and French fries, take a walk along the path that lines Kite Beach. It’s about 3km to what is considered the start of Jumeriah Beach. If you have time (and a swimsuit), why not soak up some sun on the manmade beach before continuing along!
When you’re ready to keep going, walk along the street to get to the Souk Madinat Jumeriah. It’s from here that you can get the best views of Burj Al Arab Jumeriah the only 7 star hotel in the entire world! When you’re done here, hop in a cab to the marina! Take a nice little stroll around the Marina Walk before heading back up to the Downtown area!
Day 1 – Evening
Time for a visit to the Dubai Mall! It’s the largest mall in the entire world and it’s worth a visit, even if you aren’t interested in shopping. It’s also home to a movie theatre, the Dubai Aquarium, and more!
After taking a long stroll through the mall, it’s time to head to the top of the world’s tallest building (for now). We purchased our tickets for the Burj Khalifa ahead of time, but if you’re going at a random time of day, I think you’d be fine purchasing them there. The view from the top of the Burj is truly something that can’t be missed, so make sure you carve some time out to visit!
When you come down from the Burj, it’s time to grab some dinner. There are a ton of restaurants here (I was in shock at all of the American chains they have) as well as some more traditional Emirati options.
Following dinner, it’s time to watch the fountain show at the Dubai Fountain! This runs every 30 minutes between 6 PM and 11 PM. The shows last about five minutes and are different each time!
Day 2 – Morning
Rise and shine! You’re halfway through your 48 hours in Dubai and it’s time for a desert adventure! We booked our morning safari tour with Ocean Air Travels and it was amazing! The tour costs 157 AED. We were picked up from our hotel around 7:15 AM and driven to the desert in a 4×4. We took a quick pitstop where you had the option to ride four wheelers at an extra cost. After that, we piled back into our 4×4 and made our way to the desert.
Now, I will be honest with you. I got really nauseous during the dune bashing portion of this trip. I took dramamine (motion sickness tablets) and didn’t eat anything beforehand and I still felt like I was going to throw up. But, I’m still very happy I chose to go on this tour.
The dune bashing is absolutely thrilling. After about 25 minutes of it you will pull over in the desert for a photo op and some sand boarding. Then you’ll head to the Ocean Air Travels camp and have a traditional brunch. I wasn’t expecting the food to be great, but it was one of my favorite meals in Dubai! Following lunch we went on a camel ride and then the driver drove us back to our hotel!
Day 2 – Afternoon
Take a quick shower or change your clothes to get the sand off of you before heading back out for the day! You’ll be spending your afternoon in Old Dubai. Unfortunately we made the mistake of going on a Friday, when nearly everything was closed. But, we still enjoyed exploring the area. Old Dubai has several interesting art galleries in the Al Fahidi Historical District that you can explore, even on Fridays. The coffee museum and other sights are open all other days of the week.
Thankfully though, the Basta Art Cafe, which is in the courtyard of the Arabian Tea House Restaurant was open. The gorgeous terrace area was home to my favorite meal in Dubai. We enjoyed hummus, the Arabian Tea House Salad, falafel, and chicken skewers. We probably ordered a bit too much to share between two people, but the food was insanely good! Plus, the service was impeccable!
After lunch we hopped on a local ferry, which costs 1 AED, and made our way to the old Souk. I have only been to a traditional Souk in Morocco before this. I think that it was a lot pushier in Dubai than it was in Morocco. But, I think it’s still worth walking through it! When you’re finished at the Souk, hop back on the ferry.
Day 2 – Evening
You’re coming to the end of your 48 hours in Dubai! Spend the rest of the time you have exploring Al Seef by Meeras before heading back to the airport. Walk along Dubai Creek for an array of shops and restaurants. It’s interesting to see this area because it was bustling with locals and tourists. There were a lot of chains here as well so it made it easy to find a place to eat before we had to go!
Tips for Visiting Dubai
- Ladies, remember to be respectful. You are visiting a Muslim country so you should always be covered up. I always made sure that my shoulders and knees were covered when around local people. In the touristy places, you can get away with having one or the other showing. I saw several people wearing minimal clothing, and I just wouldn’t do that based off of respect for a culture.
- If you’re traveling with your boyfriend or girlfriend, it’s important not to touch in public places. It’s against the law. Again, in the more touristy places you can probably get away with it, but why even try.
Ocean Air Travels gifted me a spot on their Morning Desert Safari tour, but as always all opinions are my own.
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