Dubai Half Day City Tour
Dubai half-day city tour is a tour in a comfortable minivan around the Dubai. During this trip you will discover the most famous and beautiful places in Dubai, learn a lot of interesting information about the city and get the best advices from a local guide.
So, what places and attractions will you visit during the Dubai half-day sightseeing tour?
Depending on the places of residence of the tour participants, the order of the places you will visit may vary. However, you will definitely see the best places to visit in Dubai and get a great experience.
- Atlantis The Palm Hotel
- Burj Al Arab
- Old Dubai
- Gold Souk
- Spice Souk
- Jumeirah Public Beach
- Jumeirah Mosque
- Dubai Creek boat ride
- The Dubai Mall
- Best City Tours
- Other things to do in Dubai
Atlantis The Palm Hotel
Famous Atlantis The Palm is the first hotel built on the Palm Jumeirah island and one of the most iconic sights of the city. The complex consists of two buildings of the hotel and a bridge connecting them, a spa area and private beach.
Also, numerous restaurants and the famous water park Aquaventure is situated in Atlantis hotel, as well as aquarium Lost Chambers and the Dolphin Bay. Atlantis The Palm is a really unique hotel. You can find their Underwater Suits which stretch over three floors, have an aquarium instead of a wall and their own elevators.
During your tour you will have an opportunity to enter the iconic hotel and see its interior. Besides that, the guide will show you a secret place with one of the best views of Burj Al Arab.
Burj Al Arab
One of the most luxurious hotels in the world, Burj Al Arab is built in the form of a sail and situated on a separate artificial island (“Burj” from Arabic means “tower”). 280-meter bridge connects the magnificent building with the ground. This is interesting, that to decorate the Burj al-Arab interior was used about 8,000 square meters of 22-carat gold leaf.
The best views of the unique construction are provided from the Atlantis The Palm hotel, Jumeirah Public Beach and from the water during the speed boat tour.
Old Dubai
The advantage of such tours is also in the fact that you can visit without hurry a large number of places in half a day. One of these places is Old Dubai where Deira Gold Souk and Dubai Spice Souk Market are situated.
Gold Souk
Gold Souk is the largest and most visited souk in Dubai. If you plan to buy jewelry, or just want to experience the atmosphere of the real Arabic market, you should definitely visit this marketplace. There are so many jewels here that, if you put them all together, you’ll get around 10 tons of gold.
Indeed, here you can find jewelry for every taste and budget. Do not hesitate to bargain with the sellers, as the final price may be significantly lower than the one indicated on the price tag. Also, before buying items you like, make a tour around and take a look at the nearest shops. Often the same product is sold in different stores, and the price may vary.
There are also guided tours organized to Golden Souk.
Spice Souk
This is a traditional market in Deira where you can buy different kinds of spices, cinnamon, lemon, saffron, rose, chili, powders, herb, incense, nuts, dried fruits . In addition, various tea, oils, perfumes, textiles and shisha are sold here. In Spice Souk you can also buy souvenirs at a cheaper price than in other areas of Dubai.
As in every Arabic market, don’t hesitate to bargain and do not buy things right away in the first shop you find. Most likely, the sellers will treat you with sweets and offer to try the products of their shop. You are free either refuse or accept the offer. Even if you try the candies that were presented to you, it does not commit you to make a purchase.
As in every Arabic market, don’t hesitate to bargain.
During the tour your guide will show you the most interesting shops to go. Don’t hesitate also to ask him about local products and best souvenirs.
Jumeirah Public Beach
This beach is located in Jumeirah, one of the central areas of Dubai. This is one of the most popular beaches in the city. It is free for all the visitors and offers a classic view of the Burj Al Arab tower.
The guide will bring you to the place, which provides the best landscape and you will have some free time to make beautiful photos.
Jumeirah Mosque
Your next stop will be near the Jumeirah mosque. It is located in the Jumeirah area on the eastern side of Jumeirah Public Beach. Representatives of other religions, not only Muslims, can enter there. In the building of the mosque is situated the Center for Intercultural Communication under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed.
The mosque was built in 1979 in the Fatimid style of architecture. It is interesting, that you can find the Jumeirah Mosque on the banknote of 500 UAE dirhams. This is also one of the most beautiful and most visited places in Dubai.
Dubai Creek boat ride
A pleasant surprise during the trip will be a trip on a boat along the coastline of Dubai. This is a journey on one of the small wooden boats called “abra”. Riding along the Dubai Creek you can imagine what Dubai looked like hundred years ago, when merchant ships rode here with might and main.
Moreover, you will not need to pay anything for that trip, as it is already included in the price of the sightseeing tour.
The Dubai Mall
The Dubai Mall is the world’s largest destination for shopping, entertainment and leisure situated next to the the Burj Khalifa building. It has a 250-room luxury hotel, 22 cinema screens, 1200 shops and around 200 restaurants.
Even if you will spend in each shop only 1 minute, you will need more than 24 hours to visit them all :)
In 2011 Dubai Mall was the most visited building on the planet - over 54 million people visited it for one year. And today it remains the second largest shopping mall in the world. If you really want to do great shopping, count on at least 4-5 hours to spend there. In fact, despite the huge area, it is difficult to get lost in this mall, as informative signs are everywhere.
There are shops for every taste and budget, as well as restaurants of various cuisines. By the way, excellent veggie and vegan menus are offered at the Asian inspired restaurant “WagaMama”. Look for in on the ground floor, near the Sar Atrium Place and P1 Cinema Parking. The Dubai Mall is open every day from 10am to 12am.
The Dubai Mall will be the last point of your sightseeing tour, so you can enjoy the shopping in the afternoon there.
What are the best city tours in Dubai?
There are several major companies in Dubai that offer city tours. They are mainly divided into those that last half a day and that last one day.
- Dubai Super Saver: City Sightseeing Tour and Desert Safari: Check prices & reviews
- Dubai: Half-Day City Tour: Check prices & reviews
- Magical Dubai 8-Hour Tour with Burj Khalifa Experience: Check prices & reviews
- Dubai City Half-Day Sightseeing Tour: Check prices & reviews
- Dubai by Night City Tour with Fountain Show: Check prices & reviews
What else to do in Dubai?
Burj Khalifa Visit
Burj Khalifa is the highest structure in the world, a skyscraper with a height of 828 meters situated in Dubai Downtown. Before 2010 the tower was called “Burj Dubai” ("Burj" from Arabian means “tower”).
An outdoor observation deck, named At the Top, has opened on 5 January 2010 on the 124th floor. Later, on October 2015 Burj Khalifa opened 148th floor SKY level at 555 m, which today remains the highest viewing platform after the Shanghai Tower’s observation deck. To the both viewing platforms small-group tours are organized every 15 min.
Opening hours of At The Top are: between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm and between 3:30 pm and 6:00 pm. For sure, the best time to visit the Burj Khalifa is around 4pm. In such a way you can firstly have an amazing view of Dubai and can take photos in daylight. Than, after waiting for a little, you can enjoy the beautiful sunset from the highest building in the world. It is best to book tickets in advance to avoid queues.
Desert Safari
Discover the wonderful world of the desert safari, traveling to Rub-al-Khali, the hottest desert in the world. Rub-al-Khali is translated as “empty quarter”. This desert stretches 1000 kilometres long and 500 kilometres wide. Its area is 50,000 km2 and some dunes are 250 meters high! For a long time, this dessert was considered the most impassable and difficult to live. For several hundred years caravans carried precious incense, spices and fabrics from South Asia through this desert.
The highlight of the Desert Safari tour is a dune bashing. This is an extreme car driving on high sand dunes. This trip includes also a camel ride, delicious dinner, entertainment show, henna painting, traditional shisha smoking and pickup to/from the hotel.
Aquarium & Underwater Zoo
Indeed, one of the best things you can do after / before visiting Burj Khalifa is to go to the Dubai Aquarium. The giant aqua complex consists of Aquarium Tank, Aquarium Tunnel and Underwater Zoo.
Entrance price starts from 120 AED (30 EUR). The most economical option is to buy a combo ticket for 170 AED (40 EUR) which includes:
- Aquarium Tunnel
- Underwater Zoo
- Behind the Scenes tour
- Submersible Simulator
- Aquarium Glass Bottom Boat.
Speedboat tour
Speedboat tour is a thrilling sea journey in the Persian Gulf on Rigid Inflatable Passenger boats (RIB). This is a special type of lightweight but very high-performance boat. Due to its characteristics, it is one of the safest boats for a water city tour and it can reach a really high speed.
While driving you will enjoy wonderful sea views and get incredible emotions from high-speed drive. You will also see the main sights of Dubai from the deck of your boat, make beautiful photos and get unforgettable memories.
How long is Dubai Half Day City Tour?
The city tour starts at 9 am, before that the driver comes to pick you up at the hotel around 1 hour in advance. In average, to visit all the places of interest takes about 5 hours, so you will be free by 2pm. This time may vary depending on traffic on the roads.
Indeed, if you travel to Dubai in any time of the year and want to know better this beautiful city, the sightseeing city tour is the best way to discover the main sights and to get a lot of useful and interesting information.
