Dubai
Towers along the Gulf, the old Creek, the Palm offshore and the desert behind, and two airports for every kind of arrival.
- Arrival
- Dubai International · DXB
- To the city
- About 20 minutes to Downtown by car
- Private jets
- Private terminals at DXB and DWC
- Best time
- November to April
The city
The Creek, the towers and the sea.
Dubai grew from a trading port on the Creek, where dhows still load cargo beside the old souks of Deira and Bur Dubai. The modern city spread south along the coast: Downtown around the Burj Khalifa, Business Bay and the financial district, then the beaches of Jumeirah, the Marina, and the Palm Jumeirah, built out into the sea.
Winter is the season: from November to April the days are warm and dry, and the calendar fills with race meetings, art fairs and new restaurants. In summer the afternoon heat passes forty degrees and life moves indoors.
Arriving
Two airports, separate doors.
Two airports serve the city. Dubai International, about twenty minutes from Downtown, is the hub of Emirates. Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum, in Dubai South, is where business aviation has grown, with new private terminals.
- Muscat 50 min
- Doha 50 min
- Kathmandu 4 h 15
- Mykonos 4 h 25
- Madrid 7 h 35 long-range jet
When to go
November to April.
Hot and dry most of the year. From November to April days run from the mid-twenties to the low thirties, the sea is warm enough to swim in and it hardly rains. From May to October the heat climbs to forty degrees and beyond.
- 24° J 11 23°
- 25° F 34 22°
- 28° M 24 23°
- 33° A 7 25°
- 37° M 1 29°
- 39° J 0 31°
- 41° J 0 33°
- 41° A 0 33°
- 39° S 0 33°
- 36° O 0 31°
- 31° N 2 28°
- 26° D 14 25°
What to see and do
Days in and around Dubai.
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Landmark
Burj Khalifa
The tallest building in the world, with observation decks high above Downtown.
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Landmark
The Creek
Wind towers in the old Al Fahidi quarter, and abras crossing the water to the spice and gold souks.
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Landmark
The desert
Red dunes within an hour of the towers, best at dawn or in the last light.
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Opera & music
Dubai Opera
Downtown's opera house opened in 2016 and stages opera, ballet, concerts and visiting companies through the year.
Official site -
Culture
Jameel Arts Centre
Contemporary art at Jaddaf Waterfront, free to all, with an artist's garden, a library and a Salah Elmur show from October 2026.
Official site -
Culture
Alserkal Avenue
Founded in 2008 in the warehouses of Al Quoz, the arts district gathers galleries around Concrete, a venue designed by OMA.
Official site -
Racing & sport
Meydan Racecourse
Its grandstand seats more than 60,000, and the Dubai Racing Carnival runs here through the winter towards the Dubai World Cup in March.
Official site -
Golf
Emirates Golf Club
Two championship courses, the 7,301 yard Majlis and the Faldo course opened in 1996, with tee times bookable by visitors.
Official site -
Wildlife
Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary
Flamingos are present all year at this wetland reserve, watched from the Flamingo and Lagoon hides with walk in registration.
Official site
On the calendar
Dates to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
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2–5 Nov 2026
Energy
ADIPEC
Annual energy industry exhibition and conference at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi, focused on oil, gas and the energy transition.
ADNEC, Abu Dhabi, about 122 km away
In 4 days
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5–8 Nov 2026
Golf
Abu Dhabi Championship
DP World Tour Rolex Series play-off event at Yas Links, now held in November ahead of the season finale in Dubai.
Yas Links, Abu Dhabi, about 106 km away
In 7 days
-
12–15 Nov 2026
Golf
DP World Tour Championship
Season ending event of the DP World Tour, which decides the Race to Dubai, on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Jumeirah Golf Estates, Earth Course
In 2 weeks
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25–29 Nov 2026
Yachting
Dubai International Boat Show
Annual boat and superyacht show organised by Dubai World Trade Centre, held at Dubai Harbour.
Dubai Harbour
In 4 weeks
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4–6 Dec 2026
Formula 1
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Round 24 of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, held at Yas Marina Circuit.
Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, about 106 km away
In 5 weeks
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7–10 Dec 2026
Finance
Abu Dhabi Finance Week
Four day financial event hosted by Abu Dhabi Global Market, with 75 events across eight stages in its 2026 edition.
ADGM, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, about 118 km away
In 6 weeks
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7–11 Dec 2026
Technology & AI
GITEX Global
Technology exhibition held in Dubai, moving in 2026 to Expo City Dubai and to December, with a summit day at Dubai World Trade Centre.
Expo City Dubai
In 6 weeks
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21–24 Jan 2027
Golf
Dubai Desert Classic
DP World Tour Rolex Series event played on the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club.
Emirates Golf Club
In 3 months
Where to stay
On the Palm, by the sea, and in the towers.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
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Atlantis The Royal
Stacked terraces on the crescent of the Palm, and the only hotel in Dubai with three MICHELIN Keys.
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Atlantis, The Palm
The pink arch at the tip of the Palm, opened in 2008, home to FZN and Ossiano.
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Bvlgari Resort Dubai
An island resort with its own marina, facing the Downtown skyline.
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One&Only The Palm
Low villas and gardens on the Palm, away from the towers.
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The Lana, Dorchester Collection
A tower on the water in Business Bay, opened in 2024.
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Mandarin Oriental Jumeira
On the beach of Jumeirah, between the old town and the towers.
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The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm
High in The Palm Tower, looking back along the trunk to the coast.
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Address Beach Resort
Twin towers on the beach, with an infinity pool on the 77th floor.
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Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort
Suites with private pools in a desert reserve, where oryx come to the waterholes.
- Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach A low-rise resort with its own beach on Jumeirah Beach Road, and one MICHELIN Key.
- Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai Opened in November 2025 in Wasl Tower, the twisting 303-metre tower designed by UNStudio.
- The St. Regis Downtown Dubai Its 298 rooms look over the Dubai Water Canal, and every guest has a butler.
- Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre A hundred and six rooms by Adam Tihany in the financial district, with a glass-walled pool on the roof.
- Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre The second Waldorf Astoria in Dubai, set among the banks and galleries of the financial district.
- The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai On the beach at JBR, where all 294 rooms face the sea.
- Grosvenor House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Dubai Two towers at the entrance to Dubai Marina, run under Marriott's Luxury Collection.
- Jumeirah Al Qasr Built as an Arabian palace among the waterways of Madinat Jumeirah, looking out towards the Burj Al Arab.
- Jumeirah Al Naseem Opened in 2016 with 430 rooms, and a turtle lagoon beside its Katsuya restaurant.
- Raffles The Palm Dubai A resort on the West Crescent of the Palm, with a Cinq Mondes spa and an indoor pool.
- One&Only Royal Mirage, Arabian Court Sixty-five acres of palm gardens behind a kilometre of private beach.
Where to dine
The tables the guide rates.
From the MICHELIN Guide 2026, shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- FZN by Björn Frantzén Three Michelin stars Modern $$$$ Atlantis The Palm
- Trèsind Studio Three Michelin stars Indian $$$$ St. Regis Gardens, Palm Jumeirah
- STAY by Yannick Alléno Two Michelin stars French $$$$ One&Only The Palm
- Il Ristorante – Niko Romito Two Michelin stars Italian $$$$ Bvlgari Resort Dubai
- Row on 45 Two Michelin stars Creative $$$$ Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina
- Orfali Bros Two Michelin stars Contemporary Middle Eastern $$$$ Wasl 51, Jumeirah 1
- Ossiano One Michelin star Seafood $$$$ Atlantis The Palm
Elsewhere in United Arab Emirates
More reasons to come.
Flying to Dubai?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.