A few years ago when I was planning for my first trip to Dubai, there were hardly any guides or tips for what to see, do or eat in Dubai.  I found a few tour companies online and blindly booked the tours. I was not sure if they were any good or if the vendors were legitimate. Thankfully, it turned out great and the tour companies we used were incredible. These days you will find a few more articles and posts to guide you on a visit to Dubai. I thought I will add my tips to the what is already out there. Part guide to Dubai, part travel tips. 

Before that, a few housekeeping matter before you get planning an itinerary:

How many days do you need. Dubai (like London , New York or similar) is one of those destination where you may not be able to see and do everything in one trip; there is always something new. My recommendation is to take what you can get. I have done a 36 hour layover; a full week and on my most recent trip, I stayed for 4 nights. You can find all of the posts from all of my trips here.

Best time to visit. If you can, avoid summer as it gets quite hot. I don’t think it is unbearable —- it just requires slight modification to itinerary and lots of hydration. I have visited in May; June/July and August/September. I think August/Spetember felt hotter to me, but I still had a good time. Ramadan month is probably the closest thing matching a low season (if Dubai had such a thing) and you may find some things are not fully open.

Where to stay. There are a number of factors that impact the decision on where to stay. I wrote a blog post with the pros of each neighborhood and some options in each neighborhood in this post.

Where to eat. This could take several posts to even begin to scratch the surface on this; but working on a post with some recommendations from locales and from my various trip.

Now, here are a few recommendations based on my experiences in Dubai (this is not an exhaustive list just a handful of helpful tips and itinerary recommendations)

1. Dubai is home to the world's tallest building and the views are spectacular. Add a trip to the top of Burj Dubai to your itinerary.

2. The aera known as old Dubai is a must see. Step away from the glitz and high rises and get to the heart Dubai. This is my favorite part of Dubai and I stay here on every visit.

3. Visit the indoor ski lodge at Emirates Mall. Even if you don't ski, it is worth checking out. It is said to span the length of three football fields.

4. Dubai is home several shopping malls, including, the largest mall in the world - The Dubai Mall. Dubai has got every store you can imagine including Galeries Lafayette and Bloomingdales. There is an acquarium and underwater zoo that spans three floors, access to the world's tallest building, ice rink,, cinema and high adrenaline indoor theme park.

5. Check out the air conditioned bus stations. If you visit in the summer, you will find them very helpful.

6. Don't leave Dubai without visiting the Souks (markets). I recommend the gold and spice souks.

7. Experience the uniqueness of a desert safari. Sand dunes, camel farms, camel rides and watching the sunset are some of the highlights of desert safari. Read more about it here.

8. The “seven star” hotel experience at Burj Al Arab. You may have heard the legend of the “seven star” hotel; there is really no such thing but apparently one of the press folks invited to visit the property before its opening remarked it was so incredible it might as well be a seven star hotel; that monicker has stuck. You can only access it with a reservation either for a stay or dining at one of its restaurants. I recommend afternoon tea at Burj Al Arab.

9. Dubai Miracle Garden. This is a garden you have got to see. Spectacular.

10. Dubai Fountain show is free every thirty minutes from 6 p.m. till Midnight. Don't miss it.

11. Don't miss the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, it is worth the day trip to Abu Dhabi.

12. Dubai Frame. Besides holding the record for the largest frame in the world, the frame also boasts some spectacular panoramic views of the city and the glass floored walkway is impressive. It cost 50 AED ($14) to enter the structure.

13. Dine in the sky. This experience starts at 599AED ($165) per person at the time of the post. However, I have not met one person who paid for the experience and hated it. I will not give too much away here, except, get strapped in to enjoy a meal in the sky- you have options of lunch, afternoon tea or dinner.

14. Dubai Aquarium in the Dubai Mall. This may seem odd option in this post but I loved my experience here; this is perfect if you are traveling with kids and perfect for adults as well. This aquarium takes up three floors and a tunnel that gives incredible access.

15. Atlantis Dubai. If you don’t want to splurge on a stay here, you have the option of a day pass to either the waterpark or the lost chamber aquarium (or both if you feel inclined). Day pass tickets start at 299 AED and the aquarium is 115 AED for adults (as of the date of this post).

16. Jumeriah Mosque. This is the only mosque in Dubai that is open to the public; as with all religious sights (please be respectful when visiting); you can visit six days a week; while it is incredible to see; the exterior architecture wins.

17. Abra ride along Dubia Creek. Every time I visit, I tell myself I will not be participating in this activity again and every single time, I find myself in a wooden boat riding along the creek. It is a great mode of transportation getting across the creek and skipping traffic; it is also a great way to see old Dubai which I find to be as enchanting as modern Dubai.

18. Expo Dubai. If you are visiting in the near future, then you should add Expo Dubai to your itinerary (the size of the explore is said to be twice the size of Monaco) and offers some very unique experiences.

19. Take a yatch tour from Dubai Marina. Visit Dubai Marina and take a cruise along the Marina, this is my favorite way to see the city as it gives access to parts of the city that are more reserved or with limited access; plus the photo ops and watching the sunset from your own (rented) yatch is top notch.

20. Explore Dubai Marina. After your tour, make sure to spare time to explore the Marina, it has got some fantastic restaurants and is tagged a favorite night life destination in the city.

Other honorable mentions: Kite beach ; Aquaventure waterpark; Ethiad museum; Dubai opera house

Have you been to Dubai ? Anything personal favorites to add to the list ?