Dubai Trip Itinerary
When I was a child, Dubai was not as famous as it is today. But the Dubai ads on ZEE TV which used to broadcast post 11 pm always fascinated me & developed an excitement for visiting this city. Also, when I used to see my uncle returning from Arab for vacations here in India, I used to wonder and wished to experience it.
Therefore, when we were planning our first international trip in 2018, I recommended visiting Dubai, but our friends who were joining us on the trip suggested Singapore, and the Dubai trip got on hold.
Finally, after a gap of 5 years, I made a plan with my siblings to visit this city of dreams. It was quite the siblings tripling, to say the least. My siblings and I had a great time sightseeing in Dubai, with so much to see and do!
And am thankful to Allah that I got the opportunity to visit Dubai as it was always on my dream vacation list.
With its impressive architecture, shopping places, and unforgettable attractions, Dubai is the perfect destination for a week-long getaway.
Our 7-day trip to Dubai featured a unique combination of sightseeing, adventure, and cultural activities.
We visited Dubai in Jan 2023 for 7 days & 6 nights. Read below my exciting 7-day Dubai Trip Itinerary with my siblings.
Dubai Trip Itinerary
Day 1 Burj Khalifa, Dubai mall, Dubai aquarium, and Dubai fountain show
Day 2 Palm Jumeirah, Atlantis, The Pointe- All in one place, and later in the evening Dhow Cruise Marina
Day 3 Desert Safari Adventure & Shopping at Deira Gold Souk
Day 4 Abu Dhabi- Warner bros, Grand mosque
Day 5 Museum of the future, Ibn battuta mall
Day 6 Al Seef Dubai. We had planned Meena bazar & Global village too, but rain ruined it
Day 7 Went to bid goodbye to Burj Khali and Dubai departure
Day 1- Sightseeing at the Iconic Burj Khalifa, Dubai mall, Dubai aquarium, and Dubai fountain show – All in one place
On our first day of Dubai trip, we visited Dubai Mall, Dubai Aquarium, Dubai Fountain Show, and the Iconic Burj Khalifa – all located in one place and it was an amazing experience.
How to reach: Take a metro to reach Burj Khalifa/Dubai mall metro station. The metro station is connected to the mall and easily accessible.
The Dubai shopping Festival was going on and we shopped from a few stores and got the best deals. We had an incredible shopping (and window shopping) experience at Dubai mall which has over 1200 stores and is one of the largest malls in the world!
My siblings and I had an amazing time exploring the Dubai Mall, taking in all the sights and sounds of this remarkable place.
We then visited the Dubai aquarium which is located inside the mall.
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The Dubai aquarium is one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world with over 10,000 marine animals on display.
Our tickets included access to penguin cove, where we got to see 16 Gentoo penguins up close.
The tickets are expensive if you include penguin cove, but it all depends on your interest in whether you want to visit it or not. While I & my bro enjoyed the whole experience, my sis didn’t much.
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Later, we went to check out the iconic Dubai fountain show and Burj Khalifa. Not only do you get to admire the beautiful skyline views around Burj Khalifa, but you also get to enjoy a unique and interactive fountain show choreographed with music, lights, and water jets that change color!
It was surreal! I couldn’t believe I am finally in Dubai and in front of the tallest building in the world.
Day 2- Palm Jumeraih: Atlantis, Nakheel mall, The Pointe beach- All in one place, and later in the evening Dhow Cruise Marina
To reach Palm Jumeirah:
- Take a metro to reach Dubai Marina
- Take a tram from Dubai Marina to Palm Jumeirah
- Take the monorail from Palm Jumeraih to reach Atlantis, Nakheel mall, the Pointe beach.
I would recommend you buy a 35 AED monorail ticket which is valid for 1 day and has an unlimited pass through which you can stop and ride by all four monorail stations anytime for 1 day.
The view from the monorail is splendid. Our Dubai trip was going great.
Also, keep a full day only for this place as there is so much to explore here. We had already booked our tickets for the Dhow cruise Marina in the evening, hence had to leave Palm Jumeirah.
We first got down at Nakheel mall station for food. I and my sibling’s explored the mall had food at Waitrose supermarket and then left to reach Atlantis.
On reaching Atlantis, we visited the Atlantis mall and then came outside to explore this island paradise. We spend 2-3 hours here looking at the magnificent Atlantis and walking the seaside.
Later, we reached Pointe beach from where you will get to see the best view of Atlantis. We came to know that the water light show happens in the evening, but unfortunately, we had to leave for Dubai Marina and hence we did goodbye to this place.
We reached Dubai harbor around 6:30 pm and were astonished by seeing the Dubai skyscraper. After having a good and unforgettable time, I was stoked to experience our next attraction Dhow Cruise Marina which started at 9 pm.
It is a 90 min cruise ride with unlimited food & drinks along with tanura dance performers and breathtaking views of the world-famous Dubai Marina.
We were enjoying the cruise and suddenly at 10 pm, we saw an incredible drone light show and I was flabbergasted. Dubai never fails to amaze me. Later on Instagram, I got to know that this drone light show is the Middle’s East longest-running drone light show which happened from 15th Dec- 29th Jan.
Wow! Am so lucky to see it during my visit.
Day 3- Desert Safari Adventure & Shopping at Deira Gold Souk
In our Dubai trip plan, we had included these two places. We were staying in Deira and therefore, we decided to give the first half of the day visiting Deira Gold souk, Dubai’s famous and exquisite shop for jewelry.
The shopping experience at Deira Gold Souk was quite amazing. It was such a treat to explore the dozens of dazzling gold shops and pick souvenirs for our family and friends.
At 2 pm, we made our way to Desert Safari. We had booked for sharing a cab + VIP seating. Our cab driver picked us up from our hotel and picked up other tourists on the way located at different places. The cab ride from Diera to Sharjah was alluring as we were able to enjoy the road ride and then the desert safari.
The desert safari began with a thrilling dune bashing session for 5-10mins followed by some traditional activities that included henna painting (small), and camel rides (1min) at one of Dubai’s many picturesque deserts!
As we had booked for VIP sitting, our sittings arrangements were quite good and we got cold drinks and water at our table. The buffet for VIPs started early at 6 pm, whereas, for normal sittings, it starts quite late. Therefore, booking VIP sittings was a wise decision.
The show started with a belly dance followed by a tanura dance and a fire show. But my favorite was the camel ride show- All lights were put off and in the desert, the caravan with camel was going which takes you back to the old times when there was no light and automobiles.
Day 4- Abu Dhabi- Warner bros, Grand mosque
This day was dedicated to Abu Dhabi on our Dubai trip Itinerary. We reached Abu Dhabi from Dubai in 2 hours by a private car and went to Yas island. Our driver first took us to the Ferrari circuit where we saw Ferrari cars and the racing ground.
We then went to Ferrari World and explore it from the outside. I am not fond of a roller coasters and my sister was not feeling well, and my brother didn’t want to go alone. Hence, we moved ahead and went to the Yas mall.
After having some meals in the food court, we visited Warner bros. I had seen a few videos of this place that made me excited to visit here. Thankfully, my brother also concurred to visit as the entrance area takes you back to childhood with photos of your favorite Warner bros cartoon and characters.
However, let me tell you Warner bros is an indoor theme park mostly suitable for kids, but they have few thrill rides, so visitors of all age groups can come here. This place felt nostalgic and takes you down memory lane to your childhood days.
My brother was very sad when he entered the premises and saw there is nothing for him until he saw a few thrill rides and got satisfied. We spend 4-5 hours over here and enjoyed rides.
In the evening we reached the Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, and were stunned by its Islamic architecture. It is one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the world. Don’t forget to wear modestly when you visit the mosque or else you won’t get permission to visit.
Day 5- Museum of the future, Ibn Battuta mall
We had planned to visit Ibn battuta mall and Global village on this day of our Dubai trip Itinerary, but due to rain, global village was closed to visitors.
We started our journey by taking the metro and reached Emirates tower station which was connected to the museum.
The first floor of the building has free access and we explored this area. Then we went outside and took some photos.
We left for Ibn Battuta mall and reached the station. The metro is connected to the mall and takes you to the food court.
Ibn Battuta mall is the world’s largest themed mall inspired by the Arabian traveler Ibn Battuta. The mall has unique six courts – Persia, India, Andalusia, China, Egypt, and Tunisia.
The architecture of each court will leave you in awe. My favorite is China and Persia court.
We spend a lot of time here exploring the stores and having a meal at Carrefour.
Day 6- Al Seef Dubai. (We had planned Meena bazar & Global village too, but rain ruined it)
On day 6, we ventured to Al Seef Dubai for a unique experience, but sadly our plans for Meena Bazar and Global Village that day were ruined due to the rain.
Al Seef Dubai was an incredible experience. We enjoyed exploring its cobbled streets, taking in its traditional architecture, and experiencing the vibrant culture of this beautiful city.
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This day was cloudy and rainy throughout the day, however, in the evening it started raining heavily and we got stuck there for an hour.
We were not getting any cabs neither anyone helped us out. Finally, when the rain stopped, we walk down to the metro and went back to our hotel.
Day 7- Went to bid goodbye to Burj khalifa & later in the evening left for the airport
On day 7, We went to Dubai mall and bid farewell to Burj Khalifa, one of Dubai’s most iconic landmarks. After spending a few hours admiring its grandeur, we returned to our hotel and left for the airport with a heavy heart. Our Dubai trip itinerary for 7 days ended.
It was truly an unforgettable Dubai trip with my siblings!
With a rapidly growing tourism industry, there is no end to what you can see and do in Dubai. A seven-day visit is just enough to start for Dubai trip Itinerary.
So Pack your bags and get ready for a beautiful and exciting stay in the Emirate!
PS: Check my Instagram profile and click on Dubai mentioned in the highlights to watch the day-wise itinerary and much more.
