櫻桃與魚 Dubai Guide

Dubai was once a simple little fishing village, but after the discovery of oil, it rapidly rose over the past 20 years to become an international metropolis! It successfully captured the world's attention by building the Burj Khalifa—the tallest building on Earth. Today, Dubai has truly become a world-renowned travel destination, and the sheer number of places worth visiting is absolutely dazzling. We spent a total of 8 days and 7 nights exploring many of Dubai's attractions, and each one has its own unique charm. Honestly, it's the hardest place ever to rank favorites! In the end, Cherry agonizingly (seriously, it was so hard XD) put together her personal top 11 ranking to share with you all!

Top Dubai Attractions Ranking:

1. Burj Khalifa Observation Deck (At The Top)

The Burj Khalifa is the iconic tower that drew the world's attention to Dubai. Construction began in 2004, and by late 2008, its unfinished 160-story structure had already surpassed Taipei 101 to become the tallest building on Earth. When it was completed in 2012, it secured its number one spot with a total height of 828 meters—nearly twice the height of Taipei 101!

Actually, its original name was Burj Dubai. However, during construction, the project hit financial difficulties due to the 2008 financial crisis. Out of gratitude to the ruler of neighboring Abu Dhabi who extended a helping hand at a critical moment, the tower was renamed in his honor! We originally thought "Burj Khalifa" was hard to remember, but after hearing the story behind it, we were actually quite touched!

If you come to Dubai and don't go up to see this iconic landmark, did you even visit?! Below is the night view from the 124th and 125th-floor observation decks~

Right below the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Fountain features a water show every hour on the hour and at the 30-minute mark in the evening. Watching a water show from high up in the Burj Khalifa is a really special experience!

Observation deck tickets are divided into standard tickets for the 124th+125th floors and VIP tickets for the 148th+124th+125th floors~

📌 Recommended Reading: Don't Say You've Been to Dubai Without Visiting Here! The World's Tallest Burj Khalifa
📌 Burj Khalifa: Tickets｜This attraction is included in the Klook Dubai Pass｜Official Website

2. Dubai Frame

From the very first glance, we were captivated by its unique shape. Built to welcome the 2020 World Expo, the Dubai Frame's gorgeous golden exterior is covered in 15,000 square meters of gold plating, breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest frame in the world! Since opening in January 2018, it has quickly become one of Dubai's must-visit hot spots!

What attracted us most about the Dubai Frame, aside from its AED 50 ticket price being a fantastic value in Dubai, was the unforgettable view from the 48th-floor observation deck. The Dubai Frame is built right on the dividing line between Old Dubai and the New District, so the views from either side are completely different! On one side, you have the high-rise filled New District, and on the other, you get to see Dubai's original look as a small fishing village~

In the middle, there's a long glass walkway where you can get a sweeping bird's-eye view of the ground right from the 48th floor~

The stark contrast between the New District built over the last 20 years and the city's original landscape really blew us away. Add to that the fact that tickets are much cheaper than other attractions, if we were ranking by pure value for money, the Dubai Frame would absolutely take the number one spot.

📌 Recommended Reading: The World's Largest Frame | Dubai Frame
📌 Dubai Frame: Tickets｜This attraction is included in the Klook Dubai Pass｜Official Website

3. Dubai Mall

Opened in May 2009, Dubai Mall is the largest shopping mall in the world and is literally a tourist attraction in itself!

Inside, it not only houses the Dubai Aquarium with one of the world's largest viewing panels and the Dubai Ice Rink, but every single atrium is also meticulously designed~ They feature different decorations and events for various holidays!

Inside Dubai Mall

Right outside, the Dubai Fountain features a Burj Khalifa light and water show at scheduled times. Click here for the Dubai Fountain schedule

The Dubai Mall, along with the outdoor Dubai Fountain where you can casually admire the world's tallest tower until you can't stare anymore!! These are absolutely must-visit attractions in Dubai!

📌 Recommended Reading: The World's Largest! Where to Even Start Shopping at Dubai Mall?

4. The Lost Chambers Aquarium

Despite being in the desert, Dubai really loves building aquariums. Dubai Mall has an aquarium, the Burj Al Arab has an underwater restaurant, but Cherry's top recommendation is The Lost Chambers Aquarium located in the Atlantis Hotel!

There has always been an ancient legend surrounding the name "Atlantis"—said to be a highly civilized city swallowed by the sea in a massive flood~ The Lost Chambers Aquarium perfectly recreates the mysterious fantasy of "Atlantis"!!

Right from the entrance, it's full of mysterious vibes~~

It's said that the aquarium houses about 65,000 different kinds of marine life.

The whole aquarium makes you feel like you are walking on the ocean floor, witnessing the once-glorious civilization of Atlantis with your own eyes! Highly recommended~~

📌 Recommended Reading: Dubai Lost Chambers Aquarium | Super Mysterious! Feels Like the Sunken Atlantis!
📌 The Lost Chambers Aquarium: Tickets｜This attraction is included in the Klook Dubai Pass｜Official Website

5. Aquaventure Waterpark

Also located at the Atlantis Hotel, Aquaventure Waterpark features a transparent water slide (Shark Attack) built right into an aquarium! You slide slowly through a massive tank in a clear tube, completely surrounded by marine life~ It's incredibly unique! We were completely drawn in by this slide and decided we just had to visit this waterpark~

If you're brave enough, you can try something more thrilling. The most famous one is the "Leap of Faith" pictured below, where you drop from nine stories high down a nearly vertical slide, eventually passing through a clear tube where you can see sharks and stingrays~ Source: Aquaventure Waterpark Website

Besides the rides, the waterpark's beach—where you can catch great views of the Burj Al Arab—is also highly recommended~~

📌 Recommended Reading: Slide and Watch Fish at the Same Time in the Transparent Slide at~ Aquaventure Waterpark
📌 Aquaventure Waterpark: Tickets｜Official Website

6. Jumeirah Abra Tour

Taking an Arabian-style boat ride through the Madinat Jumeirah resort, you can admire not only the fully Arabian-inspired resort architecture along the way but also get a close-up look at the seven-star Burj Al Arab. The resort also features a traditional souk, restaurants, and more, allowing you to leisurely soak in the ancient city vibes.

📌 Recommended Reading: Jumeirah Abra Tour | Take in All the Burj Al Arab + Arabian Ancient City Views at Once

7. Old Dubai

It feels a bit weird to come to Dubai and not visit the Old District to experience its traditional charms. Old Dubai features attractions like the Gold Souk, the Spice Souk, the Dubai Museum, and the Coffee Museum. You can also take a ride on a traditional Arabian boat (Abra) across the creek for just AED 1 (USD $0.30)~ The markets in Old Dubai are packed with vendors, making it a fantastic place to buy souvenirs~

📌 Recommended Reading: How to Explore Old Dubai? | Complete Water Bus Info

8. The Yellow Boats (Dubai Marina Speedboat Tour)

Photo from Official Website Taking a speedboat out to sea (90 minutes) lets you witness the endlessly prosperous, high-rise studded Dubai Marina in one go. You get to admire the Atlantis Hotel and Burj Al Arab from the absolute best angles! The speedboat zooms up to 166 km/h~ Plus, the guide's detailed and humorous commentary means there isn't a single boring moment during the trip! It's one of our highly recommended, great value-for-money activities.

📌 Recommended Reading: Zoom Through Dubai Marina by Speedboat | Enjoy the Atlantis & Burj Al Arab from the Sea
📌 Speedboat Info:Book Tour

9. Desert Safari

Since you've made it all the way to the desert, you absolutely have to experience the thrill of speeding over the dunes in a 4x4! The sunset over the desert feels especially beautiful. If we hadn't had a less-than-stellar experience with our specific tour group, this desert safari would definitely have ranked even higher.

📌 Recommended Reading: Must-Do Dubai Desert Safari | Careful Not to Pick a Bad Tour Group?
📌 Highly Rated Desert Tours：Morning Desert Safari Tour｜ Evening Desert Safari Tour｜Dubai Sunset Camel Trekking

10. Jumeirah Public Beach

We especially recommend this spot for budget travelers—a place where you can see the Burj Al Arab for free! Even though it costs nothing, the angle for viewing the Burj Al Arab is genuinely fantastic~ We had so much fun there, treating the Burj Al Arab like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and going completely crazy taking photos~

11. La Mer Beach

La Mer Beach is a relatively new attraction that opened in October 2017. They built a beautiful pedestrian area right along the shore! With lots of restaurants, cafes, and shops, the entire area has a very trendy, artistic vibe. It's the perfect spot for a leisurely afternoon stroll, grabbing some afternoon tea, or having dinner~

📌 Recommended Reading: A Must-Visit for Hipsters! A Local Favorite~ Dubai's La Mer Beach

In recent years, Dubai has truly become the premier business center and transportation hub in the Middle East. Today, oil revenue only accounts for 5% of Dubai's GDP, with its main sources of income being trade, tourism, aviation, real estate, and financial services. After experiencing Dubai for ourselves, we truly saw so many "world's firsts" and had our eyes opened wide. It is absolutely a destination worth visiting.

Dubai Travel Information

★ 【Transport】Dubai Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus
★ 【Passes】Klook Dubai Attractions Pass
★ 【SIM Cards】UAE 5G eSIM
★ 【Observatories】Burj Khalifa｜Dubai Frame｜The View At The Palm｜Sky Views Observatory
★ 【Theme Parks】Legoland｜Aquaventure Waterpark
★ 【Desert Tours】Morning Safari｜Evening Safari｜Camel Riding｜Hot Air Balloon
★ 【Abu Dhabi】Day Tour｜Travel Guide
★ 【Dubai Guides】Travel Guide｜Where to Stay｜Top Attractions Ranking

Dubai has been developing at a crazy pace, and the speed at which they launch new attractions is seriously impressive. What's more, each new attraction is more spectacular than the last! We've specially put together the 2023 Newest Attractions in Dubai, detailing the most eye-catching must-visit new spots in Dubai from the start of the pandemic in 2020 to the present, including the Museum of the Future, The View at The Palm, and the world's highest 360-degree infinity pool. After reading it, we guarantee you'll want to rush to Dubai again!

Abu Dhabi Attractions

Actually, Dubai is not a country itself; it's an emirate belonging to the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). The U.A.E. is composed of seven emirates: including Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Dubai… and so on. Its neighbor Abu Dhabi, which is only about a 1.5-hour drive away, also has many stunning attractions, such as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with the world's largest chandelier, the Etihad Towers (filming location for Fast & Furious), and the utterly luxurious Emirates Palace. If you visit Dubai and have the time, we highly recommend taking a day trip to Abu Dhabi!

📌 Abu Dhabi Travel Guide | Top 10 Attractions ★ Includes Maps, Transport, and Itinerary
📌 3 Must-Visit Attractions in Abu Dhabi
📌 Super Complete! Dubai to Abu Dhabi Transport Guide

There are plenty more articles about Dubai and Abu Dhabi, including must-visit spots, accommodation experiences, transport guides, itineraries, and more. Please keep reading below!👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

More Dubai Articles

【Dubai Travel Guide】30 Attraction Maps, Transport, Accommodation, Itinerary, Visa | Ultimate Guide + Planner
【Dubai · Accommodation Guide】Where to Stay in Dubai by Area ☆ Includes Maps + Nearby Attractions
【Dubai Travel Guide】Quickly Understand Dubai Transport | Metro & Bus nol card | Taxi & Uber Tips
【Dubai · Dubai】Must-Visit in Dubai ☆ Slide and Watch Fish at the Same Time in the Transparent Slide at~ Aquaventure Waterpark
【Dubai · Dubai】Palm Jumeirah Atlantis ☆ Super Complete Transport Guide ☆ The Palm Atlantis
【Dubai · Dubai】Don't Say You've Been to Dubai Without Visiting Here! The World's Tallest Burj Khalifa
【Dubai · Dubai】The World's Largest Frame | Dubai Frame | Must-Visit Dubai Attraction Dubai Frame
【Dubai · Dubai】Jumeirah Abra Tour | Take in All the Burj Al Arab + Arabian Ancient City Views at Once | Jumeirah Abra Tour
【Dubai · Dubai】An Unmissable Dubai Aquarium | The Mystical Lost Chambers Aquarium
【Dubai · Dubai】The World's Largest! Where to Even Start Shopping at Dubai Mall? | No-Getting-Lost Guide Here! Dubai Mall
【Dubai · Dubai】Dubai Fountain | Super Gorgeous Water & Light Show Schedule and Nearby Walk Info | Dubai Fountain
【Dubai · Dubai】How to Explore Old Dubai? | Complete Water Bus Info | Old Dubai
【Dubai · Dubai】Zoom Through Dubai Marina by Speedboat | Enjoy the Atlantis & Burj Al Arab from the Sea
【Dubai · Dubai】A Must-Visit for Hipsters! A Local Favorite~ Dubai's La Mer Beach
【Dubai · Dubai】Burj Al Arab Underwater Restaurant ☆ Golden Tunnel Accentuating a Gorgeous Underwater World
【Dubai · Dubai】Must-Do Dubai Desert Safari | Careful Not to Pick a Bad Tour Group? | Desert Safari

Abu Dhabi Attractions & Transport

【Abu Dhabi · Travel Guide】Top 10 Attractions ★ Includes Maps, Transport, and Itinerary Planner
【Abu Dhabi · Abu Dhabi】Dubai to Abu Dhabi Transport Guide ☆ Must-Read for Dubai Travel
【Abu Dhabi · Abu Dhabi】Abu Dhabi Must-Visit Attractions Recommendation ☆ Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque + Emirates Palace + Etihad Towers

Other Travel Guides

★ Middle East: Doha｜Dubai｜Abu Dhabi
★ Europe: Finland｜UK
★ USA: New York｜San Francisco｜Las Vegas
★ Islands: Tahiti｜Maldives｜Fiji
★ Southeast Asia: Bali｜Phu Quoc｜Koh Samui

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