If you're passing through Dubai for a stopover like us, here's what you can visit if you stay at least 5 hours between flights.
In this new article from the OneDayOneTravel travel blog, here are our tips, advice and videos to help you visit
Dubai during your stopover.
1. What are the conditions for visiting Dubai on a stopover?
To take advantage of the visit of Dubai during a stopover, you need to have a break ofat least 5 hours. We had a 20-hour stopover between Dubai and Bali, so we had plenty of time to soak up the city of records.
As soon as you arrive, a 30-day visa is issued free of charge and without any formalities. The passport is then sufficient to visit Dubai, on the sole condition that it is still valid for 6 months.
Good to know: Under certain conditions, the Emirates airline mayoffer youa hotel room if the stopover lasts between 8 and 24 hours. Please note that for Economy class, this offer is subject to conditions including the price of your ticket.
Here is our experience. We thought we were entitled to a room because we were in Dubai for 20 hours. To find out what was going on, we phoned the Emirates offices in Paris. The answer was straightforward: it is not possible in your case because of the price of the ticket.
Indeed, we had made a very good deal on the price of our plane ticket: 450 euros/person for the return flight Paris-Denpasar Bali via Dubai and Singapore on the outward journey and only via Dubai on the return journey. I don't know, now we know better the conditions of the offer, purely commercial after all.
For the record, we didn 't sleep from Paris to Bali despite 2 stopovers of 20 hours during the day in Dubai and another stopover in Singapore. Thank you Emirates!
In First and Business class, the same conditions apply if the stopover in Dubai lasts between 6 and 24 hours.
2. How to get from the airport to downtown Dubai?
There are 3 different ways to get to downtown Dubai. The bus, the metro and the taxi. We are in Ramadan and the metro is not open yet. No buses on the horizon either. It must be too early. We opt for the taxi option. Comfortable and cheap, we pay 20 euros for a 30 minutes ride to the Burj Khalifa district.
At the end of the day, after our visits, we take the metro to the airport for 1,50 euros/person.
As for the luggage, no worries, our backpacks put in the hold in Paris will meet us in Denpasar Bali, so we visited Dubai in stopover while being light.
3. How best to get around Dubai?
Visiting Dubai on a stopover is a sport! Dubai is a city that is a little difficult to get used to at first. But you get used to it very quickly, especially after you have been to the top of the Burj Khalifa tower.
There is the metro. Very clean and with only 2 lines, the metro is very easy to use and doesn't cost much. The price depends on the number of zones crossed. For 2 zones, we paid 1,50 euros/person.
There is also the tourist bus and its 26 stops with Wifi on board.
There are also local buses that we did not have time to test.
Finally, the most efficient way to get from one area to another is by taxi. For a few euros, you can get to your next visit quite quickly. The meter was well set for each trip. Great.
4. Visiting Dubai on a stopover, what to see?
4.1. Our video
Follow our advice in this video to visit Dubai as an independent.
Video focus on a city that is truly out of the ordinary
4.2. The world's tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa
As the ticket is not cheap, it will cost you one less by buying your ticket online.
Then head to the Dubai Mall to start the tour.
The tour starts on the ground floor with an exhibition about the 6 years of construction (2004-2010) needed to build the world's tallest tower. At 828 metres high and 160 floors, it is the tallest skyscraper ever built by man as of May 2008.
You arrive at the lift. After a short presentation by a site manager, we get into the cabin. You then suddenly find yourself in complete darkness. During the ascent, a film is projected on the walls of the cabin. You can see the world's greatest monuments appearing one after the other each time you reach the top of these wonders of the world.
Once you reach the top, well not quite because the panoramic platform is only on the 125th floor, the lift doors open and after a few steps, you find yourself behind large windows contemplating the architectural madness of Dubai. You can easily see the famous Palm Jumeirah island in the shape of a palm tree but also theisland of The World.
If you go down one floor, you have access to an outside part. An incredible feeling. In any case, the 360° panoramic view at about 400 meters above Dubai is an incredible experience in itself.
For your information, and by paying a little more, you can reach the 148th stage and its SKY perched at 556 meters of altitude. You are obviously even higher but the overall view remains the same.
Then the visit ends with the descent in the lift to the ground floor. On the way out, you can learn more about the design of the world's tallest tower in an exhibition.
Once you've gained height, it's good to lose yourself in Dubai's oversized shopping centres. And there is plenty of choice!
4.3. Visit Dubai: The Dubai Mall
In addition to hundreds of shops, this is home to one of the world's largest aquariums. This gigantic aquarium is a must-see during a stopover in Dubai. Up to 33,000 fish and marine animals of all kinds can be seen here. The rays and sharks are particularly impressive.
The mall is easily accessible by metro. The surrounding outdoor park offers a great view of the Burj Khalifa and its man-made lakes. The promenade on the site is pleasant, except when it is really hot outside. The surrounding restaurants and shopping arcades, some with incredible Arabic interior architecture, provide shelter.
4.4. The Mall of the Emirates
In addition to the many shops and restaurants, the number one attraction of the mall since 10 years (November 2005) is the ski resort. It is late June. Outside, it is about 45 degrees. Inside, it is -2°C. Tourists are enjoying the snow, snow and skiing. There are even ski lifts.
The shopping centre is easily accessible by metro.
4.5. Souk Madinat
Much more human in scale, the Souk Madinat is located in the tourist hot spot of Little Venice. Here, in addition to shopping, you can also hop on a gondola and let yourself be carried through the canals surrounded by palm trees.
You can also stroll around on foot and why not try some good food in one of the restaurants on site. The view of Dubai's 7-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab, is nice from the canals.
The best way to get here is by taxi as there is no metro station nearby.
4.6. The Old Souk
The Old Souk is much more traditional than the Madinat Souk and is well worth a visit, especially as it is accessible by metro and taxi. You get away from the tall towers of Dubai and into the real local life. We love it. There are people everywhere. It's a neighbourhood along the Dubai Creek, the city's river, and it's alive.
In the Old Souk, you can bargain for lots of Dubai items and souvenirs. The environment near the souk is rather typical of the old neighbourhoods of Arab cities. Really nice.
Not far away, in the traditional district of Bastakiya, you can visit the Al Fahidi fort which houses the Dubai museum. It is the oldest building in Dubai.
If you still have time and energy, take a boat and cross the creek and visit the gold and spice souks, two places not to be missed in Dubai.
5. To conclude this stopover in Dubai, 
The hours are ticking away, the heat was almost unbearable all day at the end of June. Fortunately, we took advantage of the air conditioning in the malls. The takeoff for Singapore, our 2nd stopover, is approaching. Direction Dubai International Airport by metro. We'll freshen up a bit before boarding.
These 20 hours of stopover in Dubai were rich in emotion. Of course, we did not see everything of this multi-faceted city which still has many architectural surprises in store for us in the months and years to come.
Access to the next stage: Stopover in Singapore
