Dubai Travel Guide for First Time Visitors!

How to Travel to Dubai

We took Emirates airlines directly from NYC to Dubai. They had a 2 for 1 deal airfare which was great! Emirates airlines has deals often and they fly from several cities across America so I do suggest signing up on their website. They also offer free layovers in Dubai. We met several people who were taking advantage of traveling to other countries on Emirates but stopped in Dubai on the way.

You can also fly on Etihad Airways into Abu Dhabi and take a shuttle bus or taxi one hour to Dubai. Qatar Airways is another option. They make a stop in Doha before continuing on to Dubai. Of course you can use US based airlines as well.

The Best Times to Visit

Dubai is HOT! I know-Duh. During the “winter months”, which correlate to ours, the temperatures are cooler with highs in the 80s to lows in the 60s. This is from November to March. Based on these temperatures, this is tourist season in Dubai, so expect it to be more crowded and prices to be a bit higher if you plan your Dubai trip for this time period. However, in the summer months from June to August, temperatures average a high of 105!

The Best Places to Stay

There is no shortage of hotels in Dubai, especially luxury hotels. You can also check rental sites such as Airbnb. In terms of the best location, you should first think of Dubai as a long strip. I compare it to Las Vegas or Cancun if you have been to either. We kept driving back and forth, up and down the same main road.

The most central location, and hence the most crowded, is around the Dubai mall which is where Burj Khalifa is located. At the other end is the Dubai Marina with Palm Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab close by. On the complete opposite end of this “strip” is the Dubai airport and Old Dubai with the souks. Along most of this strip is Jumeirah Beach filled with beach resorts, shops and restaurants. Based on your interests, you may prefer to stay closer to one of these landmarks.

How Much is a Trip to Dubai?

Money, Money, Money! Although I am sure there is a budget friendly way to do Dubai, I found it to be costly or at least comparable to the US. Their currency is called “dirham” or AED for Arab Emirate Dirham. You may see it abbreviated ads Dhs or DH. The dollar bill denominations conveniently have Arabic on one side and English on the other side. There are coins as well.

The current conversion is 1 Dirham equals 0.27 USD. But again, once I did the conversions for taxis, food, tours and our hotel, it was equivalent or more to what I would pay in the US. Keep in mind I am a luxury blogger so my activities included high tea at Burj Al Arab, a stay at a luxury hotel on the Dubai Marina and I did some private tours.

You can exchange money on arrival at the airport but we noticed a slightly better exchange rate at the malls. And there are plenty of malls. In terms of American credit cards, most places only take Mastercard or Visa. Our hotel and the Nike store in the Dubai Mall accepted American Express but that was it-based on our experience.