Six Days in Dubai: Mini Travel Guide & Itinerary
Dubai has always been that super exotic place on the “list of places I will visit one day”. I gladly jumped on a plane (or two) when my friend was headed there for work and asked if I wanted to join her on the last day of her work week to explore the United Arab Emirates together. We spent six days in the UAE and packed it with a good mix of chill and adventure. Read on for the itinerary and where to eat, sightsee and shop.
Jumeirah Beach at the Madinat Jumeirah Hotel.
DAY 1: MINA SEYAHI & AMAZONICO
I arrived near midnight and went straight to bed. I was so lucky I was able to sleep - I had zero jetlag this entire trip. The next morning, my friend had a full day of work meetings, so I spent the entire day enjoying the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Spa. The resort is beautiful - every nook and cranny had gorgeous ornate detail and design. My favorite was the atrium just past the lobby where it felt like you were in a giant bird cage set in a dreamy lush garden. The food was fresh and delicious, with several options to choose from. I took breakfast at their breakfast buffet, then headed to the beach club with my book, sunscreen and music in tote. The beach club was free for guests of the resort to enjoy, but you can also rent their sunbed with a minimum food and beverage spend. You get calm waters to swim in, a soft sandy beach and perfect view of the Ain Dubai (the world’s biggest ferris/observation wheel - you can dine inside the carts too). I also really enjoyed watching the skydivers fall from the sky - I must have seen at least a hundred of them that morning, and everyone appeared to have landed safely. If you were to skydive - I would say Dubai would be the place to do it. The beach club served lunch, so I enjoyed my favorite glass of Whispering Angel rosé and a delicious hearty orzo salad. When the sun got hotter - I took a little dip in one of their several swimming pools to cool off.
After a full day of enjoying the beach and relaxing by the pool, I was so ready to head out for a delicious meal at AMAZONICO. This very popular restaurant originally from Spain, combines the tastes from the unique Asian and Mediterranean cuisines that inhabit the countries of the Amazon. The restaurant is vibrant and energetic - and the decor is tropical and exotic. There’s also a breath-taking rooftop terrace that serves fun cocktails and DJs spin ‘eletro-pical’ music live each evening.
DAY 2: DOWNTOWN DUBAI & THE TWO BURJS
We checked into the Shangri-La in downtown Dubai as the home base for the rest of our stay in the UAE. There are so many gorgeous hotels to choose from, but I am so happy we decided on this one. The hotel also gave us a complimentary upgrade which was so nice - we had club lounge access and a more spacious and comfortable room with great views of the Burj Khalifa.
We spent the morning enjoying more beach time at Jumeirah Mina A’Salam Hotel (MADINAT JUMEIRAH) - might I just add that this hotel is simply wow! We rented the beach loungers as we weren’t guests of the hotel - and it was money well spent. The sand is sparkling, the service was top-notch and we had the perfect view of the Burj Al Arab.
After yet another full day of beach bumming, we freshened up and headed to CE LA VIE for dinner, drinks and hookah. This place can’t be missed whether it’s for lunch or dinner. It’s located at the top of the Address hotel with spaces that include the main dining room, sky bar, and pool deck with sweeping city views right in front of the Burj Khalifa.
DAY 3: DUBAI DESERT SAFARI
After two days of acclimatizing - I was ready for an adventure. We booked the Dubai Desert Camel Safari Tour with a traditional Arabian BBQ dinner through Get Your Guide. Our driver picked us up from our hotel around 3pm (so it’s not crazy hot) - and drove us about an hour out of downtown Dubai into the desert. We each hopped on our own adorable camels, and had a peaceful and relaxing saunter through the sand dunes during sunset. There was plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and stop for photos. After the camel ride, we went back to the “camp-site” and sat on bean bags and enjoyed a delicious Arabian BBQ dinner. There’s also traditional belly dancing and other entertainment for enjoying - but when we were there was during a time of mourning, so no entertainment for us, we enjoyed the peace and quiet and each other’s company instead.
DAY 4: NAMMOS & OLD DUBAI
In the morning, we ventured over to NAMMOS located at the Four Seasons Resort Dubai (Jumeirah Beach) for lunch. This restaurant is absolutely stunning and the food was as fresh as can be. We ordered their signature tomato salad with burrata and it was the best I’ve ever had. There was also a Dior pop-up photo op, so of course we spent some time taking some photos and enjoying our time there. Highly recommend a visit to this restaurant (it is quite pricey though but worth it).
After lunch, it was so hot - we actually took a load off back at the Shangri La pool. Once it was cooler in the early evening, we headed to Old Dubai to walk through the souks (markets). We walked through souks that offered colourful pashminas, rugs, spices, teas, trinkets, and sparkling gold. Then we went to the ARABIAN TEA HOUSE RESTAURANT and I had the best meal I’ve had in Dubai so far there - and we paid under $60 for a gourmet authentic Arabian feast! I loved the chicken biryani and the naan.
DAY 5: ABU DHABI
If you’re thinking of skipping Abu Dhabi - don’t! It is soooo worth the thrilling speedy two-hour drive from Dubai. I booked a private driver through my Visa concierge service and he took us to all the spots we wanted to see. You can also book a full day tour with a tour company too. Here are some places you must visit:
SHEIKH ZAYED GRAND MOSQUE
This mosque is a must-see! I have never seen such a grand and stunning mosque anywhere else. The craftsmanship is awestriking, and the entire place is covered with precious and semi-precious stones and metals (lapis lazuli, rubies, sapphires, jade, marble, gold, etc.). The dress-code here is very conservative - especially for women. Make sure you wear long sleeves, long pants/skirt that will cover your ankles, and you have a shawl to cover your hair.
LOUVRE
Yes, there’s a Louvre outside of France, and of course, it’s located in the UAE. The art history nerd in me was absolutely thrilled. From the official Louvre Abu Dhabi website about Jean Nouvel’s stunning architectural design: “a floating dome of light and shade. The centrepiece of Nouvel’s vision is a huge silvery dome that appears to float above the museum-city. Despite its apparent weightlessness, the dome weights around 7,500 tonnes (similar to the Eiffel Tower in Paris). Inspired by the cupola, a distinctive feature in Arabic architecture, Nouvel’s dome is a complex, geometric structure of 7,850 stars. These stars are repeated at various sizes and angles in eight different layers. As the sun passes above, its light filters through the perforations in the dome to create an enchanting effect within the museum, known as the ‘rain of light’. This tribute to nature is inspired by the palm trees of Abu Dhabi. Their leaves filter and soften the bright sunlight from above to project a dappled pattern on the ground”.
The food at the cafe was actually really tasty as well and provided a much needed reprieve from the heat outside.
AL QASR WATAN
Tour through the presidential palace - the blue and gold everywhere is incredible. Dress code here is also very conservative, no head dress required - but similar to the mosque, ladies must have full sleeve blouses/jackets, and full length skirt or pants.
I wouldn’t say this is a must-see, however, if you’re in the area - their dining options here are wonderful. Unfortunately we weren’t able to enjoy the outdoor Al Qasr bbq as a sandstorm passed through. We went to Hakkasan and my Asian palette was extremely satisfied. The drinks were really tasty too. There are also some luxury boutiques in the hotel to browse through.
DAY 6: DUBAI MALL
We had originally planned for high-tea at the top of the Burj Khalifa, but because of the sandstorm - visibility was extremely low, and we didn’t see the point of spending money on a fancy tea when we can’t see anything out the windows. We opted to shop at Dubai Mall instead before our nighttime flights home. I think we shopped for a good six hours and didn’t even cover half the mall. It definitely cannot be missed. The shopping in Dubai is just ridiculous. I picked up a cute skirt and a pair of jeans, and souvenirs for friends and family back home. I also got to fulfill my Shake Shack craving - happy JHo to end the perfect UAE adventure!
Thanks for reading! I hope you found this guide and itinerary helpful in planning your visit to Dubai. Drop me a note - and share this blog with your friends if you enjoyed this! xoxo
