Ten Mistakes to Avoid When Visiting Dubai

Everyone who has been to Dubai will agree: this place is incredible. It’s a city like no other. A tourist paradise with millions of things to do. 

However, Dubai has its own set of rules which need to be closely followed. In case you haven’t been to Dubai yet, it’s good to get familiar with these rules before your trip. If you make the mistakes I’m listing below, your time in Dubai might end up not as enjoyable as it could otherwise be. You might end up paying way too much money. Or not taking good photos (which I’m sure many people are after!) Or simply missing an activity you are very interested in.

So, check the list of ten mistakes to avoid when visiting Dubai – and get ready for your trip there!

Dubai is expensive – don’t expect to get much free stuff 

You will need to pay pretty much for everything in Dubai, so budget accordingly and look for ways to save, if available. At many attractions, there will be a basic ticket, a premium ticket and various add-ons. Since the prices are quoted in dirhams, make sure you know the exchange rate to your currency and make some quick calculations in your mind in order to have a good idea how much things are costing. This is especially important if you are jet legged. If you are not careful, you might end up spending much more money than you intended to.

Importantly, you won’t find free museums or free parks in Dubai (although this is quite common in some other cities). For example, Paris has a lot of landmarks and lovely gardens where you can spend your time without having to pay anything. Washington DC also has a lot of parks, museums and landmarks which you can visit for free. In contrast, Dubai has few free activities, so keep that in mind, especially if you come with kids who always demand entertainment. 

That said, some free activities do exist in Dubai. For example, you can walk around the Dubai Mall area, take pictures near the incredible Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world) and also watch the Dubai Fountain show. Going to the public beach is also free in Dubai and that’s a great place to spend your day. However, keep in mind that you will have to pay for sun beds and beach umbrellas (unless you are staying at a beach hotel which provides these things).

Don’t just hop on the plane to Dubai- plan your visit 

One of the mistakes to avoid when visiting Dubai for the first time is just hopping on the plane and going there without a clear plan. 

Dubai has a lot of interesting activities which would appeal to many different tastes. Not only that- it has a lot of attractions which are either the world largest, or the world’s best, or the most unique… Well, you get the message. If you don’t prepare for your visit in advance, you risk missing some of the must see things, or activities which you’d be really interested in. 

Before your trip, ask yourself these questions. Do you want to visit some museums? Do you want to spend some time at the beach? How about animal shows for your kids? Are you interested in eating at some highly popular restaurants? It’s good to have a plan before you travel to Dubai so you maximize your time there. Buy online tickets early for those activities which sell out quickly.

Just to give you a flavor, Dubai had the world’s largest natural flower garden, the world’s tallest building and the world’s largest fountain choreographed system, among other things.

If you want to know more about these amazing attractions and other things to do in Dubai, check out my blog post: Top Ten Things to Do with Kids in Dubai. This post focuses on family activities, but they are also going to be interesting for single travelers and couples. Dubai is a perfect city for all ages.

Most of the time, you won’t need to carry cash – but there may be exceptions 

I don’t like carrying cash and exchanging money and try to avoid it as much as possible. Dubai is a great city where you can pay with your credit card pretty much everywhere. You can buy gifts at the gift shops, tickets to various entertainment venues, meals, snacks, pay for taxi or metro, and do many other things. However, we did find one place where we needed cash in dirhams: Jumeirah Beach. To get beach towels there, we were asked to provide a deposit of 50 dirhams per towel. No cash = no towel. Keep that in mind if you are heading to the beach.

Don’t wait to get tickets to popular attractions – book online 

Booking tickets online is #1 rule in Dubai. One of the worst mistakes you can make when visiting Dubai is expecting that tickets will always be available. 

If you can, please buy tickets online ahead of time before heading to a tourist attraction. This will often help you to save money and also guarantee that you will be able to get in.

When we first visited Dubai, we did not know that, and, surprise surprise, we went to one museum and ended up without tickets. Everything was sold out. And that was even despite us coming first thing in the morning, when the museum was just opening!

That said, there are always some super duper premium tickets available, even if everything is sold out. So, if you are willing to pay double or triple, you might still be able to get in. But before you go for it, don’t forget to calculate the price in your currency based on the exchange rate in order to know if you can really afford it!

Don’t despair if the tickets are sold out

That is another lesson we learned in Dubai. There is so much to do that you will always find something else, even if your preferred activity happens to be sold out. Just keep the list of activities close so you have it handy in case something does not work out. 

When we visited Dubai, my daughter really wanted to go to one museum (the one which was sold out), but then we went to another one and she was totally mesmerized and happy. By the end of the day, we had such a great time that we did not even remember our earlier problem.

Don’t show up late to popular shows/activities 

With every activity in Dubai, it always pays off to show up early, when the activity just opens (usually 10 am or 11 am but double check as sometimes hours change on holidays, weekends, etc.) Our experience has been that in the first hour, visitors just start coming in, and you have ample opportunities to take great photos and videos, as well as simply enjoy the place you are at. Later, things start getting crowded, and soon enough, there are so many people that you can barely walk around.

Dubai visitors rarely just sit in their hotel rooms. They enjoy doing things. So, if some place is well known, there will be crowds there. Guaranteed.

Don’t miss the famous Dubai Fountain show 

Dubai has many great attractions, but the one you definitely don’t want to miss is the fountain show. This is one of the few free activities, and it’s also something Dubai is really famous for. I suggest heading there the first day of your visit to make sure that you watch the show, take pictures and videos and check that box. Come at least 30-40 minutes before the show – crowds are enormous and you need to come in advance in order to get a good viewing spot. In case you really like the show, you can always come back later during your trip. 

Don’t underestimate distances in Dubai

When choosing the accommodation to stay at, keep in mind that Dubai is a very large city. It takes time to go from one end to another. I suggest first figuring out what attractions you’d want to see and then picking a hotel somewhere close by. 

If you want to spend most of your time at the beach, pick a hotel close to the beach so you can easily walk there. There are several beaches in Dubai, so see the map where you’d want to be. Jumeirah beach is very nice and popular, and many tourists stay around that area.

If you are interested in attractions like Dubai Fountain, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Aquarium, Museum of the Future and similar stuff, as well as in premier dining opportunities, you should try to stay somewhere in the area of Dubai Mall, or close by on the red line of metro. But keep in mind, this part of the city can be a bit noisy. There are many, many tourists.

If you want to stay in a quiet area, Dubai Healthcare City is a good option. We stayed at Hyatt Regency there and enjoyed it a lot. This area has some nice places like Dubai Dolphinarium and the Creek Park which are great for families. But it’s a bit further away from the main attractions.

Don’t take Uber when regular taxis are available 

I’m used to taking Uber. During my first visit to Dubai I tried to take Uber everywhere, even if I saw regular taxis. The reason of that was that in some cities I’ve visited, Uber prices were significantly below regular taxis (example: Washington DC). Well, in Dubai, it’s the opposite. A regular taxi will cost you much less. 

I found out by accident. We were in a rush coming back from the Dubai Safari Park and did not want to wait for Uber. We saw a regular taxi and got in. To my great surprise, the fare came out much less than what we paid to go to the garden. I later tried to experiment at various times and regular taxi price consistently came under the Uber price. This is a good way to save money. 

However, please be careful and only take a regular taxi. There is also car service available at major attractions which might be presented like taxi for you. That service would be really expensive. Always ask the driver and check what the car looks like (if it has all the attributes of a taxi, then you’re good). Drivers in Dubai are pretty honest and they will disclose to you whether they are a regular taxi or not.

If you take metro, make sure you are in the right car

Whenever possible, I recommend taking metro in Dubai. It’s very modern, efficient and will take you to the right place quickly. Tickets are easy to purchase at any station and metro is easy to navigate. A lot of attractions are located on the red line, so you can move between them quite easily. One important point about Dubai metro: each train has a car in which only women and children can ride; men are not allowed in it. If a man rides in a car like that, he would pay a hefty fine. I think all the men in Dubai are very disciplined by now, and I have not seen anyone make a mistake like that. But for tourists, it might be less obvious. 

The Final Word

I hope you enjoyed my post about ten mistakes to avoid when visiting Dubai. These are quite easy to avoid, as long as you know what to expect. I hope you enjoy your trip to Dubai and maximize your time there!