Going on vacation to Dubai on your own is easy! Find out how to plan your trip: visas, tickets, hotel reservations, transportation, safety, rules of conduct. We share our experience, impressions and advice.
Take a look: How to go to Dubai now (fresh reviews of tourists and conditions of entry in case of a pandemic).
You can also go to Dubai on a tour - often a tour is cheaper than an independent trip. Look at the prices and decide what is more profitable and more convenient for you. Last Minute Tours search on the services Level.Travel and Travelata - they will find the best deals among different tour operators. Want to save money? Check out our 7 rules for buying tours online.
Our review of the trip to Dubai
Why go to Dubai? Primarily for shopping, good restaurants, first-class hotels and beach holidays. All this is at the highest level here. There is a sense of scope, gloss and luxury, but not excessive. However, we settled in the Old City - in the Bur Dubai area - and got to know the city from the other side. Pakistanis, narrow, dirty streets, spicy food, low-rise buildings - no postcard Dubai at all. But the more contrasting, the more interesting!
In Dubai, we spent four wonderful eventful days: we climbed the Burj Khalifa, visited the aquarium and underwater zoo in Dubai Mall, walked around the city districts and admired the skyscrapers, explored the beaches and the transport system. We love megacities and their inspiring dynamics, but living in such a high-tech anthill is difficult for a long time. It is much more pleasant to be among the quiet streets of the Old Town.
UAE visa
Russians do not need to apply for a visa to the UAE in advance if the travel period does not exceed a month. You will receive it free of charge upon arrival for 30 days. It can be extended for another 30 days, but already for a fee. We obtained a visa at the Abu Dhabi airport - the procedure takes a few minutes.
If you are going to Dubai for a long time, apply for a tourist visa in advance - you can do it yourself at visa centers or consulates.
How to get to Dubai on your own
Find the cheapest flights to Dubai with Airlines and Skyscanner compare prices from all airlines. If you are flying during high season and over the holidays, buy a few months before your trip. Find out the secrets of finding airline tickets.
The cheapest tickets are from Moscow. A round-trip flight with a transfer costs from 12 thousand rubles, a direct flight - from 14 thousand. Inexpensive tickets can be found from Yekaterinburg, Kazan and a number of other cities.
You can make a difficult route and see another city in addition - choose a long transfer of several days.
When planning an independent vacation in Dubai, look for tickets not only to this city, but also to neighboring Abu Dhabi. If tickets to the capital of the UAE are cheaper, take them boldly. We flew to the Emirates on an Emirates flight. From the capital's airport to Dubai in an hour and a half we were delivered by a free bus shuttle of the airline, and back - the same way. Conveniently!
How to get from the airport
The most convenient way is by metro - the red line from the airport goes to the center. Buses run, but it is difficult to understand the routes. The most comfortable way is taxi. Read about transport in Dubai below.
We wrote in detail how to get from Dubai airport to the center and to Sharjah.
When is the best time to relax in Dubai
The UAE is warm all year round. The sea water temperature is not lower than + 20 ° С all year round. In summer, you shouldn't go on a beach vacation - it's very hot. The beach season is autumn and spring, namely from the second half of September to November and from March to April. However, winter is no less popular with tourists, although there are cool winds. At this time, it is good to walk around the city and take excursions.
We were in Dubai in December: the temperature is comfortable, there are a lot of people on the beaches, and the wind only plays into the hands of those who do not like the heat. True, in the evenings it is still better to wear a light jacket or shirt.
We do not recommend going to Ramadan, because during the daytime you cannot eat or drink in public places.
Interesting video! TV presenter and blogger Anton Ptushkin conducts a video tour of the rich life in Dubai:
Where to book a hotel in Dubai
You can book your own hotel in Dubai on Booking.com and Roomguru.ru - including the resort, where people usually go on tours. Book in advance during high season. Learn more about how to find and book accommodation correctly.
Pre-select the area of residence so that there are no surprises. For example, inexpensive hotels - in Deira and Bur Dubai. You can also eat inexpensively there, but the beaches are very tight. Find out where to stay in Dubai.
Remember that Dubai hotels charge a tourist tax - the amount depends on the level and star rating. When booking on Booking, you will see how much tax you need to pay. Also, some hotels take a deposit (usually 4 * and 5 *).
Find out about inexpensive apartments in Dubai.
We also advise you to carefully read the reviews and pay attention to whether there is a free shuttle to the beach if the hotel is far away.
When booking a hotel in Dubai, you can see a note in the rules of residence of almost every hotel: "Only married couples can stay in the hotel. You must show a certificate or other proof of marriage." Don't be alarmed, this is outdated information - these strict regulations have not been in place for many years. Couples sharing the same room will not be asked any questions.
Find out about Dubai's best beachfront hotels.
What to see in Dubai on your own
You can visit almost all the sights in Dubai on your own - arrange an excursion for yourself. You should look for a guide only in those places where you cannot get to yourself, for example, on a safari.
Here's what to see in Dubai:
- Burj Khalifa;
- Jumeirah Mosque;
- aquarium;
- underwater and ordinary zoos;
- Wild Wadi water park;
- singing-dancing fountains;
- Dubai Creek;
- Old city;
- markets (gold, fish, spices);
- Ski Dubai;
- dolphinarium;
- areas of Dubai Marina and Dubai Lake Towers;
- Legoland etc.
Excursions in Dubai
Look for author's interesting excursions on the Sputnik and Tripster websites. There are both individual and group ones. From the tour operator, they are usually boring, and the guides are angry and tired - can you imagine what a flow of tourists they have?
We advise you to take only those excursions that you cannot organize yourself: for example, desert safari, night crab hunting, deep sea fishing, helicopter or hot air balloon flight, boat trip.
But you can arrange ordinary sightseeing tours yourself using the metro and taxi - it will be cheaper and more interesting! It is worth taking if you are in Dubai for a limited time. The disadvantage of sightseeing tours is that tourists are brought to shops where they are trying to sell goods at an inflated cost.
Transport in Dubai
If you go to Dubai on your own, you will have to figure out the structure of local transport. Dubai has metro, trams, buses, taxis and water transport. We will try to briefly but succinctly tell you what you need to know.
Metro. There are only two lines, the red line takes you to Dubai Airport. NOL Cards are valid; you can buy them at the machines in the metro lobby or at the ticket office. Cards must be applied at the entrance and exit. Money or travel is debited from them, depending on the type of card. Tourists use red, silver or gold (there is also a blue one - personal). Tariffication by zones. It is difficult to understand the tariffs, but it is possible. Compare and choose the one that suits you.
The metro is super modern. The stops are announced. Everything is automated, trains without drivers. The carriages are divided into classes: the first or the last is always gold, then goes the economy one. In the economy one and a half carriages are only for women and children, they are pink. During rush hours, queues line up to the carriages.
Smoking, food, drinks, alcohol and chewing gum are prohibited on the subway. Men are not allowed to ride in a women's carriage. The economy fare cannot be used in a gold carriage. All this is punishable by fines.
Buses. Bus routes are indicated at stops.You need to "catch" the bus with a wave of your hand or press a button at a stop. The entrance is through the front door, the exit is through the back. Payment by NOL cards, the fare depends on the distance. You need to apply the card to the validator when entering and exiting. The first three rows are female. If you want to exit, click the Stop button. The bans are the same as in the subway.
We used the bus only once - from the Jumeirah area to the metro station. The metro and trams are more convenient, and you can get stuck in traffic jams on the bus.
Tram. You can pay with a NOL card; you must apply it not in a tram, but at a closed stop. The route passes by Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Palm Jumeirah. See the tram route.
Taxi. The cars are beige and red. There is a female taxi. Not always convenient due to traffic jams. There are taxis by time and by meter. It is cheap by Dubai standards, but the passenger pays when traveling on toll roads. Calculate the cost of your trip.
You can also call a taxi online at Kiwi Taxi - it is especially convenient to order a transfer to / from the airport.
Water transport. there is abra - traditional open boats that run along Dubai Creek and connect Deira and Bur Dubai. There are a lot of them, they are cheap (from 1 dirham) and round the clock. Cash payment. Often used by tourists as an attraction. Canal cruise can be booked for AED 120 per hour. Explore routes, timetables and prices.
Another cheap and popular transport is closed water bus (water bus). Costs from 2 dirhams, payment of NOL Card. There is also a tourist ferry, a regular ferry, and a water taxi. Read about it on the official website.
Money and ATMs
The commission for withdrawing cash from an ATM is charged by the bank that issued the card, and sometimes by the bank that owns the ATM. Cash is issued in dirhams. Almost everywhere you can pay by card. Sometimes in small shops a small percentage is taken for payment by card. Find out more about withdrawing and exchanging money abroad.
We withdraw money without commission abroad from the Tinkoff Black card. In addition, it is also multicurrency, so that you can connect an account in dirhams, it is profitable to buy currency and avoid unprofitable conversion when withdrawing cash and making purchases. We recommend that you get one with your All Airlines credit card. You will receive free honey. insurance for abroad and high cashback from hotels and air tickets. Very beneficial for those who travel a lot.
Safety
Dubai is a safe city with a low crime rate. Most of the population of the Emirates is immigrants from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines and other poor countries. However, there are no security problems due to visitors in the country. We visited different parts of the city, walked late at night in the Indian and Pakistani districts - never experienced anxiety or anxiety.
All residents of the city speak English with each other, so there will be no problems with understanding.
