How to Spend 4 Days in Dubai?

A sprawling metropolis, the city of Dubai is a dream holiday destination for many. Immaculate buildings, state-of-the-art theme parks, amazing beaches, exciting adventurous activities and an interesting food scene are what you can expect here. When it comes to number of days to spend in Dubai, 4 days seems like an ideal time. Of course, you can never get bored of the city even if you want to spend a long time here, as there are so many things to do in the city. Still, you can experience its major attractions in 4 days. So let us take a look at the detailed itinerary for 4 days in Dubai holiday. You can also checkout how to enjoy weekend road trips from Dubai.

Day 01

Morning: Bastakiya Quarter and Dubai Museum

Get ready to walk into the city’s past. It is fascinating to see how humble but elegant the beginnings of the city were.

Bastakiya Quarter: Nestled in the Al Fahidi Neighbourhood, the Bastakiya Quarter was built by Persian merchants in the 18^th century. The sand colored buildings with its narrow alleyways and wind towers are quite interesting and a far cry from the posh buildings of the city. Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM

How to Reach: Take a cab or metro to reach here. The nearest metro station is Al Fahidi.

Entry Fee: Free

Duration: 1-2 hours

Dubai Museum: The museum resides inside the Al Fahidi Fort, the region’s oldest standing building. It takes you back to the time when the Emiratis lived in the desert. Right from their modest homes to the way they dressed, come check out everything at this interesting museum. There is an audio-visual presentation that you shouldn’t miss. Timings: 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM (Saturday to Thursday) and 2:30 PM to 8:30 PM (Friday)

How to Reach: Burjuman is located 1.5 km away from the museum. You can walk or take a cab from the metro station to the museum.

Entry Fee: AED 3 (adults) and AED 1 (children)

Duration: 1-2 hours

Afternoon: The Souks of Dubai

The old part of the city is home to the traditional markets known as souks. You can spend your afternoon exploring the air-conditioned souks.

Gold Souk: The first souk to explore is the Gold Souk, which is the largest gold market. Here, you would find more than 300 stores under one roof. It is the right place to buy 18K, 22K and 24K gold jewelry. Right from traditional designs to contemporary ones, you would be spoilt for choices here.

Spice Souk: Right next to Gold Souk, this is a haven for lovers of spices and cooking. You can buy everything from spices and herbs to dates, rice, dried fruits, local teas, candied nuts, etc.

Perfume Souk: It is a place where you can get everything, right from the traditional attar to the latest branded perfume. It is also possible to get a bespoke perfume by blending your favorite fragrances.

Textile Souk: While the gold, spice and perfume souk are located in Deira, the textile souk is in Bur Dubai side of the Dubai Creek. You’ll find here a variety of stores that sell different types of fabrics and readymade clothes. You can also buy fabric and get it stitched at one of the tailoring stores.

Timings:

• Gold Souk: 9:30 AM to 9:30 PM (Saturday to Thursday) and 4 PM to 9:30 OM (Friday)
• Spice Souk: 10 AM to 10 PM (Saturday to Thursday) and 4 PM to 10 PM (Friday)
• Perfume Souk: 10 AM to 1 PM and 4 PM to 10 PM
• Textile Souk: 9 AM to 2 PM and 4 PM to 9 PM (Friday closed)

How to Reach: Get down at Union Metro station and take a bus or cab to the souk. The other souks are at walking distance from the gold souk. To reach Bur Dubai Souk from Deira, take an abra across the creek.

Entry Fee: Free

Duration: 1-2 hours (at each souk)

Tips for Travelers

• It would be better to carry cash to shop at the souks of Dubai.
• Haggling is welcome in all souks including gold souk.

Evening: Abra Ride and Dhow Cruise Dinner

One of the most important places in Old Dubai is the Dubai Creek; it is here that the Emiratis first settled when they moved from the desert to the city. It is flanked by Bur Dubai on one side and Deira on the other.

Abra Ride: Be it to get to Bur Dubai from Deira or just to enjoy view over Dubai Creek, an abra ride would be enjoyable. It can carry 20 people, and there are two routes to choose from. You can also book an entire abra for yourself.

Timings:

• Route One: 5 AM to 12 AM
• Route Two: 24×7

How to Reach: Get down at Union Metro Station and take a cab or bus to Dubai Creek

Entry Fee: AED 1

Duration: 5 minutes to 1 hour

Dhow Cruise Dinner: Experience the sights and vibe of the Dubai Creek in a more relaxed way on a dhow cruise dinner. It perfectly complements a long day of sightseeing and shopping. During the cruise, you’ll relish an international buffet and watch entertainment shows like Tanoura dance.

Timings: 8 PM to 10 PM (approximately)

How to Reach: Union is the closest metro station. Take a cab / bus or opt for the transport service included in most dhow cruise dinner packages.

Entry Fee: Starts at AED 106

Duration: 2-3 hours

Tips for Travelers

• You can reserve a table for a dhow cruise dinner online through a tour company.
• Smart casuals are recommended to wear for both men and women.

Day 02

Morning: Ski Dubai

Now it is time to check out the city’s contemporary attractions.

Ski Dubai: Finding a ski park in a desert city may seem to be impossible. However, Dubai is known for achieving impossible things and Ski Dubai is the right example for it. Located in the Mall of the Emirates, it’s the world’s largest indoor skiing park with a snow park. It’s great for both beginners and experts. Those who are not interested in skiing can have a great time interacting with the penguins and playing a variety of games in the snow.

Timings: 10 AM to 11 PM (Saturday to Wednesday) and 10 AM to 12 AM (Thursday and Friday)

How to Reach: The Mall of the Emirates has its exclusive metro station;a covered walkway connects the mall to the station.

Entry Fee: Tickets start at AED 275

Duration: 2-4 hours

Tips for Travelers

• There are different types of passes and tickets available for Ski Dubai and Snow World.
• The entry tickets include winter gear as well as skiing gear.

Afternoon: Dubai Mall

When it becomes difficult to handle the heat, escape to the world’s largest mall. Complete with 1200 retail stores, an aquarium, an ice rink, a multiplex theatre, a gaming and entertainment zone, and an enormous food court, there is no dearth of things to do in Dubai Mall. One thing you should not miss here is the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, with a variety of marine animals. The aquarium offers exciting experiences like shark diving, glass bottom boat tour, etc.

Timings: 10 AM to 12 AM

How to Reach: Get down at Dubai Mall Metro Station and walk to the mall through the walkway.

Entry Fee: Free

Duration: 4-5 hours

Tips for Travelers

• Plan ahead to make the most of your visit here.
• Mall entry is free, but you’ll have to pay entry fee for its various attractions.

Sunset: Burj Khalifa Observation Deck

Right on the ground level of the Dubai Mall is the entrance of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. Visit its observation deck on 124^th or 148^th floor. The observation decks give you a 360^o view of the entire city. The highlight of visiting the Burj Khalifa during sunset time is you get to see how the city looks in daylight and night.

Timings: 8:30 AM to 11 PM

How to Reach: Take the same route as that of Dubai Mall.

Entry Fee: AED 146 to AED 530 (depends on time slot)

Duration: 1 hour

Tips for Travelers

• Book your tickets online rather than at the counter; this will save you time and money.
• If you choose the sunset slot, reach here at least an hour before sunset.

Evening: Dubai Fountain Show

End your second day with a bang by watching the amazing Dubai Fountain Show. Every evening as the clock strikes 7, the Burj Lake comes alive with the most spectacular sound and light show. Watch the fountain dancing to the tunes of soulful music with colorful lights. It’s absolutely free to watch this show. To get a closer look at the show, you can opt for a  boat ride.

Timings: 7 PM to 11 PM (every half an hour)

How to Reach: It is located outside Dubai Mall, so can take the same route

Entry Fee: Free

Duration: 5 minutes

Tips for Travelers

• You can watch the show as many times as you want without paying money.
• Arrive here 10-15 minutes early to secure a good spot for watching the show.

Day 03

Morning: Dubai Miracle Garden

The Dubai Miracle Garden in Dubailand is the world’s largest flower garden. It spans over 72,000 square meters, with over 50 million flowers and 250 million plants. The most attractive thing about the garden is that the flowers and plants are arranged in the most beautiful patterns. See flower castles, flower miniatures of famous landmarks, flower airplanes, etc. A stroll through the Dubai Miracle Garden is an absolute delight for nature lovers.

Timings: 9 AM to 9 PM (Sunday to Thursday) and 9 AM to 11 PM (Friday and Saturday)

How to Reach: Get down at Mall of the Emirates metro station and take bus route no. 105 to reach here. It takes around 20-30 minutes.

Entry Fee

• 50 AED (12 years and above)
• 40 AED (2 to 12 years)
• Free of charge (children under 2 years and disabled people)

Duration: 2-3 hours

Tips for Travelers

• The Dubai Miracle Garden is open only during winter months from November to April.
• It has several facilities like parking, sitting areas, washrooms, praying rooms, souvenir shops, restaurants, etc.

Afternoon: Dubai Frame

The largest picture frame is located in Dubai’s Zabeel Park and stands at 150.2 meters. The Dubai Frame is not just magnificent but frames the city in the perfect way. It has two museums: one that shows the past of the Dubai and another which gives you a glimpse of the future. Its top horizontal frame is arranged in such a way that one side shows Dubai’s old part and the other side shows the city’s new part. There is also a 100-square-meter glass bridge.

Timings: 9 AM to 9 PM

How to Reach: Get down at Al Jafiliya Metro Station and walk towards Zabeel Park’s Star Gate (Gate 4).

Entry Fee: AED 50 for adults and AED 20 for children

Duration: 1-2 hours

Tips for Travelers

• You cannot take pictures inside both the galleries of the Dubai Frame.
• Large luggage/ strollers are not allowed inside. You can deposit them in the locker.

Evening: Desert Safari

This is one of Dubai’s most exclusive experiences. It lets enjoy the desert beauty with utmost fun. It begins with the most adventurous 4X4 dune bash. Add to this camel riding, sandboarding and quad biking. After you witness a beautiful sunset, proceed to enjoy some entertainment activities like belly dance and Tanoura. This ends with a delicious BBQ dinner. You can also extend your stay at the desert with the overnight desert safari.

Timings: 3:30 PM to 9:30 PM

How to Reach: Most desert safari tours offer pick up and drop off services

Entry Fee: Starts at AED 280

Duration: 6 hours

Tips for Travelers

• Wear comfortable clothing paired with open shoes for your desert safari.
• Carry a light jacket or shawl as it can become chilly in the desert after sunset.

 

Day 04

All Day Theme Parks

Dedicate the fourth day to experience one of Dubai’s main theme parks. Here, we offer three of the best theme parks that you can visit in the city on the final day of your holiday.

Dubai Parks and Resorts: Dubai Parks and Resorts have three theme parks, one water park and a Polynesian-themed family resort. Visit Motiongate Dubai (Hollywood based theme park), Bollywood Parks (inspired by Hindi movies), Legoland Dubai, and Legoland Water Park (water park based on Legos). There is also central dining and entertainment area, Riverland Dubai.

Timings: 10 AM to 11 PM (Saturday to Wednesday) and 10 AM to 12 AM (Thursday and Friday)

How to Reach: Get down at JLT Metro Station and take a cab to Dubai Parks and Resorts. It’s also accessible via buses from Ibn Battuta Metro Station.

Entry Fee: The entry tickets start at AED 175

Duration: 1 whole day

Tips for Travelers

• Each park requires separate entry ticket. You can opt for combo passes to access two or more parks.

Atlantis Aquaventure: Located inside the premises of Hotel Atlantis, the Palm, the region’s largest-of-its-kind water park has some amazing pools, rides, slides and attractions ideal for adults and little ones alike. There is also a private beach where one can relax or indulge in water sports.

Timings: 10 AM to sunset

How to Reach: Get down at Mall of the Emirates station and take a cab to the water park, or opt for the monorail.

Entry Fee: Starts at AED 354

Duration: 1 day

Wild Wadi Water Park: This is one of Dubai’s oldest water parks, but is still sought after because of its interesting theme and exciting attractions. It’s home to the Middle East’s largest wave pool, and has two surfing machines plus several water slides that would keep you engaged the whole day. There is a separate play area for children too.

Timings

• Open from 10 AM to 7 PM from Sunday to Wednesday. The timi
• 10 AM to 6 PM (Thursday)
• 10 AM to 10 PM (Friday)
• 10 AM to 8 PM (Saturday)

How to Reach: Alight at Mall of the Emirates Metro Station and take a cab to Wild Wadi.

Entry Fee: Starts at AED 238

Duration: 1 day

Best Time to Visit Dubai

The best time to visit Dubai with Family and Friends is from November to April when the climate is pleasant. Summers in Dubai are extremely harsh with the temperature going up to 50^o C. The best thing about visiting during winter is that you get to enjoy the city at its fullest. Now as you know what you can do during 4 days’ holiday in Dubai, it is time to make your bookings. Plan a few months ahead so that you can get good deals and discounts on airfares and Dubai hotel bookings.