Dubai is a dreamy desert destination filled with record-breaking adventures and unique experiences. Where else can you stay at a seven-star hotel, ski on a 45 degree summer day, reach new heights with a view from the tallest building in the world, and swim with 65,000 marine animals? Dubai is a sought-after tourist destination on most bucket lists, but there are so many remarkable experiences, it can be difficult to narrow down your choices. That’s why we created a Dubai bucket list with the best-of-the-best that Dubai has to offer.
Dubai Bucket List
Getting There
There are many airlines that offer flights to Dubai. Emirates is the largest airline and one of two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates.
From Texas, Emirates offers direct flights to Dubai that cover all travel classes. With First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class, there are plenty of options with Emirates.
Emirates offers exceptional in-flight entertainment, spacious legroom and comfortable seating, delicious in-flight dining, on-board WiFi connection, fun gift packs for kids, and friendly cabin crew. They are the perfect fit for your Dubai bucket list.
View the City from the Top of Burj Khalifa
Via Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. It has an exclusive viewing deck at the top, from where you can view the beauty of Dubai, giving it a spot on the top of our Dubai bucket list.
There are two observation decks at the Burj Khalifa – one at the 124th floor and one at the 144th floor. You can get tickets for either the lower level observation deck or for both. I’d recommend buying tickets in advance. It can get very busy and can sell out.
Stay at Four Seasons Resort Dubai
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach is set right in between the superb waters of the Arabian Gulf and the stunning skyline of Dubai. Offering poolside cabanas, beach loungers, golden sands, and many amenities such as high-end fitness centre, water sports, and access to a wide range of restaurants, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach is a tropical oasis that you won’t want to miss.
Skydive at The Palm
Via Rax, Founder of NomadsUnveiled
For those looking for a thrilling adventure for their Dubai bucket list, Rax, Founder of NomadsUnveiled, has a great suggestion:
Everyone talks about the fascinating Palm in Dubai, but the best way to experience it is from the sky because that gives the bird’s-eye view of the shape that makes it unique. You get a mix of man-made wonders that Dubai is known for, skyscrapers and the natural ocean. The memorable experience includes a good combination of adrenaline rush in the freefall and time to soak in the views while paragliding down. This is definitely one activity for your Dubai bucket list.
Go on a Desert Safari with Arabian Adventures
A desert safari should be on everyone’s Dubai bucket list. A number of agencies in Dubai offer desert safari packages that include experiences such as camel riding, Henna hand painting, sandboarding, and dining at a Bedouin-style camp.
We’d suggest the Evening Desert Safari in Dubai in a Private Vehicle with Arabian Adventures Dubai for your Dubai bucket list.
The iconic Dubai Desert Dinner Experience in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve includes hotel pick-up and drop-off, wildlife sightings, exciting dune driving, a picturesque sunset stop, a visit to a Bedouin-style camp, a camel ride, sandboarding, falcon display, Henna hand paining, a variety of entertainment, and dinner and drinks.
The exceptionally friendly and accommodating staff at Arabian Adventures will make you feel at home while bringing you on the adventure of a lifetime.
Marvel at the Dubai Fountains
Via bennymarty
The fountains outside the Mall are astonishing and a major tourist attraction. Like The Bellagio Fountains in Vegas, the show involves a musical repertoire with a light show in the evenings. There are a number of restaurants and hotels around the Dubai Mall with a view to this fountain show. You can book a table in one of these places and enjoy the view while you dine.
Shauna Golding at Destination2 says, “it’s always one of the most memorable moments of any of my Dubai trips. Go in the evening after the sun sets – my top tip is to get there ahead of the dinner rush and choose one of the restaurants outside the mall to get a good view – dinner and a show!”
Stay at Burj al Arab
Burj al Arab is the world’s first hotel to hit seven stars and has been voted countless times as the most luxurious hotel in the world. With chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royces, helicopter trips, private beaches, and luxury leisure on astonishing poolside cabanas and terraces as some of the amenities offered, Burj al Arab has gained world fame for offering the most exclusive services to its guests.
A hotel that’s home to cutting-edge engineering — from the unique man-made beach and infinity pool terrace, to one of the tallest grand atrium at 180 meters high.
Dive to Depths of 60 Meters at Deep Dive Dubai
Deep Dive Dubai is the world’s deepest swimming pool. It’s 60 meters (196ft10in) deep and filled with 14 million liters of fresh water. Tanya Dredge of Empty Nest Diver says, “Playing pool in the world’s deepest pool is high on the bucket list for any scuba diver. Double dip into the bucket and enjoy a game of foosball, ride a bike, and have a bath.”
This record-breaking pool is the only diving facility in the world where you can dive to depths of 60 meters, which is 15 meters deeper and four times bigger than any other diving pool in the world. It holds the equivalent of 6 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Explore a stunning underwater attraction that is themed to resemble an abandoned sunken city. Divers squeeze through openings and swim past graffiti walls and buildings with an urban edge; exploring furnished apartments, streetscapes, and garages, complete with a motorbike and car.
At 30 meters advanced divers may hover over the vertigo-inducing abyss where technical divers can descend to an incredible depth of 60 meters.
Large observation windows surround the pool allowing divers to share their experience with non-diving family and friends.
Deep Dive Dubai needs to be on every diver’s Dubai bucket list.
Enjoy the Miracle Garden
Via esquireme.com/news/48940-dubai-miracle-garden-re-opens-with-150-million-flowers
Monica from This Rare Earth spends a lot of time in Dubai and she suggests the Miracle Garden for your Dubai bucket list:
If you want to experience a true flower garden in the middle of a desert, then Miracle Garden is for you! With more than 50 million colorful flowers and 250 million plants, this is easily the most lush and green area in all of Dubai. To make it even more unbelievable, these flowers are not just planted in the ground, they are planted on animatronic sculptures and structures, completing the experience. Here you will see rotating exhibitions, some of which have featured dancers, animals, and heart-shaped walkways.
Ski Inside at Ski Dubai
Ski Dubai is the world’s largest indoor ski resort attached to the Mall of Emirates. It features five different slopes of varying difficulty levels. Even if you are a beginner, you can still try out skiing for the first time here. This resort also features live penguin encounters and an ice cave to entertain kids.
Stay at Atlantis the Palm
Atlantis The Palm is our top choice for family-fun, bucket list worthy accommodations in Dubai. It’s a themed hotel which follows the story of the lost city of Atlantis and has a gorgeous aquarium that is home to 65,000 marine animals as its main feature.
There are also pools, a high-end spa, a mile long man-made beach, and the world’s largest waterpark for guests to enjoy.
Additionally, the restaurants at Atlantis The Palm were some of the best dining experiences of my life. I had high expectations of the resort and the waterpark, but the dining at Atlantis blew me away.
As a icing on the cake, Atlantis The Palm has Underwater Suites with immense floor-to-ceiling windows into the 65,000 marine animal aquarium. You can float the evening away in your marble bath tub with views of the Ambassador Lagoon, and be mesmerized as sharks, rays, and fish glide right past your bed.
Soak up Adventure at The World’s Largest Waterpark
Over 105 record-breaking slides, attractions, and adventures await at Atlantis’s Aquaventure Waterpark.
For extreme thrill seekers, Odyssey of Terror awaits. It’s the World’s tallest waterslide and riders experience near weightlessness before freefalling down a curved wall.
Families will love Shockwave, a 449 meter water coaster that goes through a series of dark tunnels at the speed of light.
For the littles ones, Splashers Lagoon & Cove is home to two adventure-filled towers with over 16 fun attractions including the world’s first kid’s rally-racer.
Experience the Record-Breaking Aquatrek Xtreme
Aquatrek Xtreme is the world’s deepest sea trek. During Aquatrek Xtreme, you will venture 10m down to the bottom of the Ambassador Lagoon at Atlantis, The Palm and walk around 65,000 marine animals.