Launched on September 9, 2009, the Dubai metro is one of the best ways to get around in Dubai.

The Dubai metro is the world’s longest automated metro system completed in just one building phase. The Dubai metro is 75km long and currently has 12 trains. When the metro is fully completed in 2011, there will be 44 trains on the Dubai metro.

Dubai Metro Lines

The Dubai metro has a system of lines that are distinguished by color. Currently the Red Line is open, with stops at Nakheel Harbour & Tower, Mall of the Emirates, Financial Centre, Al Jafiliya, Khalid Bin Al Waleed, Union Square, Al Rigga, Deira City Centre, Airport Terminal 3, and Rashidiya Terminal. The Green Line will be the next to open, followed by planned Blue, Purple, and Yellow lines.

Dubai Metro Tickets

Tickets for the Dubai metro come on rechargeable cards that can be purchased at vending machines in Dubai metro stations. A one way journey on the Dubai metro costs between Dhs1.80 to Dhs5.80, depending on your final destination on the metro. Different classes of Dubai metro tickets can be purchased, so if you want to ride on leather seats in the carpeted Gold Class cars, you can pay up for luxury.

Dubai Metro Hours

The Dubai metro is open from Saturday to Thursday 6am-11pm, and Friday 2pm-midnight.

Burj Al Arab Hotel
Address: PO Box 74147, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +971 4 3017777

The best known and most famous luxury hotel in Dubai, the Burj Al Arab is an iconic building on New Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach waterfront.

Standing at a height of 321 meters, and located 280 metres off the shore of Jumeriah Beach, the Burj Al Arab can be seen for miles around. With its deluxe suites featuring luxury amenities, its opulent restaurants, and its over the top decor, the Burj Al Arab is one of the best hotels in Dubai.

For those that can’t afford the steep price tag (room rates at the Burj Al Arab start around 700 USD a night), the only way to get into the Burj Al Arab hotel is to book a meal or table at the bar ahead of time.

The views from the top floor of the Burj Al Arab hotel are amazing, and well worth the price of admission, whether you stay at the hotel or just go for a meal.

Every major guidebook company from Lonely Planet to Let’s Go makes a Dubai guidebook.

Shop around for a guidebook that fits your travel style. If you’re visiting Dubai on a budget, Lonely Planet, Let’s Go, and the Rough Guide are some of the best Dubai guidebooks.

If you’re going upscale, look into guides like the Hg2 Dubai (A Hedonist’s Guide to Dubai), the Wallpaper Guide to Dubai, or the LUXE guide to Dubai that offer more high-end suggestions for Dubai hotels, restaurants, and shopping in Dubai.

If you love sightseeing, consider picking up the Eyewitness Travel Guide to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. With photos and illustrations on every page, the Eyewitness Dubai and Abu Dhabi guidebook is great for explaining the details of Dubai’s many historic buildings and landmarks.

On a budget? A lot of the best deals on Dubai guidebooks can be found on websites where travelers that have just returned from Dubai are selling their books. If you’re lucky you can get a copy with good notes and suggestions written in!

One last tip on finding the best Dubai guidebooks: check the date the guidebook was published. If it is more than a year old, don’t buy it. Things change so quickly in Dubai that an old guidebook will be of little use to you today.

Dubai Currency: the Dirham

The Dubai currency is the UAE dirham.

For currency exchange purposes, the dirham’s code is AED, while prices in most places in Dubai use the symbol Dhs.

The Dubai currency is divided into 100 fils.

Dubai currency bills come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 dirhams.

Dubai currency coins come in denominations of 1 dirham as well as 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 fils.

Dubai Currency Tips for Travelers

Before you travel to Dubai, you can get Dubai money at most foreign exchange businesses.

When you are visiting Dubai, you can use ATMs, which are common throughout the emirate. While most ATMs give large denominations of bills, make sure to carry some small bills with you.

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Major airlines that fly to Dubai airport Terminal 1:
Aeroflot has flights to Dubai from Moscow

AirBaltic has flights to Dubai from Riga

Air China has flights to Dubai from Athens and Beijing

Air France has flights to Dubai from Paris

Air India has flights to Dubai from Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Mumbai, and Trivandrum

Indian Airlines has flights to Dubai from Bangalore, Calicut, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Pune

Alitalia has flights to Dubai from Rome

Austrian Airlines has flights to Dubai from Vienna

Bahrain Air has flights to Dubai from Bahrain

British Airways has flights to Dubai from London

Cathay Pacific has flights to Dubai from Bahrain, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Mumbai

China Southern Airlines has flights to Dubai from Beijing, Guangzhou, and Lagos

Delta Air Lines has flights to Dubai from Atlanta

EgyptAir has flights to Dubai from Alexandria and Cairo

Emirates has flights to Dubai from Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Ahmedabad, Amman, Athens, Auckland, Bahrain, Bangalore, Bangkok, Beijing, Beirut, Birmingham, Brisbane, Cairo, Calicut, Cape Town, Casablanca, Chennai, Christchurch, Cochin, Colombo, Damascus, Damman, Dar es Salaam, Delhi, Dhaka, Doha, Düsseldorf, Entebbe, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Guangzhou, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Houston, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Istanbul, Jakarta, Jeddah, Johannesburg, Karachi, Khartoum, Kolkata, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait City, Lagos, Lahore, Larnaca, London, Los Angeles, Luqa, Male, Manchester, Manila, Mauritius, Melbourne, Milan, Moscow, Mumbai, Munich, Muscat, Nagoya, Nairobi, New York, Newcastle, Nice, Osaka, Paris, Perth, Peshawar, Rome, Riyadh, Sana’a, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Seychelles, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Tehran, Toronto, Tripoli, Trivandrum, Tunis, Venice, Vienna, and Zurich

Ethiopian Airlines has flights to Dubai from Addis Ababa and Mumbai

Gulf Air has flights to Dubai from Bahrain

Jet Airways has flights to Dubai from Mumbai and Delhi

Kenya Airways has flights to Dubai from Guangzhou and Nairobi

KLM has flights to Dubai from Amsterdam

Korean Air has flights to Dubai from Seoul

Kuwait Airways has flights to Dubai from Kuwait

Lufthansa has flights to Dubai from Frankfurt

Malaysia Airlines has flights to Dubai from Beirut, Karachi, and Kuala Lumpur

Malev Airlines has flights to Dubai from Budapest

Middle East Airlines has flights to Dubai from Beirut

Norwegian Air Shuttle has flights to Dubai from Oslo and Stockholm

Olympic Airlines has flights to Dubai from Athens, Kuwait

Oman Air has flights to Dubai from Beirut, Kuwait, Muscat, and Salalah

Qatar Airways has flights to Dubai from Doha

Royal Brunei Airlines has flights to Dubai from Bandar Seri Begawan and London

Royal Jordanian has flights to Dubai from Amman

Royal Air Maroc has flights to Dubai from Casablanca

Scandinavian Airlines has flights to Dubai from Copenhagen

Singapore Airlines has flights to Dubai from Istanbul, Moscow, Riyadh, and Singapore

Swiss International Airlines has flights to Dubai from Muscat and Zurich

Thai Airways International has flights to Dubai from Bangkok, Chennai, and Kuwait

Turkish Airlines has flights to Dubai from Istanbul

United Airlines has flights to Dubai from Washington

Virgin Atlantic Airways has flights to Dubai from London

Major airlines that fly to Dubai airport Terminal 2:

Condor has flights to Dubai from Frankfurt

Finnair has flights to Dubai from Helsinki

Great Wall Airlines has flights to Dubai from Manchester, and Shanghai

Major airlines that fly to Dubai airport Terminal 3:

Emirates – When Terminal 3 opens in late 2008, Emirates will fly out of Dubai airport Terminal 3

Taxis from the Dubai airport to the Dubai city center are offered by the government’s Dubai Transport airport taxi service. The taxis are all uniform beige colored cars with meters that calculate cost by distance.

Taxis from Dubai airport to the Dubai city center charge an up-front pick-up charge of 20dhs. Taxi drivers can take you to anywhere in the Deira or Bur Dubai city centers.

There are also a lot of private taxis that operate near Dubai airport. If you take a private taxi from Dubai airport to the Dubai city center, make sure to agree on a price up front.

NB: Many taxi drivers in Dubai are new arrivals to the UAE. Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get from the airport to your final destination, as taxi drivers often get lost or need to call dispach for directions.

Frequent public and airport buses run between Dubai Airport and the Dubai city center throughout the day.

From Terminal 1, take bus 4, 11, 15, 33, or 44 from Dubai airport to the Dubai city center. From Terminal 2, take bus 2. The bus costs 3dhs per person.

New Dubai Airport Buses are another way to travel from Dubai airport to the city center. They are luxury buses with air-conditioning and a baggage hold, and they stop at multiple points in the Dubai city center.

Many hotels also run buses from the Dubai airport, so check with your hotel before you arrive to see what your options are.

Buses from Dubai to Muscat run several times a day. Buses are operated by Dubai Transport and Oman National Transport Company. The latter runs daily buses from Dubai to Muscat at 7:30am, 3:30pm, 4:30pm, and 6:00pm.

The bus from Dubai to Muscat takes approximately 6 hours.

Alternately, taxis and car services from Dubai to Muscat operate from both emirates. Decide on a price with the driver before you go, and keep extra money on hand for the tax at the border crossing.

NB: If you cannot fill the whole taxi with your party, you will have to pay for the empty seats.

Despite being on the coast, Dubai is in the desert, and as such the daytime weather is warm or hot throughout the year. Winters are pleasantly warm, while summers can be stifiling.

Average weather in Dubai in the winter hovers between 55 and 80 degrees F.

In the spring, the weather in Dubai warms up to 65-100 degrees F.

Summer weather in Dubai is very hot, with temperatures hovering well above 100 degrees F during the day and falling only to around 80 at night.

Fall weather in Dubai cools down a bit, and temperatures drop to 60-95 degrees F.

The best time of year to visit Dubai is during the late fall to early spring, particularly between November and April. During this period the weather is warm, but not too hot. Summers in Dubai are stifiling and are best avoided. Winters can be windy, but temperatures never fall too far.

Make sure to be aware of the timing of Ramadan, the month of fasting, when you book your trip. Ramadan falls at a different time every year on the western calendar, but is usually in the fall.

During Ramadan, it is illegal to eat, drink or smoke in Dubai in public during the day. That said, hotel rates fall drastically during Ramadan, so if you are willing to abide by the rules, it is a much less expensive time to visit Dubai.

Dubai Visa and Passport Requirements for U.S. Citizens:
Passport required. Upon arrival U.S. citizens are issued a 30 day non-renewable tourist visa (i.e. a passport stamp). The cost is 100dhs, but this fee is usually waived.

Dubai Visa and Passport Requirements for UK Citizens:
Passport required. Upon arrival UK citizens are issued a 30 day tourist visa (i.e. a passport stamp). The cost is 100dhs, but this fee is usually waived. Stays exceeding 30 days but not exceeding 60 days require a one-time visa renewal at a cost of 500dhs.

Dubai Visa and Passport Requirements for Australian Citizens:
Passport required. Upon arrival Australian citizens are issued a 30 day non-renewable tourist visa (i.e. a passport stamp). The cost is 100dhs, but this fee is usually waived.

Dubai Visa and Passport Requirements for Canadian Citizens:
Passport required. Upon arrival Canadian citizens are issued a 30 day non-renewable tourist visa (i.e. a passport stamp). The cost is 100dhs, but this fee is usually waived.

Dubai Visa and Passport Requirements for Irish Citizens:
Passport required. Upon arrival Irish citizens are issued a 30 day non-renewable tourist visa (i.e. a passport stamp). The cost is 100dhs, but this fee is usually waived.

Dubai Visa and Passport Requirements for New Zealand Citizens:
Passport required. Upon arrival New Zealand citizens are issued a 30 day non-renewable tourist visa (i.e. a passport stamp). The cost is 100dhs, but this fee is usually waived.

Dubai Visa and Passport Requirements for South African Citizens:
Passport required. Dubai tourist visa required for South African citizens. The visa must be sponsored by your hotel or tour operator. The visa entitles South African citizens to a 30-day non-renewable Dubai visa. The cost of the visa is 100dhs, with a 10dhs delivery fee.

NB: Requirements are subject to change, so be sure to check the website of your country’s embassy or consulate before you travel.

Dubai is known for its luxury shopping and massive indoor and outdoor shopping malls. It is also known for its art galleries and traditional souks. Whatever your shopping style, Dubai has something that will suit your needs.

Here is my list of the best shopping in Dubai:

Boutique 1 (Boulevard Emirates Towers)

Five Green (Garden Home Center, Oud Metha)

Dubai gold souk

Dubai spice souk

Wafi Shopping Mall

Mall of the Emirates

Cleopatra’s Spa, Dubai
Address: Wafi City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Phone: +971 4 390 8161

Opened almost a decade ago, Cleopatra’s Spa is known for being both the first and the best best spa in Dubai. That’s no small feat in a place that prides itself on having newer and better versions of everything all the time.

Cleopatra’s Spa owner Daniella Russell makes sure her guests all feel at home, whether they book treatments in the men’s or women’s area of the spa.

Guests can relax in the soothing tiled areas of the spa and get beauty treatments fit for Cleopatra herself.

Dubai has burst onto the culinary stage with quite a bit of fanfare. In the last few years, Dubai has established itself as the restaurant capital of the Middle East, and now boasts of some of the best restaurants in the world.

Here is my list of the best restaurants in Dubai:

The Noble House, Dubai

Verre by Gordon Ramsay, Dubai

Bastakia Art Cafe, Dubai (perfect for lunch)

With all the construction going on in Dubai, new hotels are opening every day. That said, there are some hotels in Dubai that will be hard for the newcomers to eclipse.

Here is my list of the best hotels in Dubai:

Burj al Arab Hotel

10. Visit the Dubai spice souk
9. Buy art at a gallery in the Bastakia quarter
8. Ride a camel in the desert
7. Visit the Dubai Museum
6. Ride a dhow across Dubai Creek
5. Shop at the Dubai gold souk
4. Eat dinner at The Noble House
3. Ski at the Mall of the Emirates
2. Dune buggy in the desert
1. Have a drink at Skyview Bar in the Burj al Arab

10. Burj al Arab Hotel
9. Burj al Dubai Tower (the world’s tallest building)
8. Dubai gold souk
7. Dubai spice souk
6. Bastakia art galleries
5. Dhows on the water
4. Dubai Museum
3. Wild Wadi Water World
2. Dubai beaches
1. Ski Jump at the Mall of the Emirates