Dubai is one of the most popular choices of travellers in India due to its close vicinity. In case you get an extended 3-day weekend then Dubai tour plan is perfect for family trips. When we had planned a family vacation to Dubai, we tried to choose a hotel which was at a walking distance from a metro station since the main tourist attraction points have their own metro station in Dubai. Most of the places like Burj Khalifa, Emirates mall and the Dubai mall are on Red metro Line of Dubai so it is better to get a place near that line which will make the travel faster and easier.

Ideal time to visit: Dubai can be enjoyed better during winters so most of the tourists plan travel around January-February. I had visited around early October so got to witness the hot and dry weather of Dubai. Most of the travel itinerary had to be planned accordingly so as to avoid roaming outside in afternoon, specially visit to places like Dubai markets, Souk and Desert Safari were pushed to evening.

Mode of transport: Most of the tourist attractions like Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeriah and the malls have their own metro stations so in case you have hotel nearby a metro line then moving around Dubai would be easier. In case you want to visit the markets like Gold Souk or Spice Souk of Dubai then it is better to opt for Taxi or Uber. You can cover the Souk area much better on foot so plan to visit these markets on a non-sunny day or during evening else you won’t be able to enjoy. In case you opt for shopping in these open local markets then be ready to haggle a lot in order to get the right pricing.

Dress Code: I didn’t find any strict dress code restrictions for tourists in Dubai. It is pretty cosmopolitan and most of the casual clothing like jeans, knee-length dresses, shorts are pretty common in malls and other public tourist places.

Must visit places of Dubai:

Palm Jumeirah: It is home to one of the most high-end restaurants and luxurious hotels which are built on a group of artificial islands. When you take a metro to Palm Jumeirah then you get to see the full beauty of the Dubai beaches and the residential buildings built along the way. It will take you more than a day to cover this place as you start with all the stores and restaurants at the mall in Palm Jumeirah and then end it with the water parks and other family amusement centres here. You can also go out for a walk along the beach depending on the weather but it gets hot and humid for most part of the year so evenings would be ideal time for beach visit.

Dubai Mall: Dubai is known for its shopping experience and luxurious malls so you will get a plethora of malls to visit but Dubai Mall and Mall of Emirates are more popular with the tourists. They not only offer brand stores but also have inbuilt aquariums, snow parks and water parks which have become a must visit for family vacations.

In case you visit the mall in evening then the Dubai Fountain should not be missed. In the ground floor of the mall, there is a colourful musical fountain show organized after sunset and it keep repeating every half an hour.

Ski Dubai: Ski Dubai will give you an indoor snow park and skiing experience. It is one of top attractions of Mall of Emirates as you will be surprised to encounter snow penguins running around in the ground floor of the mall, right in the middle of a tropical city. The place is like an amusement park for kids and adults alike as you get to have skiing, thrill rides and fun games in the middle of a snow park. There are penguin shows for the tourists and with additional charges, you get to meet and greet the penguins as well.

Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo: Even if you are not a fan of marine animals, you cannot miss this aquarium as the Dubai Aquarium has been built like a tunnel where the audience can walk around and witness the Underwater Zoo above and around them. There are more than a 100 species of aquatic animals in this zoo with sharks, sting rays and crocs to name a few. There are extra charges for planned encounters with these animals such as shark view cages, feeding the sting rays, snorkelling, meeting the otters and many more. They have a certain age limit for kids in these additional attractions but few shows like penguin feeding is open for all. This has made the Underwater Zoo, one of the top reasons to visit the Dubai Mall as it is available on the level 2 of the mall.

Old Souk: It is the local marketing hub for Dubai where the areas and streets are demarcated based on the items they are selling. There is Gold souk which is the central market with all the jewellery shops spread across the area while Spice Souk will have people selling variety of spices on the street. Textile Souk will bring out your bargaining skills You can walk around and cover these markets in case you want to do some local shopping. The Old Souk area will give a different flavour than the extravagant Dubai malls that you would visit so in case you want some local souvenirs then this place is a must visit.

Dubai Marina area and water bus ride: You can take water bus/boat ride across the marina area to get a mesmerizing view of the Dubai city from the river. You can opt for a full Dhow cruise or you can get off at any stops like the Marina mall after enjoying a short ride on the water bus.

Desert Safari: An evening desert safari tour is a must when you visit Dubai. In order to accommodate Dubai weather, it is feasible to book this tour in the evening when it will be pleasant but there are also options for morning tours in case you have time constraints. Desert Safari starts with Dune bashing as you are taken for a drive through the desert. You can enjoy the sunset before you enter the camping ground where most of the tourist attractions are available. You can choose from any of the activities such as camel riding, sand skiing, quad bike driving as they have separate charges for these tourist attractions created around the camp site. However, some events are available for all like belly dancing, fire shows, music performance. Finally, you can end your day at the Safari by enjoying their sumptuous barbeque buffet dinner.

Burj Khalifa: You cannot leave Dubai without visiting the tallest building in the world. Burj Khalifa can be accessed via the Dubai Mall but you need to buy separate access tickets. There are options to go straight to observation deck or you can book an entry to their restaurant and lounge of Burj Khalifa. The observation deck is at 124^th and 125^th floor for common public which is easily at a height of more than 500 m. Evening time is when you can get the best view of the city from the observation deck as the whole city lights up in the dark. However, the ticket and the access line is quite long as Burj Khalifa is one of the most popular tourist spots so get the entry an hour or so before you want to enjoy the sunset view from the observation deck.

A side note for Abu Dhabi:

In case you have a 1 extra vacation day then you can add Abu Dhabi to your Dubai trip as it is less than a two-hour drive from Dubai. Few places that are a must visit in Abu Dhabi – Ferrari world, museums and theme parks.