Dubai Travel Guide

Dubai compresses an enormous amount into a city you can cross in forty minutes. In four nights you can go up the world's tallest building, ride a camel over a dune, haggle in a spice souk that has not changed in a century and ski indoors — which is precisely why it works so well as a short international break.

Why travellers choose Dubai

The flight is under four hours from Delhi and the time difference is ninety minutes, so you lose no part of the holiday to recovery. That makes a four-night trip genuinely restful rather than a scramble.

It suits every kind of traveller. Families have Aquaventure, IMG Worlds and the aquarium; couples have desert dinners and Marina cruises; shoppers have the malls and the souks; and anyone interested in the older city has Al Fahidi, the creek and Deira.

Indian travellers are exceptionally well catered for — Indian restaurants in every neighbourhood, Hindi understood almost everywhere, and direct flights from a dozen Indian cities at competitive fares.

What not to miss in Dubai

• Burj Khalifa — Levels 124 and 125 are the standard ticket; level 148 adds a lounge and a much shorter queue. Sunset slots sell out first.
• Desert safari — Afternoon dune bashing, camel rides, henna and a barbecue with live entertainment. The most-photographed half-day in the emirate.
• Dubai Mall and the Fountain — The aquarium, the ice rink and the fountain show every half hour after dusk — free, and better from the lakeside promenade than from inside.
• Marina dhow cruise — A two-hour dinner cruise past the illuminated Marina towers. The Creek version is more traditional; the Marina one is more spectacular.
• Old Dubai and the souks — Gold Souk, Spice Souk and an abra across the creek for a single dirham — the best value hour in the city.
• Abu Dhabi day trip — Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Ferrari World, ninety minutes down a fast highway.

When to travel

November to March is the comfortable window, with pleasant days and cool evenings — this is when desert safaris and outdoor dining are at their best. December and January are peak and priced accordingly. April and October are warm but perfectly manageable. June to August is very hot; go only if a shopping, waterpark and indoor-attraction trip appeals, and take advantage of the substantially lower hotel rates.

Entry and paperwork

Indian passport holders need a UAE tourist visa, normally issued as an e-visa in a few working days. Holders of a valid US, UK or Schengen visa or a US green card can frequently obtain a visa on arrival — we confirm eligibility against your specific documents. Passports must have at least six months of validity.

Planning a Dubai trip with Elitech Travels

Every Dubai itinerary on this page is a starting point rather than a fixed product. Extend a city, change the hotel category, add a private guide or merge two routes and we will re-cost the trip and send a revised plan. Because we publish no departure dates, your holiday is operated in the window that suits your leave — tell us roughly when you want to travel and we confirm availability and pricing for exactly those days.