Destination 
Verified Make the most of your brief stopover with a whirlwind tour of Dubai. In just a few hours, discover the city's most iconic sights, from the towering Burj Khalifa to the bustling souks of Deira.
Whether you're exploring the luxurious Dubai Mall or capturing the beauty of the Jumeirah Beach, this quick yet immersive experience offers a perfect taste of Dubai’s splendor.
Ideal for travelers with limited time, this tour ensures you don't miss out on the city's highlights.
Written By Arabiers Digital & Reviewed by Robeena Brown
November 01, 2024 | 14 min read
The simplest answer to this question is ‘absolutely yes!’ If you are in Dubai on a stopover, whether it be 96, 72, 48, or 24 hours, or even 18 or 8 hours, there are many places you can visit within a few short hours. As you may know, Dubai International Airport is conveniently located in the Al Garhoud district, approximately 4.6 km east of Dubai’s city center. It is only a 15 to 30 minute drive to some of the top rated tourist attractions in Dubai.
Old Dubai, Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall and the Dubai Canal are some of the top attractions you can visit within less than four hours for very reasonable rates.
Booking a stopover in Dubai is very simple. Arabiers has designed several stopover itineraries. If you already know the time duration of your stopover, you can select the itinerary most suitable for you and make an early online booking.
If you need to customize your itinerary, or for further inquiries, please contact Arabiers for assistance before arriving in Dubai for your stopover.
In case you forgot to make a booking before arriving in Dubai, you can still plan your stopover by quickly booking an itinerary from the available packages.
The Dubai Stopover packages crafted by Arabiers provides stopover tourists the chance to take the maximum benefit of the few hours they are staying in Dubai.
Since Dubai’s airport is located within the city, visiting the most iconic attractions in Dubai is very simple. Whether it is a 96-hour, 24-hour, or 8-hour stopover, we have some interesting itineraries in store for you.
The following stopover itineraries have been carefully designed by our Arabiers team to provide the maximum advantage of the hours of your Dubai stopover.
All tourists who want to visit Dubai, or any other Emirate in the UAE, must obtain a visa. Citizens from most countries are eligible for a 30-day or a 90-day on arrival visa. Those not eligible for an on arrival visa must obtain a prepaid visa. Please do contact Arabiers to find out if you are eligible for an on-arrival visa.
Tourists on a Dubai stopover, or transiting in Dubai, must obtain a transit visa. A transit visa allows Dubai stopover and in-transit tourists to stay in Dubai for a limited number of hours.
Transit visas are as follows:
Arabiers has more than 15+ years of experience and will assist you with visa services, tours, and activities. Contact Arabiers to obtain your transit visa quickly and efficiently.
For those on a Dubai stopover, the most convenient mode of travel is a taxi. Due to the airport’s proximity to Dubai’s city center, if you opt to take a local taxi from the airport, you can go around Dubai and visit most of the popular destinations fairly quickly and in air conditioned comfort.
If the duration of your Dubai stopover coincides with the city’s rush hour, it may be challenging to find a taxi easily at the airport, or even within the city center to get back to the airport. Instead of a taxi, you can opt to ride in the air conditioned comfort of the Dubai metro, a fully automated transit rail system. If you are a female solo traveler, you may travel in a section designated entirely for women. The metro will be a considerably inexpensive alternative to a taxi.
Arabiers has designed an exciting and incredible offer for Dubai stopover tourists touring Dubai. The Private Dubai City Tour package has been designed to include most popular attractions in Dubai within a single day, including pick-up and drop-off at the airport.
For advance bookings, or to get more details on our Private Dubai City Tour packages, please feel free to contact the Arabiers’ guest services team.
If you are on an overnight Dubai stopover, finding a nice and decent place to stay in Dubai is not at all difficult.
Dubai International Airport is surrounded by a large and varied number of luxury and budget-friendly hotels that one may choose from.
Here are a few hotel options to choose from:
| Hotel | Time from Airport (via taxi) |
|---|---|
| Ramada Plaza by Wyndham, Dubai Deira | 12 mins |
| ibis World Trade Center, Dubai | 11 mins |
| Holiday Inn (an IHG Hotel) | 5 mins |
| Royal Ascot Hotel | 15 mins |
| Hampton by Hilton | 11 mins |
We have put together some essential information that you should know before you hop into Dubai during your stopover.
It is always sunny in Dubai. The best time of the year to go around Dubai is during the winter season which falls between the months of October and March.
This is also the season, however, when most tourists come to Dubai. Popular locations such as safari parks, museums, waterparks and indoor activity places will be crowded. If you wish to visit any place where you need to get tickets during your Dubai stopover, it is advisable to make advance reservations. It is very important to avoid standing in long queues during your stopover as your time in Dubai is limited.
The UAE is a country that holds its customs and traditions in very high esteem. As tourists, we are responsible to practice cultural sensitivity toward the Emirati customs and traditions when visiting Dubai or any of the other Emirates.
Of course, you are not expected to wear what the local Emiratis are wearing. However, wearing modest and conservative clothing with no indecent exposure, especially when touring public places, is customary practice.
If you will be on a Dubai stopover during the summer season remember to pack light weight clothes. Must haves during both summer and winter seasons in Dubai is your sunscreen and sunglasses at all times!
Tourists who are in Dubai for a short stopover can keep their luggage in the Dubai airport itself. Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 in the Dubai International Airport allow you to store your luggage for reasonable rates.
(Rates may subject to change)
| Standard Size | Maximum dimensions of 21 x 24 x 11 inches |
| Non-standard Size | Larger than 21 x 24 x 11 inches |
Arabic is the official language in Dubai and the other Emirates. Since Dubai is a hub for tourists from around the world, most UAE nationals and locals can speak and understand simple English. Finding your way around Dubai is not at all difficult because all public and private signage is in both Arabic and English.
The official currency of Dubai and the 6 other Emirates is Dirham. The abbreviated form is AED. Local currency in Dubai may be useful if you want to buy something from the smaller stores, or the Dubai souk or markets. It is advisable to have local cash in hand for these instances.
Exchanging your currency into Dirhams is simple. You can do it in your home country or you can always get your currency exchanged at the Dubai airport.
You can also use credit and or debit cards for purchases in Dubai, especially in malls and larger stores.
An initiative available at the Dubai airport is the Marhaba Services. Their services range from providing you with convenient and quick clearance through arrival and departure, comfortable lounges to peacefully relax in, stress free transfer services, and many more services to make your airport arrival and departure easy and comfortable.
Yes, you can leave Dubai airport during a stopover. If you have at least 8 hours between flights, there is a lot that you can experience in Dubai.
Yes, anyone visiting Dubai in-transit or on a Dubai stopover must get a
transit visa. Transit visas allow passengers to stay in Dubai for a
limited number of hours.
Contact Arabiers for further information
related to visa rates and requirements.
Yes, if you have at least 8 hours for your stopover there are so many attractions and activities in Dubai that you can experience.
Please contact Arabiers to arrange the perfect stopover tour in Dubai for you based on your preferences.
You can store your luggage in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport. Terminal 1 will be AED 40 for standard sized luggage and AED 50 for non-standard sized luggage (12 hours or less). Terminal 3 costs will be AED 35 for standard sized luggage and AED 45 for non-standard sized luggage (12 hours or less hours).
No, you cannot get a free transit visa to Dubai. Available transit visa types are 48-hour and 96-hour transit visas. Both types of transit visas are non-extendable. Connect with Arabiers to get your transit visa quickly and efficiently.
One of the quickest ways to travel from Dubai airport to Burj Khalifa is by local taxi. During rush hour the convenient mode of travel is the Dubai metro.
