First time in Dubai: what to know before you go

Documents: visa, passport, insurance

Entry rules depend on your passport. For many nationalities the entry stamp is given at the airport, but check the current rules for your country before you buy flights. One condition applies to everyone: your passport must be valid for at least six months on the date of entry. The worst first-trip scenario is linked to this rule: being turned away at check-in at your home airport. So check your passport expiry date first.

A return ticket and a hotel booking are rarely checked at the border, but the airline may ask for them at check-in. Medical insurance is not mandatory, but treatment in the UAE is paid and expensive. A one-week policy usually costs less than one visit to a doctor.

If you travel with children who are listed in one parent's passport, check the rules with your airline: requirements for children's documents change.

Money: what to bring and how to pay

The currency is the dirham (AED), with a fixed rate to the US dollar. Visa and Mastercard are accepted in hotels, shopping malls, taxis and at attraction ticket desks. Cash is needed at markets, with street vendors and for tips. In restaurants people leave 10–15 % if service is not already included in the bill.

Of 814 questions travellers asked us over 39 days in spring 2025, 187 were about price and 170 about payment. That is why the app shows the price before you book, and you choose the payment method at the Payment step: card or payment link, bank transfer in AED, or cash at the partner office in Dubai. The Yoots and Ab Sea office is in JLT, Cluster T, office 404, near Sobha Realty metro station. It is open daily from 11:00 to 16:00. You can come with a question, pay and collect your voucher.

A rough activity budget: a Burj Khalifa ticket to levels 124–125 costs 194 AED, a shared evening safari with dinner costs 145 AED, a city tour of old Dubai costs 114 AED, and a day in Abu Dhabi starts from 155 AED. Prices come live from the catalogue and change with it.

Weather: when to go and what to do in the heat

From November to March daytime temperatures are 22–30 °C and evenings are cool. This is the outdoor season: safaris, cruises, observation decks and open-air parks. April and October are transition months: days are already above 35 °C, but evenings are comfortable. From May to September days reach 40–45 °C with high humidity. Plan indoor places such as the aquarium, museums, Ski Dubai and IMG Worlds, and go outside after sunset.

Sunset is the key moment of a first day in Dubai. In December the sun sets around 17:30, in June around 19:10. The Burj Khalifa slot and the safari departure time are planned around it. For a safari, the pickup from your hotel is three to four hours before sunset, so you reach the dunes before dark.

Transport: metro, taxi, transfer

The metro has two lines. The Red Line runs along the whole city from the airport through Downtown to Marina. You pay with a Nol card. There are carriages for women and children, and eating or drinking in the carriages is fined. Taxis are booked through Careem or Uber; local RTA taxis are a little cheaper. At night and on Friday evenings you wait longer for a car.

An airport transfer is the one thing worth booking before you fly: after a night flight with children and suitcases, a taxi queue is not a good start. For safaris, Abu Dhabi trips and most tours, the pickup is directly from your Dubai hotel. The activity card says whether a transfer is included and from which zones. The question "will you pick us up from our hotel?" came up 72 times in one month in our chats, one of the five most frequent. So we answer it in the card before payment.

Dress code and rules

In hotels, on beaches and in parks, dress freely. In shopping malls and on the streets, cover shoulders and knees; signs at the entrances ask for this. At Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, clothing must be fully covered and women need a headscarf; an abaya is provided at the entrance. Alcohol is sold only in bars and restaurants in hotels; do not walk on the street with a bottle. Do not photograph local residents, especially women, without permission, and do not photograph government buildings.

The weekend in the UAE is Saturday and Sunday; Friday is a short working day. During Ramadan, restaurants serve in a closed format during the day, and evening programmes become richer.

What to book in advance and what on the spot

Book in advance what is tied to a time and sells out: a sunset slot at Burj Khalifa (the difference between standard entry and Fast Track is 118 AED), a safari for a specific evening, and the Museum of the Future. Weekend slots there sell out first, and our managers advise booking a month ahead. Aquaventure waterpark is the opposite: it is sold with an open date. The ticket is valid until 30.12.2026, and you choose the day by the weather.

Book on the spot what depends on how you feel: a cruise, a walk through the old town, a second park. In the app this takes a minute, and you receive the voucher after confirmation.

Who this plan suits and who it does not

It suits those who come for 3–7 days and want to see Dubai without switching between agencies. It does not suit a one-day transit stop: then read the guide "Dubai in one day", which has a different order.

Checklist

• Passport valid for six more months: check before you buy flights.
• Insurance for all days of the trip.
• A bank card and a little cash for markets and tips.
• Airport transfer booked.
• Burj Khalifa at sunset and the safari on day two or three, not on arrival day.
• Clothes that cover the shoulders for malls and the mosque.
• The Yoots contact saved: we answer questions about activities before and after booking.

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