Dubai Classic: Burj Khalifa, Desert Safari & Dhow Cruise

Your Dubai holiday begins the moment the plane banks over the Gulf and the city appears below: a long line of glass towers rising from the desert, the Burj Khalifa standing head and shoulders above everything else, and the coast traced with man-made islands. Flights from most Indian cities take only three to four hours, so you can leave home in the morning and be in Dubai by lunchtime, with the clock set back by an hour and a half.

Dubai International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, but it is well organised and easy to navigate. Your UAE tourist visa is arranged before you fly, so at immigration you simply show your passport and visa, and the officers scan your eyes and take a photograph. Collect your bags, walk out into the arrivals hall and look for our representative holding a board with your name. A private car takes you to your hotel, a drive of 20 to 40 minutes depending on where you stay and the traffic.

On the way, you get your first look at the city. Wide, spotless highways lined with palm trees and flowering bougainvillea carry you past gleaming office towers, mosques with slender minarets and the huge shopping malls Dubai is famous for. Signs are in Arabic and English, and you will notice how many of the people you see are from India: about a third of Dubai's population has Indian roots, and you will hear Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Gujarati in shops and restaurants across the city.

Check in to your hotel and take the afternoon to rest. Standard check-in time in Dubai is usually 2 or 3 PM, so if you arrive early, leave your bags with the reception desk and have lunch nearby. Hotels charge a small Tourism Dirham fee per room per night, which is paid directly at check-out.

In the evening, you are picked up for a dhow cruise along Dubai Marina, one of the loveliest ways to see modern Dubai. Dhows are the traditional wooden sailing boats of the Gulf, which for centuries carried pearls, dates, spices and textiles between Arabia, Persia, East Africa and India. Today, beautifully lit dhows carry visitors along the Marina, a three-kilometre man-made canal lined on both sides by some of the tallest residential towers in the world.

Board the boat, take a seat on the open upper deck or in the air-conditioned lower deck, and watch the city glide past. The towers sparkle with thousands of lights, their reflections shimmering on the dark water. Look out for the twisting Cayan Tower, which turns a full 90 degrees from bottom to top, the Marina Promenade, busy with families strolling and dining by the water, and, in the distance, the giant Ain Dubai wheel on Bluewaters Island. As the boat reaches the open sea at the end of the Marina, you can see the beaches of JBR and the lights of Palm Jumeirah.

Dinner is an international buffet served on board, with a good choice of Indian, Arabic and continental dishes and plenty for vegetarians: biryani, dal, paneer, salads, hummus, grilled chicken and desserts. Soft drinks, water and tea or coffee are usually included. Many cruises also have music and a short entertainment show. The cruise lasts about two hours, and our driver takes you back to your hotel afterwards.

It is a relaxed, unforgettable first evening, and a perfect introduction to the scale and glamour of Dubai.

Dress for the cruise in smart-casual clothes; there is no formal dress code, but many guests dress up a little for the evening. In winter, from December to February, the breeze on the open deck can be cool after dark, so a light jacket or shawl is a good idea. The boats usually board from the Marina Walk or near Marina Mall around 8 PM, and our transfer timing allows for traffic.

If you have energy left afterwards, the Marina Walk is lovely late in the evening, with cafés, ice cream shops and street performers along the water, and the towers lit up above you. Dubai is a very safe city, and families are out until late, especially at weekends. Otherwise, head back to your hotel and rest: tomorrow is a full day of sightseeing.

If you are hungry later, Dubai has food for every taste near almost every hotel, from Indian restaurants and South Indian cafés to shawarma stands and international chains, and many stay open until midnight or later. Drink plenty of water during your stay: even in winter, the dry desert air can be dehydrating.

Included today: private arrival transfer from Dubai International Airport, hotel, Marina dhow cruise with buffet dinner (shared).

Good to know: keep your passport, hotel booking and visa copy handy for immigration. Dubai is 1.5 hours behind India. The Tourism Dirham fee is paid at the hotel. See our Dubai visa guide for Indians.

After breakfast, set out on a half-day city tour that shows you both faces of Dubai: the old trading town on the Creek and the dazzling modern city that has grown up along the coast in just a few decades.

Your first stop is the Jumeirah Mosque, a graceful white stone mosque built in the medieval Fatimid style, and one of the most photographed buildings in Dubai. Then drive along the Jumeirah coast, past beach parks and grand villas, to the Burj Al Arab, the sail-shaped hotel that stands on its own artificial island just off the beach. Opened in 1999 and rising about 321 metres, it was the image that first put Dubai on the world's travel map, and the view from Jumeirah Beach, with the sail against the sea, is one of the city's classic photographs.

Next, the tour heads to Palm Jumeirah, the artificial island built in the shape of a palm tree, so large it can be seen from space. You drive along the trunk, past the fronds lined with villas, and through a tunnel under the sea to the crescent, where the pink towers of Atlantis The Palm rise at the far end. Stop for photos at Atlantis, then continue to Dubai Marina, which you saw by night yesterday, and on to Dubai Creek, where the city began.

The Creek is a natural saltwater inlet that divides old Dubai into Deira and Bur Dubai, and for centuries it was the heart of the town's trade in pearls, fish and goods from across the Indian Ocean. Wooden dhows still load and unload cargo along its banks, and the little abra water taxis, which cost only a dirham or two, carry passengers across the water just as they have for generations. The tour may include a short stop at the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, with its sand-coloured houses and wind towers, the traditional air conditioning of the Gulf.

In the afternoon, head to Dubai Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in the world, with more than a thousand shops, an indoor ice rink, a huge aquarium and a waterfall with sculpted divers. Take time for lunch and a wander, and then make your way to the entrance for At the Top, Burj Khalifa.

The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world, rising 828 metres above the desert, and it is one of the great engineering wonders of our time. Opened in 2010, its design was inspired by the desert flower Hymenocallis, and its spire is visible from almost everywhere in the city. After a short exhibition about how it was built, one of the fastest lifts in the world carries you to levels 124 and 125, about 450 metres up, in around a minute. Step out onto the observation deck and the whole of Dubai lies below you: the Downtown towers, the Dubai Fountain lake, the coast and the islands, and the desert stretching away inland. On a clear day you can see for miles.

Back on the ground, stay on in the evening for the Dubai Fountain show. Set on a lake at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, the fountain is the largest choreographed fountain system in the world, with jets shooting water up to about 150 metres into the air to music, from Arabic songs to Bollywood hits and opera. The shows run every 30 minutes in the evening, and they are free to watch from the promenade or the bridge. Afterwards, our driver takes you back to your hotel.

Getting around Dubai on your own is easy. The Dubai Metro is clean, fast, air-conditioned and inexpensive, with the Red Line running along Sheikh Zayed Road past Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and the Marina, and the Green Line serving Deira, Bur Dubai and the Creek. Buy a Nol card at any station and top it up as you go; there are carriages reserved for women and children, and a Gold Class carriage for a little extra. Taxis are metered and reliable, and apps such as Careem and Uber also work well.

After the fountain show, Downtown has plenty of restaurants for dinner, many with views of the fountain and the Burj Khalifa lit up at night. Souk Al Bahar, across the lake from Dubai Mall, has Arabic and international restaurants with terraces facing the fountain.

Allow about an hour to an hour and a half at the top of the Burj Khalifa, and keep your ticket handy, as it is checked again on the way down.

Included today: half-day Dubai city tour (shared), Burj Khalifa At the Top ticket for levels 124 and 125 at a non-prime time, Dubai Mall and Dubai Fountain visit, transfers, breakfast.

Good to know: carry your passport or a copy for Burj Khalifa entry. Sunset slots cost more, so non-prime tickets are for daytime or later evening. Lunch is at your own cost. Read our Burj Khalifa tickets and Dubai Mall guide.

Enjoy a relaxed morning at your own pace. Sleep in after yesterday's busy day, have a late breakfast, swim in the hotel pool or head out for some shopping. Popular choices in the morning include the Gold Souk and Spice Souk in Deira, where narrow lanes are lined with shops glittering with gold jewellery and sacks of saffron, cardamom, dried lemons and frankincense, or Mall of the Emirates, home to Ski Dubai, an indoor ski slope with real snow and penguins.

In the middle of the afternoon, usually around 3 PM, a 4x4 vehicle picks you up from your hotel for the desert safari, the experience many visitors remember most from Dubai. Within about 45 minutes, the towers of the city are behind you, and the road runs through open desert, with camels grazing by the roadside and low red dunes rolling away to the horizon.

At the edge of the desert, the driver lets some air out of the tyres, and then the fun begins. Dune bashing is a thrilling ride over the sand: the 4x4 climbs to the crest of a dune, tips over the edge and slides down the other side, swinging from side to side as it races across the waves of sand. Experienced desert drivers make it feel like a roller-coaster, but it is quite safe. If you would prefer a gentler ride, just tell the driver.

Then the car stops on a high dune for the sunset. This is a magical moment: the noise of the city is far away, the sand turns from gold to deep orange and red as the sun sinks towards the horizon, and the dunes cast long shadows across the desert. Take photos, walk barefoot on the cool sand and enjoy the silence.

As dusk falls, you arrive at a desert camp built in the style of a traditional Bedouin camp, with low seating, carpets and cushions around a central stage, lit by lanterns. Take a short camel ride, try sandboarding down a dune, have your hands decorated with henna, or pose for photographs in traditional Emirati dress. Arabic coffee, dates and tea are served as you settle in.

After dark, the entertainment begins. A Tanoura dancer spins for minutes on end in colourful layered skirts that light up as they whirl, a fire performer twirls flaming torches, and there is music and dancing under the stars. Dinner is a barbecue buffet with grilled chicken and lamb, Arabic salads, hummus, breads, rice and a good choice of vegetarian dishes, followed by desserts and fresh fruit.

Around 8:30 or 9 PM, the 4x4 takes you back to your hotel, tired, sandy and happy.

The desert safari is a highlight for travellers of all ages, and the camps are well organised, with clean toilets, a buffet area and plenty of seating. Photography is a joy here: the best light is in the golden hour just before sunset, and the dunes make wonderful backdrops for family and couple photos. Keep your phone or camera in a bag during dune bashing, as fine sand gets everywhere.

The red dunes most safaris visit lie south-east of the city, in the Lahbab and Al Awir areas, where the sand has a deep red-orange colour from its iron content. In the cooler months, the desert is at its most beautiful, with mild afternoons and clear, starry skies after dark, far from the lights of the city.

During the holy month of Ramadan, the live shows and some activities at the desert camps may be paused or changed, and the evening meal is often served after sunset, in keeping with local customs. Your safari still runs as normal in other respects, and the desert is especially peaceful at that time of year.

Back at the hotel, shake the sand out of your shoes and get some rest. Tomorrow brings another of Dubai's landmarks, the Dubai Frame, and a free day to explore at your own pace.

Many travellers say the desert safari is the most fun they have in Dubai, and it is a wonderful contrast to the glass and steel of the city. Children love the camels and sandboarding, couples love the sunset, and grandparents often enjoy the peaceful camp and the shows most of all. If you would like a quieter, more exclusive experience, ask us about a private safari or a premium camp with smaller groups.

Included today: evening desert safari with dune bashing, camel ride, sandboarding, henna, live shows and BBQ dinner (shared), breakfast.

Good to know: wear comfortable clothes and closed shoes or sandals, and carry a light jacket in winter, as the desert cools quickly after dark. Dune bashing is not recommended for pregnant women, young babies or anyone with back or heart problems. Quad biking is optional, at extra cost. See our desert safari and dhow cruise guide.

After breakfast, visit the Dubai Frame, one of the city's newest and most unusual landmarks. Opened in 2018 in Zabeel Park, it is a giant golden picture frame, 150 metres tall and 93 metres wide, standing between old and new Dubai. On one side, it frames the low buildings and the Creek of historic Dubai; on the other, the skyscrapers of Sheikh Zayed Road and Downtown.

On the ground floor, a gallery tells the story of Dubai's past, from a small fishing and pearling village to a trading port, with old photographs, sounds and images. A lift then takes you up to the Sky Deck, a bridge 150 metres above the ground connecting the two towers. Part of the floor is glass, and as you step onto it, you look straight down to the park below, while windows on either side show the old city and the new. On the way down, a short exhibition imagines what Dubai might look like in the future.

The rest of the day is free, and there are many ways to spend it. If you enjoyed the souks, take an abra across the Creek and explore the Gold Souk, where you can compare designs and prices at hundreds of shops, and the Spice Souk next door. Gold in Dubai is priced by weight according to the day's rate, plus a making charge, and bargaining over the making charge is expected.

For something different, visit the Museum of the Future, a striking ring-shaped building covered in Arabic calligraphy, with immersive exhibitions on space, nature and technology, or the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo in Dubai Mall. If you would like to relax, spend the afternoon on the beach at JBR or Kite Beach, or at your hotel pool.

From October to May, Global Village is one of the best evenings out in Dubai. This huge open-air festival park has pavilions from about 90 countries and cultures, each selling food, handicrafts and souvenirs, with stage shows, rides and street performers. The India pavilion is always one of the busiest, and the food stalls offer everything from Turkish ice cream and Korean street food to Emirati luqaimat, sweet dumplings drizzled with date syrup. It opens in the late afternoon and stays open until midnight or later.

Shopping is one of the great pleasures of Dubai, and the city has something for every budget. The huge malls, Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and Ibn Battuta Mall among them, have every international brand, as well as cinemas, food courts and attractions, and they are pleasantly cool even on the hottest days. Ibn Battuta Mall is themed on the travels of the 14th-century explorer, with courts designed in the styles of China, India, Persia, Egypt, Tunisia and Andalusia. For bargains on electronics, clothes and souvenirs, the shops of Karama and Meena Bazaar in Bur Dubai are good value, and bargaining is normal.

The Dubai Shopping Festival, held each year in December and January, brings big discounts across the city's malls, along with fireworks, concerts and raffles, and it is one of the busiest times of the year to visit.

If you prefer something quieter, the Al Seef waterfront along the Creek in Bur Dubai is a lovely place for a late-afternoon walk. Built in the style of old Dubai, with sand-coloured buildings, wooden balconies and narrow lanes, it has cafés, restaurants and small shops by the water, and you can watch the abras crossing the Creek as the sun goes down.

For dinner, try Emirati and Arabic food. Mezze such as hummus, moutabal and fattoush, grilled kebabs, shawarma and fresh bread are found everywhere, and Emirati specialities such as machboos, spiced rice with meat, and luqaimat, sweet dumplings with date syrup, are worth trying. Vegetarians are well catered for, and Dubai has some of the best Indian restaurants outside India, from simple South Indian cafés in Karama to elegant fine dining in Downtown.

Tonight is your last night in Dubai, so make the most of it: watch the fountain show once more, take a stroll along the Marina, or simply relax at your hotel and pack for tomorrow.

If you are travelling with children, the free afternoon is a good time for one of Dubai's family attractions, such as the Dubai Aquarium, KidZania in Dubai Mall, or a short visit to one of the city's water parks. Our team can book tickets for you in advance, often at better prices than at the gate.

Included today: Dubai Frame entry ticket with transfers (shared), breakfast.

Good to know: the Museum of the Future, Global Village and other activities are optional and at extra cost; tickets are often cheaper online. Transport for the free afternoon is at your own cost; the Dubai Metro and taxis are easy to use. Ideas in our places to visit in Dubai guide.

Wake up to your last morning in Dubai. If your flight is in the afternoon or evening, there is no need to rush: have a long breakfast, take a final swim in the pool, or step out for a walk while the air is still cool. Winter mornings in Dubai, from November to March, are sunny and pleasant, usually around 20 to 25°C, and they are the best time of day to be outside.

If you have a few hours before checkout, there are good ways to use them close to most hotels. In Bur Dubai and Deira, an early walk through the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood is peaceful before the tour groups arrive: narrow lanes of sand-coloured houses with wind towers, small museums, art galleries and courtyard cafés serving cardamom coffee and dates. From here it is a short walk to the Creek, where you can take a last abra ride across the water to the Deira souks for a dirham or two.

In Downtown and Business Bay, a morning stroll around the Dubai Fountain lake and Souk Al Bahar is quiet and lovely, with the Burj Khalifa reflected in the still water. Near the Marina and JBR, walk along The Walk and the beach, where joggers, cyclists and families are out early, and the sea is calm and clear.

This is also the time for last-minute shopping. Supermarkets such as Carrefour and Lulu, found in most malls, are the best places to buy dates, Arabic sweets, chocolates, saffron and spices to take home at good prices. Dates come in dozens of varieties, from soft, caramel-like Medjool to the popular Khalas and Sukkari, and many shops sell them in gift boxes, some stuffed with almonds or covered in chocolate. Camel milk chocolate is a fun Dubai souvenir, as are Arabic perfumes and oud, which you can buy at perfume shops in the souks and malls.

If you bought anything during your trip from a shop displaying the Tax Free sign, keep your receipts. Tourists can claim back part of the 5% VAT on purchases from participating shops, usually on a minimum spend of AED 250 per receipt. The shop registers your purchase digitally at the time of sale, and at the airport you validate it at a tax refund kiosk before passport control, then choose a refund to your card or in cash.

Check out of your hotel by the usual checkout time, generally around noon. If your flight is late in the evening, ask the reception to store your bags so you can spend the afternoon at a mall or the beach; late checkout is sometimes possible, but it depends on availability and may cost extra.

Our driver will pick you up from your hotel at the agreed time and take you to Dubai International Airport. Allow plenty of time: the drive usually takes 20 to 40 minutes, but traffic can be heavy at rush hour, especially on Sheikh Zayed Road in the late afternoon. Check which terminal your flight leaves from. Emirates flights use Terminal 3, while most other airlines flying to India use Terminal 1, and low-cost carriers such as flydubai may use Terminal 2.

Before you leave, make sure your baggage is within your airline's allowance, especially if you have been shopping, and remember that liquids such as perfume and oud in your cabin bag must follow the usual 100 ml rule. If you bought gold jewellery, check the current Indian customs allowance before you fly, and keep the bills with you, as customs officers in India may ask for them.

Dubai International's duty-free shops are among the largest in the world, so if you have time after security, there is plenty to browse, from chocolates and dates to perfumes and electronics. Then settle in at your gate for the short flight home, with memories of the Burj Khalifa at sunset, the desert dunes, the dhow cruise and the bright lights of Dubai.

We hope these five days have shown you the very best of Dubai: the glamour of the Marina, the heights of the Burj Khalifa, the thrill and peace of the desert, the story of the old city and the bright lights of the new.

Our team will be in touch until you are home safely. Thank you for travelling with Dreamland Vacations, and we hope to welcome you back to Dubai, or perhaps to Abu Dhabi, Oman or another destination, on your next holiday. Read our Dubai shopping guide before your next visit.

Safe travels home, and see you again soon.

Included today: private departure transfer to Dubai International Airport, breakfast.

Good to know: book a flight that leaves at least 3 hours after you reach the airport. Late checkout is subject to availability and may cost extra.