Weather by month, where to stay, things to do, real multi centre options with Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, and what it actually costs, everything you need to plan a trip to Dubai.
Dubai is one of the easiest holidays I sell, because it genuinely suits almost everyone. Couples get the beach resorts and the skyline views, families get waterparks and indoor attractions that work even in the heat, and anyone who wants a short, reliable flight with guaranteed sunshine gets exactly that. It's also one of the few long haul destinations where a week doesn't feel rushed, since the flight itself is only around seven hours.
It's currently a TUI only destination for me rather than Jet2holidays or easyJet holidays. Neither of those two flies long haul at the moment, so TUI is the operator I use for every flight and hotel package to Dubai, and it has an enormous range of hotels to choose from, well over three hundred, across every part of the city and every budget.
First time asking about Dubai? I always ask whether the client wants a beach resort with a pool and private stretch of sand, or a city hotel closer to the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. The two feel like genuinely different holidays, so it's worth deciding early.
Four or five nights works well as a long weekend city break, especially if a client just wants the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and a bit of sun. Seven nights is the classic package length and gives enough time to properly relax at a beach resort as well as fit in a desert safari and a day in the city. Ten to fourteen nights suits anyone combining Dubai with Abu Dhabi or Ras Al Khaimah as a proper multi centre trip.
Dubai suits couples, honeymooners, families with children of any age, and anyone wanting a reliable short haul feeling holiday without the long haul flight time, since it's roughly the same flying time as the Caribbean but without crossing anywhere near as many time zones. It's less suited to clients on a tight budget who want to self cater and explore cheaply, since Dubai runs noticeably more expensive than Spain, Turkey or the Canaries once you add in food, attractions and taxis.
Direct flights to Dubai International Airport run from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow, mostly with Emirates, with British Airways also flying from Heathrow. Flight time is around seven hours. TUI, the operator I book Dubai through, includes return flights, transfers and your hotel in one package price, so there's nothing extra to arrange once you land.
I always check whether a client prefers Dubai International Airport, which sits close to Downtown and Deira, or whether their hotel is out towards the Marina or Palm Jumeirah, since transfer times vary a fair bit depending on where in the city you're staying.
Dubai is hot for most of the year and extremely hot in summer. These are long term averages, so treat them as a guide rather than a forecast for your specific dates.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Sea temp | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24°C | 16°C | 22°C | Warm, dry and comfortable, Dubai's busiest and most expensive month |
| February | 26°C | 17°C | 22°C | Similar to January, still comfortably warm and popular |
| March | 29°C | 19°C | 23°C | Warming up quickly, still pleasant for sightseeing |
| April | 34°C | 23°C | 26°C | Hot by UK standards, beach days still very doable, a good value month |
| May | 38°C | 27°C | 29°C | Very hot, a clear shift into summer, better suited to pool time than walking tours |
| June | 39°C | 30°C | 32°C | Extremely hot and humid, most outdoor plans move indoors or to the evening |
| July | 41°C | 32°C | 33°C | Peak heat, best treated as an indoor and evening destination |
| August | 42°C | 31°C | 34°C | The hottest month of the year, cheapest hotel rates of the year too |
| September | 39°C | 29°C | 33°C | Still very hot, humidity remains high |
| October | 36°C | 26°C | 31°C | Cooling down, a genuinely good value shoulder month |
| November | 30°C | 23°C | 28°C | Pleasant and increasingly comfortable, season picking back up |
| December | 26°C | 19°C | 25°C | Warm, dry and busy, second peak season alongside January |
Average high and low temperatures via Bayut's long term Dubai climate data, sea temperatures via Sea Temperature's ten year monthly averages.
November to March is Dubai's prime season, with warm, reliably dry days and comfortable evenings, which also makes it the busiest and most expensive time to book, especially over Christmas, New Year and the Dubai Shopping Festival. April and October either side of summer are genuinely good value shoulder months, still hot by UK standards but without peak season pricing. June to September is extremely hot and humid, with daytime highs regularly above 38 degrees, so it's the cheapest time to go but suits clients happy to spend their days by the pool, in the mall's air conditioning or on evening activities rather than out sightseeing all day.
Clients chasing the lowest possible price often ask about July and August. I'm always upfront that the heat is genuinely intense then, and a beach resort with a great pool matters more than ever if they book that window.
Dubai is spread out, and which part of the city you base yourself in changes the whole feel of the holiday.
Home to the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the Dubai Fountain, this is the best base for anyone who wants the skyline views and the city's biggest sights right outside the hotel door. It's less beach focused, so most hotels here have a rooftop or courtyard pool rather than direct sand.
A buzzy, walkable waterfront with the Marina Walk, countless restaurants and a proper public beach at Jumeirah Beach Residence. A good middle ground for clients who want both beach time and an evening out without needing a taxi for everything.
The famous palm shaped island, home to Dubai's biggest resort hotels, private beaches and the Burj Al Arab's own stretch of coastline nearby. The pick for clients wanting a proper resort holiday with a genuine beach, often at a premium price to match.
Old Dubai, around the Creek, the Gold Souk and the Spice Souk, with a more traditional, far less glossy feel than the rest of the city. Hotels here tend to be better value, and it suits clients more interested in culture and history than beach time.
Not sure which area to recommend? Palm Jumeirah or the Marina for a beach first holiday, Downtown for a city first trip, and Deira or Bur Dubai for anyone on a tighter budget who still wants to be close to the sights.
The Dubai Metro is driverless, air conditioned, cheap and covers most of the places tourists actually want to reach, including a stop near Dubai Mall and a direct line to the airport. A rechargeable Nol card covers the metro, buses and the tram. Taxis are plentiful, metered and reasonably priced, and Careem and Uber both work well if a client would rather book a ride from an app. Traditional abras still cross Dubai Creek for a few dirhams and are a lovely, cheap way to see Old Dubai from the water. Most clients on a package holiday won't need to hire a car at all, since transfers between the airport and hotel are included, and taxis or the metro comfortably cover everything else.
A shortlist of the bookable tours and activities around Dubai worth having on the radar, including one way to see Abu Dhabi as a day trip without booking a full multi centre stay.
Four real, bookable picks across budgets, all available through TUI, which is currently the only one of my three main operators flying to Dubai.
A modern, stylish budget hotel just a short walk from Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa, with a rooftop pool and a genuinely good standard of room for the price. A great pick for anyone prioritising location over luxury. Room only or bed and breakfast. Bookable through TUI.
A smart high rise hotel overlooking Dubai Creek, close to Old Dubai's souks as well as being a short drive from Downtown. A comfortable choice for clients who want a proper hotel feel without needing to be right on the beach. Bed and breakfast. Bookable through TUI.
A large family resort on the Marina coastline with its own water park, several pools and a private beach, built with children firmly in mind. The standout choice for families who want plenty to do without ever leaving the hotel. All inclusive available. Bookable through TUI.
The famous resort at the tip of the Palm, with its own waterpark, aquarium, private beach and some of the best restaurants in the city. The pick for a special occasion, a honeymoon, or simply the biggest, most memorable resort stay Dubai has to offer. Bookable through TUI.
Hotel availability, board basis and pricing change regularly, always confirm the live details with Jake before booking.
Dubai is a natural multi centre destination, with two proper neighbouring emirates within easy reach and even its own beach and city sides worth splitting across two hotels. Here are three ways I'd put it together.
Around 7 to 10 nights: split between a Dubai base and 2 to 3 nights in Abu Dhabi, home to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Yas Island's theme parks. Abu Dhabi hotels such as Beach Rotana or Yas Island Rotana are bookable through TUI, alongside your Dubai hotel. The drive between the two cities takes around 90 minutes.
Around 7 to 10 nights: a few nights in Dubai followed by 3 to 4 nights in the quieter, more dramatic landscape of Ras Al Khaimah, home to Jebel Jais and its world record breaking zipline. RAK hotels such as Rixos Bab Al Bahr or DoubleTree by Hilton Resort and Spa Marjan Island are bookable through TUI. The drive between the two is around 45 to 60 minutes.
Around 7 to 10 nights, staying entirely within Dubai itself: a few nights in Downtown or Deira for the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and Old Dubai, then moving to the Marina or Palm Jumeirah for the second half for proper beach and resort time. No long transfer needed between the two, just a short taxi or metro ride.
These are built as separate hotel bookings combined into one trip rather than a single packaged product, message Jake and he'll put the whole itinerary and transfers together for you.
The world's tallest building, with an observation deck on levels 124 and 125 and a pricier option up to level 148. Time a visit for sunset and stay on for the Dubai Fountain show outside, which runs every half hour in the evening and is free to watch from the promenade.
Old Dubai's maze of gold and spice traders, best reached by taking a cheap abra ride across the Creek rather than a taxi. A completely different pace and feel to the glass towers of Downtown, and one of the best free things to do in the whole city.
Even without staying on the Palm itself, the view of the famous sail shaped Burj Al Arab from Jumeirah Beach or Kite Beach is a Dubai essential, and afternoon tea inside is a proper treat for clients wanting to see it up close.
A desert safari with dune bashing, a camel ride and a barbecue dinner under the stars is close to a Dubai rite of passage. Clients adding Ras Al Khaimah can carry on to Jebel Jais, home to the world's longest zipline, for an even bigger adrenaline hit.
The UAE uses the dirham, so prices below are shown in pounds with the dirham equivalent alongside, based on a rate of roughly £1 to 4.9 AED. These are crowd-sourced averages for Dubai, and prices on Palm Jumeirah or inside hotel resorts can run noticeably higher.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | £8.15 (about 40 AED) |
| Three course meal for two, mid-range restaurant | £61.20 (about 300 AED) |
| Cappuccino | £4.50 (about 22 AED) |
| Draught beer, licensed bar or hotel | £9.20 (about 45 AED) |
| Bottled water, small | £0.80 (about 4 AED) |
| Dubai Metro, single journey | £1.25 (about 6 AED) |
| Taxi, start fare | £2.45 (about 12 AED) |
| Burj Khalifa, levels 124 & 125 ticket | From about £45 (about 220 AED) |
Source: crowd-sourced averages via Numbeo, checked at time of writing. Dirham to pound conversion is approximate and will move around.
Alcohol is only served in licensed hotel bars and restaurants, not supermarkets, and it isn't cheap, so it's worth budgeting extra spending money if a client enjoys a drink on holiday.
The essentials, at a glance.
| Currency | UAE Dirham (AED) |
| Plug type | Type G, the same as the UK, so no adapter is needed. Voltage is 220V |
| Language | Arabic is the official language, English is widely spoken and used on most signs |
| Flight time from the UK | About 7 hours direct |
| Time difference | 4 hours ahead of the UK in winter, 3 hours ahead during British Summer Time |
| Entry requirements | UK passport holders get a free visa on arrival, allowing up to 90 days within any 180 day period. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date |
| Alcohol | Served in licensed hotel bars and restaurants, the legal age is 21, and the drink driving limit is zero |
Photos: Ahmed Aldaie, Ahmed Galal, Haris Khan, Thomas Haas, Tom Chen, Kate Trysh, Nick Fewings, Philipp Katzenberger, Yuliya Pankevich, Jhonwayne Pumaras, RKTKN, Juan Camilo Guarin P, Jef Galas, Dovlet Hojayev, Sarim K, Darcey Beau and Prateek Katyal via Unsplash.
I can build a trip to Dubai alone, add on Abu Dhabi or Ras Al Khaimah as a proper multi centre, or plan somewhere else entirely, around what you're after.
