Pick by the time you actually have. Each plan below is a full day-by-day walkthrough with travel times between stops, rough costs, and what to skip if you are running late — not a list of attractions to somehow fit in.
Two things that change every itinerary
The month you visit. Between November and March almost everything works outdoors. Between June and September midday heat makes outdoor plans genuinely unpleasant, which is why the summer plan is structured differently rather than being the same plan with warnings attached.
Where you stay. Dubai is long and thin. A Marina hotel and a Deira hotel produce very different days, and on a short trip the transfer time matters more than the hotel does.
Choose by length of stay
All seven itineraries
Built around a single base near the Metro so you are not losing hours to transfers.
One day old Dubai, one day new Dubai.
The headline sights without rushing: Burj Khalifa, the creek, one desert evening.
Adds beach time, a museum day and room for one thing to overrun.
Includes space for Abu Dhabi or Hatta without cutting Dubai short.
Paced around nap times, shade and water, not around ticking off landmarks.
Indoor-weighted, with outdoor time pushed to early morning and after dark.
Which one should you use?
- Under a day between flights — the 24-hour plan. Also check the stopover guide for visa and luggage logistics.
- A weekend — the 48-hour plan.
- Your first proper trip — the 3-day plan, or the 5-day plan if you would rather not rush.
- A full week — the 7-day plan, which leaves room for Abu Dhabi or Hatta.
- With children — the family plan.
- Between June and September — the summer plan.
Before you lock anything in
Check the event calendar — Ramadan, the Dubai Shopping Festival and National Day all change opening hours, prices and how busy the city feels. Then sanity-check the cost with the tourist budget calculator.