The Most Comprehensive Dubai Independent Travel Route Guide: You Haven't Truly Visited Dubai Until You've Explored These Spots

📍 Dubai · 👁 1 reads · ❤️ 34 likes

“If one day, I have no one to rely on in my old age, please throw me into Dubai to pick up trash...” Somehow, Dubai has become synonymous with the super-rich in many people's eyes.

It's rumored that Dubai is paved with gold and everyone is a millionaire—if a Mercedes or BMW gets into a minor fender bender on the streets, the owner just abandons it and walks away, and beggars can rake in 470,000 RMB a month.

While we're still comforting each other with “Believe in yourself, you'll have a cat someday,” they're already strolling down the streets with real big cats.

Although some stories about Dubai are exaggerated, they are based on some truths. This miracle in the desert is truly something to marvel at.

Most importantly, starting January 16, 2018, the UAE and China implemented mutual visa-free travel, meaning you only need to buy a plane ticket for an impromptu trip to Dubai!

The Burj Khalifa, originally named the “Dubai Tower,” is the world's tallest building at 828 meters. It is also Dubai's world-famous landmark, the building that Tom Cruise famously climbed bare-handed in the movie Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

There is a story behind this world's tallest building. During the 2009 financial crisis, the Burj Khalifa nearly became the world's tallest unfinished building.

At that time, the truly wealthy big brother Abu Dhabi (the capital of the UAE) couldn't bear to see little Dubai collapse and generously gave Dubai a $10 billion aid package.

Dubai then recovered, and to thank big brother Abu Dhabi, it officially renamed the “Dubai Tower” to “Burj Khalifa.”

Here you can experience the world's fastest elevator, reaching the world's “top” from the ground in just two minutes.

Imagine standing at the top of the tower: the horizon curves, and man-made wonders like Palm Jumeirah, the Burj Al Arab, the Persian Gulf, and the distant desert are all in full view.

Faced with this man-made structure, words fail—you must be there to truly appreciate its beauty.

After coming down, it's convenient to visit another “world's best” inside—the world's largest shopping center, The Dubai Mall.

How big is it? One basement level and three above-ground floors, each about the size of 50 football fields. It has brands of all levels, from high to low, making it a shopper's paradise!

Inside the mall is also the Dubai Aquarium, one of the world's largest indoor aquariums.

It houses a huge variety of aquatic animals, including penguins, sharks, seals, crocodiles, piranhas, spider crabs, river rats, giant catfish, and stingrays.

Outside the Dubai Mall is the “world's largest musical fountain,” the Dubai Fountain, stretching 275 meters and shooting water up to 150 meters high.

It is said that the fountain is equipped with 6,600 lights and 50 color projectors, creating over 1,000 water patterns. From 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, there is a performance every half hour.

Take a traditional wooden boat (Abra) to cruise through old Dubai, with the emerging Bur Dubai on the west side and the old district Deira on the east side.

The Al Fahidi Historical District, also known as Al Bastakiya, is located in Bur Dubai and is the oldest district in Dubai.

Over fifty Arabian-style wind-tower houses, built from clay and coral stone, feature square wind towers on the corners of their roofs.

The traditional wind towers, bustling courtyards, and winding alleys take you back in time as you stroll through the streets.

The slightly yellowish city walls, with their rounded or straight lines, showcase the ingenious architecture of the ancient Arabs and are perfect for photos.

The most famous spots in Deira's old town are the renowned Gold Souk and Spice Souk.

Following the Dubai Creek through the alleys, you reach the Gold Souk, a quaint, traditional market.

Above the streets, red tiles provide shelter from wind and rain, wooden beams are carved with Arabic patterns, and rows of neat chandeliers hang overhead.

There are hundreds of shops selling everything from necklaces, bracelets, rings, headdresses to even vests; it is said that gold prices are the lowest in the world here, so it's worth bargaining!

Around the Gold Souk, there are many small souvenir shops; if you're not in a hurry, you can find many little treasures.

Some say the Spice Souk is even more interesting than the Gold Souk, like a spice museum.

The collision of various scents and colors creates a unique landscape full of exotic charm. The handicrafts and food in the market are also very reasonably priced—remember to bargain when buying.

The Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, located at the mouth of Dubai Creek, is one of the few urban reserves in the world.

Salt marshes, intertidal mudflats, mangroves, and lagoons blend here into a rare landscape in the Middle East, making it an ideal habitat for tens of thousands of migratory birds.

This precious area nurtures herons, great egrets, reef egrets, cormorants, black-winged stilts, sandpipers, ospreys, northern pintails, and green-winged teals...

Among them, the flamingos steal the show. From a distance, their red legs stand like a forest, and their long necks sway alternately, a spectacular sight.

It is well known that Dubai is overflowing with wealthy people, so most of the high-quality beaches are privately owned or belong to hotels. Jumeirah, with its clean, fine sand, is one of the few free public beaches in Dubai.

Jumeirah is not only the only place in Dubai where you can wear swimsuits openly but also, due to its prime location, an excellent spot to view the Burj Al Arab.

Besides sunbathing on the sand, you can swim or surf in the sea, and also participate in thrilling activities like jet skiing and flyboarding.

The Miracle Garden, a garden built in the desert, is the “world's largest vertical garden.”

To create this Dubai Miracle Garden, wealthy backers imported 45 million fresh flowers from around the world, turning 18 acres of desert into a sea of flowers.

As far as the eye can see, it's a sea of flowers, colorful and vibrant, brilliant against the blue sky and white clouds.

Strolling through the garden, you'll see various floral sculptures made from colorful blooms.

Among them, the most numerous are the various flower houses—European, Japanese, Arabian, and other architectural styles.

Each style is paired with different colors and forms of flowers, making it feel like walking into a fairy tale world.

The Burj Al Arab, also known as the “Tower of the Arabs,” has a helipad on the roof, a private beach, every room with a sea view, and hardware and soft furnishings that are as luxurious as possible.

All items in the rooms are from world-class luxury brands, and each room comes with 24-hour private butler service.

It also houses the celebrity restaurant AI Mahara, an underwater seafood restaurant that guests reach via a submarine.

The restaurant is surrounded by glass windows, offering a flowing scene of corals and fish.

The hotel also offers a dream car rental service, including world-class supercars such as Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Lamborghini.

The Palm Jumeirah, this astonishing artificial island, is the eighth wonder of the world and Dubai's most famous landmark.

Besides climbing high or taking a plane to overlook these incredible artificial islands, you can also try skydiving for a breathtaking aerial view!

At the tip of the Palm Jumeirah lies the famous Atlantis, The Palm, a landmark themed around the ancient civilization of Atlantis, with majestic architecture and luxurious interior decor.

Guests can visit the Aquaventure Waterpark, The Lost Chambers Aquarium, and Dolphin Bay for free, and wealthy visitors can enjoy a lavish dinner in the underwater world.

The Lost Chambers is its most incredible deep-sea experience, with a themed interior design and an aquarium featuring ancient shipwrecks and palace elements, making the marine world exquisitely detailed, spiritual, dim, and mysterious.

Skydive Dubai official reservation website: http://www.skydivedubai.ae

Must be booked in advance; same-day bookings are difficult.

As a bustling desert city, the desert remains a highlight. “Desert safari” is a must-try entertainment activity.

With energetic music blasting, you ride through the peaks and edges of sand dunes, clearly feeling the drift and the friction of tires against sand.

When the car approaches a dune, the driver steps on the gas to charge up, with slopes possibly reaching 60-70 degrees, the vehicle almost vertical—a thrill as intense as a roller coaster.

In addition, you can choose to ride a camel through the desert, watch the sunset from high dunes, or shoot a romantic desert photo series.

At an Arabian-style camp, enjoy grilled meat and salad, gaze at the stars, and watch time pass...

Holders of ordinary Chinese passports can enter visa-free. Note: Visa-free does not mean 100% entry; in rare cases, entry may be denied. If you lack travel information proof or cannot answer questions about your travel plan, you may be deemed to have unclear entry purposes and be denied entry.

Direct flights to Dubai are available from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, etc.

Local prices are relatively high, especially for dining out and agricultural products like vegetables and fruits, which are more expensive than in China.

Dubai has many star-rated hotels, but relatively cheaper hotels and B&Bs are also available in the old town. Check Booking or Airbnb.

The UAE is an Islamic country; when entering Dubai, please respect local customs, dress and behave appropriately, and avoid overly revealing clothing.

Travelogue Directory:

1. Burj Khalifa

2. Al Fahidi Historical District

3. Deira Old Town

4. Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary

5. Jumeirah Public Beach

6. Miracle Garden

7. Burj Al Arab

8. Palm Jumeirah

9. Desert Safari

10. Dubai Travel Practical Tips

Travel Information