12 Hours in Dubai

A fast-paced journey through the city’s highlights

Dubai is a little slice of heaven.

Last weekend, Sangam and I had a blast in Dubai! When we were traveling to India, we had a layover in Dubai. We landed in Dubai around eight o’clock in the morning. Surprisingly, the Dubai airport was quiet and empty at that time of day, contrary to our expectations of it being busy. The deserted airport and empty trains caught us off guard. We took our time exploring and then refreshed ourselves in the Marhaba Lounge at the airport.

Getting refreshed in the Marhaba Lounge was a good decision. Although we paid 15 dollars each, it was worth it as we felt refreshed and relaxed. After that, we had almost 12 hours in Dubai. We had already pre-booked a local guide who could take us to all the significant attractions, saving us a lot of time and enabling us to visit amazing places without the hassle of booking tickets and taxis.

Now, let me share with you the places we visited in those 12 hours in Dubai. It was a race against time, but it was totally worth it!

Dubai Spice and Gold Souq

First, we visited the Spice Souq. ‘Souq’ means market in Arabic. The entire place was filled with the delicious aroma of spices. Although we wanted to try many spices, our time was limited, so we decided to visit only a few shops. In one of them, we enjoyed delicious tea made with camel milk and tea leaves, garnished with Iranian saffron. We couldn’t stop ourselves from purchasing almost 50g of saffron from the shop.

Later, we visited the Gold Souq, which boasts the world’s biggest gold market.

It currently comprises 600 gold shops and is planning to expand to 3100 gold shops within a year. Each gold shop is required to have a minimum of 240 kg of gold at the required level or face significant fines imposed by the government.

Gold Souq also possesses the world’s largest and heaviest gold ring, gold necklace, and gold dress.

If I had the money to buy, I would worry about where I could wear this much gold. The amount of gold in the market was massive. I had never seen so much gold in my entire life!

Later, we also visited Souq Ramadan and took a boat ride. We hired a private boat for a more exclusive experience. Typically, a standard boat can accommodate up to 20 people.

The boat ride was refreshing and mesmerizing with a gentle, cool breeze, and sunny weather with clear skies.

Al Fahidi Fort

We also visited the Al Fahidi Fort, where almost 65 old houses were preserved for the public. It showed how people lived in the old days.

Each house had two entry doors. The main door was for outsiders, and the side door was usually for family, relatives, and close friends.

Qahwa coffee, usually served by a deaf person, is offered to all guests. This ensures privacy as the server cannot overhear private conversations, a tradition still upheld in some households.

We loved learning about the traditional customs in Dubai. It was a new and fascinating experience for us.

Dubai Frame

Later, we also visited Dubai Frame. The frame is a new construction that was completed in 2018. It symbolizes the point of connection between the Old Dubai and the New Dubai. It also serves as a frame for Burj Khalifa.

Zabeel Palace

Later, we also visited the residence of the Crown Prince of Dubai. We went as close to the place as possible to catch a glimpse of the royal palace.

Burj Al Arab

We also visited the Burj Al Arab, which is the only seven-star hotel in the world. It is also one of the tallest hotels in Dubai. It is designed to resemble the sail of a ship. We were extremely impressed by its grandeur.

Wings of Mexico

Wings of Mexico is a beautiful sculpture located in front of the Burj Khalifa. It is the most popular and iconic spot for social media influencers. Normally, there is a long queue for taking pictures here. However, when we visited at night, the queue was not as long, and we were able to get our shots within 20 minutes.

Burj Khalifa

The experience of seeing the Burj Khalifa was splendid. It was truly beautiful and exceptional. We also witnessed many fountain and light shows, which occurred every 30 minutes. However, at 8:30 pm, there was a special fountain and light show, which was spectacular.

Honestly, we didn’t have many expectations with Dubai. We thought it would be just like any other big city. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the grandeur of the city. We wished we had more time in Dubai. We tried to explore as much as possible within the available time. It was a magical and memorable experience for us!