Dubai for first-timers: a practical introduction
What to expect from Dubai — when to come, how to get around, and the places worth planning your first trip around.
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Renting a car at Dubai International Airport (DXB)
DXB is one of the world's busiest international airports — and picking up a rental car there is often the cheapest, calmest way to start a Dubai trip.
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Dubai Marina: the waterfront district
A man-made marina ringed by skyscrapers, restaurants and a seven-kilometre walkway — Dubai Marina is the city's liveliest waterfront neighbourhood.
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Palm Jumeirah: visiting Dubai's man-made island
The palm-shaped island that put Dubai's coastline on the map — beach resorts, the Boardwalk, and views you can't get anywhere else in the city.
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Downtown Dubai: Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the Fountain
The centrepiece district of modern Dubai — the world's tallest building, its biggest mall, and the fountain show that ties them together.
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JBR and The Walk: Dubai's beachfront strip
Jumeirah Beach Residence pairs a public beach with The Walk's cafés and shops — the easiest place in Dubai to spend a beach day without a resort.
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Madinat Jumeirah: old Arabia by the sea
Wind towers, waterways and a souk beside the Burj Al Arab — Madinat Jumeirah is Dubai's most atmospheric resort quarter, and you don't need to stay there to visit.
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Dubai Mall: more than shopping
One of the most visited places on earth, Dubai Mall packs an aquarium, an ice rink, a dinosaur skeleton and 1,200 shops under one roof beside the Burj Khalifa.
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Mall of the Emirates and Ski Dubai
The mall with an indoor ski slope: Mall of the Emirates pairs 600-plus stores with Ski Dubai's real snow — the desert city's most surreal afternoon.
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Ibn Battuta Mall: shopping along the Silk Road
Six countries under one roof — Ibn Battuta Mall retells a 14th-century explorer's journey in themed courts, and it's the most distinctive mall in Dubai.
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Driving Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai's main artery
The E11 threads the entire city — Downtown, the Marina, the Palm exits — between two walls of skyscrapers. Here's how to drive it with confidence.
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Dubai Festival City: the creek-side quarter
A waterfront mall district on Dubai Creek with skyline views, a nightly light-and-water show and far fewer crowds than Downtown.
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