Downtown Dubai is the district the city built as its centrepiece, and it delivers: the Burj Khalifa — the tallest building in the world — rises from a lake ringed by Dubai Mall, the Dubai Opera, Souk Al Bahar and a wall of hotels and residences just off Sheikh Zayed Road.
The essentials
Book Burj Khalifa observation deck tickets in advance and aim for the hour before sunset, when you see the city by day, at dusk and lit up — the same slot everyone wants, hence booking ahead. Dubai Mall deserves half a day on its own (see our separate guide). Souk Al Bahar, across the bridge, is the low-rise Arabian counterpoint: souvenir stalls upstairs, lake-terrace restaurants downstairs with the best fountain views in the district.
The Dubai Fountain
The fountain performs on the lake in the evenings, with jets choreographed to music against the base of the Burj. It is free, it is genuinely spectacular, and the crowds on the mall waterfront are part of the atmosphere. Time dinner on a Souk Al Bahar terrace and you get a show with every course.
Getting there
Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Metro station connects to the mall by an air-conditioned travelator link — a longer walk than the name suggests. By car, Downtown sits directly off Sheikh Zayed Road with vast (and mostly free) mall parking, which makes it an easy first stop between the airport and the beach districts.
