5 Days in Dubai
🌆 Complete Itinerary & Cost Guide
5 days in Dubai lets you go beyond the highlights — take day trips, revisit favourites, and enjoy slow mornings. Here's a realistic day-by-day plan plus what it costs.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
This plan covers the essentials without burnout. Adjust based on opening hours, weather, and your stamina. Most days are 4–6 hours of activity with long meals and downtime built in.
Settle into your hotel, grab a light lunch, then ease into Dubai with Burj Khalifa observation deck (level 124). Don't overbook day one — jet lag is real.
Dubai Mall + Fountains show. Pair it with a sit-down lunch nearby and an evening walk through a different neighbourhood.
Desert safari with dune bashing. Take the morning slow and use the afternoon to explore a quieter district away from the tourist core.
Old Dubai — Spice + Gold Souks + abra ride. Pair with a long lunch — Best Lebanese food is at Al Ustad Special Kebab — open since 1978, cash only.
Hit one final must-see (Old Dubai — Spice + Gold Souks + abra ride), pick up souvenirs, and leave time for a relaxed lunch before your flight or onward train.
What does 5 days in Dubai cost?
Estimates below are per person, including accommodation, food, local transport, and ~1 paid activity per day. Flights to Dubai are not included — they vary wildly by origin.
Dubai survival tips
Metro is fast, cheap and AC. Buy a Nol card for the day (AED 22).
Best Lebanese food is at Al Ustad Special Kebab — open since 1978, cash only.
Dubai is very safe. Main warning: alcohol only legal in licensed venues; never in public.
When to go
November, December, January, February, March are the best months for Dubai — the climate is at its best and crowds haven't peaked. Avoid June–August (50°C).