The best ways to visit Dubai

Shopping, food, and incredible landmarks make Dubai one of the best places for a short break in the Middle East. While it’s less than an eight-hour flight from the UK, the experience is like another world. Check in at a luxury hotel like the Palace Downtown, Address Dubai Mall, or Grand Hyatt Dubai and hit the city. Climb to the peak of the Burj Khalifa, watch the dancing water of Dubai Fountain, or pick up international brands in Dubai Mall. Shop for treasures at Dubai Gold Souk, cruise on Dubai Creek, or go snow skiing in the desert at the Mall of the Emirates.

Thanks to the virtually guaranteed sun every day of the year, Dubai offers a healthy dose of vitamin D, which is particularly handy when the weather back home is cloudy and cold. December to February might come with a little evening chill, but pool days spent topping up your tan are still definitely on the menu. Choose a beach resort or Marina sanctuary, lie down on your sunbed, and forget all about the British winter.

Dubai has enough attractions to keep anybody entertained for as long as they stay, but thanks to Emirates’ incredible flight network, as a stopover destination, it’s unsurpassed. Combine Dubai & Mauritius, Dubai & the Maldives, Dubai & Thailand, or even Dubai, Singapore, Australia, & The USA. Whatever itinerary takes your fancy, diverse Dubai makes a perfect place for your first or last stop.

Safe, warm, and packed with adventures, Dubai is an ideal family holiday destination. Spacious rooms in family-friendly hotels with world-leading kids clubs make it easy to find the right resort for young and old. Choose iconic properties such as Atlantis The Palm or Jumeirah Beach Hotel, find beachside luxury at JA Palm Tree Court or Le Meridien Mina Seyahi, or stay right by the parks at Lapita. Water parks, theme parks, aquariums, the world’s biggest sweet shop, and adrenaline-fueled desert safaris are just the start of the family-friendly attractions in Dubai.

While many hotels still deliver amazing offers for half-board stays, especially over the summer, Dubai’s all-inclusive holidays offer an extra-luxurious way to make the most of your getaway to the Middle East. Combine the comfort of knowing everything is covered with the flexibility to choose where you dine when you stay all-inclusive at Rixos The Palm Dubai Hotel and Suites, the twin properties of JA Beach Hotel and JA Palm Tree Court, or The Westin and Le Meridien Mina Seyahi resorts at the edge of Jumeirah Beach.

If there’s one thing Dubai knows, it’s luxury - with perfect service, exquisite dining, blissful spas, and some of the most beautiful accommodations found anywhere in the world. If you’re looking to indulge in true elegance and pampering, you’re in the right place. Stay in a regal duplex at the world’s only six-star hotel, the Burj al Arab. Swim out from an over-water villa at Anantara The Palm. Float through the gardens of Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf on a traditional abra. Or enjoy exclusive serenity by the pools of One&Only The Palm.

Dubai has become a favourite destination for huge events. Each March, the Meydan Racecourse is home to the Dubai World Cup, one of Asia’s biggest horse racing events, with a prize of $12 million. In November, neighbouring Abu Dhabi is filled with celebrations and huge concerts as the F1 season culminates at Yas Marina Circuit. Then, every December, the city’s purpose-built rugby stadium hosts the annual Emirates Dubai Sevens. All this is in addition to huge music and food festivals, shopping events, and more throughout the year.