Dubai Layover: What to do During a Long Layover in Dubai Airport

Have a long layover at Dubai airport, and wondering whether you can use that time to actually see something? You’ve come to the right place!

In this article I’ve included everything you need to know about doing a long Dubai layover.

Starting with how much time you actually need to be able to venture out of the airport and into the city, what you can do in specific timeframes, and other crucial info like what is Dubai Connect, or what to do with visas and bags.

Dubai is a bucket list destination for many travellers, although not everyone wants to spend a week or more exploring it (and paying those expensive hotel fees)!

Exploring it during a long stopover while on the way to another destination, is a great way to do so! If you plan it well, it will give you enough time to experience all that Dubai has to offer.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s jump in and start planning the perfect long layover in Dubai!

Organising your long layover in Dubai

If you’re doing a long layover in Dubai — say, you’ve got a fair few hours or even a day to spare — it’s best to be organised.

That means you know the logistics of getting out of the airport to see some of the city’s sights, without having to spend valuable time on Google trying to work out all the mundane stuff.

You know, things like:

Can you leave bags at DXB?

Probably the first thing you’ll want to consider if you’re doing a layover in Dubai Airport is where to leave your luggage. Because you definitely don’t want to lug it around with you when you’re out sightseeing.

Thankfully, you can leave your bags at Dubai International, thanks to multiple different baggage storage options. There’s actually luggage storage available at all terminals.

But this service is not free. Luggage storage at Dubai Airport costs 40 AED for 12 hours (normal-sized bag) and 50 AED for larger-size baggage.

The Emirates Terminal also has a luggage storage facility, with different prices ranging from 35 to 40 AED (also up to 12 hours).

How to get from DXB to attractions in Dubai

It’s actually pretty easy to get from Dubai International Airport to the centre of Dubai. There is no need to pay for expensive taxis or airport transfers, thanks to the efficient Dubai Metro.

Simply jump on the red line from either terminals 1 or 3 and you’ll be in the city in no time — ideal for a Dubai airport layover.

In fact, this metro line goes all the way to Dubai Marina, stopping by key destinations along the way such as Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building!), Dubai Mall, and Mall of the Emirates.

Trains on the Dubai Metro from the airport run every 10 minutes from 5:30AM until midnight (or 1AM Thursdays and Fridays).

However, if you’ve seen these sights already, or if you want to see things outside the metro like — for example, Old Dubai and the souks — then you might want to hop in a taxi.

Taxi stands are available at each of the airport terminals; fairs start at 20 AED. Otherwise, buses depart from all three terminals every 30 minutes and take you to parts of the city the metro doesn’t run to (3 AED).

Do you need a visa for a Dubai layover?

While you do need a visa for visiting Dubai, there are lots of passports that are eligible for a visa on arrival in the UAE. The length of these visas varies from 30, 90 or even 180 days.

Although if you’re only visiting for a stopover it doesn’t make much of a difference how many days you can stay! You can check visa and passport eligibility here.

What is the currency in Dubai?

The currency of Dubai is the United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED). The current exchange rate as of February 2024 is 1 AED to 0.23 GBP. See here for the latest exchange rate.

Unless you’re haggling in a souk, pretty much all places will accept card in Dubai, so you won’t need to get cash out.

If your bank doesn’t charge you for foreign transactions, then it’s probably not worth withdrawing physical money.

Your arrival & departure times

How much you see is very much going to depend on how much transit time you have; namely, when you arrive and when your next flight leaves.

Personally, I think you need a layover of at least 6 hours to be able to go out and see Dubai.

Dubai Airport is huge, and a short layover or anything less than that simply won’t give you enough time to leave the airport and come back before your next international flight.

It also obviously depends on the time of the day of your layover. If your layover is overnight, unfortunately, you won’t be able to do much sightseeing — the metro won’t be operating past 12AM and most things will be closed.

You may be able to fit in a dinner or a rooftop cocktail though! Plus, you could also be available for the complimentary service Dubai Connect by Emirates airlines (more on that in a second).

What is Dubai Connect by Emirates?

Dubai Connect is a service offered by Emirates (the main airline in Dubai) for travellers who have a connection between 10 to 24 hours for any Emirates flights.

If you meet the various requirements, you could be eligible for complimentary hotel accommodation, transfers, applicable meals and a visa to enter the UAE.

With long layovers I always suggest heading out, exploring the city and making the most of the stopover, but if your layover is overnight, this is a great option.

You can check if your flight is eligible for this service here.

Dubai layover option 1: for a 6 – 8 hour layover

Now you know the logistics, it’s time to delve into what you can actually do during your Dubai layover.

In this article I’ve grouped it into two options, one for short layovers between 6 to 8 hours, and one for longer layovers that are 8 to 12 hours, or more.

Let’s start with what you can do in 6 to 8 hours in Dubai. This is a compact itinerary because 6 hours is the bare minimum layover time you’ll need in order to leave the airport and see some sights.

It’s risky if you’re working with less time — Dubai airport is huge and getting from place to place takes time. If you don’t want to worry about organising your Dubai layover, you could also join a day tour!

For example this Dubai tour is designed for layovers; a 5-hour transit city tour whisks you from the airport to see the sights of central Dubai (it even includes a ticket to the Burj Khalifa).

Click here to book your organised 5-hour Dubai layover tour!

Otherwise, you can jump on the metro right away and do it independently. From 6 to 8 hours, you’ll be able to catch the following sights:

Start with Dubai Mall

Crammed full of over 1,300 shops, Dubai Mall is the largest shopping mall in the world.

It’s pretty cool: there are countless designer labels to shop for and loads of places to eat, as well as an indoor ice rink, an actual theme park, and even an aquarium. It’s open from 10AM to midnight.

See the view from the top of the Burj Khalifa

Downtown Dubai’s stunning landmark is the tallest building in the world, so you can imagine that the views of Dubai from up here are suitably incredible. There are observation decks on the 124th and 148th floors.

If your Dubai layover isn’t very long, this is without a doubt one of those bucket list sights that you have to add to your Dubai itinerary.

It’s not every day that you get to climb to the top of the highest building in the world after all! From here you get stunning views over the surrounding skyscrapers and city skyline.

Make sure you book your tickets online in advance because your time is precious (you only have a layover after all!) and there are always queues.

Opening times vary depending on the deck, but generally they run from 8:30AM to 11PM (prices range from 135 to 500 AED; they vary depending on the time of day and deck).

I have listed your Burj Khalifa ticket options below.

Dubai: Burj Khalifa Level 124 and 125 Entry Ticket – This is the standard entrance ticket to the main viewing decks of Burj Khalifa.

Dubai Burj Khalifa Tickets & Tour: Level 124, 125 and 148 – Given that you only have 6 to 8 hours in Dubai, you might want to consider purchasing the premium skip-the-line ticket.

It’s more expensive, but it will save you loads of time in queues (trust me, I spent 1+ hour queueing with the standard ticket, watching fast track ticket holders just walk straight ahead of me).

Plus, you get to visit an even higher deck on level 148!

Click here to book your skip-the-line entrance ticket to Burj Khalifa!

Or from Sky Views Observatory

If you don’t want to waste time standing in line or spend that much money, but you still want to enjoy some breathtaking views, then simply head next door to the Sky Views Observatory.

This viewing platform might not be as high up as the decks of Burj Khalifa, but it still has sweeping views over the skyscrapers of Dubai. Plus, it also has epic views of Burj Khalifa itself!

There’s also a glass walkway, where you can walk high above the streets of Dubai, and a glass slide for the more adventurous travellers. 

Make sure to book your ticket online beforehand, so that you can skip the line. While it might not be as long as the queue for Burj Khalifa, you still don’t want to waste the little time you have in Dubai queueing!

This viewing deck is set over 200 metres above the ground and offers 360-degree views of the city. Open 10AM to 10PM, it costs 65 AED.

Click here to book your fast track ticket to Sky Views Observatory in Dubai!

See the Burj Khalifa fountain show

The dancing fountains outside the Burj Khalifa are a modern-day spectacle. The elegant display sees water spurt 140 metres into the air, with jets synchronised to soundtracks from around the world.

It’s only really doable if you’re in Dubai in the late afternoon or early evening; since shows start at 6PM and run every 30 minutes until 10:30PM.

Dubai layover option 2: for a 8 – 12 hour layover

Your second option is if you’ve got a longer layover. I’d say this particular itinerary that I’ve planned is great if you arrive in the morning and leave at night, giving you pretty much a full day to explore the city.

With 8 hours (or more) to spare, you’ll be able to see a little bit more of what makes Dubai tick. Sights include:

Take a taxi to the Gold Souk & old Dubai areas

The Gold Souk is a labyrinthine market where you can pick up all manner of silver, gold and other jewellery. It’s located right next to the Spice Souk, and other souks that sell all sorts of souvenirs and products.

You can easily spend an hour or so wandering around the narrow streets of the souks, taking in the colours, smells and atmosphere of old Dubai. 

And over on the western side of Dubai Creek lies Bur Dubai, as well as Al Fahidi and Al Seef historical districts, commonly referred to as Old Dubai.

It sits in complete antithesis to the shiny new skyscrapers of Downtown Dubai, a more traditional place where lively street scenes play out in front of authentic eateries and old buildings.

It’s easy to spend a few hours wandering around here, picking up souvenirs, and watching life unfold on Dubai Creek from a waterfront cafe.

Taxi or metro to Dubai Marina

Next up it’s time to take another taxi (or the metro) to Dubai Marina. This upscale district is pretty much a city of the future, with a coastal promenade dotted by beachfront resorts and high-end restaurants.

It’s interesting to walk around and marvel at all the luxury and skyscrapers, as well as the traditional dhow boats, but you could also just spend some time at the beach.

One good beachside spot is Barasti, where you can pick up bites to eat and relax on the sand with a drink. It’s free entry (which isn’t a given for Dubai beach clubs), but you can’t bring food or drinks from outside.

It’s open from 9AM to 3AM every day of the week, making it a good spot also for some evening shenanigans between flights.

Enjoy The View at The Palm

For iconic views, head to the aptly named The View at The Palm.

Here, from 240 metres up on an open-air viewing platform, you can see the feat of engineering that is Palm Jumeirah — a collection of man-made islands in the shape of a palm tree.

It’s open from 9AM to midnight, and tickets start from 100 AED. Similarly to Burj Khalifa, sunset is more expensive than other times of the day.

Personally, it’s my favourite viewpoint in Dubai, because it’s not only super Instagrammable, but also very interesting. After all, you hear so much about The Palm, but it’s the only place from which you can really see it!

There’s a whole introductory video before you go to the viewing deck, where they show you the vision behind it and how it was built. Plus, the views at sunset are simply stunning.

On one side you have The Palm, obviously, on the other the skyline of Dubai Marina, and on the other skyline with Burj Khalifa and Burj al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel. There is no better spot in Dubai to enjoy the sunset.

The queue is nowhere near as long as Burj Khalifa, but make sure to purchase your ticket online beforehand, so that you can skip the queues!

Click here to book your entrance ticket to The Palm in Dubai!

Stop at Dubai Mall

After your beach break make sure to stop off at the enormous shopping and entertainment hub that is Dubai Mall; it’s not far from The Palm and is easily reached on the metro.

The food court here makes it a great spot for lunch or dinner, before then heading back to the airport.

If you have time, you can also fit in some shopping (in case your Dubai packing list is missing something), or maybe a visit to the Aquarium!

Enjoy the Burj Khalifa fountain show

Round up your time in Dubai with a memorable fountain extravaganza, complete with light and sound, before heading back to the airport on the metro (the journey is super simple).

If you have time, you could also go up Burj Khalifa or Sky Views Observatory to enjoy the stunning views over Dubai. 

Final thoughts on doing a Dubai stopover

There you have it, the ultimate guide to doing a long layover in Dubai! Have you had to do a long layover in DXB before? How did you find it? Let me know in the comments below!

Sometimes people think choosing the cheapest flight option with long layovers is a pain, but it’s actually something I intentionally started doing, so that I can make the most of my trips and see more places with limited time. I did the same a few years ago with long layovers in Singapore.

Alternatively, you could also do a long layover in Abu Dhabi if you’re flying with Etihad, and settle for yourself the whole Abu Dhabi vs Dubai debate.

Many travellers only visit Abu Dhabi on a day trip from Dubai, but they don’t know what they’re missing out on!

While there are tons of things to do in Dubai and you could easily spend at least a week there, I personally think that a long layover gives you enough time to get a good feel for this unique city.

You won’t have time to go for a Dubai desert safari, and do adventurous things like a camel ride, sand-boarding and dune bashing, but you’ll still be able to see a lot, even without staying in Dubai.

I hope you found my Dubai long layover guide useful! If you have any questions, just let me know in the comments below!

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