Dubai Travel Guide

Dubai runs on ambition and service. Hotels anticipate, the metro is spotless, and the city works around the visitor rather than the other way round. That same attention shows up in a five-star suite as much as in a family-run Emirati café. You don't plan for these moments, they simply happen, and they're usually what people remember most.

It's also easy to over-schedule. Dubai is a city of enormous distances between attractions, and that's the trap: travellers try to fit every tower, mall, theme park and desert experience into four days and spend much of it in traffic and queues. A good trip and a great one rarely differ by how many attractions were on the list. They differ by how well the days were paced around the heat and the crowds.

We've been designing holidays since 2013. Not templates, routes built around how you like to travel. We pick the area before the hotel, the pace before the itinerary, and we'll tell you when something isn't worth your time. This is our Dubai Travel Guide. You can find our opinions on what places to include, what time to visit, how long your visit should be and more.

Food is usually what people talk about most when they get back. Dubai has one of the most international dining scenes anywhere, from Emirati home cooking to Levantine mezze, Persian grills, Indian classics and destination restaurants by chefs from across the world. The Michelin Guide covers Dubai, and a number of restaurants hold stars. Emirati dishes such as machboos, harees and luqaimat are worth seeking out, and karak chai at a roadside café is a small ritual of its own.

One thing worth clearing up, Dubai is one of the easiest places in the world for Indian vegetarians. Indian cuisine is everywhere, from casual thali counters to fine dining, and most restaurants serve halal food. Alcohol is served only in licensed venues, mainly hotels, bars and selected restaurants, and public intoxication is an offence. We don't pick restaurants by reputation, we pick them based on what you actually want, whether that's a tasting menu, an old-town café or a Friday brunch.

Quick tip: Have at least one meal in Old Dubai or a local Emirati restaurant. The city's best-known dining rooms are not always its most memorable meals.

Shopping here is an event in itself. The Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates hold most of the world's major brands, and the latter has an indoor ski slope. In Old Dubai, the Gold Souk sells gold priced by weight on the day's rate, with a making charge added, and the Spice Souk is for saffron, dates and Arabic coffee. Perfume and oud are a good buy, and the Textile Souk in Bur Dubai has fabrics and pashminas.

Bargaining is expected in the souks, not in malls. UAE sales tax (VAT) is 5%, and tourists can usually claim it back on eligible purchases from participating retailers at the airport.

Travenza tip: For gold, buy from an established jeweller and check the day's rate, the making charge and the purity before you agree a price. Keep the receipt.