Dubai in July: How to Best Experience This Majestic City in the Heat of Summer

Dhow dinner cruise:

A great orientation to the city is a Marina Dhow Cruise with dinner your first evening. From the water, you will get your first taste of the magnificent skyline. Dhow boats are traditional vessels formerly used for pearl diving. Regardless of the tour you choose, you can expect excellent service and typical buffet food.

Book a private tour of the city with a driver:

In the summer heat, the luxury of a private car is the best way to see the city. On our half-day city tour, we visited:

• Za’abeel Palace (entry not permitted but the grounds are beautiful)

• Dubai Frame

• The Old Heritage Region, including the Old Souq, where we definitely paid way too much for loose tea.

• The Palm Jumeirah, accessed via the monorail.

The Burj Khalifa:

The tallest building in the world. Of course, the Burj Khalifa makes the must-do list in Dubai. It’s still holding on to its title as the world’s tallest building, at least for now. We booked evening tickets and enjoyed the fountain show outside the property before our ticket time.

• Notes on the Burj Khalifa: Bring your patience. Expect long lines, but the views pay off.

• Leaving isn’t as easy as it sounds. Our journey out of the Burj Khalifa took longer than the journey in. Again, bring your patience and expect a line for the elevator that is up to two hours long.

• Still do it. When will you be back to the tallest building in the world? Who knows, so you better go!

The Dubai Mall:

I have honestly never recommended a mall in any travel guide. But this is the mall, the Dubai Mall. It’s unbelievably enormous (the largest in the world), and includes amenities like an aquarium and an indoor ice rink. Most importantly, the air conditioner is pumping. It’s a must-do in the Dubai summer heat.

Amusement parks:

Legoland comes highly recommended by my travel colleagues, along with Ferrari World. We skipped these attractions due to time constraints, but they are highly rated.

Day trip:

A 4x4 safari is a fun day trip from the city. We took an evening Premium Tour Safari that included:

• Dune-bashing in our private 4x4 vehicle. This experience was a blast and had us laughing until our stomachs hurt.

• Camel riding, of course!

• Sandboarding

• Tanoura dance show and fire show

• Traditional buffet dinner

While touristy for sure, the overall experience was incredibly unique and we all enjoyed it.

• Social House

• Ce La. Vi, great views and great cocktails

• There are also lots of restaurants with Burj Khalifa views. We enjoyed the Karma Kafe.