48 Hours in Dubai

Dubai was not in my top 10 list of places to visit, however it seemed like a great way to break up the travel time in route to our long overdue Bali honeymoon. With no direct flights to Bali from Orlando, we’d have to switch planes three times with a total travel time of about 35 hours including layovers. Brutal. I know because we did it on the way back from Bali. On the way there, we decided to take a direct Emirates flight to Dubai and stay for two nights before making the trek from Dubai to Bali with a quick layover in Singapore.

Consider Yourself Warned

Steal Our Itinerary

Now that you’ve been warned, I’ll share our itinerary. The only place on our Dubai itinerary that we were unable to visit was the Dubai Miracle Garden because it was closed during our trip. It will re-open on October 1st. Click here for the affordable Airbnb we booked. Pro tip: rent a car. We pre-booked with Hertz, which was conveniently located at the airport.

• ZETA Seventy Seven at the Address Beach Hotel
• Dubai Marina boat rental
• Tresind Studio
• Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
• Abu Dhabi Louvre Museum

Drones are frowned upon in Dubai. In fact, our boat captain advised that if the police caught us using a drone we’d have to pay a hefty fine.

fun fact

Zeta Seventy Seven

ZETA Seventy Seven is a must visit if you’re in Dubai! It’s on the 77th floor of the Address Beach hotel, home to the world’s tallest outdoor infinity pool. The views of the palm are breathtaking. You can see the whole city! We even saw quite a few skydivers in the distance. We reserved a sunken table, which required pre-payment of AED 477 per person (about $266 total USD for 2). This pre-payment was our minimum spend towards food and drinks. Food and service was good, but the highlight of the experience is the ambiance. Things to note: (1) You cannot get in the pool unless you’re a guest of the hotel and (2) Cameras are not allowed.

Dubai Marina

We used Get My Boat, an app that connects you with boat owners around the world, to plan a day on the water. Public Service Announcement: Boat rentals in Dubai are cheap, at least compared to what boat rentals cost in Miami. Huge difference! That alone makes this an experience worth booking. Plus it’s pretty cool to see the city from the water.

Tresind studio

Now this was a dinner experience for the books! Tresind Studio is the #11 restaurant in the world with 2 Michelin stars. This culinary experience provides a tasting menu inspired by 4 major regions in India: Thar Desert, Deccan Plateau, Coastal Plains & Islands, Northern Plains & Himalayan Mountains. It’s very intimate (20 person max per seating) and exclusive (there are only 2 seatings per day). Pre-payment is also required here. The cost is AED 850 per person (about $460 total USD for 2). This covers your food. Drinks are additional.

Here’s the real deal: My husband loved it and my palate did not. I tasted everything (there’s lots of food), but handed most items to him to finish. It was during this next level culinary experience – complete with white table cloths, romantic lighting, direct views of the kitchen, and a hostess that explained the inspiration from each region with a map – that I realized I’m basic. I would’ve been fine with pizza. If you’re looking for a one of a kind culinary experience, I do recommend giving Tresind Studio a try.

Sheikh zayed grand mosque

Sheihk Zayed Grand Mosque, about an hour drive from Dubai, is absolutely stunning. If I’m being honest, the weather negatively impacted my experience. Women have to be covered from head to toe, complete with hijab, and most of the visit is outdoors. The result? Sweat everywhere. Down my back, on my cheeks, everywhere. It was a mix of beauty and misery. Despite how uncomfortable the weather made our experience, there’s no way I would’ve opted out of visiting the Sheihk Zayed Grand Mosque.

Abu dhabi louvre museum

This is one of the most beautiful museums we’ve ever visited. The architecture is so unique and there are multiple great restaurants on site. We were fortunate enough to catch the biblical exhibit, which included pages from the Bible. We were both in awe. If you are going to the Sheihk Zayed Grand Mosque, the museum is a must see because it is only about 20 minutes away.

I would like to stay in a luxury resort in the desert. Given the heat, I’m grateful that we didn’t have the time to make this happen on this trip! If I go back to Dubai, it will be to experience the desert during “winter” (in quotations because it’s not really winter). Have you been to Dubai? In which season did you visit? Let me know in the comments!