Dubai: Full Day Tour with Burj Khalifa Ticket & Monorail

3.99

(1075 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing that hit me was the smell—somewhere between cardamom and something I still can’t name—when we stepped off the abra into Deira’s spice souk. Our guide, Ahmed, grinned as he handed me a tiny scoop of saffron to smell. I tried to say “thank you” in Arabic (failed, but he laughed). Before that, we’d stopped at Jumeirah Beach for photos. The sand felt almost too white against my shoes and there was this salty breeze that made everything feel lighter. It was already warm by 10am, but not unbearable. People in the group kept pointing at the skyline like it might change if you looked away.

I didn’t expect to enjoy crossing Dubai Creek on those old wooden boats as much as I did. There’s something about the way the water smells—diesel and salt—and how locals just hop on without a second thought. After wandering through Bur Dubai Village and a quick peek inside an art gallery (lots of carpets and intricate lamps), we headed for Jumeirah Mosque. You can’t always go inside unless it’s certain days or times, but standing outside with everyone snapping photos, I noticed how people lingered longer than usual. Maybe it’s the way the sunlight hits those white walls.

Lunch was a blur—too many options at Dubai Mall and not enough time—but honestly I was distracted by knowing we’d be going up Burj Khalifa soon. The elevator ride felt like seconds (my ears popped), and then suddenly you’re on floor 124 looking out over all of Dubai. It’s hard to describe what that feels like… kind of small but also lucky? Anyway, after that rush we took the monorail out along Palm Jumeirah. The view from there is strange—like someone drew a city from memory and then actually built it on water. We ended up walking around Marina Walk for a bit; lots of families out for ice cream or coffee, kids running everywhere. By then my feet hurt but I didn’t care much.