How to Have a Fabulous Time in Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

During our recent trip to Nepal, we had a 15 hour layover in Dubai. As you can imagine we weren’t keen to spend that time at the airport but saw it as an opportunity to reconnect with a city that we haven’t visited in 11 years. We were keen to explore the latest additions to Dubai’s scenery. So if you find yourself in the same position, rest assured it is possible to have a fabulous time during a 15 hour layover in Dubai.

Visitors from the Uk do not need a visa or landing paperwork. Simply head to the immigration desks, get your stamp and leave the airport. The whole process took us less than 5 minutes.

The metro connects passengers from terminals 1 and 3 to the city centre. The red route is direct and takes around 30 minutes to the Burj Khalifa. You will need a two-zone ticket and it will cost you 8 AED each (under £2). Once you get to the Burj Khalifa stop, jump off and follow signs to the Dubai Mall.

This area is the hub for your layover and will allow you to visit some impressive sights in a short time. We landed at 12.45 in the afternoon and by 2pm were strolling through the huge Dubai Mall. At just under 6 million square feet, the Mall is the world’s largest mall and welcomes over 80 million visitors annually. It is currently undergoing renovation and has ambitious goals to reach 100 million visitors a year thereafter. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).