Dubai: Metro from DXB, seven districts, Burj Khalifa, the Creek and the desert with prices and rules in 2026

Dubai suits you if you are looking for warmth in the German winter and want to combine viewing platforms, the old districts on the Creek and the desert in one trip. In January the average daily high at the airport is 24.4 °C (average 1974–2025). From the airport the driverless Metro runs to the Marina, and the abra takes you across the Creek for AED 1 (as of September 2026).

Some places are closed: the Museum of the Future is temporarily closed, and the operator gives no date for reopening (as of 28 September 2026). Heritage House and Al Ahmadiya School are being renovated. At the main German airports, from March to July 2026 around 71 per cent fewer passengers boarded with Dubai as their final destination than a year earlier. Both airports, DXB and DWC, are counted: 84,219 instead of 289,482 (our own analysis of Destatis figures).

Dubai suits you less from June to September. Then the average daily high at the airport is between 39.4 and 41.5 °C, and in July and August the temperature at night falls on average only to a good 30 °C.

Getting there and from the airport into town

In 2025 Dubai ranked 29th among foreign destinations from the main German airports. 817,758 passengers boarded with Dubai as their final destination, 777,559 for Dubai International (DXB) and 40,199 for Al Maktoum (DWC). Transfer passengers are not counted. Most departed from Frankfurt and Munich, and the strongest month was December (Federal Statistical Office; total and breakdown: our own analysis). In March 2026 there were only 6,146 boarding passengers instead of 69,448, and the statistics give no reason.

Dubai International (DXB): three terminals

According to Dubai Airports, Emirates checks in at Terminal 3, Lufthansa and Condor at Terminal 1, and Eurowings at Terminal 1 or at DWC depending on the flight (as of September 2026). For the return flight the operator advises allowing at least three hours.

Metro: the Red Line from Terminals 1 and 3

The Red Line connects Terminals 1 and 3 with the city. From Terminal 3, according to the timetable, it takes 11 minutes to Union, 26 minutes to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall and 50 minutes to Sobha Realty at the Marina. From Terminal 1 it is 24 minutes to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall (our own calculation; RTA timetable of 15 December 2025, as of 27 September 2026).

Metro stations are open Monday to Thursday and Saturday from 5:00 to 24:00, Friday until 1:00 at night, and Sunday only from 8:00 (as of September 2026). The last train from the airport into the city runs earlier, though (see box). According to the zone map of the transport authority RTA, the airport stations are in Zone 5, Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall in Zone 6 and the Marina in Zone 2 (our own reading). To Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall you therefore pay AED 5 with the nol Silver Card or AED 6 with the paper Red Ticket. To the Marina it is AED 7.50 or 8.50 (as of September 2026).

In Terminals 1 and 3, counters and machines sell tickets and nol cards. You may take at most two items of luggage including hand luggage: one large suitcase up to 81 × 58 × 30 cm and one small one up to 55 × 38 × 20 cm (as of September 2026).

Taxis, ride-hailing and bus

Taxis of the Dubai Taxi Company (DTC) wait around the clock outside every terminal; other taxi companies do not operate at DXB and DWC. Dubai Airports gives the starting fare from the airport as AED 25, the DTC as AED 20 in a normal car and AED 25 in a van. According to the DTC, AED 2.62 per kilometre, Salik toll and waiting time come on top (as of September 2026).

For women and families there are taxis with a pink roof, driven only by women. Uber, Careem and Bolt pick up at signposted points. City buses start at all three terminals on the arrivals level; you cannot pay cash on them, only with a nol card (as of September 2026).

Second airport: Al Maktoum (DWC)

In 2025, DWC was served from Germany almost only in the winter half-year, mainly from Cologne/Bonn, Berlin Brandenburg, Stuttgart and Hannover (our own analysis). From DWC, buses F55 to Expo 2020 Metro station and N55 to Ibn Battuta run, both every 30 minutes and only with a nol card (as of September 2026).

Where to stay: the districts compared

Over 14 km, the Creek separates Deira from Bur Dubai on the west bank. From the Creek it is around 8 km to Downtown.

Where “—” appears, the sources name no drawback (Visit Dubai, as of September 2026).

Sights: opening times, prices and rules in 2026

Since 2012 the Creek has been on the UAE’s tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage as “Khor Dubai”; it has not yet been inscribed (as of September 2026).

Burj Khalifa: At the Top from AED 189

According to Visit Dubai, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world at 828 m. “Silver” for levels 124 and 125 costs from AED 189; it is open from 10:00 to 20:00, with last admission at 19:00. “Gold” with level 148 at a height of 555 m costs AED 399, and the “Platinum” lounge at 585 m AED 769. For both, last admission is at 18:00 (as of 27 September 2026).

You can cancel up to 24 hours beforehand. Children under 3 are free; up to age 16 they need an adult companion. Rucksacks and pushchairs go in the luggage room, and laptops, tablets and your own food are prohibited. There is no refund for bad weather (as of September 2026). The entrance is on the lower level of the Dubai Mall.

Dubai Fountain at Burj Lake

The fountain plays at midday at 13:00 and 13:30, on Fridays half an hour later. In the evening a show runs every 30 minutes from 18:00 to 23:00 (as of September 2026). From 17:45 to 22:45 a 272 m long floating boardwalk leads out onto the lake for AED 25, and the electric abra costs AED 75 for 25 minutes (as of 27 September 2026).

Dubai Frame in Zabeel Park

The Dubai Frame is 150 m high and open daily from 8:00 to 21:00, with some differences during Ramadan and on public holidays. Adults pay AED 50, and children aged 3 to 12 pay AED 20 (as of September 2026). Eating, drinking and smoking are prohibited, and large bags are handed in at Gate 4. The nearest Metro station is Al Jafiliya.

Al Fahidi and Al Shindagha: old Dubai on the Creek

In the Al Fahidi district on the Creek you can see how people lived in Dubai between the mid-19th century and the 1970s; the wind towers on the houses are typical. Of the more than 50 houses, some stand empty and in others artists and craftspeople work. There are also galleries, small museums and the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU). The district is accessible daily from 7:00 to 20:00, and the Coffee Museum is free and closed on Fridays (as of September 2026).

According to Dubai Culture, the Al Shindagha Museum on the Creek bank is the largest heritage museum in the UAE, spread over more than 80 houses and 22 themed pavilions. A day ticket costs from AED 20, and it is open from 10:00 to 20:00, with last admission at 19:00 (as of September 2026).

Creek, abra and souks

The motor abra crosses the Creek on two lines; CR1 between Bur Dubai and the Deira Old Souq leaves on demand without a fixed frequency. The modern heritage abras cost AED 2, and a private hour on the Creek AED 120 (as of September 2026). In Deira the Gold Souk, Spice Souk and Perfume Souk lie close together. In the Textile Souk in Bur Dubai, Visit Dubai explicitly recommends haggling.

Jumeirah Mosque: tours at 10:00 and 14:00

Only a few mosques in Dubai admit non-Muslims, and the Jumeirah Mosque, opened in 1979, is one of them. Tours start daily except Fridays at 10:00 and 14:00. You do not have to book in advance; on site you register from 30 minutes before the start. The mosque gives AED 55 per person, the SMCCU on its programme page AED 45 (as of September 2026).

Men come without shorts and sleeveless tops, and women keep their arms, legs and hair covered. The mosque provides an abaya, headscarf and kandura.

Desert: the DDCR conservation reserve

The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) covers 225 km², 4.7 per cent of Dubai’s land area, and is the first national park in the UAE. Only licensed safari companies from Dubai that use registered guides may drive into the dunes there in an off-road vehicle, and only on designated routes. Approved tours carry a DDCR seal (as of September 2026).

Hatta in the Hajar Mountains

Hatta is about a 90-minute drive from the centre, with kayaks on Hatta Dam and mountain-bike trails at Hatta Wadi Hub. The Hatta Express (H02) leaves the Dubai Mall Bus Station daily every two hours from 7:00 to 19:00, and a journey costs AED 25 (as of September 2026).

Best time to travel: Dubai's climate month by month

The figures are averages for the years 1974 to 2025 at the NCM weather service station at Dubai International Airport (19 m above sea level).

From December to February the average highs are between 24.4 and 26.5 °C, and Visit Dubai names October to April as the season with the best weather. Around 83 per cent of the just under 90 mm of annual rain falls from December to March (our own calculation). According to the 1991–2020 normals of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), every day from June to October reaches 30 °C. According to Visit Dubai, flights and hotels are considerably cheaper in summer.

Costs

The table gives only prices from operators and authorities, excluding flight and hotel.

Tourism Dirham: AED 7 to 20 per room and night

Accommodation in Dubai charges the Tourism Dirham per occupied room and night, for at most 30 nights in a row. The rates have applied since 31 March 2014 (as of September 2026):

• Hotels and resorts: 5 stars and above AED 20, 4 stars AED 15, 2 and 3 stars AED 10, 1 star AED 7
• Hotel apartments: AED 10 to 20 depending on category
• Holiday homes and guest houses: holiday homes AED 10 or 15, guest houses AED 7

In apartments with several bedrooms each room counts. Seven nights in a 4-star hotel therefore cost AED 105 per room (our own calculation). Hotels must show the amount in price lists and on the bill, as a fee and not as a tax. According to the tourism authority DET, a 7 per cent hotel sales fee and nationwide 5 per cent VAT come on top. Tourists who meet the conditions can have the VAT on purchases refunded (as of September 2026).

Practical information

Getting around: nol card, tram and boats

Dubai is divided into seven fare zones, and you pay by the number of zones. With the nol Silver Card, a journey within one zone costs AED 3, across two adjacent zones AED 5, and beyond that AED 7.50; the Red Ticket costs AED 1 more in each case. Children up to 5 travel free, and a change between Metro and bus within 30 minutes counts as one journey (as of September 2026).

You can get the Silver Card at any ticket counter and in supermarkets such as Carrefour. A 7-day pass can be loaded onto it, AED 110 for all zones (as of September 2026).

On the trains there are Gold Class compartments and compartments for women and children only; anyone who sits there without authorisation pays AED 100. Travelling without a valid ticket costs AED 200, and carrying alcoholic drinks AED 500 (as of September 2026).

The tram connects 11 stations around the Marina, from 6:00 Monday to Saturday and from 9:00 on Sundays, in each case until 1:00 at night (as of September 2026). The Palm Monorail, the abras on CR1 and CR2 and the electric abra at the Burj Khalifa do not accept the nol card.

A taxi hailed on the street costs AED 5 base fare, AED 5.50 at night, plus AED 2.45 per kilometre. You can pay in cash, by card or with nol (as of September 2026).

Money, time, emergencies

You pay in UAE dirham (AED) of 100 fils, pegged to the US dollar since 2002: US$1 is AED 3.6725. Credit cards are accepted, and there are ATMs in many places. Tipping is customary but voluntary (as of September 2026).

The clocks run on UTC+4, two hours ahead of Germany in the German summer and three in winter. In Dubai you hear Arabic and English everywhere, and signs are bilingual. Emergency numbers: police 999, ambulance 998, fire brigade 997 (as of September 2026). Electricity: 230 V, plug types D and G (IEC, as of 2020).

Everyday rules

The tourism authority DET gives these rules (Visit Dubai, as of September 2026): swimwear belongs at the beach, pool and water park, not in malls or business districts. You can get alcohol only from age 21 and only where a licence is held, for example in hotels, bars and specialist shops. Holding hands is fine; excessive displays of affection in public are not permitted.

During Ramadan only Muslims have to fast; some restaurants open later in the daytime or stay closed. In the evening, when many drivers break their fast, taxis are hard to get; it is better to book in advance. National Day is on 2 and 3 December, and the Islamic holidays depend on the sighting of the moon (u.ae, as of September 2026).

The applicable rules on entry, safety and health can be found at the German Foreign Office.

Who this is not for

• Anyone who can only travel in summer and tolerates heat poorly: From June to September the average high is above 39 °C, and at night it stays at a good 30 °C in high summer.
• Anyone on a tight budget: On top of the room price come up to AED 20 Tourism Dirham per night, a 7 per cent hotel sales fee and 5 per cent VAT; At the Top costs from AED 189.
• Anyone who wants to reach everything by Metro: Jumeirah has no station nearby, and the Hatta Express runs only every two hours. In Deira even taxis get stuck in traffic at rush hour.
• Anyone who finds the rules on alcohol and clothing annoying: Alcohol is available only with a licence and from age 21, and on public transport even carrying it costs AED 500. Swimwear belongs at the beach and pool.
• Anyone who wants to avoid crowded promenades: At JBR and the Marina it gets very crowded in the evening, at weekends and in holidays.