Weekend in Dubai: 2-day itinerary with walking times

Spending 2 days in Dubai? This plan fits 11 sights into 2 relaxed days, ordered so you walk as little as possible. Highlights include Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, Coffee Museum and Textile Souk (Bur Dubai Souk). Every stop lists opening hours, prices, the walk to the next one and good places to eat nearby.

Open this plan in the planner → Reorder, add or remove stops, and print your own version.

Day 1 Old Dubai · Deira

09:00
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

Neighbourhood · Old Dubai · 90 min

Sand-coloured lanes and wind towers from the 1890s, with galleries, cafés and small museums.

Opening hours: Daily 07:00–20:00 (shops and cafés vary)
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · Old Dubai) · 1 min walk
Local House (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · Old Dubai) · 1 min walk
🚶 0.1 km · 2 min walk → Coffee Museum
10:15
Coffee Museum

Museum · Old Dubai · 45 min

A small museum in an old house with grinders, brewing pots and the story of Arabic coffee.

Opening hours: Sun–Thu 09:00–17:00, closed Fri and Sat
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · Old Dubai) · 2 min walk
Local House (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · Old Dubai) · 2 min walk
🚶 0.5 km · 6 min walk → Textile Souk (Bur Dubai Souk)
11:00
Textile Souk (Bur Dubai Souk)

Shopping · Old Dubai · 45 min

A covered lane of fabric, pashmina and tailor shops beside the creek, where bargaining is normal.

Opening hours: Daily about 09:00–22:00 (shops vary)
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Aden Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $ · Deira) · 6 min walk
Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · Old Dubai) · 6 min walk
🚶 0.5 km · 7 min walk → Abra ride across Dubai Creek
Photo: Alberto-g-rovi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia
Abra ride across Dubai Creek

Landmark · Old Dubai · 20 min

A five-minute ride in a wooden water taxi between Bur Dubai and Deira, the cheapest boat trip in the city.

Opening hours: Daily 06:00–00:00, departs when full
Price: AED 1

Eat nearby: Sind Punjab Restaurant (Indian & Pakistani · $ · Old Dubai) · 6 min walk
Aden Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $ · Deira) · 9 min walk
🚶 0.7 km · 9 min walk → Spice Souk
12:00
Spice Souk

Shopping · Deira · 45 min

Narrow lanes of sacks of saffron, frankincense, dried limes and herbs, next to the abra station.

Opening hours: Sat–Thu 09:00–21:00, Fri 16:00–21:00 (shops vary)
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Aden Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $ · Deira) · 2 min walk
Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · Old Dubai) · 8 min walk
🚶 0.4 km · 5 min walk → Gold Souk
Lunch suggestion Aden Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $ · Deira)
near Spice Souk · 🚶 0.1 km · 2 min walk
14:30
Gold Souk

Shopping · Deira · 60 min

A covered maze of over 300 jewellers in Deira, famous for its window displays of gold.

Opening hours: Sat–Thu 10:00–22:00, Fri 16:00–22:00 (shops vary)
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Aden Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $ · Deira) · 6 min walk
Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · Old Dubai) · 11 min walk
🚶 1.2 km · 15 min walk → Al Shindagha Museum
16:00
Al Shindagha Museum

Museum · Old Dubai · 90 min

Heritage houses on the creek mouth telling how Dubai grew from fishing village to city, with a perfume house.

Opening hours: Daily 10:00–20:00, last entry 19:00
Price: undefined

Eat nearby: Sind Punjab Restaurant (Indian & Pakistani · $ · Old Dubai) · 10 min walk
Aden Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $ · Deira) · 13 min walk
Dinner suggestion Sind Punjab Restaurant (Indian & Pakistani · $ · Old Dubai)
near Al Shindagha Museum · 🚶 0.8 km · 10 min walk

Day 2 DIFC & Za'abeel · Downtown

09:00
Dubai Frame

Landmark · DIFC & Za'abeel · 75 min

A 150 m picture frame with a glass-floor sky deck: old Dubai to the north, the skyline to the south.

Opening hours: Daily 08:00–21:00
Price: AED 50

Eat nearby: Zam Zam Mandi (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · DIFC & Za'abeel) · 1 min walk
Sind Punjab Restaurant (Indian & Pakistani · $ · Old Dubai) · 47 min walk
🚇 15 min by metro (line Metro Red line (Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall → Financial Centre or Emirates Towers), or taxi: Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall → Emirates Towers) · 5.9 km · 74 min walk → The Dubai Mall
Photo: EditQ · CC0 · Wikimedia
The Dubai Mall

Shopping · Downtown · 120 min

One of the world's biggest malls with 1,200 shops, the Fountain Walk and the Aquarium tunnel in the middle.

Opening hours: Daily 10:00–00:00
Price: undefined

Eat nearby: Shake Shack (International · $$ · Downtown) · 1 min walk
Five Guys (International · $$ · Downtown) · 1 min walk
🚶 0.2 km · 2 min walk → Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo
Lunch suggestion Shake Shack (International · $$ · Downtown)
near The Dubai Mall · 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
Photo: Maxim Gavrilyuk · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia
Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

Family fun · Downtown · 120 min

A 48 m walk-through tunnel with sharks and rays, plus the Underwater Zoo with penguins and otters.

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–21:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–21:00, last entry 20:15
Price: AED 169

Eat nearby: Shake Shack (International · $$ · Downtown) · 2 min walk
Five Guys (International · $$ · Downtown) · 2 min walk
🚶 0.7 km · 8 min walk → Burj Khalifa (At the Top)
Photo: imran shahabuddin · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia
Burj Khalifa (At the Top)

Landmark · Downtown · 90 min

The world's tallest tower: levels 124/125 are the first-visit deck, SKY on level 148 costs extra.

Opening hours: Daily 10:00–20:00, last entry 19:00
Price: AED 189

Eat nearby: Siraj (Emirati & Arabic · $$$ · Downtown) · 7 min walk
Baker & Spice (Bakery · $$ · Downtown) · 7 min walk
Dinner suggestion Siraj (Emirati & Arabic · $$$ · Downtown)
near Burj Khalifa (At the Top) · 🚶 0.5 km · 7 min walk

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Last updated: 12 October 2026