Dubai in 3 days: itinerary with walking times
Spending 3 days in Dubai? This plan fits 16 sights into 3 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.
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Day 1 Old Dubai · Deira
- 09:00
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
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: FreeEat 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
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: FreeEat 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)
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: FreeEat nearby: Aden Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $ · Deira) · 6 min walk
Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · Old Dubai) · 6 min walk - 🚶 0.5 km · 7 min walk → Abra ride across Dubai Creek
Photo: Alberto-g-rovi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia
Abra ride across Dubai Creek
A five-minute ride in a wooden water taxi between Bur Dubai and Deira, the cheapest boat trip in the city.
Opening hours: Daily 06:00–00:00, departs when full
Price: AED 1Eat nearby: Sind Punjab Restaurant (Indian & Pakistani · $ · Old Dubai) · 6 min walk
Aden Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $ · Deira) · 9 min walk- 🚶 0.7 km · 9 min walk → Spice Souk
- 12:00
Spice Souk
Narrow lanes of sacks of saffron, frankincense, dried limes and herbs, next to the abra station.
Opening hours: Sat–Thu 09:00–21:00, Fri 16:00–21:00 (shops vary)
Price: FreeEat nearby: Aden Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $ · Deira) · 2 min walk
Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · 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
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: FreeEat nearby: Aden Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $ · Deira) · 6 min walk
Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · Old Dubai) · 11 min walk - 🚶 1.2 km · 15 min walk → Al Shindagha Museum
- 16:00
Al Shindagha Museum
Heritage houses on the creek mouth telling how Dubai grew from fishing village to city, with a perfume house.
Opening hours: Daily 10:00–20:00, last entry 19:00
Price: undefinedEat nearby: Sind Punjab Restaurant (Indian & Pakistani · $ · Old Dubai) · 10 min walk
Aden Restaurant (Emirati & Arabic · $ · Deira) · 13 min walk - Dinner suggestion Sind Punjab Restaurant (Indian & Pakistani · $ · Old Dubai)
near Al Shindagha Museum · 🚶 0.8 km · 10 min walk
Day 2 DIFC & Za'abeel · Downtown
- 09:00
Dubai Frame
A 150 m picture frame with a glass-floor sky deck: old Dubai to the north, the skyline to the south.
Opening hours: Daily 08:00–21:00
Price: AED 50Eat nearby: Zam Zam Mandi (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · 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
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: undefinedEat 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 · $$ · Downtown)
near The Dubai Mall · 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk Photo: Maxim Gavrilyuk · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia
Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo
A 48 m walk-through tunnel with sharks and rays, plus the Underwater Zoo with penguins and otters.
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–21:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–21:00, last entry 20:15
Price: AED 169Eat nearby: Shake Shack (International · $$ · Downtown) · 2 min walk
Five Guys (International · $$ · Downtown) · 2 min walk- 🚶 0.7 km · 8 min walk → Burj Khalifa (At the Top)
Photo: imran shahabuddin · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia
Burj Khalifa (At the Top)
The world's tallest tower: levels 124/125 are the first-visit deck, SKY on level 148 costs extra.
Opening hours: Daily 10:00–20:00, last entry 19:00
Price: AED 189Eat nearby: Siraj (Emirati & Arabic · $$$ · 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
Day 3 Jumeirah · Umm Suqeim
Photo: Vicharam · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia
Jumeirah Mosque
Dubai's most photographed mosque, visited on a 75-minute guided tour that includes Arabic coffee and dates.
Opening hours: Guided visit Sat–Thu 10:00 and 14:00 (not Fri)
Price: AED 45Eat nearby: Kaftan Turkish Gourmet (Persian & Turkish · $$ · Jumeirah) · 19 min walk
Parker's (Café · $$ · Jumeirah) · 19 min walk- 🚶 1.2 km · 15 min walk → Etihad Museum
- 11:30
Etihad Museum
The story of the founding of the UAE in 1971, in a modern building shaped like the unrolled union document.
Opening hours: Daily 10:00–20:00, last entry 19:00
Price: AED 25Eat nearby: Kaftan Turkish Gourmet (Persian & Turkish · $$ · Jumeirah) · 32 min walk
Parker's (Café · $$ · Jumeirah) · 32 min walk - 🚇 15 min by taxi (line Taxi along Jumeirah Road: Jumeirah Mosque → Kite Beach / Burj Al Arab) · 13.2 km · 165 min walk → Kite Beach
- Lunch suggestion Kaftan Turkish Gourmet (Persian & Turkish · $$ · Jumeirah)
near Etihad Museum · 🚶 2.6 km · 32 min walk - 15:00
Kite Beach
A free public beach with a view of the Burj Al Arab, food trucks, kitesurfers and a jogging track.
Opening hours: Open all day; best early morning or late afternoon
Price: FreeEat nearby: SALT (International · $$ · Umm Suqeim) · 1 min walk
Shimmers (International · $$$ · Umm Suqeim) · 58 min walk - 🚇 ~35 min by public transport → Burj Al Arab (view from the beach)
Photo: Joi Ito · CC-BY-2.0 · Wikimedia
Burj Al Arab (view from the beach)
The sail-shaped hotel seen from the public beach next to it; going inside needs a reservation.
Opening hours: View from Umm Suqeim public beach all day; lit at night
Price: FreeEat nearby: Shimmers (International · $$$ · Umm Suqeim) · 11 min walk
The Noodle House (Asian · $$ · Umm Suqeim) · 14 min walk- 🚶 1.1 km · 14 min walk → Souk Madinat Jumeirah
Photo: Donaldytong · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia
Souk Madinat Jumeirah
A modern covered souk with wind towers, canals and cafés, with Burj Al Arab views from the waterside terraces.
Opening hours: Shops daily 10:00–23:00, restaurants 08:00–02:00
Price: FreeEat nearby: The Noodle House (Asian · $$ · Umm Suqeim) · 1 min walk
Times of Arabia (Emirati & Arabic · $$ · Umm Suqeim) · 1 min walk- Dinner suggestion The Noodle House (Asian · $$ · Umm Suqeim)
near Souk Madinat Jumeirah · 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
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Last updated: 12 October 2026