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14 hour layover in Dubai

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  1. #1

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    Question 14 hour layover in Dubai

    We've (the significant other and I) got a 14 hour layover in Dubai in mid-late December and wondering if any recommendations on what to do/see? Or any tips? Lets assume we only have 10 hours to play with leaving 2 hours to add to landing/take-off times

    Currently plan on going to that tall building (Burj Khalifa) and have a look around, then to the souks in old Dubai before heading back to the airport. Is there more we can do with the 10 hours? Or is it cutting it close? No idea how long the commute is from airport to the burj. How about by metro?

    We're a aware of the no showing of PDA and all that since we're not married or are the articles I've been reading outdated? Still better to be on the safe side, wouldn't want to miss our flight by being in a prison somewhere.


  2. #2

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    Desert Safari

    Big Bus Tour, you know... like the one in Hong Kong
    Last edited by Claire ex-ax; 06-11-2013 at 11:26 AM.

  3. #3

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    Maybe another time for the Safari

    Big Bus Tour seems ok, doesn't mention duration/frequency though, might be useful to use the bus to get around rather than depending on taxis since you can HoHo, I did that with another service in Rome rather than figuring out their metro system and I was only there for a day.

    Still depends on duration/frequency.

    Thanks for the tip


  4. #4

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    I've been to Dubai on a 12 hour layover. Granted, it was only 12 hours so there was only so much you can see and do, but my initial impression was that I found the city rather...artificial. Like it's not meant to be there but it is. I mean, it's all very modern with skyscrapers, shopping malls and multi-lane highways, but it somehow gives a sterile feeling to the visitor, more so than even Singapore.

    I don't know, I suppose if I stayed longer, another more interesting side of Dubai will reveal itself to me, but as it stands I just found the city rather...unreal.

    Last edited by Watercooler; 06-11-2013 at 11:50 AM.

  5. #5

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    Go to Dubai Mall : http://www.thedubaimall.com - with so many activities, you can easily kill 1/2 a day there.

    Alternative 1/2 day itin could also be : Grab a taxi to Bur Dubai, visit the Souk there and then take the abra across the water to visit the Spice and Gold Souks. Once you throw a bit of food into that mix, you can easily spend all your time.

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  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by pkboy:
    Maybe another time for the Safari

    Big Bus Tour seems ok, doesn't mention duration/frequency though, might be useful to use the bus to get around rather than depending on taxis since you can HoHo, I did that with another service in Rome rather than figuring out their metro system and I was only there for a day.

    Still depends on duration/frequency.

    Thanks for the tip
    Come on!

    3. How frequent are the tour buses?

    Tours run every 20 minutes (November to April) and 30 minutes (May to October) on both the City Tour (Red Route) and the Beach Tour (Blue route). The first bus is at 9.00 am and the last departure is 5.00pm. Timings are subject to change so please check with Big Bus staff or contact us.
    5. How long does the tour take?

    A complete circuit on the City Tour (Red Route) takes approximately 1.40 hours and a complete circuit on the Beach Tour (Blue Route) takes approximately 2.30 hours. Please allow extra time if you plan to hop-on, hop-off.
    http://eng.bigbustours.com/dubai/faqs.html
    Last edited by Claire ex-ax; 06-11-2013 at 11:57 AM.

  7. #7

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    Me don't read too good


  8. #8

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    Mall of the Emirates as an Indoor Ski Slope.

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  9. #9

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    Keep in mind Dubai is expensive for taxis despite the fact that petrol is cheap. Last week I did Airport to Mall of Emirates it cost me 100 dhs.

    Gold souk and Dubai mall is much closer to the Airport than Mall of the Emirates. I found Gold souk interesting spent only an hour there.


  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by bak875:
    Keep in mind Dubai is expensive for taxis despite the fact that petrol is cheap. Last week I did Airport to Mall of Emirates it cost me 100 dhs.

    Gold souk and Dubai mall is much closer to the Airport than Mall of the Emirates. I found Gold souk interesting spent only an hour there.
    That's about 30KM distance.. DHS.100 (About HK$220) isn't that expensive.

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