Dubai is an easy city to enjoy and a slightly harder one to plan for on a first trip, mostly because a few things about it don't work the way they do elsewhere — timed-entry attractions that sell out, a data setup that trips people up, and a driving culture that's more approachable than its reputation suggests. Sort these four pieces before you land and the rest of the trip runs itself.
Getting in from Dubai International Airport
Dubai International (DXB) sits close to the city — most hotels in Downtown, Business Bay, or along the Marina are a 20 to 40 minute ride away depending on traffic and which terminal you land at. The Dubai Metro's Red Line connects Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 directly to Downtown and the Marina, and it's the cheapest option by a wide margin, but it's a rough fit if you're landing late at night, traveling with a group, or carrying more luggage than you want to haul through a metro transfer.
A pre-booked private transfer sidesteps all of that: a driver meets you at arrivals with your name on a sign, and the price is fixed before you land instead of depending on a taxi meter and traffic. It's a bigger jump in cost over the metro, but a smaller one over a metered taxi than most people expect, especially split across a group.
If you'd rather have a driver waiting than figure out the metro with luggage after a long flight, you can check live private transfer prices for the DXB–city route.
Check transfer pricesStaying connected — and the one thing that catches people off guard
An eSIM is worth setting up before you fly regardless of destination, but Dubai has a wrinkle that Paris or Rome doesn't: the UAE restricts VoIP calling on all local networks, which means WhatsApp voice and video calls, FaceTime, Skype, and similar apps either won't connect or will drop constantly, on any SIM or eSIM using a UAE carrier. Text messaging, voice notes, maps, ride-hailing apps, and regular data all work exactly as expected — it's specifically internet calling that's affected.
If you need to make an actual voice or video call while you're there, a licensed local calling app (Botim is the most common one tourists use) is the practical workaround. It's worth knowing this before you land rather than discovering it mid-trip when a call to home won't go through.
Set up your data before you land so you're online the moment you land, with a plan sized for the trip instead of a daily roaming fee.
See eSIM plans for the UAEDesert safaris and what else is worth booking ahead
A desert safari is close to mandatory on a first Dubai trip — dune bashing in a 4x4 followed by a camp dinner is one of the most-booked activities in the city, and evening safaris in particular sell out a few days ahead in peak season. But it's one item on a longer list of things worth timing correctly: Burj Khalifa's observation deck and the Museum of the Future both use timed-entry tickets that regularly sell out on weekends. We've already put together the full rundown of what's worth prioritizing and when to book each one, rather than repeating it here.
6 best tours for first-time visitors to Dubai
Ready to book? Compare available dates and timed-entry slots before you land.
Browse Dubai tours & ticketsPlanning several paid attractions in 2 or 3 days? The Go City Dubai All-Inclusive Pass bundles Burj Khalifa At the Top, a desert safari, Aquaventure at Atlantis and dozens more into one price, from around $339. It's worth doing the maths if you'll visit three or more big attractions; see what the Dubai pass includes.
Should you rent a car?
Dubai drives on the right, roads are wide and well-signed, and a car makes sense if you want to reach Hatta, the Sharjah desert, or the neighboring emirates without booking a separate tour for each trip — it's less useful if you're staying within Downtown, the Marina, and Old Dubai, where a metro pass and the occasional taxi cover everything. If you do rent, most rental companies require drivers to be at least 21 (often 25 for anything upscale), and whether you need an International Driving Permit alongside your home license depends on which country issued it — licenses from the US, UK, most of the EU, Canada, Australia, and the GCC states are typically accepted on their own, while others require the IDP as a translated companion document. We've covered how to check which category you fall into before you book.
Do you need an International Driving Permit to rent a car abroad?
If a rental fits your itinerary, compare cars and prices for Dubai before you land.
Compare car rentals in DubaiRelated reading
The short version
Book your desert safari and any timed-entry tickets as soon as your dates are set, set up an eSIM before you fly and expect to use a licensed app for voice calls, and only add a rental car to the mix if you're planning to leave the city itself. Get those decided ahead of time and Dubai is a genuinely easy city to enjoy once you land.