City Tours
London it's not, but Dubai has a handful of open-air double-decker buses roaming its streets. The Big Bus Company (tel. 4/324-4187; www.bigbus.co.uk) offers city tours with two different routes: one focused on sights in Old Dubai, including the Dubai Museum and Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, and the other focused on Jumeirah Beach, with a trip to the Jumeirah Mosque, Burj Al Arab, and Ski Dubai. The tours include the hop-on, hop-off bus routes, a dhow river cruise, and a walking tour, with commentary in English. Prices are AED 165 ($45/£23) for adults and AED 99 ($27/£14) for children 15 and under. Tours depart every hour from 9am to 5pm. Another option is Wonder Bus Tours (tel. 4/359-5656; www.wonderbusdubai.com), featuring amphibious buses that are as happy in the water as on the road. The 2-hour trips visit Creekside Park and Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club before hitting the water. Prices are AED 161 ($44/£22) for adults and AED 103 ($28/£14) for children 15 and under.
If you'd prefer to see the city by boat, Tour Dubai (tel. 4/336-8409; www.tour-dubai.com) offers 1-hour excursions along the creek in traditional dhows with four departures per day and hotel pickup available. Prices are AED 130 ($35/£18) for adults and AED 65 ($18/£8.95) for children 11 and under. The same company also offers dinner dhow cruises and other tours. A more traditional, less expensive way to cross the creek is by water taxi, known as abra. These little motorized boats connect Deira and Bur Dubai at the dhow wharfage area on the Deira side or the Al Seef Road area on the Bur Dubai side. The fee for the 10-minute ride is negligible (50 fils/15¢/8p).
Another way to visit Dubai is by air. Experience the city and its surroundings with a hot-air balloon ride, with departures every morning from Dubai Internet City and Fossil Rock. The trip takes you over desert and mountains and lasts a little more than an hour. Hot-air balloon rides with Voyagers Xtreme (tel. 4/345-4504; www.turnertraveldubai.com) leave every morning and cost AED 780 ($213/£108) per person; the whole excursion with travel time and instruction is about 5 hours. For an expensive, luxury helicopter tour, contact Aerogulf Services Company (tel. 4/220-0331; www.aerogulfservices.com), which offers 30-minute rides for AED 3,200 ($872/£441), with a maximum of four passengers.
Desert Safaris
A trip to Dubai is not complete without a trek into the desert, and there are numerous tour operators offering a range of desert and mountain safaris. Options include half-day, full-day, and overnight excursions; the most popular are evening desert safaris. These dune dinners begin around 4pm with a thrilling ride over the dunes in a 4WD followed by a visit to a camel farm, and then continue with a sunset dinner and Arabian campsite with live entertainment, including belly-dancing and henna artists. Most end around 9pm and include transportation to and from one's hotel. Full-day safaris typically involve visits to traditional Bedouin villages, Fossil Rock, and the Hajar Mountains. Overnight safaris let you sleep under the stars at a Bedouin-style campsite. Another popular all-day trip goes to the traditional Arabian village of Hatta, located in the foothills of the Hajar Mountains with freshwater rock pools perfect for swimming. Among the most reputable companies offering a range of desert safaris are Arabian Adventures (tel. 4/303-4888; www.arabian-adventures.com), Off-Road Adventures (tel. 971-50-6289667, 971-50-6532504 ; www.arabiantours.com), and Orient Tours (tel. 4/282-8238; www.orienttours.ae). Dune dinners cost approximately AED 300 ($82/£41) per person, day safaris approximately AED 325 ($89/£45), and overnight safaris about AED 450 ($123/£62).
