11 Things To See And Do In Dubai That Aren't Shopping

Dubai is a great place for shopping! After all, the city is the home of the largest mall in the world, Dubai Mall, with 1,200 retailers for shoppers from around the globe to indulge themselves. However, not everyone loves to shop. For those people, there’s a long list of fun activities which do not involve walking around the mall for hours.

Desert safari

This is perhaps one of the most popular things for tourists to do in Dubai. For those who visit this Emirate, it’s always a blast to take a day to visit the desert – after all, that is the original landscape of the city. There are dozens of Desert Safari companies around Dubai and every hotel can direct visitors to their recommended one. This is a fantastic way of exploring the desert dunes, riding camels and better understanding Bedouin culture and history.

1. Burj Khalifa

Building

This is an epic way of seeing Dubai from a different angle. The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world at over 800 meters high. Visitors get the opportunity to go up the tower and see Dubai from a glass observatory, where they are blessed with an unforgettable view of the city. The best part is that the only shopping that can take place during the visit is souvenir shopping.

Hit the beach

A lot of activities and attractions in Dubai have entry fees, which can sometimes be expensive. However, for those who are not shopping in order not to put a dent in their budget, the beach is the perfect place to spend the day for free. Dubai has a series of public beaches, some even including a stunning view of the city’s most popular landmark: the Burj Al Arab.

Catching a movie

The malls are not all bad. Yes, they tend to be super packed, specially over the weekends, and involve a tone of walking around back and forth. However, they are also where people go to catch a movie, and when it comes to cinemas, Dubai does well. Dubai has cinemas in almost every mall, as well as other unique spots, and this may be the perfect excuse to pay Dubai Mall a visit without having to shop.

2. Dubai Museum

Museum

Perhaps a better thing to do with the time one would be shopping is visiting the Dubai Museum. Instead of burning through their travel budget, people can pay less then 1US$ in order to better understand the history of Dubai. The museum is located in an old fort, which is one of the oldest buildings still standing in Dubai, made out of coral and shells. Here, people can have a walk through the history of the city and the country.