Eight Nights in Dubai
 

I am using up a bunch of airline credit which expires in August. Since I am already scheduled to travel at that time a friend suggested Dubai (I have never been) and I leave on 8 May. I've looked at various sites with visit suggestions but wondered if anyone here could recommend things. I already have a hotel lined up so am asking about various sightseeing options. Thanks in advance.

We were there in February 2020. Things to do, and to consider:
1. Go to the top of the Burj Khalifa for views from the tallest building in the world. In the evening in the area right by the Burj Khalifa there is like an open area and there is a spectacular light show with this building being lit up in all sorts of ways. It’s pretty impressive.
2. Definitely definitely go to souk. If you like dates, this is the place to get them. For whatever reason, the Jordanian dates were to me the best that I’ve ever had.
3. Some people like to get a 4x4 and drive around the desert and maybe even have a picnic.
4. You are not far from Abu Dhabi and there is a beautiful mosque there to see. It’s called the Al-Madiyah I think.
5. Emiratis love to shop and there are several spectacular malls.
6. There is a small river there and you can take a boat tour and just marvel at the cities architecture, which is pretty amazing. It’s called the Dubai Marina cruise I think.

We used to visit Dubai a lot when we lived in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, but it's been years since I was there, and it's changed dramatically. But, one of my favorite things to do was to visit the gold souks. A great place for photos even if you're not a gold shopper. The spice market is fascinating too.

There's also a carpet market that might be fun to wander through.

You might want to try the freshly made bread cooked in a tandoor (like a pita flatbread) - I have fond memories of that bread (and the mezzas). Or the za'atar bread, with or without cheese. And the shawarmas. Yum.

Dubai is also a good place for Indian food if you're so inclined.

Now I'm getting hungry.

Have a great trip.

I am interested in this thread but 8 nights?
Would it good to do a side trip?
Is Oman too far?/. (sorry!!)

If you know the series on Netflix, SOMEBODY FEED PHIL, he is a very finny guy who recently aired an episode on Dubai that stoked my interest (I would visit on a layover to/from somewhere else); you might like to watch the show; he covers Indian casual places and the very high end...

You can fly from Dubai to Bahrain or Oman or Qatar and the distance is probably around one hour or less.