1 Day
Ticket to Burj Khalifa: https://tiqets.tp.st/upKqfZT8
This incredible journey showcases the travel experiences of two Globetogo travelers Gina and Giulio in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, detailing each day and every adventure.
We arrived at the Yacht Bay Tower apartment building from Abu Dhabi in just under an hour and a half, where we had booked a studio apartment. Here, the door wasn’t opened with a key or a card but through a mobile app activated by the host at a specific time—21st century technology at its finest. We also discovered that the building had a heated pool, jacuzzi, and gym—just extra perks.
Book a room in Yaht Bay Tower: https://buff.ly/4hSHi8K
In the evening, we grabbed a quick pizza and headed straight to bed. It was already past midnight here since the time zone is three hours ahead.
In the morning, we took the metro to the Burj Khalifa. According to Google Maps, it was supposed to be a 38-minute journey, but in reality, it took over an hour and a half. The metro station was just 100 meters from our place; we rode for nine stops and then walked a long way—thankfully through air-conditioned corridors and moving walkways—until we reached Dubai Mall. After overcoming a short queue, we stood in the elevator, which shot us up to the 125th floor in just 77 seconds. The world’s tallest building stands at 828 meters and was completed in 2010. Surprisingly, I felt no vertigo at all, and the panoramic view was breathtaking. In one of the photos, you can clearly see a swimming pool on top of a skyscraper below us. The weather was ideal for sightseeing—about 25°C, sunny, and beautiful.
After the Burj Khalifa, we explored Dubai Mall and had lunch there. It’s the largest shopping mall in the world, and we’ll be mentioning this phrase a lot—“the world’s biggest”—because that’s exactly the goal here: to have everything other places do, just bigger and more spectacular.
Unfortunately, the fountain show only operates in the evening, so we’ll have to come back for that, but even in daylight, we managed to take great pictures with the Khalifa in the background. We wrapped up the afternoon at the Aquarium, where we watched a shark feeding. There’s even a rainforest on the second floor—where else? Penguins, a seven-meter-long alligator, and everything else you’d expect in a tropical exhibit built in the middle of the desert.
So, here comes the second chapter of today’s adventures.
We started by unwinding in the 30°C heated pool at our apartment, relaxing after the busy morning. Then, we headed to Dubai Marina for a dinner cruise. The artificial lake, surrounded by millions of illuminated skyscrapers, was absolutely breathtaking—filled with boats, lined with restaurants, and bustling with strolling people. Romance at its peak.
Tickets to Dubai Marina Dinner Cruise: https://tiqets.tp.st/2bALdAgu
We got the best seats on the boat—right at the front, on the upper deck, in the VIP section.
In the last photo, you can see the Ferris wheel, which, unsurprisingly, is the largest in the world. It took six years to build, but after just two months of operation, it broke down—and years later, they still haven’t managed to get it running again. (Update: it is already working)
Day 2.
The Old Town Excursion
Fesal was black and white because a black man in an extremely white outfit was waiting for us—he wore the typical Arab sheikh attire, except instead of a traditional headscarf, he had a baseball cap on. He spoke excellent and clear English and was very kind.
We kicked off the tour at a very traditional Arabic restaurant, where we were served food, drinks, Arabic dessert, and even camel milk coffee. Meanwhile, he shared Dubai’s history with us. He joked that the name “Dubai” comes from “Do buy!”—as in, spend your money!—but then admitted that wasn’t true.
After the restaurant, we visited a traditional coffee museum, where we tasted Ethiopian and Arabic coffee with dates. We also explored a museum dedicated to the Emirates’ rulers. People here adore them because everything they do is for the people. The ruler is considered a servant of the people, and the government is not allowed to let living standards decline—in fact, quite the opposite. In just 40 years, they built one of the wonders of the world. There’s no crime here; people don’t even lock their homes or cars, and there are no taxes.
Dubai’s founder had a vision: to have everything other countries do, but bigger and better. When someone pointed out that other places have skiing while Dubai is just a scorching desert, the Emir reportedly said, “What? Hold my beer!” Today, Dubai has an indoor ski resort larger than some Alpine slopes. Well, maybe not literally, since the Alps don’t have covered slopes, but let’s not get caught up in the details.
We also visited a traditional desert tent, where we were once again served coffee and dates. Then, we crossed the river on a tiny boat and dove into the bustling bazaar. At a spice shop, we were given—yes, you guessed it—more coffee. No wonder I’m not sleepy! 😆 We bought a few things and took a speedboat back home.
That’s when we realized the spice vendor had overcharged us—by at least one extra zero. That didn’t exactly make us happy. When we got home, we messaged our guide to ask if this seemed right. To our surprise, he responded immediately, saying, “Of course not!” He assured us we would receive a full refund, and he would personally come to pick up the items in the morning and sort everything out. Now that’s the Dubai hospitality he had told us about earlier!
Tired but filled with great experiences, we wrapped up the day. Oh, one more fun fact: at the Gold Souk, we saw the world’s largest gold ring—almost six kilos of solid gold! A Guinness World Record!
Day 3.
Another Eventful Day
Today was packed with adventures again, though the morning didn’t exactly go as planned.
We had booked a boat tour for 11:00 AM and headed to the location shown on our voucher. We wandered up and down the harbor, searching for our boat, only to realize that we were actually in a cargo port—and our boat was departing from the other side of the river. Naturally, we missed it.
Oh well, we figured we’d make the most of the time and take a taxi to the Museum of Illusions, which was already on our itinerary. Luckily, we had a taxi app, so we quickly called one. But by this point, we had already walked quite a few unplanned kilometers.
The taxi dropped us off and pointed to the museum, mentioning that it might be closed. We paid, got out, and—surprise!—this wasn’t the museum we were looking for. It was an old one, and yes, it was closed. Great.
At this point, we decided to ditch the museum plan altogether and focus on catching the next boat tour, which was nearby. But by then, the sun was blazing, and we were already exhausted. So, we took a break at a cozy little restaurant by the harbor for lunch. So far, this was the only thing that had gone right today—and it was already 12:30 PM.
Tickets to Dubai boat tour: https://tiqets.tp.st/i2ha38wg
At 1:00 PM, we finally boarded our sightseeing boat, which turned out to be really nice. We sat on the upper deck and enjoyed the beautiful views. What we didn’t know was that food and drinks were included in the tour—so throughout the trip, they kept bringing us pizza and soft drinks. If we had known that, we wouldn’t have spent a fortune on lunch just half an hour earlier! Oh well…
The sun was shining, we were in Dubai, and we were together—that’s all that mattered.
Day 4
We Thought Today Would Be More Relaxed…
Compared to the 15,000–16,000 steps of the previous days, we expected today to be a bit easier since the hop-on-hop-off bus was our main mode of transport. Well, we ended up with 19,440 steps.
We started the morning at the Marina, heading to Palm Jumeirah. This artificial luxury island is home to 78,000 residents and was built in just a few years with an insane amount of stone, sand, and labor. At the very end of the island stands the Atlantis Hotel, which has underwater suites at its base—imagine lying in bed with bottlenose dolphins swimming past your glass-walled bedroom.
Ticket to View at the Palm and Museum of the future: https://tiqets.tp.st/KKcsDEpr
After a nice long walk, we reached The View at The Palm, a tower with a 360-degree observation deck on the 52nd floor. The entire Palm Jumeirah was built from sand pumped from the sea, with millions of cubic meters of foundation laid beneath it. It’s incredible how a visionary sheikh can dream up the most unbelievable projects and turn them into reality within just a few years.
We hopped back on the bus and made a quick stop at Dubai Mall for a bite to eat. But finding a restaurant there is no simple task. From the parking level, it took us 25 minutes to reach the food court. Imagine an entire mini-city inside the mall—winding paths, endless escalators, and even a Chinatown within the complex. The scale is just unreal.
In the afternoon, we explored the Old Town from the bus, passing by the Royal Palace—though, of course, without the king. The surrounding lush green lawns and vibrant flowers made it feel like an Alpine village, even though this is the desert, where temperatures soar to 53°C in the summer.
Next, we stopped at the Dubai Frame—a 150-meter-high picture frame. Elevators take you up on one side, and you descend on the other, with a glass floor at the top where you can walk across, looking down 150 meters below. On one side, you see the Old Town, on the other, the modern skyline—a perfect contrast of Dubai’s past and future.
Ticket to Dubai Frame: https://tiqets.tp.st/rP67toLT
Fun fact: If Dubai stopped exporting oil, their reserves would last 3,000 years. However, the sheikh has committed to switching entirely to renewable energy by 2050. The world’s largest solar farm is already here—not that we were surprised.
Our final stop was the Dubai Fountain, right next to the mall. The water jets shoot up to 150 meters, synchronized with music. Hopefully, our videos capture a bit of the breathtaking atmosphere.
Tomorrow, we’re moving to another hotel. We love packing… Just kidding—it seemed like a good idea back home! 😅
Day 5
Moving Day & A Lost Phone Panic
This morning started with packing up and moving to a new hotel. After a quick pack-up, we hopped in a taxi and headed to the Golden Tulip, which is basically a skyscraper. Since check-in wasn’t until 2 PM, we left our luggage at the hotel and, luckily, the shuttle bus had just arrived to take guests into the city center—perfect timing for our hop-on-hop-off sightseeing tour.
Book a room in Hotel Golden Tulip: https://buff.ly/42QxcRQ
And that’s when the first adventure of the day began: I lost my phone.
I left it on the shuttle bus, which is kind of a big deal in a crowded city like Dubai. Panic mode activated. We immediately called the hotel, begging them to contact the driver. We also messaged them on WhatsApp, and for a while, I was a complete nervous wreck, thinking my phone was gone forever. But then, miracle—they texted back saying they found my phone, and I could pick it up at the hotel. Huge relief.
After that, sightseeing felt much more relaxed and enjoyable. When we returned to the hotel, we quickly unpacked and got ready for the day’s big adventure: the Yellow Boat tour—a high-speed boat ride around Dubai’s coastline.
Tickets for Yellow Boat tour: https://buff.ly/4aQEUNH
Before boarding, they warned us: “The sea is rougher than usual today. Are you sure you want to go?”
Of course, we said yes. What’s a little wave action, right?
Well… turns out, the waves weren’t a little rough—they were huge. 2-3 meter (6-10 foot) waves crashing all around us, and we were flying over the water at full speed. We got completely drenched—to the point where we couldn’t even open our eyes at times. But honestly? It was amazing. We got to see the Atlantis Hotel, the Burj Al Arab, and the stunning Dubai skyline from the sea.
Now, back at the hotel, drying off and getting ready for tonight’s adventure—Glow Garden. More updates soon! 🌟
A Night at Garden Glow
For our evening adventure, we visited Garden Glow, a massive park filled with illuminated sculptures and light installations designed specifically for nighttime. The atmosphere was magical, but we quickly realized that this place is more for kids than adults.
Tickets to Garden Glow: https://tiqets.tp.st/VsPG72kl
So, we switched things up a bit. We found a cozy Turkish restaurant right in the middle of the park—surrounded by glowing giant mushrooms (yes, very surreal, I know)—and had a delicious meal of köfte with potatoes.
After that, we headed back to the hotel, wrapping up another exciting and eventful day. Fingers crossed that tomorrow will be just as amazing, minus the losing stuff part! 😆
Day 6
Desert Safari Adventure
Today was another day of amazing discoveries. After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we set off to visit the Miracle Garden, a breathtaking 75,000 m² garden made of 150 million flowers. The garden is mostly filled with petunias, and they’ve created magical figures like fairy tale characters, hearts, Smurfs, even an Emirates airplane covered entirely in flowers. The fragrance was incredible, and the atmosphere was truly magical—like a fairy tale in the middle of the desert. Hopefully, the pictures will do it justice.
Ticket to Miracle Garden: https://tiqets.tp.st/bh8cGcch
At noon, we finally managed to take a break by the hotel’s 28°C heated pool. With the daytime temperatures around 25°C and cool evenings around 18-19°C, it felt like the perfect escape. By evening, a cardigan or sweater was needed.
In the early afternoon, our desert safari driver, a Pakistani man, picked us up from the hotel. He was born in Dubai and had an arranged marriage to a Pakistani woman, which, according to him, turned out well. They have three children together. He works 12 hours a day, almost without any days off, and, unfortunately, will never receive UAE citizenship despite being born here. His children were also born in Dubai, but he has no access to social benefits, healthcare, or a pension. When he turns 60, he won’t be able to work anymore, and he’ll have to rely on his savings to return to Pakistan, a place he’s only visited, not lived in. In Pakistan, the living conditions are incredibly tough, and most people are lucky to have one meal a day. The system here takes advantage of him and others like him, although they don’t pay taxes, which they can save for their old age. Unfortunately, his savings were wiped out during COVID, and now he’s struggling to save again, especially with three children. This was just a little side note, but it’s a humbling reality that shows the hardship many people face.
Ticket for Desert Safari: https://gyg.me/iyZHMhql
After a 1.5-hour drive, we made a quick stop at a 8 km-long camel racing track, and then we arrived at the tire deflation station. To drive on the desert dunes, they deflate the tires to 1 bar pressure, and then we set off on an adrenaline-packed ride through the dunes. The experience felt like a rollercoaster, and we had so much fun. The desert was a bit greener than usual due to some rain earlier in January and February, so it wasn’t the typical yellow wasteland.
We reached an oasis for sunset, where we had a delicious dinner and enjoyed an exotic show. On the way back, we stopped at the tire station again, but this time, they inflated the tires. We arrived back in the dark, tired but thrilled by this incredible day!
Day 7.
Heritage Program & La Perle Show
This morning, we had yet another amazing adventure. We joined a wonderful local heritage program that gave us an insight into the old way of life and hospitality in Dubai. The day began with a camel feeding experience. The camels were very tame, and we could feed them directly from our hands with the food they gave us.
The next part of the program was a falcon petting session. Falcons were once used for hunting, and thanks to their role in providing food, they are revered almost like sacred creatures to this day. For instance, if they are flown by air, they can only travel in first class, even if their owner is in economy class!
After that, we hopped on a charming little bus, cleverly disguised as a historic train, and went to visit a mosque from the outside and a museum from the inside. A fun tidbit: the museum housed both centuries-old tools and a cassette tape player from the 70s. It was a fascinating mix of history.
We then returned to the starting point, where a lovely spread of food awaited us. We stuffed ourselves full, and of course, the essential coffee was served as well. During our meal, a very friendly Arab gentleman shared stories about their culture, and we were able to ask him anything we liked.
Ticket to Heritage program: https://tiqets.tp.st/EKG0ZJAA
After lunch, anyone interested could try on traditional Arab clothes, and we had a little photo session in our new outfits. Naturally, we joined in the fun too! One particularly interesting detail: there was so much leftover food, and they brought small containers so we could take as much as we wanted. The hospitality here was truly unconditional, and they wanted nothing more than for us to leave with wonderful memories and share our experiences with everyone.
After finishing the heritage program, we headed straight to the Museum of the Future, a unique, half-moon-shaped building that is just as futuristic on the inside. Here, we saw an actual robot dog—it was hilarious!
Ticket to Museum of the Future: https://tiqets.tp.st/OQ8wHfuE
Later, we quickly made our way home because tonight we have a fantastic program awaiting us: La Perle. It’s like the Dubai version of Cirque du Soleil, a high-class circus performance that promises to be an unforgettable experience!
La Perle… meaning “the pearl.” That’s the place we visited tonight. I had a feeling it would be great, but I have to say, the sheikh and his friends did an amazing job. When I think of Dubai, I can’t help but think of Pandacsöki Boborján, who’s the best at everything. But unlike him, Dubai didn’t have Besenyő Pistabácsi as their coach – they had the sheikh, so they truly succeeded in being the best at everything, even in this spectacular experience.
The show was grandiose. The stage technology was unique. One moment, they flooded the entire stage with water, and five minutes later, everything was dry. Meanwhile, acrobats were jumping into the water from 30 meters up, and people were walking upside down on the ceiling. All of this while enjoying the comfort of a multiplex cinema and Dolby sound… It was definitely worth the visit. Check out the little videos I made – they might give you a taste of the atmosphere.
Tickets to La Perle show: https://tiqets.tp.st/uEmgFiSy
After the show, we thought we’d head to Burj Khalifa to watch the laser show and the fountain performance. I’ve got a couple of videos of those too. Afterward, we had dinner and now we’re back home. It’s almost midnight here. According to my step counter, we walked 19,000 steps today, so no need for a sleep aid tonight…
Day 8
The remaining days are running out, and so are the attractions on our list. We started the day at Emirates Mall, where the locals go snowball fighting and skiing. Compared to Dubai Mall’s 1,525 stores, Emirates Mall has only about 530, which feels more manageable. The ski slope isn’t that impressive – it’s -3°C inside, with a lift, two slopes, and a toboggan run for kids. Maybe in the summer, when it’s 50°C outside, the contrast would be greater, but with the 24°C weather today, it wasn’t as extreme. The highlight of the day was the Aura Skypool. I’ll share a picture of the tower, where the infinity pool is on the 50th floor. This is located at the entrance to Palm Island. The entire floor is surrounded by the pool, with a restaurant, bar, and a DJ playing great music in the center. The water is heated, but it was a bit windy, so it wasn’t that warm. The view is unbelievable, the music is playing, and it’s a magical experience. You can swim around the pool and enjoy the panoramic view.
Tickets to AURA Skypool: https://tiqets.tp.st/1WUafdao
Day 9
This morning, we went shopping at the Souk Medina bazaar next to the Burj al Arab. It’s a covered bazaar with some beautiful atriums here and there, featuring small rivers, wooden bridges, and lots of flowers. There are cozy restaurants and cafés everywhere around it. In the background, you can spot the Burj al Arab tower. We took some nice pictures and then headed home to pack our bags, as tomorrow we’re traveling to Abu Dhabi, and from there, back home.
In the afternoon, we set off for our last program of the day, the Global Village. The Global Village is a “city within a city” park, where each major country has its own building, along with food, drinks, and various products associated with that country. It’s like a world expo. It also somewhat resembles the Prater in Vienna, with its crowds and amusement park rides. We had dinner here, took a lot of great photos, and then hopped into a taxi to head home. Of course, the taxi driver got lost on the way back. He took us down some deserted road, and he could barely find his way back to civilization. I got a little scared, wondering if he was going to stop and take revenge on us for some reason. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. However, since the Global Village is at least 40 minutes away from our hotel by taxi, this turned out to be our most expensive taxi ride. Aside from this little mishap, it was a perfect conclusion to our Dubai trip. Tomorrow, new adventures await us in Abu Dhabi.
Tickets to Global Village: https://tiqets.tp.st/SAhpxXgm
Day 10
The Travel agency bus picked us up at 10 o’clock, and we set off for Abu Dhabi.
Our first stop was the Last Exit rest area, which was inspired by the Mad Max film, featuring a post-apocalyptic theme. Even the restrooms were designed in this unique style by a talented designer.
From there, we headed to the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 racetrack. It was interesting to see where the racers speed around. We saw Sebastian Vettel’s tiny handprint and Kimi Räikkönen’s large handprint on a wall. We also saw a few Formula 1 cars, but unfortunately, the track was quiet at that time.
Next, we visited the Emirates Palace 5* hotel, a place of incredible luxury where everything is gold-plated. They even offer gold-dusted coffee, but we decided to skip that.
To enhance the experience, we then went to the Emirates Palace, the work palace of the emirates. This is not where they live, but where they hold representative events, like recently hosting Putin. Apparently, they also invited our Viktor, but he didn’t go… no comment. The palace is elegant and monumental, decorated in four colors: white, brown, blue, and gold. It houses the second-largest chandelier in the world, made of Swarovski crystals.
The highlight of the day was the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which was inaugurated in 2007. It is the second-largest mosque in the world after Mecca. It’s dazzlingly white, with 58 domes, and incredibly monumental. Inside, there is the world’s largest carpet, spanning 5700m² and weighing 47 tons, and the world’s largest chandelier, which has a 10m diameter and a single suspension point. We were in awe.
Tickets to Sheikh Zayed Mosque: https://tiqets.tp.st/cluRp4zy
But all good things must come to an end, and as we look through the photos, we try to process the past 9 days’ experiences.
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