# 3 days in Dubai: an itinerary day by day > Three days is enough to see Dubai properly without rushing. Day one: Burj Khalifa, the fountain, The Dubai Mall, an abra and Al Fahidi. Day two: the coast — the Burj Al Arab, Madinat Jumeirah, Palm Jumeirah and the Marina. Day three is about history: the Dubai Frame, the Etihad Museum on how the UAE was founded, the old houses of Al Shindagha on the creek and the Gold Souk in Deira. Web page: https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/in-3-days ## Day 1 1. [Burj Khalifa](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/burj-khalifa.md) — YesGo score 79/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · from AED 189 ↓ 4 min on foot 2. [The Dubai Fountain](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-fountain.md) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free; Boardwalk and abra ride paid Lunch break, about 1 h ↓ 8 min on foot 3. [The Dubai Mall](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-mall.md) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Free entry ↓ 38 min by transport 4. [Dubai Creek and the abra crossing](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-creek.md) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Abra AED 1–2, waterfronts free ↓ 12 min on foot 5. [Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (Old Dubai)](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/al-fahidi.md) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free to walk Total with walks: 8 h 32 min ## Day 2 1. [Burj Al Arab](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/burj-al-arab.md) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free to view; closed inside ↓ 17 min on foot 2. [Madinat Jumeirah and Souk Madinat](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/madinat-jumeirah.md) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry; abra ride AED 100 Lunch break, about 1 h ↓ 31 min by transport 3. [Palm Jumeirah](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/palm-jumeirah.md) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Island free, The View from AED 80 ↓ 27 min by transport 4. [Dubai Marina](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-marina.md) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; boats and cruises extra Total with walks: 7 h 45 min ## Day 3 1. [Dubai Frame](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-frame.md) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · AED 50, children 3–12 AED 20 ↓ 25 min by transport 2. [Etihad Museum](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/etihad-museum.md) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · AED 25, under-5s free Lunch break, about 1 h ↓ 25 min by transport 3. [Al Shindagha Museum](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/al-shindagha.md) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · AED 50; students 5–24 AED 20 ↓ 17 min on foot 4. [Dubai Gold Souk](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-gold-souk.md) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free entry Total with walks: 6 h 52 min ## How the three days work The first two days are the 2-day itinerary: Downtown with the old city, then the Jumeirah coast. Day three moves between old Dubai and the centre: the Frame in Zabeel Park, the Etihad Museum in Jumeirah, Al Shindagha at the mouth of the creek and the Gold Souk across the water. Remove any stop with the cross or drag it with ≡, and add another one nearby — the times recalculate. ## Day three: Dubai's history The Dubai Frame opens at 8:00 — mornings are quieter on the glass bridge. The Etihad Museum tells how seven emirates became one country in 1971: 25 AED, guided tours at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00. Al Shindagha has 22 pavilions in the ruling family's old houses, 50 AED. From Al Shindagha take an abra across to Deira for the Gold Souk and the Spice Souk. Shops stay open until 22:00, with a break for some in the afternoon. ## Adding a desert safari An evening [desert safari](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-desert-safari) picks you up at 14:00–16:30 and drops you back at 21:30–23:30, for about 140–300 AED. Put it on the evening of day three instead of the Gold Souk, or on its own day. ## With more time Day four: [Abu Dhabi](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi) and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, about 1.5 hours away, or [Sharjah](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/sharjah) with its museums and Blue Souk, 30–60 minutes depending on traffic. From autumn to May, [Global Village](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/global-village-dubai) and [Dubai Miracle Garden](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-miracle-garden) are open. ## Tips - Book Burj Khalifa for the first morning — the view is clearest then. - The Etihad Museum has no metro stop: 15 minutes by taxi from the Frame. - Gold Souk prices are the weight of the gold plus the work — haggle on the work. - The UAE uses the dirham (AED). Cards work almost everywhere; keep some cash for abras, souks and small museums. Dubai's metro needs a Nol card. - Mosques and palaces want shoulders and knees covered, and women need a headscarf; malls and museums also ask for no beachwear. ## Questions ### What is a good 3-day Dubai itinerary? Downtown and the old city, then the coast with the Palm and the Marina, then the Frame, the Etihad Museum, Al Shindagha and the Gold Souk. ### Is 3 days in Dubai enough? Yes, for the city. Abu Dhabi, a safari or theme parks need a day each. ### How much is the Dubai Frame? 50 AED, children 3–12 20 AED, under 3 free. Open 8:00–21:00. ### What is Al Shindagha? The historic district at the mouth of Dubai Creek where the ruling family lived — now a museum in 22 old houses, 50 AED. ### Can I fit in Abu Dhabi? Only instead of one of the days: it is about 1.5 hours each way. ### How do I get around? Metro (Red and Green Lines), the tram in the Marina, abras across the creek and taxis. The metro needs a Nol card. ### What does 3 days in Dubai cost in tickets? Burj Khalifa from 189 AED, the Frame 50, Etihad 25, Al Shindagha 50, plus transport. The rest is free. ### Is it good with kids? Yes. There is also a separate Dubai with kids itinerary with the aquarium and the Frame. ### When is the best time to visit? November to March. In summer, day three — mostly museums — is the easiest. ### What currency is used in Dubai? The UAE uses the dirham (AED). Cards work almost everywhere; keep some cash for abras, souks and small museums. Dubai's metro needs a Nol card. --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.