The showpiece centre around the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall — skyscrapers, the dancing fountain, fine dining and the best transport links. The most central and spectacular base, walkable (rare here) to the big sights; polished, pricey and where you wake up under the world's tallest tower.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
€280–600
typical per night in United Arab Emirates
You pay for the postcode
One of the pricier addresses in Dubai.
Where it sits
The circle is Downtown Dubai and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- Al Fahidi historic district23 min taxi7.7 km
- The souks & the Creek25 min taxi8.2 km
- The Burj Al Arab33 min taxi10.9 km
- Madinat Jumeirah35 min taxi11.6 km
- The View at the Palm50 min taxi16.6 km
- Atlantis Aquaventure52 min taxi17.5 km
- Dubai Marina & JBR (beach)56 min taxi18.8 km
- Dubai Marina & JBR beach57 min taxi18.9 km
- Ain Dubai & Bluewaters61 min taxi20.4 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 1.The Burj Khalifa — The tallest building on earth at 828 metres — ride the ear-popping lift to the 'At the Top' decks for a god's-eye view over the city, the palm and the desert, best at sunset as the lights come on. Book a timed ticket ahead; it's the definitive Dubai experience.
- 2.A desert safari — Head into the red dunes for the classic Dubai adventure — 4x4 dune-bashing, a camel ride and sandboarding, then a Bedouin-style camp with a barbecue, shisha and belly dancing under the stars. Touristy but genuinely thrilling, and a reminder that the desert is what all this rose from.
- 3.The Dubai Mall — Not just a mall but a city under one roof — 1,200 shops, a giant aquarium with sharks, an ice rink, a waterfall and the Burj Khalifa entrance, at the foot of the tower. Overwhelming, air-conditioned and quintessentially Dubai; even shopping-haters come to gawp.
- 4.The Dubai Fountain — The world's largest choreographed fountain, dancing to music and light on the lake at the foot of the Burj Khalifa every evening — jets shooting 150 metres into the air. Free, and genuinely dazzling; grab a spot on the promenade or a terrace table and watch a couple of shows.
- 13.The Dubai Frame — A 150-metre golden picture frame straddling Zabeel Park, framing old Dubai on one side and the new skyline on the other — with a glass skywalk across the top and a gallery imagining the city's future. A clever, photogenic stop between the two Dubais.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Downtown Dubai; flights via Google Flights.