Three days is enough to see the big sights in Dubai, taste the old town and still have an evening on the beach. This plan is built around geography, so you spend your time on attractions instead of in taxis. If you want my longer take on the city, read the local’s guide to Dubai too.
Before you go
The best time to visit is November to March, when temperatures sit roughly between 20 and 28°C. June to August is very hot, with daytime highs of 40 to 45°C, and most of your time outdoors will be miserable. April, May, September and October are warm but manageable.
A flight from Vilnius takes around six and a half hours. You can compare current fares on the Travel Radar page. Dress modestly away from the beach, with shoulders and knees covered, especially in malls, mosques and the old town.
The metro is the cheapest way to get around, with a single journey costing roughly AED 3 to 8 according to the guides I checked. Buy a Nol card at the first station you use. For longer distances or late evenings, a taxi or ride-hailing app is easy. A typical ride costs somewhere around AED 20 to 70.
Day 1: Downtown
Start with the Burj Khalifa. Tickets for the “At the Top” deck were quoted at roughly AED 149 to 189, and booking ahead is a good idea. Sunset slots are popular, so book early if you want one. Plan an hour or two for the visit.
Afterwards, walk through the Dubai Mall, then go out to Souk Al Bahar and the waterfront. The Dubai Fountain performs in the evening, and it’s worth seeing once. Weeknights are less crowded than Fridays. Have dinner on the Boulevard or at one of the terraces overlooking the fountain.
Day 2: Beach and Marina
Spend the morning at JBR beach. It’s a long, easy stretch of sand with cafes right behind it. Have lunch on The Walk, then take the afternoon to stroll along Dubai Marina. The promenade is about 3.5 kilometres long. Bluewaters Island is close by if you want something extra.
Stay for sunset, then eat in the Marina.
Day 3: Old Dubai and the desert
Go to the old town in the morning, before the tour groups. Walk through the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, with its wind towers and narrow lanes. Then cross Dubai Creek by abra, the small wooden ferry, which costs about one dirham. On the other side are the Deira souks.
Come back to your hotel for a rest in the heat of the afternoon. Most desert safaris pick you up around 3:30 pm and return after about 10 pm, with a barbecue dinner and some entertainment included. Prices in the guide I used were about AED 200 to 350. If you’d prefer something quieter, look for a small-group tour instead of the mass-market ones.
Where to stay
Downtown is the easiest base for the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall. JBR and Dubai Marina are better if beach time matters more to you than sights. All three are connected to the metro or a short taxi ride from it.
What it costs
One guide estimated a budget trip at roughly AED 1,500 to 2,200 for three days (with hotels around AED 200 to 350 a night), and a mid-range trip at AED 3,500 to 5,500. These are rough numbers from a single source, and Dubai’s hotel prices change a lot with the season, so use them to get a feel for it, then check real prices for your dates.
A last tip
Keep Day 3 loose. The old town and the desert are very different from the glass towers of Day 1, and that’s the contrast most people remember.
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