The beautiful city of Dubai is situated on the Persian Gulf coast of the Arabian Peninsula. There may not be lush green landscapes but the stunning desert offers wonderful experiences and activities.
The geography of the Persian Gulf, emerald waters, and the neighboring Hajar Mountains provide the residents of Dubai with ample avenues to explore their adventurous side. Desert safaris and dune bashing, or deep-sea fishing and mountain biking are among the popular activities to do in Dubai.
Whether you’re a resident of Dubai or visiting the emirate for a few days and would love to experience something outside of the glitz-filled extravagances that Dubai has become famous for, then this article is for you. We have mentioned some of the best activities that you can do in Dubai.
1. Skydiving
Skydiving must be at the top of your bucket list when visiting or exploring Dubai. You have two options for skydiving. You can do it over the iconic The Palm or over the desert. You will experience jumping out of a plane at a height of almost 4,000 meters and swoop down onto the stunning Dubai landscape. If you are experienced, you can opt for a solo jump. The total experience will include a minute of freefall followed by a gentle descent for five minutes. While coming down, you will be able to catch breathtaking sights of Dubai from above, including a stunning bird’s eye view of the Palm Islands, the World Islands, Burj Khalifa, and the desert landscape.
2. Al Qudra Cycling Trail
If you are a pedal lower then Al Qudra Cycling Trails is the place for you. You get an opportunity to cycle for a perfect 80 Km long stretch of paved paths to cycle on. You will see awesome desert landscapes surrounded by mountains of sand on both sides. It is the best place to give yourself good exercise or even enjoy an adventurous escape in the deserts of Dubai.
If you want to experience cycling then reach early in the morning for obvious reasons. If you don’t have a bike even then you can come and rent a bike at the store located at the start of the trial.
3. Desert Safari
Your tour to Dubai is incomplete without experiencing the desert safari. It is surely a unique experience that you don’t get anywhere else. The desert safari in Dubai will take you to a camp in the stunning desert that surrounds Dubai. You can experience activities such as camel riding, dune bashing, sand boarding or enjoy a delicious buffet dinner under the stars.
4. Dhow Cruise
Dhow Cruise offers a romantic cruise and dinner under the moonlight with stunning views of the amazing city of Dubai. You can enjoy a true portrait of old and new Dubai as the Dhow cruise is available in both Marina and Dubai Creek.
It offers a lavish dinner with delicious cuisines from around the world. It is the best thing to do to enjoy the old splendid architecture through Sheikh Saeed House, and the Heritage village which is reminiscent of years gone by. Along with the old heritage, you can experience the modern architecture of Dubai like Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, Chamber of Commerce, National Bank of Dubai and much more.
5. Dune Bashing
The dunes in the vast desert of Dubai provide an offroading opportunity, unlike any other terrain. Powerful vehicles with flat-profiled tires can race onto the dunes and cruise across the undulating desert surface.
It is the sport that brings the best of the 4×4 world to the desert sands and offers an exhilarating desert experience. During dune bashing, you will be strapped onto the seats of a Nissan Petrol, Hummer, Land Cruiser, or a similar vehicle while it takes you on a rollercoaster ride over the dunes. You will experience the dune bashing mostly during your desert safaris. But there are exclusive experiences as well that are dedicated to dune bashing only.
6. Desert Quad Biking
If you want to explore the desert in open then quad bikes are the best option. It is very easy to ride these quad bikes and you can learn how to ride within a few minutes. Light body and powerful engine enable you to dominate the mighty desert. You must add this thrilling and adventurous activity into your bucket list that is extremely popular amongst locals as well as visitors to the city.
7. Sandboarding
Sandboarding is another exciting activity in which natural smooth inclines of land and tall sand dunes allow a board to slide down with sufficient speed under the force of gravity.
Sandboarding is an extremely adventurous sport and what better place to experience this sport other than the sand dunes that surround Dubai. All you need is to strap your boots onto a smooth-surfaced board, similar to a snowboard, and slide down the sand dunes for one of the ultimate desert extreme sports experiences.
8. Dune Buggy Riding
Another one of the most popular desert activities in Dubai is Dune Buggy driving. Dune buggies are a wonderfully exciting and unique way to travel in the desert as they are designed only for this purpose.
Their structure allows them to comfortably move across the desert sand without getting stuck. There are also factors like the abundance of power and safety of a protective cage and gear that provide the most fun one can get out of an automobile in the sand. This is for sure one of the most popular desert activities in Dubai.
9. Deep-Sea Fishing
Most of the activities we have seen so far are related to the sand and desert. But there are tons of activities that you can do in the warm waters of the Persian Gulf.
Deep-sea fishing is one of the adventurous experiences that you can undertake in Dubai waters. The Persian Gulf is home to thousands of species of fish. Around 20-30 km out, and help you catch fishes such as Kingfish, Barracuda, Cobias, Grouper, and many others.