Dubai is one of the world’s major aviation hubs, which makes it a common stopover on long-haul trips between Europe, Asia and Australia. But rather than spending a long layover inside the airport, an extra day or two can be enough to experience a surprisingly adventurous side of the city.
From driving through the desert to taking on the world’s longest urban zipline, here are six adventurous activities worth adding to a Dubai stopover.
The Arabian Desert begins just beyond Dubai’s urban sprawl, making a desert safari one of the easiest adventures to fit into a short visit.
Most trips head into the dunes outside the city for an afternoon of dune driving in a 4×4, often followed by sandboarding and sunset in the desert. Half-day tours are widely available, so it’s possible to leave Dubai after lunch and return the same evening.
For something quieter, early-morning trips offer cooler temperatures and fewer vehicles in the dunes.
Dubai might be one of the few destinations where renting a Lamborghini can reasonably be considered a tourist activity.
Wide highways, dramatic city architecture and roads around areas such as Palm Jumeirah make the city particularly well suited to experiencing a supercar. Companies including Octane Rent offer Lamborghini rental in Dubai, with models such as the Huracán available for short-term rental and delivery to hotels.
Driving early in the morning is generally the best option. Traffic is lighter, temperatures are cooler and there is more opportunity to enjoy the drive before the city becomes busy.
Anyone planning to rent should check the insurance coverage, mileage allowance, deposit requirements and UAE driving regulations before booking.
For an adventure that doesn’t require leaving the city, XLine Dubai Marina sends riders over the skyscrapers, roads and water of Dubai Marina.
The zipline begins from a height of around 170 metres and stretches for approximately one kilometre, with riders reaching speeds of up to 80 km/h.
Unlike many ziplines that run through forests or mountains, the attraction here is the urban setting. The ride provides a completely different perspective of Dubai Marina and only requires a relatively small part of the day, making it particularly convenient during a stopover.
Few Dubai experiences are as recognizable as a tandem skydive above Palm Jumeirah.
After exiting the aircraft at around 13,000 feet, the freefall provides an aerial view directly over the palm-shaped island, Dubai Marina and the Persian Gulf before the parachute opens.
The entire experience takes several hours once registration, training and the flight are included, so it’s better suited to travelers with at least a full day in Dubai. Weather can also affect operations, making it sensible to avoid scheduling a jump too close to an onward flight.
Dubai’s coastline offers another easy adventure within a short distance of the main tourist districts.
Jet ski tours operate from several locations and typically follow the coastline toward landmarks such as Burj Al Arab. Sessions can range from short rides to longer guided tours, making this one of the easier activities to fit around a limited stopover schedule.
Morning sessions usually provide more comfortable temperatures, particularly during the hotter months of the year.
Travelers with a longer stopover can swap Dubai’s skyscrapers for the rugged Hajar Mountains around Hatta, roughly 90 minutes from central Dubai.
The landscape here is dramatically different from the city, with rocky mountains, hiking trails and the turquoise water of Hatta Dam. Kayaking is also available on the reservoir and can easily be combined with a short hike.
Hatta requires more travel time than the other activities on this list, so it makes the most sense with an overnight stopover or a full spare day.
Dubai doesn’t have to be just an airport connection or a day spent visiting shopping malls and observation decks. Even a relatively short stopover can include desert landscapes, water sports or an adrenaline-filled activity within easy reach of the airport.
With one or two days available, combining a city-based adventure such as a supercar drive or zipline with a desert safari provides a much more varied introduction to Dubai before continuing on to the next destination.
