Day one
Take a view
Eschew the predictable: instead of taking the lift to the top of Burj Khalifa (5) – the world's tallest building – skip the queues and the AED200 (£38) fee and take to the waters of Dubai Creek instead. You'll get a sense of where the city started life. It's traversed by wooden abras (water taxis) ferrying passengers to Deira for AED1 (20p) one-way, or they can be chartered for AED50 (£9) per hour. They depart from 3A Street, near the entrance to the gold souk (6). The Creek is being lengthened, at a cost of AED1.76bn (£330m), to rejoin the Gulf.
Take a hike
Explore the up-and-coming quarter of Al Quoz, in particular the arts district known as Alserkal Avenue (7) on Street 8 (00 971 50 556 9797; alserkalavenue.ae). This avant-garde collection of warehouses hosts art galleries, fashion designers and A4 Space – a funky artists' hub with a concept store, reading cabins, coffee shop and free wi-fi. Take time to wander round the complex, which is adding 45 more spaces in March.
Lunch on the run
Walk around the corner to Tom & Serg (8) at Al-Joud Center (00 971 56 474 6812; tomandserg.com). Awarded "best new hangout" in the What's On magazine awards, this bright, urbane café attracts expatriates and has a tempting menu of fresh bagels, old-fashioned milkshakes and chai lattes (8am to 4pm Sunday to Thursday, and 8am to 6pm Friday to Saturday).
Bu Qtair (9) on 4D Street (00 971 55 705 2130) is a shabby caravan overlooking the beach that has locals queuing round the block for a plate of its famous fried fish curry AED60 (£11). Open 10.30am to 3pm and 6.30pm to midnight daily.
Window shopping
The Antique Museum (10) on Street 8 (00 971 4 347 9935;fakihcollections.com) is an Aladdin's cave of antiques and handicrafts, from Arabian daggers and Yemini Bedouin jewellery to Moorish lamps and pashminas made by a women's collective (open 9am to 8.30pm, Sunday to Thursday).
An aperitif
Alcohol in Dubai is restricted to licensed hotels and restaurants. The coolest locale for a cocktail is At.mosphere on level 122 of Burj Khalifa (5) (00 971 4 888 3444;atmosphereburjkhalifa.com). It takes a mere 56 ear-popping seconds to ascend 442 metres to the mahogany-clad restaurant and lounge that has vertigo-inducing 360-degree city views. Drinks are pricey – between AED80 and 235 (£15-44) – but they use the very best spirits plus unusual ingredients such as aloe vera, black truffles and frankincense.
It's best to book in advance: long queues are common. You'll have to observe the minimum-spend rule of AED400 (£75) per person for a window seat, and AED300 (£57) for a non-window seat, but you won't need to pay the admission fee for the tower.
Dining with the locals
Dubai has more than 5,000 restaurants, but I highly recommend a walking foodie tour with Frying Pan Adventures (fryingpanadventures.com), which is run by two enthusiastic sisters.
I took the four-hour Little India trail through Bur Dubai, with stops at street stalls plying freshly barbecued chicken tikka, spicy potato bhondas, tandoori rotis and sugarcane juice. The walk is spiced with snippets of history, and is a great way to get to know the real Dubai. From AED380 (£72pp), 6pm start.
Sand safari: take a drive through the desert (Dubai Tourism)Day two
Dash to the desert
Escape the bustle and explore the sands from which the city rose. Platinum Heritage (00 971 4 388 4044; platinum-heritage.com) organises an early morning wildlife drive in a 1950s Land Rover – where you're likely to spot oryx and gazelles – a camel ride over the dunes and a Bedouin breakfast from AED495 (£93) per adult and AED395 (£75) per child.
Out to brunch
Friday is brunch day in Dubai. These four-hour champagne-soaked marathons are not to be missed, especially at the Australian-style Yalumba (11) at Le Meridien (00 971 4 217 0000; yalumba-dubai.com) which combines a buffet with à la carte options and Bollinger (12.30 to 3.30pm; AED399/ £76pp including unlimited champagne.
On a Sunday, bistro and boulangerie La Serre at Vida hotel (3) (00 971 4 428 6969; laserre.ae) is a good option from noon to 3pm. The elegant first-floor restaurant serves fresh, inventive French cuisine, while downstairs European bakers produce croissants, pastries and baguettes.
Take a ride
Tour Downtown's main sights – Dubai Mall (12), Burj Khalifa (5) and the Opera District – on the brand-new, bright-red hop-on-hop-off double-decker Dubai Trolley. It starts from The Address Hotel (13) and ends at Old Town Island (14). A day pass bought on board is AED20 (£3.50); under-12s go free.
Alternatively pre-register online and rent a bike (bykystations.com) from one of the stations around town; three hours is AED30 (£5.70). The Jumeirah Corniche – a new running/cycling track – goes along the coast from the Burj Al Arab (15) to Dubai Marine Beach Resort, near Jumeirah Mosque (16).
Cultural afternoon
Find out about the Islamic faith at the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Cultural Understanding (17) at Al Mussallah Road 26 (00 971 4 353 6666; cultures.ae; 9am-5pm Sunday to Thursday, 9am-1pm Saturday). Tours (from AED65/£1) include a visit to the mosque, plus coffee and dates.
Icing on the cake
End on a high with a Bond-style helicopter flight – taking in The Palm, Burj Khalifa (5), and the "seven-star", sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel (15) – with HeliDubai (00 971 4 208 14 55;helidubai.com). Departs from Festival City (18), tickets AED895 (£169).
Source : independent.co.uk
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