A First Trip to Dubai: Our Luxury Week in the Gulf

We left New York in the evening and landed in Dubai a little after seven the following night, rested enough after a flat bed and a long sleep somewhere over Central Asia. A meet-and-assist service walked us from the aircraft door to the car in twenty minutes, which we would recommend to anyone arriving with family or after a long day; our guide to arriving privately explains how it works. The first surprise came on the drive into town. We had expected a city of glass, and it is that, but it is also a city of gardens, of mosques lit softly at night, of families walking the waterfront at ten o'clock in the evening because, in November, that is the loveliest time to be outside.

For our first three nights we chose the beach. There is a long and fair argument about the finest hotels in Dubai, and we will not settle it here, but the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah (five stars), which reopens in 2027 after a restoration, remains extraordinary for its service and its sense of occasion, while Atlantis The Royal (five stars) on Palm Jumeirah suits those who want restaurants and energy on the doorstep. Travelers who want quiet should look at the Bulgari Resort on Jumeira Bay Island, which feels like a private island a few minutes from the city.

The drive to Abu Dhabi takes about ninety minutes, and the city has a different rhythm: greener, calmer, with a long Corniche and a feeling of space. We went straight to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Entry, a modest AED 10 for visitors, must be booked online, and modest dress is required; women are asked to cover their hair, and abayas are available if you need one. Nothing we had read prepared us for the white marble, the flowers inlaid in stone, or the hush inside.

We stayed two nights at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental (five stars), which is as grand as its name, and spent a day on Saadiyat Island, where the Louvre Abu Dhabi sits beneath its great perforated dome, letting light fall like rain through palm leaves. Beside it, the Zayed National Museum opened in December 2025, and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is due to open on December 11, 2026 (status: Opening December 2026). Read more about the district in our Saadiyat cultural guide. The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort (five stars) is the place to stay if you would rather wake up by the beach and the museums.

What surprised us most was how easy it all was. English is spoken everywhere in hotels and shops, US citizens receive entry on arrival, and the weekend falls on Saturday and Sunday, as at home. Alcohol is served in licensed hotels and restaurants. People dress stylishly but modestly in public places, and we were glad to have packed a light layer for the malls, which are cool, and for mosque visits. Prices are in dirhams, pegged at about 3.67 to the dollar, which makes the arithmetic easy.

What to book ahead: the Burj Khalifa at sunset, the leading MICHELIN tables, your desert evening, the Grand Mosque time slot and any Saturday brunch. In peak season, from mid-December to early January and around the big events, the best hotels fill early. For flights, see the best airlines to the Middle East; between them, Emirates and Etihad fly nonstop from more than a dozen US cities.

We flew home already planning the next visit, and, like many first-timers, idly browsing apartments on the Palm. If that is you too, our guide to Dubai Luxury Real Estate investment and the UAE golden visa is the place to start. For the full country picture, see our UAE luxury travel guide.