Explore Dubai: five of the best sightseeing tours you can take

Book in for a discounted open-top City Sightseeing bus tour, or take to the skies or the water to see Dubai's sights

City Sightseeing has relaunched operations in Dubai. Courtesy Dubai Media Office

As tourism in Dubai continues to climb back to pre-pandemic levels, City Sightseeing, the global open-top bus brand, has relaunched operations in the city.

The Dubai tour, which first launched in 2014, takes visitors to see some of the city’s most famous attractions, stopping off at The Dubai Mall, Dubai Creek and Jumeirah Beach, among others.

To celebrate the relaunch, which is incorporating a number of new Covid-19 health and safety measures, City Sightseeing is offering up to 50 per cent discount to UAE residents.

“We’re delighted to announce that City Sightseeing Dubai is relaunching today with a host of enhanced health and safety features, offering UAE residents and tourists alike the chance to join us back on-board safely,” said Alaa AlKhatib, vice president, destination management at dnata Travel Group.

City Sightseeing Dubai's daily two-hour tour will run every hour from 10am to 4pm, departing from The Dubai Mall.

While open-top bus tours might be one of the best-known ways to explore a city, it is not the only way to discover Dubai.

Here are four other ways to see the city:

Take a boat tour

Some of Dubai’s most famous landmarks are located on the edge of the Arabian Gulf, meaning one of the best ways to take in its impressive skyline is by boat.

The Yellow Boats tour company offers a number of routes, but the most popular takes in all of the city’s landmarks, starting with the towering skyline of Dubai Marina, circling past Bluewaters Island, travelling around the Palm Jumeirah, stopping off for picture opportunities at the Atlantis, The Palm, and finishing up at Burj Al Arab.

The tour takes place every hour from 9am to 5pm. Prices from Dh225 for children and Dh299 for adults, and more information is at theyellowboats.com.

Take a helicopter tour

If you want to take your visit to Dubai to new heights, take a tour of the city from the skies. Helicopter tours offer a unique perspective on the city, which has many features designed to be taken in from above, including the Palm Jumeirah and World Islands.

Ariel tours are available from bookhelicoptertour.com, with 12-minute to 40-minute trips available. Prices from Dh646 per person.

Take a food tour

If your favourite thing about visiting a new city is eating your way around it, a food tour might be the best way for you to explore Dubai.

Whether you want to tuck into cuisine from the Middle East or explore Old Dubai via the street food venders that line the historic creek, there are plenty of options to fix your cravings. Frying Pan Adventures is a food tour company run by long-time Dubai residents who know the best places to take visitors for an authentic and tasty experience. From the three-and-a-half hour Dubai Souqs and Creekside Food Walk, to the four-hour Middle Eastern Food Pilgrimage, there are plenty of options, so you best arrive hungry.

Prices from Dh425.25 per person, and more information is at fryingpanadventures.com.

Explore by E-Scooter

If you want to get in on the action in some of Dubai’s most bustling areas, an E-Scooter trip is a speedy and efficient way to get an on-the-ground feel for the city.

If you are after a guided tour, join Wiam and Mus, who operate an E-Scooter tour via AirBnB. The pair have lived in the city for more than 10 years, and have studied Dubai history and culture. They run a daily evening tour, which takes visitors around the Marina, stopping off at Ain Dubai, JBR, Marina Promenade and Marina Mall, with plenty of local knowledge thrown in along the way.

The tours run from 9pm to 10.30pm each day, and costs Dh189 per person. More information can be found here.