Home / Destinations / Dubai
Dubai
The most straightforward long haul holiday from Nairobi, and an easy stopover on the way almost anywhere.
Trips offered
Typical length
Best known for
Flight from Nairobi
Why go
Dubai works for Kenyan travellers for practical reasons before scenic ones. It is a five hour flight, served daily from Nairobi, in a time zone one hour ahead, with visa processing that is fast and predictable. For a first international trip with children, or a long weekend that has to stay short, very little else competes.
The city is also genuinely two places. The Downtown and Marina side is the one that appears in photographs: the Burj Khalifa, the malls, the beach clubs and the built waterfront. Cross the creek into Deira and Bur Dubai and you find the gold and spice souks, the abra boats and the older trading city that the rest was built on.
Beyond the city, the desert starts within forty minutes. A dune drive with dinner is the standard evening excursion, and a conservation reserve stay is the quieter, considerably better version of the same idea.
Where to go in Dubai
Downtown and Burj Khalifa
The observation decks, the fountain show and the Dubai Mall. Book the sunset slot at the top well in advance, because it sells out further ahead than any other attraction in the city.
Add to a trip
Old Dubai and the creek
Deira, the gold and spice souks, the Al Fahidi historic district and a one dirham abra crossing. The half day that most itineraries skip and most travellers end up rating highest.
Add to a trip
The desert
Dune drives, camel encounters and dinner under canvas within an hour of the city. The conservation reserves to the south are calmer and better run than the mass excursions.
Add to a trip
Palm Jumeirah and the Marina
Beach clubs, waterfront restaurants and the resort strip. Where most leisure travellers base themselves, and the easiest part of the city to fill unplanned days in.
Add to a trip
Shopping
Two of the largest malls on earth, plus the outlet districts and the traditional souks. The winter shopping festival brings the deepest discounts and the heaviest crowds together.
Add to a trip
As a stopover
Long layovers on routes to Asia and Europe can usually be extended to two or three nights at little or no additional airfare. We build this in at the ticketing stage rather than afterwards.
Add to a trip
When to travel
Best
Best
Best
Shoulder
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Shoulder
Best
Best
The best months have comfortable daytime temperatures and the full outdoor calendar. June to September is extremely hot, though hotel rates fall sharply and everything indoors runs as normal.
No fixed Dubai departures yet
Dubai trips are assembled around your dates, budget and whether the priority is shopping, family activities or a stopover. Visa consultation is handled as part of the booking.
Build it around your dates.
Most of what we arrange in Dubai is put together from scratch. Tell us the shape of the trip and a consultant will draft a route.