Dubai, as most of us know, is a ritzy modern metropolis that delights its visitors with ultra luxurious hotels, upscale eateries, world-class shopping and towering skyscrapers. But, did you know that this gleaming and high-tech city can also give you a heavy dose of fun and adventure? From skydiving to desert safaris, Dubai is truly a blissful adventure playground that will blow your mind with an awesome variety of thrilling outdoor adventures. Here are a few outdoor adventures that you must try during your visit to the “City of Gold”.
1. Skydiving
Skydiving is, as far as I’m concerned, truly the ultimate outdoor thrill in Dubai. After all, it is a heart-pumping aerial escapade that lets you jump off a plane, and skydive over 12,000 feet above the ground – together of course with a licensed skydiving instructor. Not only will give you a spine-tingling escapade, but will also give you an awe-inspiring bird’s eye view of Dubai and its fabulous coastline. As a matter of fact, it will give a panoramic view of the man-made paradise Palm Jumeirah as well as the city’s other famous landmarks, including World Island and Burj El Arab.
2. Climb Oman’s Mighty Hajar Mountains
Climbing, as a pastime, has been steadily flourishing in UAE, with new trekking routes being discovered and existing ones developed by a small crew of enthusiastic climbers and adventure tour operators. The Hajar Mountains, one of the region’s most popular climbing destinations, have towering limestone crags with a wide variety of challenges to adrenaline junkies, from short climbs to supremely challenging 3,000-foot routes up high peaks. With an impressive height of 10,000 feet, these mighty mountains indeed offer a rather tough challenge even for seasoned trekkers and mountaineers.
3. Mountain Biking
Adventurous and devoted mountain bikers will certainly find their bliss in Oman’s Hajar Mountains, which boasts an incredible labyrinth of big-time biking trails. With steep climbs and rough grounds, these biking tracks offer an irresistible and tasty challenge to experienced riders and extreme adventurists. Plus, the trails are home to a plethora of wild animals, including mountain goats, wild donkeys, snakes and lizards – making your biking trip even more challenging and exciting.
4. Sandboarding
Want to experience something cool and unique in Dubai? Then, make your way to its beautiful desert, and enjoy an unforgettable adrenaline rush sandboarding down its dunes. More than just an exciting diversion, sandboarding in Dubai also lets you take in the gorgeous sights of the UAE’s vivid and vast desert landscapes.
5. Sea kayaking
The coast of the Arabian Peninsula has a cluster of arenas where you can experience a wondrous sea kayaking trip, including areas of wetland that seem out of the place with the scorching desert climate of the region. On the East Coast, kayakers can explore the Khor Klaba, a 1,500-hectare protected mangrove forest that serves as home to the important local wildlife like the Socotra cormorants and white-collared kingfishers. Plus, on the West Coast, you can also explore the verdant mangroves of Um Al Quwain and Abu Dhabi, in which can meet and greet a few turtles and friendly flamingos.
6. Desert Safari or Dune Bashing
Fond of road trips? Trust me, Dubai’s desert safari is unlike any road excursion you’ve ever been before. With this road adventure, you’ll get an electrifying, dune-bashing ride and stomach churning ride over the lofty sand dunes of the desert. As an added bonus, this road trip will take you to a strategic vantage point where you can gaze over a glorious sunset. The trip will, then, culminate with a dinner barbecue buffet with traditional music and belly dancing performances to make your experience even more delightful.
7. Kite-surfing or Wakeboarding
Prime hotels and residential occupy most of Dubai’s city coastline, which means a large part of it is in private finds. Fortunately, though, water sports enthusiasts can still have a blast in Dubai’s coastline, thanks to the Umm Suqiem – an accessible quaint area full of lovely villas in the shadow of the striking sail-shaped Burj Arab hotel. In the past few years, this charming enclave has become a beloved spot for wakeboarding and kite-surfing aficionados.
Traveling Soon? Use my Favorite Resources for Booking Your Trip!
Book Your Flight
Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine, because it checks dozens of airlines so you can easily find the best fare deals. You can also select ‘cheapest month’ to find the lowest fares for your destination (I use this all the time!).
Book Your Accommodations
I use both Booking.com and Expedia for hotels, because each offers a couple different hotel choices and I like to compare the reviews on each one. If you have a group or are looking for more of a home atmosphere, head over to VRBO or AirBNB that has houses, apartments and even just a room for rent in every price range.
Book Your Rental Car
If love the freedom to explore like I do, driving from place to place is the best option! I always book with Discover Cars for the best prices and top brand options.
Book Some Fun Tours!
Viator and Get Your Guide are my go-to search engines for cool bucket list experiences! Each one can have different tours, so check both—why limit yourself, right?
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel can be unpredictable. Whether it’s a last-minute cancellation, an injury, or (ugh) theft, things happen. That’s why I recommend never leaving the country without travel insurance. Here are my faves: Safety Wing and World Nomads.
Get Packing & Travel Essentials Ready
Check out the Bucket List Journey Amazon Store to find all my favorite travel essentials. Everything from Packing cubes, to travel adapters and toiletry containers to walking shoes.
*Lastly, check travel.state.gov for visa requirements and safety information.
Amazing Post
When I will visit Dubai. I really gonna try out all these outdoor adventures. Loved this post. Thanks for sharing.
I was in Dubai for a business trip late March 2017. I was surfing the internet to find any sport activities and I got to https://touristino.com/, a site with many informative articles about Dubai. I found out that the Dubai World Cup (a horse race event) was in progress. Lucky enough to find tickets, I attended the main event at Maydan Racecourse and Sia’s live performance after that.
I also found out at the same website (https://touristino.com/articles/175-dubai_duty_free_ddf_tennis_centre) that I had just missed the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, which was won this year by Andy Murray. I’m definitely coming back next year for more sporting events.