The compact city of Dubai with its good roads has several tour companies offering a variety of city tours with the itinerary varying in day and duration. Such tours cover all major landmarks and sights within a matter of hours. But an imaginative way of seeing Dubai is by taking the Creek tour by a traditional wooden dhow or cabin cruiser, complete with food and beverages on board.

Not only for the adventurous, the desert safaris of Dubai, a must for any visitor, are best organised as part of a group tour giving you a taste of hinterland Arabia. The vast, sandy enigma of the desert can be sampled in exciting half-day, full-day, or overnight safaris by major tour operators. Highlights of a safari includes dune driving with four-wheel drives and qualified instructors, wadi bashing which simply means exploring the wadis or dry river beds on four-wheel drives, sand-skiing, camel riding, visits to a local Bedouin village, and traditional Bedouin barbecues under a setting sun ranging from a quiet and romantic one to something lively, packed with music and belly dancing.