Visiting Dubai was on my bucket list since forever. When we started to plan our 6 months long Asia trip I didn’t know exactly where I wanna go but I knew one thing for sure: Dubai will be our first stop. Dubai is a perfect gateway between Europe and Asia and since it’s full of beautiful Instagram worthy places it needed to be on our itinerary for sure. In this post I collected all the most instagrammable places in Dubai with their exact locations and a bunch of useful tips about when to visit or how to get there.
Disclosure: *This post contains a few affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through my link!*
Most Instagrammable Places in Dubai
1. Burj Khalifa - At the top
Going up to the world’s tallest building definitely needs to be on your Dubai itinerary! Not only you will get an incredible view from the top of the Burj Khalifa, there are countless Instagram worthy photo options up there too! You can sit in front of the glass viewing platforms with the Dubai skyline in the background and you can also find some very Instagrammable wings inside the building.
Location on Google Maps: At the Top, Burj Khalifa
How to get there: For public transportation you can use the red metro line that stops at the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall metro station. After that you need to walk approx. 1 km to reach the Burj Khalifa entrance in the Dubai Mall. Alternatively you can use a taxi – ask the driver to drop you off at the Fashion Parking in the Dubai Mall.
Best time to go: Most people choose to go up to the Burj Khalifa for sunset. I suggest doing exactly the opposite and going there for sunrise! Sunrise tickets are the cheapest options and they include a light breakfast at the cafeteria too. The sun rises just in front of the viewing platforms and you don’t have to fight with the crowds to have that perfect Instagram shot. Trust me, it’s totally worth to wake up early for!
Cost: Ticket prices vary based on which levels you want to visit and when. With the standard tickets you can visit the 124-125 levels and they cost between 149-224 AED. If you wanna go for sunrise you should book the Sunrise + Breakfast option which costs between 149-153 AED. You can also visit the 148 level which is the highest point of the Burj Khalifa but be prepared for a very pricy experience as the tickets cost between 378-533 AED.
2. Burj al Arab - From the Jumeirah Public Beach
The Burj al Arab is one of the most luxurious buildings in the world and a true icon of Dubai. Although staying there is very expensive but luckily admiring it from the outside will not cost you a penny. In my opinion the best place to take photos of the Burj al Arab is from the Jumeirah Public beach – which is also free!
Location on Google Maps: Burj al Arab, Jumeirah Public Beach
How to get there: Unfortunately there are no metro stations nearby but there are several bus stops around the Jumeirah Beach such as the Wild Wadi or the Maharba Masjid (bus lines: 8, 81, 88, N55, X28). As an alternative option, you can call a taxi which is fairy cheap everywhere in Dubai.
Best time to go: The view from the beach is amazing any time of the day but if you want something special, go there for sunset!
Cost: Visiting the Jumeirah Public Beach is absolutely free!
3. Dubai Creek
Dubai Creek is still a developing part in Dubai as they only started to build up the whole complex recently. There are many new constructions going on but a big part of the area is already finished and can be freely visited.
I didn’t really know that when I visited and I expected a lively neighborhood with many bars and restaurants. But in reality it’s a quiet place with only a few locals hanging around. None of the restaurants are opened yet, only some playgrounds for the kids.
Anyways the main reason I visited Dubai Creek was for the views and let me tell you in advance – it did not disappoint! You can see the whole Dubai skyline across the river which is pretty spectacular. Not to mention all the Instagram worthy photo opportunities! The Dubai Creek is definitely on of the best places to take photos in Dubai.
Location on Google Maps: Dubai Creek Harbour
How to get there: As I mentioned the area is still in progress so currently it can’t be reached with public transportation, your only option is taking a taxi. It’s important to know that there are no taxis around the harbour for your return trip either. It means you need to ask you taxi driver to wait for you until you explore the area or make an appointment for your return trip in advance!
Best time to go: Definitely sunset! As you can’t really do anything else around apart from taking a few photos and admiring the views, the best is to visit one hour before sunset. This way you can explore the best photo spots, take some pictures during golden hour and after sunset you can see how the Dubai skyline looks in the dark with the lights turned on.
Cost: Apart from the cost of the taxi ride, it’s absolutely free.
4. Atlantis, The Palm
Atlantis, The Palm is a legendary hotel in Dubai located on the artificial palm-tree shaped archipelago called Palm Jumeirah. Generally if you are not a guest of the hotel you are not allowed to get inside. But our taxi driver told us a little trick! When the guards at the entrance ask you why you wanna get in simply say that you wanna visit the shisha bar. They will let you pass and once you’re inside you are free to roam around the hotel!
The hotel itself is really beautiful inside and out but what’s really special about this place is the indoor aquarium! It’s called the Lost Chambers Aquarium and if you wanna visit the whole place you need to buy a ticket (which is quite expensive).
But if you’re the guest of the hotel (or you sneaked in like we did) you can see one part of the aquarium for free! Simply walk towards the entrance of the Lost Chambers Aquarium inside the hotel and once you walk down the stairs you will immediately spot the free part of the Aquarium. It’s a huge aquarium full of fishes, manta rays and sharks. Pretty magical!
Location on Google Maps: Atlantis, The Palm
How to get there: Unfortunately public transportation is not an option so you need to take a taxi.
Best time to go: The best is to go in the morning to avoid the crowd at the Aquarium. We visited in the afternoon and it was really hard to shoot a picture without any other people in it!
Cost: Apart from the cost of the taxi ride if you sneak into the hotel like we did, it’s free to visit the small Aquarium. However if you wanna get inside you need to pay 110-135 AED per person for the tickets.
5. Dubai Miracle Garden
The Dubai Miracle Garden is definitely the most beautiful garden I’ve ever seen! It is full of gorgeous flower installations like huge sculptures covered with flowers, heart shaped tunnels and colorful umbrellas. I’m absolutely obsessed with flowers so it was like a heaven for me! And let’s face it: colorful flowers always make a perfect backdrop for the photos.
Good to know that the garden is only open between mid-November to mid-May so unfortunately if you’re visiting outside these months you will not be able to see the gardens.
Location on Google Maps: Dubai Miracle Garden
How to get there: If you wanna use public transportation, you have to take the red metro line and stop at the MOE (Mall of Emirates) metro station. After that you need to take the bus nr. 105 which takes you directly to the Miracle Garden. Good to know that this whole process takes more than 1 hour. If you want to save some time, you can take a taxi instead.
Best time to go: The park opens at 9 am every day so if you want to make sure to get the perfect Instagram worthy photos, go there for opening time! We went there around noon and the park was already full of people which made it quite difficult to shoot. However a little patience (and sometimes a bit of Photoshop) always does the trick!
Cost: The entrance ticket costs 55 AED per person.
6. Wings of Mexico Statue
The Wings of Mexico statue is one of the coolest installations in Dubai and it’s a must visit on every Instagrammer’s itinerary. The wings are really photogenic and if you combine it with the Burj Khalifa in the background you get a perfect Instagram photo in return! You can basically frame it two different ways: when the Burj Khalifa is standing high in the background or you can compose it within the frame of the wings.
Location on Google Maps: Wings of Mexico Statue
How to get there: The easiest option is to combine visiting the Wings of Mexico statue with the Burj Khalifa or the Dubai Mall because all of them are in walking distance from each other. Alternatively you can use bus nr. 27 or F13 which stops right in front of the wings or take a taxi.
Best time to go: This is a place that you can visit basically any time of the day. We visited in the middle of the day and I expected a big crowd in front of the statue however it was completely empty.
Cost: Visiting the Wings of Mexico statue is absolutely free!
7. Burj Park by Emaar
If you want to shoot the perfect Instagram picture with the full Burj Khalifa in the background, you need to visit the Burj Park by Emaar! The whole park is beautiful and offers amazing views not just over the Burj Khalifa but the nearby skyscrapers too.
The only downside is that you are not allowed to shoot here with a camera. Don’t ask why, I find it totally ridiculous but when we started shooting a guard came to us and told us that we can’t use our camera for shooting, only our phone. The problem with that is unless you have a new iPhone with a wide angle lens, you can’t shoot a picture with the whole Burj Khalifa in the background. Just see the below second photo that I made with my iPhone XS. See what I mean?
Luckily we managed to shoot a few pictures before the guard noticed us and it turned out just the way I wanted (see the picture on the right below). My advice is to scoop your location in advance, plan your pose, set your camera and go all in because you will have only 1-2 minutes to shoot before the guards will notice you.
Location on Google Maps: Burj Park by Emaar
How to get there: The easiest option is to combine visiting the Burj Park by Emaar with the Burj Khalifa or the Dubai Mall because all of them are in walking distance from each other. Otherwise it’s a 1.5 km long walk from the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall metro station.
Best time to go: Since it’s a public park and usually not so crowded you can visit any time of the day. Just carefully plan everything before you take out your camera because the guards will make you put it away right after they see it.
Cost: Visiting the Burj Park is absolutely free!
8. Palace Downtown
The Palace Downtown is one of the most beautiful hotels in Dubai and it offers an amazing view over the Burj Khalifa. You can visit the pool area outside the hotel even if you are not a hotel guest and you can shoot some really epic Instagram photos there!
While we were shooting a guard came to us and told us that we are not allowed to shoot here with our camera. Apparently if you have a nice camera and a pretty dress everyone thinks you are a professional and you are shooting commercials or anything like that. We explained the guard that we are not professionals, just normal travellers so eventually he let us do a few more clicks. Since the Burj Khalifa is extremely tall, a wide angle lens is much needed for this shot too!
Location on Google Maps: Palace Hotel and Burj Khalifa
How to get there: The easiest option is to combine visiting the Palace Downtown with the Burj Khalifa or the Dubai Mall because all of them are in walking distance from each other. Alternatively you can use bus nr. 27 or F13 which stops near the hotel or take a taxi.
Best time to go: We went there in the morning and unfortunately the shadows were really harsh on the pool. Based on that I would recommend visiting in the afternoon and I’ve seen some amazing photos here taken at sunset as well!
Cost: Visiting this part of the Palace Downtown is absolutely free!
9. Dubai Mall
The Dubai Mall is another iconic place in Dubai and the most famous place in the Mall is definitely the Waterfall Wall. The waterfall is 24- metre tall and it is decorated with fibreglass sculptures of divers. It looks pretty cool!
Location on Google Maps: Dubai Mall, Waterfall Wall inside the Dubai Mall
How to get there: For public transportation you can use the red metro line that stops at the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall metro station. After that you need to walk approx. 10 minutes to reach the first entrance of the Dubai Mall. Alternatively you can use a taxi.
Best time to go: You can visit any time of the day but the best is to go early in the morning if you want to avoid the crowd.
Cost: Visiting the Dubai Mall is absolutely free!
10. Dubai Steel Heart
We stumbled upon this cool steel heart installation after we stepped out of the Dubai Mall. It is also an amazing location to shoot a great picture with the Burj Khalifa in the background! You can find a cute corner next to the steel heart with carpets and treasure chests but when we visited in the morning it was still closed. (I guess you can only use that if you pay for it.)
Location on Google Maps: Dubai Steel Heart
How to get there: The easiest option is to combine visiting the Dubai Steel Heart with the Burj Khalifa or the Dubai Mall because all of them are in walking distance from each other. If you are coming from the Dubai Mall, use the exit which is the closest to the Waterfall Wall. This way you will end up right in front of the Dubai Steel Heart.
Best time to go: You can visit any time of the day but the best is to go early in the morning if you want to avoid the crowd.
Cost: Visiting the Dubai Steel Heart is absolutely free!
11. Dubai Desert
No Dubai itinerary is complete without visiting the Dubai Desert! Not only you will have an exciting day touring the desert, you will have many amazing photo opportunities there too. I mean you simply can’t take a bad picture with these sand dunes, am I right?
To be honest with you I liked the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan a lot more than the desert in Dubai. But it’s still an amazing experience, especially if you haven’t been to a desert before!
In order to visit the Dubai desert you need to book a Desert safari. There are countless options out there but we decided to book a tour with OceanAir Travels via GetYourGuide and we loved everything about it! We opted for the 7-Hour Shared Red Dunes & Open Buffet Tour. You can choose between two starting times: 10 am or 2 pm. I recommend choosing the 2 pm version because this way you can see the sunset in the desert which is really magical!
Location on Google Maps: Dubai Desert
How to get there: If you book a Desert safari you don’t need to worry about it because they will pick you up at your hotel.
Best time to go: Always choose the afternoon option, if there is any! Seeing the sunset in the desert is such a magical experience.
Cost: It highly depends on which company you choose for the Desert safari. As I mentioned we chose a tour via GetYourGuide and we paid like 500 AED for 2 people. I can absolutely recommend them! It’s worth to check the price for multiple days as it can vary based on the selected dates.
Final thoughts
Dubai is definitely one of the most instagrammable places I’ve ever visited. I absolutely loved visiting all these perfect photography spots the city has to offer. I had high hopes for Dubai and I ended up loving it even more I thought I would!
Hope you guys liked this post about the most instagrammable places in Dubai and you will be able to create some pretty epic photos as well while visiting Dubai!
If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email, I always love helping you out! Do you know some other great photography spots in Dubai? Let me know in the comments!
xoxo, Kriszti
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