
Visiting Dubai for the First Time? Here's What to See and Do
Don't let Dubai overwhelm you with our first time–friendly recommendations.
Opening onto Dubai Marina’s waterfront, the Dubai Marina Mall is ideally located for relaxed shopping and dining. Visitors can enjoy a wide spectrum of retail outlets, from couture houses and high-street brands such as Nike and H&M to cosmetics, gift shops, and a supermarket. Restaurants serve everything from gourmet burgers to Italian cuisine, and attractions include a Reel cinema and kids’ amusement center.
Travelers can experience the Dubai Marina Mall in various ways. Most Dubai tours stop at the marina to spotlight its skyscrapers and yachts, while some allow time for strolling and shopping. The mall is also on the sight list on Arabian dhow, yacht, and speedboat cruises that depart from the marina. Most evening Dubai tours visit the mall for photo ops of the city’s glittering skyline, including the beautifully floodlit mall.
Dubai Marina Mall will appeal to shopaholics, families, and sightseers.
Free parking and complimentary Wi-Fi are provided on-site.
ATMs, stroller rental, and a wheelchair service are available.
Attractions include a kids’ minitrain on the ground floor.
Located between Sheikh Zayed Road and the Dubai Marina, the Dubai Marina Mall is easily accessible. The quickest options are to take a tram to the Dubai Marina tram station or the metro to the DMCC stop and walk across the overpass to the mall from there. Buses also run to the Marina Promenade stop, about a 10-minute stroll from the mall. By car from downtown Dubai, follow Sheikh Zayed Road and take the tunnel after exit 32.
The Dubai Marina Mall is open 10am–11pm Saturday to Wednesday and 10am–12am Thursday and Friday. As it has fewer big-ticket leisure attractions than some Dubai malls, it never gets overcrowded—although it’s generally busier on Thursdays and Fridays.
If you’re visiting the Dubai Marina Mall, factor in time for a stroll along Dubai Marina’s waterfront. Leave the center on the marina side and amble along The Walk—a 4-mile (7-kilometer) palm-dotted esplanade. You’ll be treated to fabulous views over the city’s high-rises, including the twisting Cayan Tower, and the marina’s gleaming luxury yachts.