Dubai in May

By Dom Bewley
Published: July 18, 2024
dubai in may

Dubai is fast becoming one of the places to visit. With its mix of larger-than-life attractions, year-round sun, and delightful beaches, it's no wonder you're considering it. But when is the best time to visit? Is Dubai in May perfect for your vacation plans? Check out our guide to Dubai, and decide for yourself if you should visit in May!

Including:

  • Dubai weather in May
  • Dubai's beaches at night
  • Wintery escapes from the warmth
  • Night delights in the desert
  • and more!
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Dubai in May: What to Expect

For many of us, May is the perfect mix of spring freshness and summer sun. The flowers are well in bloom, temperatures are 75-80°F, and we're settling into the transition between jeans and shorts. Dubai does May different, to no one's surprise. It's when we really start to see the mercury rise, as you can expect highs of 99°F and lows of 73°F. High humidity and minimal rain only reinforce the intense heat. Unless you're built for it, you may want to pick a month outside of the May-September range.

However, if May is the perfect vacation time for you logistically, you can still have a great time and see the sights while avoiding the worst of it. And if you're planning on hitting up some of Dubai's biggest attractions, you may actually have a better time of it, as tourism tends to dwindle in the summer period. That means fewer people, smaller queues, and more time for fun! So, let's explore the best way to enjoy Dubai in May.

Dubai in May: What to Do

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Snow Escapades

When the heat gets too much, where better to escape it than the snowy hills of a ski resort? But we're talking about Dubai here, a place with minimal summer rainfall and constant beating sun. Where in the world would one go to experience such alpine delights? Well,

Ski Dubai, of course! Dubai's very own indoor snowy paradise just happens to be the largest of its kind in the world, and you're more than welcome to strap up and get your ski on.

This all-inclusive package ensures you needn't bring anything other than your ski brain, and the center's multiple slopes ensure you have plenty of space to get powdery. Ski lingo, baby. And if skiing's not your bag, you can snowboard, sled up, or even just sit and admire the cool temperatures. Plus, there are penguins sometimes, which is the icing on the chilly cake.

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Sea, sand, and no sun?

Hitting the beach might be low on your itinerary when the sun can literally cook you in 20 minutes, but don't dismiss Dubai's sandy shores outright. Even under the cover of darkness, you can make the most of the space, and in some cases, the sea too. That's because many of Dubai's beaches are open to loungers 24/7. And in some cases, like with Umm Suqeim Beach, you can even take a dip in the sea after sundown.

Thanks to Umm Suqeim Beach's Smart Light system, the waters stay lit until midnight, so you can safely - and legally - appreciate the cooling waters after the sun runs off. Lifeguards are still on duty, so no worries about any potential mishaps. However, once the clock strikes 12, you'll need to vacate the cooling waters and stick to the sands. But so what? Heading to a sandy paradise like Dubai, the last thing you want to do is miss the beach scene entirely. At least this way, you give your skin a rest, and ensure you don't spend the rest of your vacation in painful red lobster mode.

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Night bites and dune gazing

Speaking of nighttime, another of Dubai's biggest draws is its magnificent dunes. As soon as you leave the outskirts of this young city, you're met with the endless, flowing sands of the beyond. And, while we wouldn't recommend heading out there on your own, they absolutely deserve to be explored. So, why not take a curated approach to exploration, and check out an evening tour and BBQ experience in the heart of Dubai's desert?

Kicking off with a 5-star taxi service that will comfortably transport you from your hotel to the desert, you'll arrive at the party camp. Then, sit down and treat yourself to a BBQ feast of spiced meats, veg, and other delicious Dubai delicacies. When you're full to bursting, lounge back and appreciate the evening's entertainment.

Featuring belly dancing, shisha, camel riding, and henna tattoos, it's an evening packed with fun! Then, you'll be taken right back to your hotel when the night is over. You'll have the best sleep in months.

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Burnt by the sun, but calmed by the waters

If you absolutely insist on meeting Dubai's unforgiving sun head-on, level the playing field at a water park. The H20 will help you cool off, at least. And good news, people, because Dubai has the water park game cornered thanks to some brilliant watery spaces.

Aquaventure Waterpark at Atlantis The Palm is one of the best, with plenty of amazing rides for both kids and adults. From death-defying drops to snakey slides, they even have a kids-only area and their own beach if you need to relax.

For kids, LEGOLAND® Water Park ticks all the boxes. Featuring 20 rides themed around many of their most recognizable characters, it might not be as exhilarating for adults as the other two, but there's nothing stopping you from getting on the rides and having a blast.

Either way, our top tip to come out unscathed is to apply, apply, and reapply sunscreen regularly throughout your visit. Slides and sunscreen don't mix, as the former will scrape the latter right off. So, make sure to stay topped up!

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Light bites

On hotter days, you might lose that hearty appetite. So, stay refueled with small dishes at Dubai's beach clubs. Not only will you get manageable dishes perfect for near-100° heat, but you'll have plenty of shade or air-conditioning to enjoy them in!

Twiggy by La Cantine is our pick, with its Mediterranean menu complimented by plenty of refreshing drinks and a massive infinity pool to cool off in. Perfect.

And that's our guide to Dubai in May! Looking for more fun ideas to experience during your vacation? Try Go City. With our All-Inclusive Pass or Explorer Pass, you can see all of Dubai's best bits when and how you want.

Dom Bewley
Go City Travel Expert

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The best neighborhoods in Dubai to explore

Often thought of as one seamless city of towering modern skyscrapers, Dubai is actually made up of a series of distinct neighborhoods. Each offers visitors something different, from historic mansions to what’s possibly the world’s most famous building – the Burj Khalifa. But which are the best neighborhoods in Dubai to explore? Where should you spend your time – downtown, Bur Dubai, d3 or somewhere else completely? A lot will depend on your interests, with this guide designed to help you decide. Downtown Dubai – the one not to miss It may be the neighborhood in Dubai not to miss, but you probably couldn’t even if you wanted to. At its center lies the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. A structure three times taller than the Eiffel Tower, it’s visible from 95 kilometers away. The emirate’s pride and joy, the Burj’s 124th and 125th floors contain the At The Top observation decks, standing more than 450 meters above the ground and providing unparalleled vistas through floor to ceiling windows. Return to ground level to take in Burj Lake at its best. Created by the same team behind the Bellagio’s fountains in Las Vegas, its jets dance to a jukebox’s worth of international hits every half an hour from 6PM, featuring stars including opera tenor Andrea Bocelli and king of pop Michael Jackson. Right next door is Dubai Mall, which continues the record-breaking theme of downtown by being the world’s largest. Take your pick of more than 1000 stores and 200 places to eat and drink before delving to the bottom of the Earth’s oceans at Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. Al Barsha – little known but with a huge personality Alongside Barsha Heights, Al Barsha doesn’t trip off the tongue like Dubai Marina or downtown, partly because a lot of it forms quiet low-rise residential dwellings. However, within its bounds you’ll find the Mall of the Emirates. Like Dubai Mall, it’s more than just a place to shop till you drop, being the home of the penguins and snow runs of Ski Dubai, totaling more than 22,000 square meters of indoor snow field in one of the hottest places on Earth. At the southern end of the Al Barsha neighborhood lies another climatic surprise, fittingly called the Miracle Garden. Rather less naturalistic than the other great botanic gardens of the world – there’s a giant topiary form of Mickey Mouse amongst other attractions – it still manages to elicit wows from most of its visitors, since there’s 250 million different plants to see, smell and touch. The same complex contains multiple climate-controlled domes forming an ideal habitat for around 15,000 butterflies belonging to 50 different regional and international species. Though thrilling in their own way, the need for an adrenaline rush can be met at IMG Worlds of Adventure theme park a short distance away. Aquaventure Waterpark at Atlantis The Palm does the same with H2O being the overarching theme – swimwear is the order of the day. Dubai Marina – the best neighborhood in Dubai for nightlife & beaches Water is never far from the center of the action in Dubai, and nowhere epitomizes this better than Dubai Marina. A complex of cafés, stores and high-end apartment buildings edging a completely man made waterway, this traffic-free neighborhood is a good place to relax at any time of day. However, it really comes to life in the evening hours, when expatriate workers returning home take advantage of Dubai’s weather to enjoy a drink or two on an open terrace. One way to enjoy the marina from afar is to drift skyward in one of the plush gondolas of Ain Dubai Ferris wheel. Not to be outdone by the attractions in the other neighborhoods in Dubai, Ain Dubai towers over its international cousins, reaching a maximum height of 250 meters – equivalent to the height of a 75 story building. The wheel is best admired from the Marina’s beaches, facing out into the Persian Gulf. Waterside markets provide further purchase opportunities, whilst the shallows ring with the sound of children having the time of their lives. Cabanas and a range of water sports seal the deal for adults. Bur Dubai – for a sense of old Dubai Is Bur Dubai the coolest neighborhood in Dubai? That’s up to you to decide. Is it one of the best neighborhoods in Dubai to visit to experience its history and culture? There’s nowhere better. Disappearing into residential properties towards its southern end, focus your attention on its northern portions, bounded by Dubai Creek. Stroll along the attractive waterfront at any time of day to disappear back two centuries, or better yet, take to the waters of the creek by kayak to enjoy the sunset in the most evocative part of the city. But to take in one of Bur Dubai’s most important structures, Dubai Museum, you’ll have to stay on dry land. The museum is important not only for its collection of ethnographic objects but also because it occupies Dubai’s oldest building – the Al Fahidi Fort, built in 1787. Not far away a series of historic mansions have also been brought back to their former glory, with several converted into additional museums and public spaces. d3 – Dubai’s design district Tucked into a once unloved semi-industrial area of Dubai enclosed by some of the emirate’s busiest roads, d3 still has the feel of a local secret. The purpose-built home of all manner of independent creatives, its streets are dotted with works of public art and its buildings are crowded with stores, design houses and pop-up exhibitions. This makes d3 a neighborhood in Dubai to escape the hustle and bustle without having to give up those things that make Dubai so special and life worth living, from lazy cups of coffee to November’s Dubai Design Week. Discover Dubai’s neighborhoods with Go City Look beyond the Burj Khalifa and you’ll find neighborhoods in Dubai which tick every box going. It doesn’t matter whether you’re into amusement parks or beaches, history or design, Dubai has a neighborhood worth exploring. Travel with Go City and you can do this whilst saving huge amounts on admission to many of Dubai’s best-loved attractions – including the observation decks of the Burj Khalifa!
Ian Packham
Sunset over Dubai Creek
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Things to do in Bur Dubai

Contradictorily meaning ‘mainland Dubai’, Bur Dubai is an island separated from the rest of the emirate by Dubai Creek. The term can be used to describe the entire island that results – stretching across to the At the Top observation decks of the Burj Khalifa in downtown. However, it’s more generally used to describe the area immediately opposite the Deira neighborhood around the Al Fahidi Historic District. You’re sure to find yourself here at some point, so what are the main things to do in Bur Dubai? Site of the original settlement that developed into the modern day city, Bur Dubai has plenty of history and atmosphere. Still an important hub for everything from culture to commerce, you won’t want to miss this neighborhood when visiting the region. Grab a bird’s eye view Whilst Dubai as a whole isn’t short of lofty panoramas, the historic nature of Bur Dubai means most of its structures only rise to three or four stories. One way to take in the mix of old and new is at Dubai Frame, whose upper reaches stand 150 meters over Zabeel Park. Forming a physical link between the historic and the contemporary, the frame’s interior contains a museum detailing the city’s past, and features suggesting how it may develop in future. Its upper levels have the expansive vistas you would expect alongside glass-bottomed floors so that visitors can look roughly 40 stories directly down. Described as the world’s largest picture frame, it may be better to think of it as a magical door between one world and another... Explore the quiet streets of Al Fahidi The Al Fahidi Historic District, lining the northernmost parts of Dubai Creek, takes visitors back to Dubai’s humble origins as a trading post between the sea routes of the Middle East and the home of pearl divers. An unofficial living museum, its alleyways are a huge contrast to the thoroughfares of downtown Dubai, whilst many of its structures date back to the nineteenth century when barjeel wind towers provided cooling air currents in homes long before the advent of modern air conditioning. Although home to important historic documents and photographs, it’s the structure itself of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House which holds our fascination, being the residence of one of Dubai’s most important rulers from 1912 until his death in 1958. However, the district’s oldest structure is Al Fahidi Fort, now Dubai Museum. Perhaps best reached as part of a Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing bus tour, it is Dubai’s oldest surviving structure, dating from 1787. As well as slightly twee dioramas of everyday life before the oil boom, there are some real treasures worthy of any museum in the world. Delve into the culture of Bur Dubai If your visit to Dubai Museum has you yearning to discover more about Emirati culture consider making your next stop the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU). Established in 1998 to foster cross-cultural comprehension, it organizes a range of events designed to bridge the gap between Dubai’s traditions and visitors’ understanding of them. There are regular visits to Jumeirah Mosque whatever your religious beliefs, as well as the chance to take part in a traditional tea ceremony or Emirati meal, with a host of dishes laid out on the floor in the time-honored manner. For dining with a view, we’d instead recommend a dhow dinner cruise of Dubai Creek. Taking place as the sun sets and the lights flicker on over landmarks including the National Bank of Dubai building, you can tuck in to an all-inclusive buffet dinner of international scope. Hit the shops For shopping in Bur Dubai with a touch of the OTT it’s difficult to beat the ancient Egyptian theme of WAFI Mall. Its name means trustworthy in Arabic, and there are few more trustworthy places to laden your arms with shopping bags than here. Passing the ranks of Anubis sculptures, obelisks and giant pharaonic statues you’ll enter a space that’s home to 350 stores and stained glass pyramids decorating the interior with splashes of color. If money’s no object, check out the designer stores, which include Burberry. They stand beside a range of smaller independent boutiques with just as much to recommend them. The same can be said for the Textile Souk back beside Dubai Museum. Each trader’s wealth of silks, cottons, damasks and colorful linens are ideal for anyone planning some interior design or looking for the next viral post on Instagram – in which case why not share them with @GoCity? Pay a visit to Dubai’s ‘Little India’ Bur Dubai has long been a bastion of the emirate’s Indian diaspora. Al Nahdha Street’s Meena Bazaar will whisk you away to the subcontinent, with a blend of wedding jewelry, ceramics and spices forming the stock of the hundreds of merchants eager to sell their wares. Shopping aside, there’s a choice of spots to satisfy your hunger, from stalls selling takeaway samosas for a few dirham to restaurants serving up authentic curries originating as far afield as Kathmandu in Nepal and Karachi in Pakistan. Keep a look out for the too-good-to-be-true prices of some goods, and thanks to its ambience, there’s a good chance you’ll consider it one of the best places to visit in Bur Dubai! How to visit Bur Dubai When it comes to things to do in Bur Dubai visitors aren’t limited in choice. Though it may not offer the beach vibes of other neighborhoods, it’s one of the easiest places to discover Dubai’s often forgotten history, as well as the culture of the emirate and the people who call Dubai their home. Remember too that the rest of Dubai is only a short metro, boat or taxi journey from Bur Dubai, and there’s no reason you can’t explore Bur Dubai one morning or afternoon before heading to Deira, downtown or Dubai Marina. But whatever you decide to do with your time in Dubai, be sure to do it with Go City. That way you’ll get reduced admission to many of the region’s top attractions, meaning more cash for shopping at WAFI Mall or dining at Meena Bazaar!
Ian Packham

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