the Dubai Mall
Dubai is a city known around the world for its luxury shopping. The Dubai Mall is probably the most famous place in the city for shopping, and a visit there is almost a must during your stay in Dubai. This Mall is nothing less than the largest shopping mall in the world.
Everything in this place is disproportionate, and a whole day will clearly not be too much to discover it.
More than just a shopping mall, the Dubai Mall is home to many of the world's most famous brands, such as Bloomingdale's or Galeries Lafayette. Of course, we're talking about Dubai here: luxury brands are obviously very numerous, with more than 400 luxury brands present such as Louboutin, Louis Vuitton or Chanel. Beyond shopping, the Mall has many other surprises in store, including an Olympic ice rink, 2 amusement parks and the famous Dubai Aquarium. Stores are also available for the more modest budgets, and are also present stores of all kinds (books, watches, furniture...).
Moreover, you will find more than 160 restaurants to eat.
My advice when visiting the Dubai Mall
When visiting the Dubai Mall, I highly recommend buying a "combo" ticket that will allow you to visit 2 of Dubai's most important monuments in one go. The ticket includes the discovery of the underwater tunnels of the Dubai Aquarium as well as the access to the 124th and 125th floors of the tallest skyscraper in the world to date (with the elevator included 😉).
I had opted for this "combo" ticket when discovering the Mall for the first time, and I can guarantee you that it will save you energy, time and money 🙂
The Dubai Mall covers a total of more than 386,102 square miles (one million square kilometers). It's hard to imagine such a large area, so to get an idea, know that from the subway station, you will have to cross 7 conveyor belts just to reach the entrance of the mall. The Dubai Mall has nearly 1,200 stores grouped by sector, and over 50 million people visit every year. It's HUGE! 🙂
The Dubai Mall is open Sunday to Wednesday from 10 am to midnight, and Thursday through Saturday from 10 am to 1 am. The mythical Burj Khalifa skyscraper is located near the mall. Dubai is a very large city, so you can kill two birds with one stone and discover another of Dubai's must-see places on the same day.
If you plan to visit this huge tower, remember to book your tickets online beforehand, because the wait can be long (I tell you more in my article about the Burj Khalifa visit)
THE MALL OF THE EMIRATES
This is the city's second largest shopping mall, which is another of Dubai's almost unmissable landmarks. With more than 2,368,060 sq ft of space (220,000 square meters), it offers more than 550 stores and about 100 restaurants and cafes. One of the most memorable places in this mall is the Fashion Dome, which is home to a number of top brand stores. The mall is also famous for its famous artificial ski resort, Ski Dubai.
Have you ever dreamed of shopping and skiing on the same day? And if I told you that it's possible to do so in the middle of the desert, would you believe me? 🙂
The Mall of the Emirates has a ski resort with 5 slopes for all levels, as well as 2 ski lifts. And you can practice different sports there: skiing, snowboarding, sledding, bobsleigh, ...
A little tip: remember to get your tickets as soon as possible to make sure you will have a place and won't need to line up.
The center has everything you need if you wish to take a break and relax during your shopping session. In the central hall, there is daily entertainment with fashion shows, product presentations and family activities. In addition to skiing, other activities are available and this mall also contains a movie theater and a Magic Planet. This park includes attractions that will delight children, such as bowling, the Astro Blaster and the Gravity Air Park.
The Mall of the Emirates is open from 10 am to 10 pm from Sunday to Wednesday, and from 1 am to midnight on other days of the week.
the Dubai Marina Mall
On the shores of the Dubai Marina, this mall built on an artificial island could be the perfect place to combine shopping and family outing. In addition to its particularly pleasant setting, the Marina Mall is also a shopping mall with a large number of stores, and it offers a variety of activities. Moreover, the brands present in this center are often big international brands, with more affordable prices than the luxury brands present in the other big malls of Dubai. For example, you can find brands like Diesel, H&M or Desigual. Of course, luxury stores are still present, and Dior or Cerruti also have their place in the aisles of the Marina Mall.
In addition to about 400 stores, there is also a bowling alley, a VOX Cinemas complex and "Fun City", an area with many attractions for children. The mall also offers a wide variety of bars and restaurants.
the City Walk
This Mall is certainly not the biggest in Dubai, but it is most likely the one that manages to best stand out from the others. Here, no gigantic ultra-modern complex – the City Walk is more like a real commercial district. In this lively urban center located between the beach (which is one of the most beautiful beaches in Dubai) and Downtown Dubai, you'll find stores, hotels and open-air restaurants.
In these pedestrian streets, which are reminiscent of some European cities, there are many stores specializing in clothing and fashion accessories. In between purchases, you can go to the Green Planet, Dubai's first tropical forest, while children under 10 can have fun at the “Mattel Play! Town”.There are also a number of popular eateries on the City Walk streets, such as the “Graze Gastro Grill” and the “Farzi Cafe”.
the BurJuman
In the heart of historic Dubai (a very good area if you don't know where to sleep in Dubai, by the way!), this Mall is probably the one that offers the most high-end products in the whole city. All the biggest luxury brands have their store there, such as Cartier, Rolex or Tiffany & Co.
It is also possible to find some more popular brands like H&M, Zara or New Look. In addition to the fashion boutiques, this shopping center also houses a good number of stores specializing in electronics, decoration or sporting goods.
Additionally, you will find restaurants offering food from all over the world, as well as a Vox Cinemas complex and a Magic Planet park. BurJuman Mall is open every day of the week from 10 am to 10 pm, and is easily accessible by subway.
the Dubai Outlet Mall
Dubai is the city of luxury, but don't let that stop you from getting good deals! This shopping mall, which has nearly 250 stores, offers great prices on cut-label clothing and products from previous collections. This Mall is located at the exit of the city, and it will take you half an hour to drive to it from the city center.
Of course, the selection will be much smaller than in the big malls of the city, but you will still find items for all tastes and budgets. At the Dubai Outlet Mall, you can find unique pieces from top designers at much more affordable prices than usual. The mall is open daily from 10 am to 10 pm, with extended opening hours on Thursdays and Fridays until 11 pm.
A HUNDRED SHOPPING CENTERS
By now you know the most famous shopping malls in the city. But Dubai covers an area of more than 1,540 square miles (4,000 square kilometers) and has a total of about 100 shopping centers. The Dubai Festival City Mall, the Beach Dubai or the Mercato Mall are other popular malls, but it would be truly impossible to list them all. In the end, whether you need to shop or not is not even really the point. These malls are an integral part of the city's identity, and your stay in Dubai wouldn't be complete without taking the time to explore some of them.
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