Dubai layover guide: what to do in 6, 10 or 24 hours
Shuttlix teamUpdated October 8, 2026 · 3 min read
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is one of the busiest transfer airports in the world, and it is only 15 minutes from the old city. With the right plan, a long stopover becomes a short holiday. This guide shows what fits into 6, 10 and 24 hours.
Can you leave the airport?
It depends on your passport. Travellers who qualify for a visa on arrival can walk through passport control like any other visitor. Other travellers need a transit visa, which is normally arranged through the airline before the trip. Check this before you fly: it cannot always be fixed at the airport.
How much time do you really have?
Take the length of the layover and remove two blocks of time:
- About 1 hour to get out: the walk from the gate, passport control and the way to the car or the Metro.
- About 3 hours to get back: the drive, security and the walk to the gate. DXB is large, and the gates can be 20 minutes from security.
| Layover | Time in the city | Best plan |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 hours | None | Stay in the terminal |
| 6 hours | About 2 hours | Old Dubai and the Creek |
| 10 hours | About 6 hours | Downtown and Old Dubai |
| 24 hours | A full day and a night | The whole city, with a hotel |
What about your bags?
Checked bags are normally sent through to your final airport: confirm this when you check in. For hand luggage, DXB has left-luggage desks in the terminals. If you book a car with a driver, the bags can stay in the car.
6 hours: Old Dubai
Stay close to the airport. Deira and the Creek are 10 to 15 minutes away by car. Walk through the gold souk and the spice souk, cross the Creek on a wooden abra boat for a couple of dirhams, and finish in the Al Fahidi historical district or at Al Seef. This is the Dubai that existed before the towers, and it fits into two hours.
10 hours: add Downtown
Start in Downtown Dubai, 15 to 20 minutes from the airport by car or about half an hour on the Metro Red Line. Book a timed ticket for the Burj Khalifa in advance, walk through the Dubai Mall and watch the fountain show, which runs in the evening. Then go to the Creek for dinner on the way back to the airport. See the price of the first leg on our Dubai Airport to Downtown page.
24 hours: the whole city
With a full day, add the modern coast: Dubai Marina and JBR beach, or the Palm Jumeirah. An evening desert safari is also possible: pick-ups are in mid-afternoon and you are back by about 9pm. Book a hotel near your last stop, so the morning transfer is short. Our guide to where to stay in Dubai gives the transfer time from each area.
Night layovers
The Metro does not run through the night, so a late arrival means a taxi or a pre-booked car. The city stays open late: the malls close between 10pm and midnight, and many restaurants serve after that. The souks are closed at night, so use the time for Downtown or the Marina.
The easy way: one car for the whole stopover
On a short layover, time spent waiting for taxis is time you do not get back. With a car with a driver, the driver meets you in arrivals, keeps your bags in the car, waits at each stop and returns you to the right terminal on time. You can book 5 or 10 hours at a fixed price.
If you only need the two airport journeys, book a Dubai Airport transfer each way. If your next flight leaves from a different terminal, read our guide to the DXB terminals first: Terminal 2 is on the other side of the runway.
Landing at Al Maktoum (DWC)?
Al Maktoum International is much further from the centre, so add at least an hour to every plan above. Our guide to Dubai’s two airports has the details.