My Ultimate Solo Female Travel Guide to Dubai

Are you tired of your travel plans getting cancelled every single time? Or you don’t fancy family trips that much? Or are you just looking for some me-time away from the hustle-bustle of the city life? Well, the answer to all these problems is a Solo Trip! And what better place than the fascinating and glamorous Dubai?

Dubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. On your solo trip to the country, you will discover futuristic skyscrapers, beautiful beaches, and hot temperatures all around the year. From man-made islands to many ‘world’s largest in Dubai,’ the country will surprise you!

Here is a little solo female travel guide to Dubai for you before planning your trip to the gorgeous country.

How to Reach Dubai

You can book a flight from whichever country you are in to reach Dubai. The country has direct and connecting flights from all nations across the world.

I am from India, and I booked a flight from Bangalore, Karnataka, to Dubai. I got a connecting flight with a layover in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The total flight time (including the layover) was about 17 hours and 30 minutes. The view from the flight of the nearby landscape and the sea was amazing! 

Do check out my blog on Important things to carry on your first solo trip. I hope it helps you on your first solo trip!

Top Tourist Places to Explore in Dubai

As you surf the internet looking for places to visit, you will come across plenty of options. But here are some of my favourite places that made my solo trip to Dubai a memorable one!

1. The Burj Khalifa

The Burj Khalifa is Dubai’s most popular tourist attraction, and rightly so! It is the tallest building in the world. For me, the best part about visiting the Burj Khalifa was going on the top floor and feeling like I was on top of the world! Well, the building has 124 floors, and the views from the top are mesmerising!

To get better views of the nearby landscapes, you can visit the Burj Khalifa at night. All you will have to do is purchase a ticket to the top floor, and a high-speed elevator will take you to your destination. 

Trust me, you do not want to miss this opportunity of viewing from the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa!

You can read up some interesting facts about Burj Khalifa here.

2. The Jumeirah Mosque

Considered the most beautiful mosques in Dubai, the Jumeirah Mosque is a beautiful example of Islamic architecture. It is an exact replica of the Al-Azhar Mosque located in Cairo, which is about eight times bigger! Constructed in medieval Fatimid tradition, the Jumeirah Mosque has two minarets that beautifully display the elegant stonework and its subtle details.

The Jumeirah Mosque is a must-visit for those who love to visit religious architectures and have a keen interest in different cultures!

I visited this place on my trip, and the vibes I got here were very positive. On my tour of the mosque, I felt light-hearted and will always cherish it.

3. The Dubai Fountain

The Dubai Fountain is the world’s tallest and most remarkable fountain. It stands in the middle of Burj Lake and has a towering height of about 900 meters! If you are a night owl like me, you will love Dubai even more. If you want to experience an ultimate nightlife, you must visit this fountain at night. It is also the perfect place to click some stunning pictures!

The fountain has 6600 super lights and 25 projectors that work together to give you illusions of over 1000 different expressions of water! It also performs on different soundtracks and rhythms of different music of contemporary, classical, Arabic, and world genres!

4. The Dubai Mall

Another popular tourist attraction, the Dubai Mall, is one of the best in the world. The mall has an elegantly designed architecture and interior designs that are very alluring to the eyes. You will find all the expensive and high-end brands here in the mall. It is the largest mall in the world when considered the land area and comprises over 1,200 shops!

Every year, the Dubai Mall records about 54 million tourists from all over the world. There are 22 movie theatres and over ten famous cafes and restaurants for you to explore the best national and international cuisine!

The famous Dubai Aquarium is located on the ground floor of the mall. There are several aquatic species in the aquarium. It also has an underwater zoo that is the house of many endangered species. You must check the aquarium out if you are a nature and animal lover!

I visited the Dubai Mall on my solo trip. I guess I might have gone a bit overboard with the shopping. But hey, who cares when you are in the most beautiful mall in the world, right?

5. The Global Village

The Global Village is considered the one-stop solution to all your shopping, entertainment, and food problems. It is located on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and is a must-visit for every solo female traveller. There are 31 pavilions, and each pavilion represents a different nation and its culture and cuisine!

There is so much to explore in the Global Village that it is worth every minute you spend here! 

You can also check out my blog on 25 things to do alone in Dubai.

Top Budget-Friendly Restaurants in Dubai For Your Hunger Pangs

This section of the blog will take you through some of the best restaurants in Dubai that you must check out while you explore this beautiful country on your solo travel. These restaurants are budget-friendly and will not burn a hole in your pocket!

1. Logma

A casual eatery with beautiful modern interiors, Logma is a must-visit food place in Dubai. The place offers authentic traditional cuisines that consist of aromatic rice dishes, healthy and nutritious salads, saffron scrambled eggs, and traditional desserts like the saffron milk cake! Logma has three branches across the town, and each one offers the same delicious food treats.

On my solo trip to Dubai, I tried their chips, Oman paratha, and the cream cheese-filled flatbread, and it was oh-so-yummy!

2. Brambles

This cute cafe in the middle of Barsha Heights’ vibrant area is all about pink and pretty. The food dishes offered by Brambles are to die for. Their menu includes items such as shakshuka breakfast tacos, kale brownie, avocado pizza, and peanut butter açai bowls. You can pick any food item you want and trust me, you will not regret visiting this place. The food is served in a very beautiful and tidy manner as well, which is totally Instagram-worthy!

3. Delhi Darbar

This all-time favourite Indian restaurant is many people’s favourite in Dubai as well. Originally from the chain of restaurants in Mumbai, India, Delhi Darbar is located in the residential area of Al Barsha. Its menu of authentic Indian dishes are worth every penny you spend. 

The must-try food dishes at Delhi Darbar are the chicken biryani, spicy chicken curry, tandoori kebab, fragrant masala chai, and fresh mango lassi!

I have tried the food from Delhi Darbar, Mumbai, and it’s amazing! On my solo trip to Dubai, I happened to come across this branch of Delhi Darbar and could not resist stopping by. Trust me, the food tastes exactly the same and will not disappoint you! 

4. Al Mallah

Established in 1979, Al Mallah serves some mouthwatering Lebanese dishes. Their menu covers some of the most delicious food items, and you will be spoiled for choices as you have a decent meal here! You can either have a snack here like the meat kebab flatbread known as shawarma or a full-blown one person meal fattoush salad, tangy vine leaves, and oven-fresh flatbread!

The prices here are quite low for the delicious food offered, and you can fill your tummy as much as you can without burning a hole in your pocket!

My personal favourite from Al Mallah is the shawarma. It is made of minced meat wrapped in a hot flatbread and lots of vegetables and spicy sauces!

5. Bu Qtair

Craving some cheap and tasty seafood? Don’t worry, Bu Qtair has got you covered! Located in the bustling coastline area of Umm Suqeim, their menu has remained constant over decades. Some of the best seafood dishes served at Bu Qtair include coconut fish curry sauce, masala-marinated fish, prawns curry, and hot flatbreads. This place is a must-visit for all the seafood lovers!

If Dubai is your first ever solo trip, you can read my blog on things not to expect from your solo trip for some quick tips.

Best Shopping Markets in Dubai

Once you are done sightseeing and feeding your hungry stomach, you must check out the shopping markets to take home a souvenir of your solo trip to Dubai. Here are my top favourite shopping markets I explored on my solo trip.

1. The Flea Market

Flea Market is the biggest shopping market in Dubai. You can not only purchase new stuff here but also sell your good quality old stuff at reasonable prices. Since it is a second-hand market, you will find really cheap items here at great discounts and offers! There are about 300 stalls in the Flea Market and various things like jewellery, makeup, clothes, kitchenware, wooden things, and much more.

I was lucky enough to find out about this market on my solo trip to Dubai and bought home many things, including a cute little Burj Khalifa keychain, made up of good quality steel!

2. Ripe Market

The Ripe Market in Dubai has been set up as an opportunity for local businesses and farmers to sell their organic yield to people and tourists who visit Dubai. You can find several other markets or places in Dubai that sell organic items, but Ripe Market stocks fresh items that come directly from the ripe farm. You can also relish some of the organic items directly from the food truck. 

There are a few stalls in the Ripe Market that sell handmade crafts and accessories as well. You must surely check this place out on your visit to Dubai!

3. Perfume Souk

Who doesn’t love smelling good? The Perfume Souk in Dubai is one of the best shopping markets for perfume. All you need to do is tell the seller what type of perfume you are looking for, and he will go out of his way to find you one that suits your personality and taste. 

You will find a wide variety of designed fragrance bottles here. Another thing that the Perfume Souk offers is creating a personalised perfume! You can tell the seller the aroma notes you like, and they will create one for you. 

I got a personalised perfume created for myself here, and the sellers did an amazing job at giving me what I was expecting in a fragrance bottle!

4. Friday Market

Another famous market in Dubai, the Friday Market, offers the visitors a wholesome experience where you can find anything you like. From clothes to footwear to garments, you will find everything here. The prices are quite affordable, and you can also bargain if you are good at it!

5. Covent Garden Market

My favourite market in Dubai, Covent Garden Market is located next to Jumeirah Beach. The market is designed in an open-bazaar market style and has several stalls that offer unique and interesting handmade art and craft pieces. You can even bargain for the prices with the sellers!

Well, that’s it for this blog. I hope it helped you understand Dubai a little better. I would recommend you all to plan a solo trip to Dubai and enjoy some me-time in this glamorous country! It is also a safe country for solo female travellers and will live up to your expectations of whatever you might have heard and read about Dubai! 

If you happen to travel solo to Dubai, let me know of your experiences in the comment section below. I would love to hear whether this solo female travel guide helped you on your journey 🙂