morninglemon

Hi all,
Will be flying JFK-DXB-MLE in early September. Have a layover in DXB that is 7:45 p.m. to 4 a.m. (eesh). Will be in Dubai for the first time, traveling with 2 other able-bodied adults (no children, no bags as we will be checking them through). Seeking advice/reccs for:
1. As this is a mostly overnight layover, is it worth leaving the airport to go into the city? Will things be open for seeing/eating at these late/very early hours? I am not particularly interested in going to the top of the Burj, would much rather see street life/eat some good local cuisine. Will it be unbearably hot to walk around late night in early September?
2. We're three female adults. If we plan to leave the airport and walk around the city, what sort of dress should we have? (must cover shoulders? heads? knees?)
3. Any reccs for neighborhoods to visit or places to eat if want to try local cuisine? Looking for budget to mid-price meals, not fine dining or white glove service.
4. Any good itineraries if we decide to explore the city? Should we hire a private tour guide/driver, or take a hop on/off bus? Or just go to a walkable neighborhood and explore there?

TIA!

alisoncleman

As you have 6 to 7-hour window, It's fine to wear short if you are around the city.
I would suggest going for Dhow cruise, it's a great option to spend some quality time. you can have dinner over there and then you can just go through the city. It will cost around 25 to $30 only. You can check on the entertainer or shofey app.
As you have only 6 to 7 hours, I would not suggest hiring a guide.

mecabq

Definitely worth it and easy. To see some street life and local cuisine, you could take the Metro to Deira and wander around. The waterfront and spice souk/gold souk will be pretty much closed, so the interior areas can offer this. Maybe take the metro to Salah Al Din or Al Rigga (the former would require a transfer) or, with three people, a taxi is not much more expensive (probably around AED 40 with the AED 25 flag drop from the airport). I am fond of the restaurant Calicut Notebook, a south Indian mid-scale place. You could walk from there down Muteena Street or Salah Al Din Street in the direction of Fish Roundabout and Baniyas Square, which are downscale local areas that are open late. There are lot of hotels (from dumpy to five-star) where you can have a drink, or shisha cafes if you're into that. You could duck into the Al Ghurair Mall if you need a rest with A/C. As an alternative, the other side of the creek offer some more upscale touristy areas (either Al Seef or the areas around Bur Dubai Abra Station).

In any case, it will be very easy to find a taxi back to the airport at any time. The hop-on buses probably don't operate at that hour. You could arrange a mini-tour from a desk as you exit the airport if you wanted to see more places.

You won't see very many women wearing shorts, or many groups of women at all in Deira, but it's fine.