Will be traveling from Texas to Johannesburg in August 2017.
DFW to Dubai and an 11 hour layover before meeting up with friends coming in on another flight before heading on to South Africa.

What's a "must do" in Dubai? Can it be done with an 11 hour layover (less if we make sure we get back to the airport in time) Any problem with getting past customs with a passport or is anything else needed, like a VISA or whatever?

Also, if our guns are checked in at DFW all the way through to JNB, are there any hoops to jump through for the firearms to pass through?

Thanks!

There are permits that need to be obtained for transit through Dubai.

When I flew Emirates, the airline paid for the visas, hotel, meals, airport shuttles.

Hey! I am doing that trip also!

Unless something has changed, we don't need visas.

Larry

American require no visa to come here.

quote:

Originally posted by SFRanger7GP:
Hey! I am doing that trip also!

Unless something has changed, we don't need visas.

Larry

What a coincidence! I'm already broke just thinking about it.

I'm going to Johannesburg via Dubai in August. Thinking of laying over in Dubai for a couple of days. Any suggestions on what to see or do? What about the gun?

Dave

I understand that there is no limit on the number of days you can stay in Dubai while your guns are with Emirates.

Just make sure your travel arrangements are done through a reputable travel agent who is familiar with traveling with firearms.

quote:

Originally posted by nopride2:
I'm going to Johannesburg via Dubai in August. Thinking of laying over in Dubai for a couple of days. Any suggestions on what to see or do? What about the gun?

Dave

Joyce and I enjoyed a three day layover in Dubai during our last trip to Africa.

Our firearms were stored, as planned, by the airport police. The only "hitch" was the fact that my guns were in a tuffpak and not recognized as a firearm case. I took possession of them and personally took them to the police office in the terminal. That caused a bit of a delay of two hours where we were treated well and given tea or water while we waited for multiple officers to fondle my double and have pictures taken with it.

The case was hand delivered to the departure plane plane by the police.

I would not hesitate to use Emirates again.

Here is a thread I started in 2014 asking the same questions as you. There are some excellent tips on there.

Thread

This thread is more about the whole trip but does cover Dubai for a few pages with photos. You may find some of the info helpful.

Thread

Must do's in Dubai....

GRAND FRIDAY BRUNCH AT MADINAT JUMEIRAH


This is an absolute must do!!

Seawings

Many thanks again to Saeed for arranging that flight for us.

One last thing about being in Dubai for the first time. We both had the constant feeling of deja vu. That we had been there before. I suspect because we had seen so many pictures over time that when you actually get to see it in person it feels familiar.

Cheers
Jim & Joyce

Thanks for the replies.

Dave

Frostbit, thanks for the information. I missed it back when you posted it.
Our layover will be less than 12 hours. I doubt now that I will risk leaving the airport for such a short time. I fixed our return flight to cut the layover down to less than 4 hours and make the trip home much better.

quote:

Originally posted by vlwtx348:
Will be traveling from Texas to Johannesburg in August 2017.
DFW to Dubai and an 11 hour layover before meeting up with friends coming in on another flight before heading on to South Africa.

What's a "must do" in Dubai? Can it be done with an 11 hour layover (less if we make sure we get back to the airport in time) Any problem with getting past customs with a passport or is anything else needed, like a VISA or whatever?

Also, if our guns are checked in at DFW all the way through to JNB, are there any hoops to jump through for the firearms to pass through?

Thanks!

With that amount of time Emirates will put you up in a hotel and feed you at the hotel. You MUST get your hotel voucher at DFW. Depending on class of service will depend on the hotel. I have flown that flight in coach and business. 11 hours you will have lots of time for a city tour. The city tour the coach hotel sells sucks, buy the one on-line from Emirates. If you want to go to the top of the Burj Khalifa you need to advance purchase your ticket at least 2 day before your arrival.

We've flown thru Dubai 4 times, with varying layover times. Our last flight had an 11 hour layover and we did the Seawings tour (reservations required), a sea plane tour of the city. and it is pretty amazing. Previous times we've gone to the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa (reservations required). We also rode one of the water taxi's to the textile souk, sort of the old market place for textiles but there are all kinds of shops, many situated on very narrow alley-like streets, lots to see and lots of hawkers selling "real" Rolex watches and if you aren't interested in a nice watch...they'll sell you "T" shirts, of all things. We felt perfectly safe and saw some of the most amazing gold jewelry imaginable plus walking outdoors after a 13 hour flight was very helpful. You can easily do the mall, Seawings or the textile souk with an 11 hour layover but probably not more than one. Taxi cabs are pretty cheap, too.

+1 on jewelry in Dubai..

I had my wifes wedding band custom made on a trip through Dubai (I used to spend a week or two at a time there, several times a year for work)..

The shop I used did great work, and the cost was about 1/2 of what the ring appraised for after I brought it back to the US..


If I had 1/2 a day to burn in Dubai, I'd head to the Jumeirah Beach area.. The Birj Al Arab is there, the Palm Jumeirah is there, there are lots of street vendors/shops to look around at, and there are several very nice restaurants in the area as well...

Get your toes in the sand for a minute, see several touristy type things (Birj, etc), grab a nice meal, check out a couple of shops.. and then head back to the airport and buy some nice cigars for the evenings by the campfire (the LCDH inside the airport has the best prices on cuban cigars you can find anywhere in the world, and always has a decent stock of well aged boxes if you enjoy good cigars..)..

quote:

Originally posted by Wesheltonj:

..... The city tour the coach hotel sells sucks, buy the one on-line from Emirates. If you want to go to the top of the Burj Khalifa you need to advance purchase your ticket at least 2 day before your arrival.

Thanks. I looked online and wasn't sure exactly what tour you were talking about. Any help would be appreciated.

We will be there on 08/24 (which is a Wednesday) from about noon until about 11:30 pm.
We don't want to sleep on our layover as our trip to JNB is overnight. I would like to minimize the jetlag.
Do women have to wear hijabs or some other head covering to be out of the airport without hassle in Dubai?

quote:

Originally posted by vlwtx348:

quote:

Originally posted by Wesheltonj:

..... The city tour the coach hotel sells sucks, buy the one on-line from Emirates. If you want to go to the top of the Burj Khalifa you need to advance purchase your ticket at least 2 day before your arrival.

Thanks. I looked online and wasn't sure exactly what tour you were talking about. Any help would be appreciated.

We will be there on 08/24 (which is a Wednesday) from about noon until about 11:30 pm.
We don't want to sleep on our layover as our trip to JNB is overnight. I would like to minimize the jetlag.
Do women have to wear hijabs or some other head covering to be out of the airport without hassle in Dubai?

No, Western clothing is all that necessary. I saw lots of Bikinis at the beach, too. You will still want the hotel as that's where Emirates buys your meals at.

Next trip I want to try in the indoor skiing,

Look here for tours:

https://www.emirates.com/us/en.../sightseeingindubai/

You will see a few hijabs and burkhas in Dubai, but they are the exception, not the rule..

Western women have no problem going just about anywhere they want, in any manner of dress they want.. no need to even cover the hair with a scarf..

I have taken my wife to Dubai previously while I was there for work.. she roamed the city and played "tourist" for several days while I was in meetings.. as a lone western woman in jeans and t-shirts she was never hassled, never felt unsafe, and had no problems at all..

quote:

Originally posted by Wesheltonj:
Look here for tours:

https://www.emirates.com/us/en.../sightseeingindubai/

I had found that site but apparently did not look enough pages into it. Looks like the city tour is at 8am and we aren't scheduled to arrive until noon.
I believe I will just call Emirates Monday and see what ideas they have to entertain us during our layover. I would like to see a little bit as I pass through there.

quote:

Originally posted by vlwtx348:

quote:

Originally posted by Wesheltonj:
Look here for tours:

https://www.emirates.com/us/en.../sightseeingindubai/

I had found that site but apparently did not look enough pages into it. Looks like the city tour is at 8am and we aren't scheduled to arrive until noon.
I believe I will just call Emirates Monday and see what ideas they have to entertain us during our layover. I would like to see a little bit as I pass through there.

If you are going Coach, the hotel sells "Sun Tours". I took the Dubai City tour in the afternoon, not impressed. They drive you around, take some photos and you spend more time of the tourist shop where they try to sell you some Golden Rugs.

You can alway Uber, to the various sights and actually spend some time at them.

I think you should shed some coin and treat Mrs. "Tommyhawk" to the lounge until your favorite bald buddy arrives.

quote:

Originally posted by SFRanger7GP:
I think you should shed some coin and treat Mrs. "Tommyhawk" to the lounge until your favorite bald buddy arrives.

That WAS the plan...until you jumped ship!
I may have to make her walk off all the refreshments from the 15 hour flight from Dallas.