First of all, welcome to Dubai, where the architecture is impressive, the food is plenty, and the drinks are….. illegal (well, kinda), but we’ll get to that later. To go along with the impressive architecture, we also break lots of records in Dubai.  World’s biggest ferris wheel, world’s tallest observation deck, world’s most photographed landmark, and of course, the world’s largest mall.  The Dubai Mall is definitely a stop that should be included in your visit to Dubai.  How can you NOT go to the world’s biggest mall???  Truth be told, if you’re on a budget there likely won’t be a ton of actual shopping done at your visit to the Dubai Mall, but there is plenty to see, and do without having to throw your dirhams in the air (like you just don’t care).  Put on your fitbit, and your walking shoes, because you’re definitely getting to 10,000 steps today.

Most of the high-end brands are in the Fashion Catwalk section of the mall, and even if you can’t actually afford to buy anything in that magical corner of the mall, it’s worth walking by the stores and photographing some of the store fronts.  The Louis Vuitton store changes its window display quite often, and it’s always photo worthy.  If you make it over to the Fashion Catwalk, make sure to walk on the carpet….. trust me, even the carpet feels different in that side of the mall LOL

The Souk Section of the mall tries to emulate the old markets, so you will find a lot of what I like to call “Dubai swag.” If you want to get a good deal on souvenirs, trust me you will find better prices at the actual Gold Souk than you will at the Souk in the mall, but alas, do as you must. I’m guilty of falling in love with a scarf or two, and paying more than I should have for it.

Also, there are dinosaur fossils in the souk section.  No, really.  I swear.

Make your way over to the Aquarium. It’s home to the world’s largest collection of sand tiger sharks, and you can either walk right in front of the main aquarium tank and just sneak a peek, or you can pay to walk through the underwater tunnel, and do the underwater zoo.  Call us childish, but my husband, and I really enjoyed our day in the underwater zoo… I mean, they have penguins!!  If you have kids, it’s a great way to keep them entertained for a while without necessarily breaking the bank.  They’ve got several different packages so fitting it into your budget should be possible.

If you have time, head over to the denim district for a quick photo-op of a walkway lined with colorful umbrellas.

The Waterfall is a good photo-op as well, and you’re likely to come across it while wandering the mall at some point (it’s right by the aforementioned denim district).  These are said to be symbolic of pearl diver’s which used to be a big business in this region back in the day.

If you’re a shoe lover, there’s a wonderful place called The Level. It’s an entire section of the mall for shoes.  Yes, you’re hearing this right.  ALL SHOES.  Mostly expensive name brands, but it’s worth walking through, and taking a look.

Last but certainly not least, the Dubai Fountains, and the Burj Khalifa. The Dubai Fountains start at 6 pm, and go every 30 minutes until 11.  There are plenty of places to see the fountains from.  If you are still in the mall, and happen to be near the Apple Store, they have a balcony with a great view for the watching the fountains.  Of course, the best place for viewing is right up front and center.  Once you step outside, you can pick your spot, but don’t wait until the last minute, because people start lining up 15 minutes before the show to get a good seat.  I love watching the fountains; it never gets old.

While you’re there, you can sneak a selfie with the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

If you get hungry while you’re there, no fear, there’s food-a-plenty. Two food courts, and lots and lots of restaurants.

If you’re concerned about finding your way around inside the mall, there is an app where you can enter the store/location you want to get to, and it will act like a GPS, and get you there. There are also digital touch screen directories throughout that will do the same.

Well folks, that’s my list of must see spots while wandering the Dubai Mall. If you have time, you can space out your visits over a couple of days, but it’s definitely doable in one day!  I live a 10 minute walk from the mall, and I still walk over there every chance I get, because it really is something special.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!  Leave comments if you’ve got any other must sees, or any tip and tricks for navigating this big beauty!