Towering at a height of 2,700 feet, this awe-inspiring global icon seems just short of touching the skies. With two observation decks, a Las Vegas-inspired fountain, some of the world’s most luxurious hotels and multiple restaurants, this 21st-century wonder would leave you gaping in amazement. A high-speed elevator whips you up to the observation deck on the 124th floor where floor-to-ceiling windows offer a magnificent unobstructed view of the city, the desert and the Persian Gulf. If you want to go even higher, soar all the way up to the 148th floor “at the top of the sky” and enjoy a VIP tour with refreshments. An interactive screen here lets you “fly” to different city landmarks by hovering your hands over high-tech sensors. If you’re feeling peckish, the highly respected Armani restaurant boasts an extensive selection of delights that are sure to leave you satisfied.

Found in the very epicenter of Downtown Dubai, witness the world’s largest destination for entertainment, leisure and retail. The Dubai mall is home to some 1,500 retail, food and drink outlets, a humungous walk-through aquarium, a world-class ice rink, an underwater Zoo, a 76,000-square foot VR themed amusement park, 14,000 parking spaces and tons of exciting experiences for visitors. Dubai Mall pays homage to high fashion with more than 70 signature stores, including Fashion Avenue, Galeries Lafayette, France’s leading lifestyle retailer and Bloomingdale’s, America’s leading department store. After a day of shopping spree, shoppers will love to glide over the ice-cold chilled surface of the giant Olympic sized ice rink or head over to the aquarium where 10 million liters of water hold some of the most charismatic jewels of aquatic life.

Indulge yourself in the world’s largest choreographed show of water, music and light at the dancing fountain show. Every 30 minutes, starting 6 p.m., jets of illuminated water undulate as gracefully as a belly dancer, arc like a dolphin and soar up to heights of 500 ft, in perfect coordination with classical, Arabic and international contemporary music. Set against the backdrop of the glittering Burj Khalifa, the breathtaking display is a must-see on your list. There are plenty of great vantage points where you can get front-row tickets to this wonder, such as the restaurants at Souk Al Bahar, the bridge linking Souk Al Bahar with Dubai Mall, the Dubai Mall waterfront terrace or aboard a 272m-long floating boardwalk (Dhs20), which takes you just 9m away from the fountain.

Designed as an asymmetric Torus clad in calligraphy-engraved steel and glass, the museum of the future focuses on harnessing the lessons from our present day to construct the future. The Museum of the Future combines elements of exhibition, immersive theatre and themed attraction, inviting you to look beyond the present to the possible. Through VR and AR, big data analysis, AI, and human machine interaction installations and displays, the first 3 floors focus on the possible futures of outer space resource development, ecosystems and bioengineering, while another floor will showcase near-future technologies that will transform our world by addressing challenges in areas such as health, water, food, transportation and energy. The final floor will be dedicated for children, where they can explore and think through solutions to the climate crisis.