We went to Dubai in December 2025, and we were there on Christmas Day. It turned out to be one of the best trips we have had, and the time of year was the reason.
Most people picture Dubai as hot sand and glass towers. In winter, and especially close to New Year, it is a very different place.
This post is about that season: what is on, what to wear, and how to plan it from India.
A different city in winter
December in Dubai is dry, with days in the low to mid twenties and cooler evenings. You can walk outside all day, and at night you want a light jacket.
Because the days are mild, this is the season to be outdoors: in parks, on the beach, at markets and in open-air cafés.
It is also festival season. The Dubai Shopping Festival ran from 5 December 2025 to 11 January 2026. The whole city was dressed up for it.
What is on in December
The Dubai Shopping Festival is the big one. It brings sales across the city's malls, along with shows and events. The next one runs from 4 December 2026 to 17 January 2027, says the official Visit Dubai site.
Hotels and malls also put up their own Christmas markets and trees. Dates change each year, so check closer to the time.
Christmas at Madinat Jumeirah
We spent part of the season at the Festive Market at Madinat Jumeirah. It ran through December, with little wooden stalls, a giant Christmas tree and the Burj Al Arab rising behind it. Entry was free.
By late afternoon the market was full: families, couples and visitors from every corner of the world.
The Burj Khalifa on Christmas Day
On Christmas Day, the whole Burj Khalifa was lit up like a newly wedded bride. There was music everywhere, and a crowd like we had never seen. It felt as if the entire world had converged on that one single place.
We also went up the tower. The observation decks are on levels 124, 125 and 148, and from up there the city looks like a model. How we got there by metro is in Visiting the Burj Khalifa.
On a clear winter day you can see out across the towers to the haze over the desert and the sea.
New Year's Eve at the Burj Khalifa
If Christmas is busy, New Year's Eve is busier. The Burj Khalifa is the centre of Dubai's show, with lights, lasers and fireworks over Downtown at midnight.
The crowds are huge. Most people head to Dubai Mall early in the evening to find a spot on the promenade by the fountain. Others watch from a restaurant with a view, booked well ahead.
There are fireworks in other parts of the city too, such as Bluewaters Island, near the Burj Al Arab and at Atlantis on the Palm.
On big nights like this, the RTA often runs the metro for longer. Check its announcements a few days before.
Lights everywhere
Everywhere we went, the city was strung with lights. Even a simple walkway became a tunnel of fairy lights in the evening.
From the plane, the city lay below us like a map drawn in gold.
What to wear, and how to behave
Dubai is relaxed about what visitors wear, but it helps to dress modestly. Malls and family places may post their own dress guidelines at the door.
Swimwear is for the beach or the pool. Cover up when you leave.
To visit a mosque, cover your shoulders, arms and legs. Women also wear a headscarf.
Holding hands or a hug is fine in public. Anything more is not.
Do not photograph or film people without asking them first. Posting such photos online is against the law.
If you take regular medicine, carry the prescription and a doctor's report. Some medicines are restricted in the UAE.
Getting around
For most visitors, the metro is the easiest way to get around. One nol card pays for the metro, buses and taxis.
Our step-by-step metro route, from old Dubai to the Burj Khalifa, is in Visiting the Burj Khalifa.
Planning from India
Dubai is close to India. Many Indian cities have direct flights, on Indian airlines and on Emirates.
From Guwahati, Air India Express now flies non-stop to Dubai, a weekly service that started in August 2026. Flights from the North East to the Gulf have never been simpler.
December is peak season, so flights and hotels fill up early. Christmas and New Year fill up first.
Visa rules for Indian travellers change from time to time. We check the current rules for you when we send your quote.
If you are thinking of December
Go. If you can, plan for the days around Christmas and New Year, when the city is at its most festive. Book early, because the city fills up in this season.
Pack light layers, comfortable shoes for walking, and a jacket for the evenings.
For the desert and old Dubai, see Dubai beyond the towers.
We plan Dubai trips from India. Tell us your dates on Plan My Trip and we will put it together.
About the writer
Shrawani
Shrawani is an avid traveller. She writes about the trips she takes, in India and abroad.
