Best Time to Visit Dubai: Weather by Month, Seasons and Prices

It hardly ever rains in Dubai and the sun is almost always out, but “warm all year” means very different things here: 24 °C and a fresh breeze in January, 41 °C in August with humidity that fogs your sunglasses the moment you leave the hotel. The month decides everything — whether you can walk around during the day, how the sea feels, what the hotel costs and which tours make sense at all. Here is the weather month by month, the seasons, and what to do in each of them.

In short: the best time to go

• November to March — the best weather: 24–30 °C during the day, sea at 22–27 °C, perfect for walking, desert trips and terrace dinners. Also the most expensive season.
• October, April and early May — shoulder season: already (or still) hot at 33–37 °C, but the sea is warm and prices are below their peak.
• June to September — 39–42 °C and high humidity. Days are spent at the hotel, in malls and indoor attractions, but hotels cost a fraction of their winter rates.

Dubai weather by month

Average values: daytime and night-time air temperature, then the sea temperature off the Jumeirah beaches. Individual days can be 2–4 degrees warmer or cooler.

• January: 24 °C by day, 14 °C at night, sea 22 °C. The coolest month — bring a sweater for the evenings.
• February: 25 °C / 15 °C, sea 22 °C. The occasional shower and sandy wind.
• March: 28 °C / 18 °C, sea 24 °C. Warm but not yet hot — one of the best months.
• April: 33 °C / 21 °C, sea 26 °C. Hot by midday, perfect evenings.
• May: 37 °C / 25 °C, sea 28 °C. The heat begins; go out in the morning and after sunset.
• June: 39 °C / 28 °C, sea 31 °C. Full summer.
• July: 41 °C / 30 °C, sea 32 °C. The most humid month, around 30 °C even at night.
• August: 41 °C / 30 °C, sea 33 °C. Bath-warm water that barely cools you down.
• September: 39 °C / 27 °C, sea 32 °C. Still hot, humidity slowly easing.
• October: 35 °C / 23 °C, sea 30 °C. Evenings turn pleasant in the second half of the month.
• November: 30 °C / 19 °C, sea 27 °C. Warm sea and gentle sun — arguably the best beach month.
• December: 26 °C / 16 °C, sea 24 °C. Peak season and holidays.

Dubai gets very little rain — a handful of wet days a year, almost all between December and March. But when a downpour does come, the city copes badly: in April 2024 nearly a year’s worth of rain fell in a single day, flooding roads and the airport. If thunderstorms are forecast, plan a mall day rather than a desert trip.

Peak season: November to March

This is the Dubai the city was built for: you can stroll the waterfronts all day, head into the desert and dine on open-air terraces. The outdoor venues that close in summer are all open, and most festivals and concerts take place now. The flip side is crowds and prices: hotels cost two to three times more over New Year and the winter holidays, and popular tours are worth booking ahead.

What to do in season

The desert. In winter any safari works, including the most popular one — an evening safari with sunset over the dunes, a BBQ dinner and shows. Desert nights can drop to 12–15 °C, so pack something warm. Every format is on the desert safari page. And the best way to watch sunrise over the dunes is from the air: a hot air balloon flight with breakfast is one of the highlights of the season — more options under hot air balloon rides.

Seasonal parks. Dubai Miracle Garden — a garden of tens of millions of flowers — only opens in the cooler months, roughly from autumn to spring, and is closed in summer. The easiest way there is with a transfer, for example a priority-entry ticket with hotel transfer. Global Village — a fair of country pavilions with street food and shows — runs over the same season, and you can combine the two with a Miracle Garden and Global Village ticket. More on the Dubai Miracle Garden page.

Exploring on foot. Old Dubai — the spice and gold souks, the lanes of Al Fahidi, the abra ride across the Creek — is close to unwalkable in summer heat, but in winter it is the best walk in the city. Try a walking tour of the Old Town with an abra ride and the souks, then in the evening a dhow dinner cruise on Dubai Creek. More ideas under Old Dubai.

Day trips. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Hajar Mountains are comfortable in winter — for example on a small-group Abu Dhabi tour by 4x4. Other destinations are under day trips.

Events of the season

November opens the season: the city fills with concerts, fairs and sports, and during the Dubai Fitness Challenge main roads close in the early morning for runs and bike rides. In November 2026, for instance, there is the Downtown Design fair, the Dubai International Boat Show at Dubai Harbour and Trevor Noah live at Dubai Opera. The current line-up is in events in Dubai.

December and January are the peak of the year. UAE National Day on 2 December brings fireworks, the Dubai Shopping Festival runs from mid-December to mid-January with sales and evening shows, and on New Year’s Eve the big fireworks go off at the Burj Khalifa. Watching them in the Downtown crowds is an ordeal, so many people choose the water: a New Year’s Eve cruise with fireworks views by the Burj Al Arab, or the New Year’s Eve gala dinner with Katy Perry. Dates like these sell out weeks ahead.

January to March is the season of food festivals, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and touring artists — for example Sitar for Mental Health by Rishab Rikhiram Sharma on 30 January.

Shoulder season: October, April and May

A trade-off between weather and price. Days reach 33–37 °C and midday walks are hard work, but mornings, evenings and the sea are excellent: water at 26–30 °C and hardly any wind. Hotels are cheaper than in winter, and the outdoor venues are still (or already) open: Global Village opens in mid-October and closes in early May. April is an especially good pick for beach and desert; October suits anyone who wants a warm sea — by the end of the month the evenings are genuinely pleasant.

It is the best time to be on the water: a jet ski ride to the Burj Al Arab and other water sports in a warm sea, and at sunset a yacht charter with views of the Palm and Dubai Marina.

Summer: June to September

In summer Dubai lives under air conditioning. Days top 40 °C, nights stay around 30 °C, humidity by the sea reaches 80–90 %, and the water warms to 32–33 °C, so it barely refreshes. Outdoors is comfortable only before 9 am and after sunset. On the other hand, hotels — especially the five-star resorts on the Palm and in the Marina — cost two to three times less than in winter, beaches and restaurants are quiet, and in July and August the Dubai Summer Surprises festival brings mall discounts.

Summer is worth it if you want a pool holiday in a great hotel for a reasonable price and are happy to spend the day indoors. With small children or elderly relatives, or if you want to explore the city on foot, pick another season.

What to do in the heat

• Snow while it is 45 °C outside. Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates is −2 °C all year: a ski slope, sledging and penguins. Tickets on the Ski Dubai page.
• The aquarium. Sharks and rays in Dubai Mall — a Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo ticket with Penguin Cove.
• Observation decks. The Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Frame are air-conditioned, and the summer views are often clearer than on windy, dusty spring days.
• Water parks. In summer, arrive at opening time and leave by noon. The biggest is Aquaventure on the Palm.
• The desert — mornings only. A summer evening safari starts at the very peak of the heat, so book a morning desert safari that leaves at dawn — you are back at the hotel by 10 am.

Ramadan: should you go?

Ramadan moves about 11 days earlier every year. In 2027 it is expected from around 8 February to 9 March (the exact dates depend on the moon sighting), so it falls in the best weather. You can certainly travel: hotels, beaches, malls and tours all operate, hotel restaurants serve visitors during the day and many cafés stay open. But some cafés and restaurants only open at sunset, eating, drinking or chewing gum in public during the day is frowned upon, and loud music and parties are toned down. In return, the city comes alive after iftar, Ramadan tents serve festive dinners, and hotel rates are noticeably lower than usual for the season. Right after the fast comes Eid al-Fitr, when visitors from across the region arrive and prices climb again.

When is it cheapest?

• Most expensive: 20 December to 10 January, European school holidays and Eid — hotel rates two to three times higher than usual.
• Best value for the weather: the second half of November, mid-January to February outside school holidays, and April.
• Cheapest: July and August, when five-star hotels often offer discounts and extras such as free stays for children.

Bottom line: which month to choose

• First visit, city and desert: November to March.
• Beach and warm sea: November, April, late October.
• With kids: November to April, outside school holidays. What to do with children is in our separate guide, Dubai with kids.
• Holidays, fireworks and shopping: December and January, if the budget allows.
• A luxury hotel at half price: July and August, if the heat doesn’t scare you.

Once your dates are set, browse all Dubai tours and the events calendar to see what is on in the city during your stay.