The best time to visit Dubai, month by month

Dubai’s seasons at a glance

Dubai has two real seasons, with short shoulder months in between. The temperatures below are averages for 1991–2020 at Dubai International Airport, from the World Meteorological Organization climate normals published by NOAA.

High season: November to March

This is Dubai at its best: beach days, outdoor dining, desert trips and the big events season. January is the coolest month, with an average high of 24 °C and lows around 15 °C, so pack a layer for the evening. It is also when the little rain Dubai gets usually falls. December and the first days of January are the peak of the year: on New Year’s Eve 2025, Dubai’s hotel occupancy reached 94.1%, according to CoStar data. Book early, especially if you want a home with a Burj Khalifa view for the fireworks.

Shoulder season: April, May and October

April averages 34 °C and May 38 °C, while the sea warms to 26–29 °C. October is the mirror image: still hot (about 36 °C) but cooling week by week, with the sea at its warmest for swimming and the outdoor attractions reopening for the winter. These months suit travellers who mostly want the beach and the pool, and who are happy to spend the middle of the day indoors.

Low season: June to September

From June to October, every day at the airport weather station reaches 30 °C or more, and July and August average 42 °C, with humidity at its highest from July to September. The UAE’s midday ban on outdoor work under direct sun (12:30 pm to 3 pm, 15 June to 15 September in 2026) tells you how seriously the heat is taken. Summer still works for a pool-villa holiday, malls, indoor attractions and long stays.

Dubai weather by month

Air temperatures and rainfall are 1991–2020 averages for Dubai International Airport; sea temperatures are long-term monthly averages from seatemperature.org, based on NOAA satellite data. Event dates are for the next twelve months; dates marked “expected” depend on the moon sighting or have not been confirmed.

Events calendar: late 2026 to 2027

These are the events most likely to shape your trip, either because they are worth planning around or because they fill homes and roads. Islamic holidays follow the lunar calendar, so their dates are estimates until the moon is sighted.

Global Village, the open-air cultural and shopping park, opened its 31st season on 14 October 2026 and runs until May 2027. Dubai Safari Park reopened on 12 October 2026.

Visiting during Ramadan

Ramadan is a good time to visit if you want calmer days and lively evenings. Non-Muslims are not expected to fast, and restaurants and cafés have been allowed to open throughout the day in recent years, but eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight hours is discouraged. Working hours are shorter, malls often open later and stay open well into the night, and roads are busiest just before iftar, the sunset meal, when taxis can also be harder to find. Licensed venues can still serve alcohol, though some pause daytime service. Dress modestly in public: covering shoulders and knees is a simple sign of respect.

The cheapest time to visit Dubai

Prices follow demand, and demand follows the weather. December is the peak: in December 2025, Dubai hotels averaged 84.3% occupancy and a daily rate of AED 1,042, and on New Year’s Eve the rate reached AED 2,287, according to CoStar. Across the whole of 2025, Dubai welcomed 19.59 million international overnight visitors, with average hotel occupancy of 80.7%, according to the Department of Economy and Tourism.

• Usually cheapest: June to August, the hottest months, when fewer visitors travel
• Good value with good weather: the shoulder months of April, May and October
• Most expensive: the second half of December and the first days of January, and the weeks of the biggest events
• For long stays, a monthly rental usually costs far less per night than a short stay

Prices on DubaiCrypt are shown in US dollars with cleaning and service fees included, so you can compare dates directly. Booking is instant: choose your dates, select Reserve and pay the total directly at checkout in BTC, ETH, USDT or another supported coin.

Summer in Dubai: how to handle the heat

A summer trip is perfectly doable if you plan around the heat rather than against it. The record at the airport station is 48.8 °C, set in August 2016, and even nights stay above 30 °C on average in July and August.

• Do outdoor activities before 10 am or after sunset, and keep the middle of the day for the pool, malls, museums or indoor attractions
• Try a night beach: Jumeirah 2, Jumeirah 3 and Umm Suqeim 1 are lit for swimming after dark and have lifeguards
• Choose a home with a private pool or a building with a shaded pool
• Use taxis, the metro or a hire car with air-conditioning rather than walking long distances
• Drink water constantly, wear sunscreen and a hat, and avoid sitting in a parked car that has been in the sun

Desert safari season

Desert trips are at their most comfortable in the cooler months, roughly November to March. Even in November, more than half of all days still reach 30 °C at the coast, so book a morning or late-afternoon departure. In summer, choose the shortest, latest trip you can, and bring plenty of water.

Does it rain in Dubai?

Rarely. Dubai averages about 79 mm of rain a year, and most of it falls between December and March, on just a few days a month. Storms can still be severe: in April 2024, the UAE recorded its heaviest rainfall since records began in 1949, with 254 mm in less than 24 hours at Khatm Al Shakla near Al Ain. If storms are forecast, follow the official alerts and avoid driving through standing water.

What to pack

• November to March: light summer clothes for the day, plus a jumper or light jacket for the evening, the desert and the air-conditioning
• April to October: loose, breathable clothing, a hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen
• All year: clothes that cover shoulders and knees for malls, souks, mosques and government buildings
• Swimwear for the beach and the pool only, with a cover-up for walking around
• Comfortable walking shoes and sandals for the beach
• A refillable water bottle, especially from May to October

Frequently asked questions