The best time to visit Dubai is November to March, when average highs run 24–31 °C, and December to February is the coolest stretch. June to September is the hottest time and, for upscale hotels, the cheapest, with highs of 39–41 °C and a 32–34 °C sea, according to Open-Meteo's 2015–2025 data. October and April–May are warm shoulder months. Whichever you pick, check the current travel advice before you book.
When is the best time to visit Dubai?
November to March is the best time for most Dubai trips: average highs of 24–31 °C, lows of 15–21 °C and one or two rain days a month, according to Open-Meteo's ERA5 data for 2015–2025. December to February is the coolest; November and March are the warmer ends of the season.
It's also the season for outdoor plans. A desert safari is at its most comfortable from November to March, and the evening markets and gardens reopen in October.
| Month | Avg high / low | Humidity | Sunshine a day | Rain days | Rain | Sea | Sunrise / sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 / 15 °C | 65% | 9.9 h | 2.2 | 22 mm | 23 °C | 07:06 / 17:49 |
| Feb | 25 / 16 °C | 64% | 10.1 h | 1.9 | 14 mm | 22 °C | 06:54 / 18:12 |
| Mar | 28 / 19 °C | 61% | 10.3 h | 2.1 | 14 mm | 23 °C | 06:29 / 18:28 |
| Apr | 33 / 22 °C | 54% | 11.1 h | 0.9 | 13 mm | 26 °C | 05:57 / 18:41 |
| May | 37 / 25 °C | 53% | 12.2 h | 0.1 | 1 mm | 29 °C | 05:34 / 18:56 |
| Jun | 40 / 28 °C | 56% | 12.4 h | 0.0 | 0 mm | 32 °C | 05:28 / 19:10 |
| Jul | 41 / 31 °C | 54% | 11.5 h | 0.3 | 3 mm | 34 °C | 05:38 / 19:12 |
| Aug | 41 / 30 °C | 53% | 11.4 h | 0.1 | 0 mm | 34 °C | 05:52 / 18:55 |
| Sep | 39 / 28 °C | 60% | 11.3 h | 0.3 | 0 mm | 34 °C | 06:04 / 18:24 |
| Oct | 35 / 25 °C | 62% | 10.7 h | 0.5 | 2 mm | 32 °C | 06:16 / 17:53 |
| Nov | 31 / 21 °C | 59% | 9.9 h | 1.1 | 5 mm | 29 °C | 06:36 / 17:32 |
| Dec | 26 / 17 °C | 63% | 9.7 h | 1.3 | 9 mm | 26 °C | 06:57 / 17:31 |
Source: Open-Meteo (ERA5 reanalysis, 2015–2025), daily data for Dubai city on a 0.25° grid – a model reanalysis, not an official weather-station record. Rain days count days with at least 1 mm. Sea temperatures are Open-Meteo's marine-model mean for 2023–2025; sunrise and sunset are computed for the 15th of each month, local time, to within about five minutes.
What is the cheapest month to visit Dubai?
For upscale hotels, summer is the cheapest time to visit Dubai; for a value hotel, avoiding New Year matters more than the month. That's what our snapshot of three reference hotels showed on Booking.com on 24 September 2026: the lowest public rate for two adults, one night, one Wednesday a month, in AED, with member-only prices excluded.
| Check-in (Wednesday) | Rove Downtown (value) | JW Marriott Hotel Marina (mid) | Atlantis, The Palm (resort) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Oct 2026 | ~AED 449 | ~AED 1,134 | ~AED 2,317 |
| 18 Nov 2026 | ~AED 817 | ~AED 1,368 | ~AED 2,623 |
| 9 Dec 2026 | ~AED 763 | ~AED 1,980 | ~AED 2,262 |
| 30 Dec 2026 (New Year's Eve week) | ~AED 2,569 | ~AED 4,044 | Sold out |
| 13 Jan 2027 | ~AED 844 | ~AED 1,288 | ~AED 2,176 |
| 10 Feb 2027 | ~AED 682 | ~AED 1,343 | ~AED 2,966 |
| 10 Mar 2027 | ~AED 682 | ~AED 1,784 | ~AED 2,176 |
| 14 Apr 2027 | ~AED 750 | ~AED 1,784 | ~AED 2,574 |
| 12 May 2027 | ~AED 817 | ~AED 1,784 | ~AED 1,882 |
| 9 Jun 2027 | ~AED 987 | ~AED 1,784 | ~AED 1,588 |
| 14 Jul 2027 | ~AED 682 | ~AED 902 | ~AED 1,766 |
| 11 Aug 2027 | ~AED 682 | ~AED 902 | ~AED 1,766 |
| 8 Sep 2027 | ~AED 952 | ~AED 1,173 | ~AED 1,588 |
It's a snapshot, not a market statistic – rates move daily. Four things stand out:
- New Year's Eve week is the dearest by far: Rove Downtown cost ~AED 2,569 on 30 December against ~AED 682 on a normal night, JW Marriott ~AED 4,044 against ~AED 902 – roughly four times – and Atlantis was sold out. Our Dubai New Year's Eve guide has this year's confirmed events and hotel prices.
- The upscale hotels are cheapest in summer: JW Marriott was ~AED 902 in July and August against ~AED 1,134–1,980 from October to February; Atlantis was ~AED 1,588 in June and September against ~AED 2,176–2,966 from November to April.
- The value hotel moves least: outside New Year, Rove Downtown stayed between ~AED 449 (14 October) and ~AED 987 (9 June), and sat at ~AED 682 in February, March, July and August.
- Winter isn't uniformly dearest: Atlantis peaked in February (~AED 2,966) and November (~AED 2,623), not December.
For which hotel suits which trip, see our guide to where to stay in Dubai.
What is the worst time to visit Dubai – and is it too hot in July?
July and August are the hottest months in Dubai, with average highs of 41 °C and lows of 30–31 °C, according to Open-Meteo's 2015–2025 data. Across those 11 years, the dataset has 799 days at 40 °C or more and 36 days at 45 °C or more. Midday walking and outdoor sightseeing are hard work from June to September.
Summer also closes two of the city's big seasonal attractions. Global Village was shut from 1 June to 13 October in 2026, and its Season 31 runs from 14 October 2026 to May 2027 – see our Global Village guide. Dubai Miracle Garden closes for the summer too; Khaleej Times reported on 21 September 2026 that its season 15 opens on 8 October 2026 – see our Miracle Garden tickets guide.
So is July too hot? For a pool, mall and evening trip, no; for a walking-and-sightseeing trip, yes. Plenty stays open all year – the Dubai Frame, for example, is open 08:00–21:00 every day – and summer is when upscale hotels are cheapest. Plan outdoor time for early morning or after sunset.
When is the best time for a beach vacation?
The sea off Dubai averages 22–23 °C from January to March and 32–34 °C from June to October, according to Open-Meteo's marine data for 2023–2025. Winter water is swimmable but cool; summer water is bath-warm and gives little relief from 40 °C air.
The sweet spots are the edges of the season. March to May pairs highs of 28–37 °C with a 23–29 °C sea, and October to November pairs highs of 35–31 °C with a 32–29 °C sea. November is the pick of the two: warm water, milder air and the seasonal attractions open again.
When is the best time to visit Dubai with kids?
November, February and March are the easiest months with children: highs of 25–31 °C mean you can be outdoors in the middle of the day, and from November the seasonal parks are open. Late October works too if the trip is built around pools and evenings, since highs still average 35 °C.
School-break weeks fall in or near these windows – UK half-terms in October and February, Easter, and in the US Thanksgiving week, winter break and spring break – and our price snapshot didn't sample those weeks, so price them before you commit. For indoor and outdoor ideas by age, see our guide to things to do in Dubai with kids, and for waterparks and kids' clubs, the best family hotels in Dubai.
When is the best time to visit Dubai from the US or UK?
For hotels, the cheapest time to go is summer, when the upscale hotels in our snapshot were at their lowest (we did not sample flight prices, which depend on where you fly from), and the dearest is the Christmas and New Year week. For the best weather at a fair price, aim for November, February or March, avoiding school-break weeks.
Dubai is on UTC+4 all year: 9 hours ahead of New York in winter and 8 in summer, 12 and 11 hours ahead of Los Angeles, and four hours ahead of the UK in winter and three during British Summer Time. Some airlines have suspended their Dubai flights in 2026, so check the safety guide linked above for the current airline picture before you book.
What is the golden hour in Dubai?
The golden hour is the hour or so after sunrise and before sunset, when low sun gives warm, soft light for photos. In Dubai, sunset falls at about 17:31 in December and about 19:12 in July, and sunrise at about 07:06 in January and 05:28 in June, by our computation for the 15th of each month.
So a December golden hour runs roughly from 16:30 to sunset, and a July one from about 18:10. Winter is the easier season for it, because a summer golden hour still falls in the heat of a day that averages a 41 °C high in July.
November to March is the best time to visit Dubai; summer is cheaper for upscale hotels but built around pools, malls and evenings.
Pack light, breathable clothes plus something that covers shoulders and knees for malls, and a light layer for December–February evenings, when lows average 15–17 °C. For what to do once you've picked your dates, see our guide to the best things to do in Dubai, or browse bookable tours below.
Featured image: Gfilip / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
