Vision Social and Cultural Programme 2017
Experience the sights and sounds of Dubai while you visit the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2017. Below are the details of our various tours. Don’t forget to fill in the form at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!
Please note: Online registration to the Vision Social and Cultural Programme is now closed. Registration to activities for the Social & Cultural programme will be available at the Social and Cultural Registration Desk in the Green Room from the evening of Thursday, March 2.
Programme Overview
| Day | Morning | Afternoon/Evening |
| Friday 3 March | Early run, walk, swim or paddleboard at Kite Beach followed by breakfast | Dubai Fountain |
| Saturday 4 March | Shopping tours of textile and spice souks | Evening Reception in the Vision Green Room |
| Sunday 5 March | Burj Khalifa followed by tour of Dubai Opera
Zabeel Stables |
*Wildlife Drive (limited numbers) *Arabian Feast (We invite everyone to join us for this special event) |
| Monday 6 March | Women’s museum
Dubai Canal tour Camelicious (limited numbers) |
Frying Pan Adventures (Fully Subscribed) |
| Tuesday 7 March | Historical and Cultural walking tour of Old Dubai | *Evening Reception – Love Letters to the UAE |
| Wednesday 8th March | Burj Khalifa followed by tour of Dubai Opera
Zabeel Stables |
Frying Pan Adventures (Fully Subscribed) |
| Thursday 9th March | Women’s Museum Dubai Canal tour |
*Wildlife Drive Desert Stanzas (We invite everyone to join us for this special event) |
| Friday 10th March | Early run, walk, swim or paddleboard at Kite Beach followed by breakfast | Dubai Fountain |
| Saturday 11th March | Shopping tours of textile/spice souks
Camelicious (limited numbers) |
Oscar Campbell – Bird-watching (limited numbers) |
*Festival authors events. Details will be provided in the Green Room.
Shopping tours of Textile and Spice Souks
Saturday 4th and Saturday 11th
9:30 am – 12:15 pm
Revisit the history of Dubai with a journey through one of the oldest Emirati neighbourhoods. Walk along the Dubai Creek, visit the Ruler’s Court as well as Spice and Textile Souks and finally enjoy the atmosphere of old Dubai on a ride on an abra (traditional water taxis).
Pick up by coach from Spice Souk and return to InterContinental Hotel.
Frying Pan Adventures
Monday 6th and Wednesday 8th
4:45 pm – 9:00 pm
This tour winds its way through Dubai’s most historic streets, exploring, tasting and savoring traditional cuisines that continue to be served in Old Dubai everyday. Please note there are limited numbers of participants allowed.
Historical and Cultural walking tour of Old Dubai
Tuesday 7th
10:30 am – 2:00 pm
A walking tour guides guests through Al Fahidi District, one of the UAE’s oldest traditional Emirati
neighbourhoods. The district’s narrow lanes, traditional buildings and tall wind-towers offer a glimpse of historical Dubai.
Dress Code: Ladies – covered shoulders, comfortable shoes, sun hats.
Men – long trousers, sun hats
Women’s Museum
Monday 6th and Thursday 9th
9:30 am –1:15 pm
The Dubai Women’s Museum is a unique initiative in the Arab World, appreciating and celebrating the role of women in shaping the culture and history of the region. Based in Bait Al Banat (translated as The Girls House), a house dating back to the 1950s, explore the art and poetry by the women of yesterday and the emerging talents of women today.
Bird Watching with Oscar Campbell
Saturday 11th March
Afternoon/Evening
Oscar Campbell, winner of the 2013 Sheikh Mubarak bin Mohammed Prize for Natural History for his conservation work, takes you on an unforgettable walk through the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. This wildlife haven features a combination of salt flats, intertidal mudflats, mangroves, and lagoons along with more than 67 species of birds, including 20,000 water birds and is also home to 500 species of flora and fauna.
Visit to Camelicious
8:45 am – 12:15 pm
Camelicious is the world’s first camel milking plant, incorporating world-class technology and research. Home to over 4000 camels, the Emirates Industry for Camel Milk & Products now exports to Kuwait, Jordan, United Kingdom, Austria and Malaysia. Explore their unique techniques to create ‘white gold‘, once used to sustain nomadic tribes and now the base for creating luxury chocolates, ice cream and cheese.
Visit At The Top, Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai
Sunday 5th and Wednesday 8th
8:45 am – 12:45 pm
You will be taken by coach from the InterContinental Hotel to Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
Your visit will begin at the reception in the lower level of Dubai Mall (the world’s largest shopping mall) where you will be entertained and informed by a multi-media presentation chronicling Dubai’s history and the story behind the development of Burj Khalifa.You will ascend in a high speed elevator travelling at 10m per second and on arrival at the observation deck, AT THE TOP, you will enjoy a breathtaking, unobstructed 360 degree view of Dubai, the desert and the Gulf.
Visit to the Zabeel Stables
Sunday 5th and Wednesday 8th
10:00 am – 12.30 pm
Enjoy an exclusive tour of Zabeel Stables: training and rehabilitation centre for horses belonging to the Al Maktoum family, the ruling family of Dubai.
Home to over 120 horses, including several Dubai World Cup contenders, the stables offer a serene and tranquil environment with stunning views of the city’s skyline. The world-class facilities reflect the significance of horses in Emirati culture and heritage.
Enjoy tea and coffee and a guided tour of the stables with Satish Seemar.
Dubai Opera Tour
Sunday 5th and Wednesday 8th
Morning
Located in the heart of Downtown Dubai, the Dubai Opera is an unmissable architectural masterpiece. Shaped like an Arabian Dhow, this 2000-seat arena is a world-class cultural facility whose programme of events featuring the biggest names in opera, ballet, theatre and classical music rivals that of Broadway and London’s West End. We invite you on an unforgettable tour of a stunning venue.
Kite Beach
Friday 3rd and Friday 10th
7:00 am – 10:00 am
If you enjoy watersports, the Kite Beach is the place to be. Rent equipment and test your skills on the Arabian Gulf. Or, if you prefer to kick back and relax, enjoy watching the kite surfing and the fabulous view of the Burj Al Arab.
Trip to Dubai Canal
Monday 6th and Thursday 9th
9:30 am – 11:30 am
The Dubai Canal is a magnificent engineering and aesthetic achievement. As Dubai’s newest undertaking, the waterway stretches across 3.2km winding its way to the Arabian Gulf from the Creek in Old Dubai through Business Bay and is a memorable sight to behold.
City Sightseeing Tours
See Dubai in a day!
Experience the best of the city on City Sightseeing Dubai’s hop-on hop-off bus tours. Combine sightseeing with transportation to visit historical areas, skyscrapers and admire the beautiful Dubai Marina.
Audio commentary is available in 12 languages. Routes include over 45 stops showing the most popular attractions around Dubai.
24 HR TICKET INCLUDES: Night Tour, Arabian Dhow Boat Cruise, RTA Waterbus (Abra) Ride, Dubai Museum Entry, Sheikh Sayeed Al Maktoum House Entry, VIP Global Village Ticket (November-April), Al Ghurair Centre Shopping Discount Card & 5 other Museums.
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Things to do in Dubai
In addition to the activities listed in the Social and Cultural Programme, sponsored by Vision, there are numerous other activities and places to visit.
Please note that the following are not part of the Social and Cultural Programme. However, we will be happy to assist you with information and arrangements should you need them.
Spa packages at the InterContinental, Dubai Festival City:
- 25% discount on the 90 minutes full body massage
- 20% on other selected treatments
http://www.visitdubai.com/en/pois/spa-intercontinental
Seawings Seaplane Tours
Experience Dubai from the sky with the Seawings Seaplane Tours! Journey through the city’s past, present and future and be treated to a sensory overload that you will never forget.
Dubai Creek Cruises
Cruise along the stunning Dubai creek on traditional Arabic dhows or more modern cruisers as you enjoy gourmet cuisine.
Suggested: Bateaux
http://www.jaresortshotels.com/Properties/BateauxDubai/TheBoat/TheStory.aspx
Ski Dubai
It’s snowing in Dubai! Ski Dubai, the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East, offers skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing. Or, you can just enjoy playing in the snow.
http://www.theplaymania.com/skidubai/welcome
Skydive Dubai
Neighbouring the luxurious man-made island The Palm Jumeirah and the Dubai Marina, Skydive Dubai, the world’s premier skydiving location, is the perfect place to indulge your inner adventurer.