EXPO 2020 Dubai is probably the most talked about event of the year and will be in the spotlight for the next 6 months! It aims to create a positive impact on the world by bringing together over 190 countries under 3 different themes: sustainability, mobility and opportunity. Each country has a dedicated pavilion showcasing their unique culture, attractions, innovations and culinary treats. All with the purpose of “Connecting minds and creating the future”.
EXPO 2020 Dubai started just over one month ago, but we’ve already visited it multiple times, on different days of the week and at different hours. Also, we used different means of transportations: taxi, car and metro, to understand the best options available.
We explored big pavilions with creative designs, as well as the smaller “pre-fabricated” ones. And surely, we didn’t rush from a pavilion to the another just to collect stamps on the EXPO Passport as we’ve seen others do. Although we must say we love the passport as a souvenir and have around 30 stamps already. On the contrary, we took our time to understand the philosophy and ideas behind each pavilion we visited, taking this EXPO 2020 Dubai as an opportunity to learn something new about each country.
If you are planning a trip to the world’s greatest show, you will find here everything you need to know.
When is the best time to visit EXPO 2020 Dubai?
EXPO 2020 Dubai is open daily from 10am to midnight on weekdays (Sunday to Wednesday) and 10am to 2am on weekends (Thursday to Saturday). However, keep in mind that most pavilions will close around 10pm and will have cut-off times for the last entries as well. The weekends are packed with concerts and activities and therefore are the busiest days to visit, especially on Fridays as it is the main day off in Dubai and the UAE.
The EXPO 2020 site usually gets busy after 4pm, when the temperatures starts to cool down. This is particularly important when the weather is hot (until mid/end November), with mid-day temperatures usually above the 30 degrees Celsius.
If you want to beat the crowd, visit the most popular pavilions early in the morning. We have been there on a Saturday morning before 10am and managed to visit pavilions usually in high demand without waiting even a single minute.
Despite the crowds, EXPO 2020 Dubai is great after dark. Al Wasl Plaza dome is one of the main night-time attractions with its spectacular light shows. Also, many pavilions look particularly beautiful at night – see Saudi Arabia and France.
What’s the best way to move around?
The site is shaped like a flower, with the dome of Al Wasl Plaza in the middle and the three districts shaped like petals. From one side of the EXPO 2020 Dubai to the other there are few kilometers, hence you need to have a smart visiting plan!
We committed the mistake of jumping from one pavilion to the other on the basis of what we wanted to see and not considering the distance. We ended up walking 18 km, arriving at home dead tired and having spent more time walking than inside a pavilion.
The best solution is to cluster the visits around a specific area, limiting the walking distance between the pavilions. Try clubbing Japan, Italy, Germany for instance and then explore what’s nearby.
If you like to attend a concert at the Jubilee Park, club it with exploring Canada, Ireland and the infinity water fountain. This maximize the experience, reducing the step count!
Even though there are bicycles and scooters to rent, we believe walking is still the best option. Keep in mind you will need to walk from the entrance gates to the pavilions as well. Identify which is the closest gate to the pavilions you plan to visit so you can enter from there. The Expo2020 app is quite useful: it includes a list of all pavilions and a handy map showing their locations.
If you plan to visit over multiple days, one way to maximize your time is to dedicate each visit to one of the three districts. Each district (Opportunity, Mobility, Sustainability) has a different color on the map and there is plenty of signage inside the EXPO site as well.
There are also buggies available for rental to take you around the site, or you can hop on the EXPO 2020 Express Train that goes around the main paths. Wheelchairs are also available for those with reduced mobility. Scooters and hoverboards are not allowed on site.
What should I take to EXPO 2020 Dubai?
The packing list is quite short, but it is very important to get it right to enjoy your time at EXPO. After three weeks of trials and errors, this is the ultimate packing list for EXPO 2020 Dubai:
- An EXPO 2020 ticket, which you can purchase from the official website;
- Proof of vaccination or negative PCR test, in English language;
- Comfy shoes, to make walking around safe and not tiring;
- Re-usable water bottle to fill at the available dispensers;
- Sun-hat and sun block, as the sun is fairly strong here if visiting during the day;
- Light scarf or jumper, as some pavilions have strong air conditioning;
- A good camera to take amazing picture.
Not mandatory, but still recommended by us, a notebook to write down impressions, ideas and inspirational quotes from the pavilions. And also the best souvenir possible to build memories, the EXPO 2020 passport. We got ours from Amazon but you can buy it from any official store within EXPO site.
If you aren’t vaccinated, you can get a PCR test done at the drive-through tent located in the World Parking. The test is free for those holding an EXPO 2020 ticket and are not vaccinated. However, keep in mind that the results will take at least a few hours to receive, so do it the day before you plan to visit if necessary.
What is the best way to reach EXPO 2020?
If you are a visitor in Dubai and you stay close enough to a metro station, the metro is the best way to move around. It is cheap and leaves you at the Dubai Exhibition Center entrance, which is the closest to Al Wasl Plaza in the heart of the fair. From Dubai Marina it is a 25 minutes ride and will cost you 7.50 AED (2 USD circa) with a Silver Card (re-usable valid 5 years) or 8.50 AED (2.30 USD circa) with a Red Card (re-usable valid 3 months). If you stay near Downtown Dubai, the ride will be about 45 minutes with the same cost. You can find all relevant information on the Road & Transport Authority website.
However, if you stay far from a metro station, it is best to use a taxi. They are cheaper than in many other countries and available around the clock. On a typical day, a taxi ride from Palm Jumeirah will cost you around 60 AED (16 USD circa) and take 25 minutes. Be aware that if you plan to take a taxi to return from EXPO, the meter will start at 20 AED (5.5 USD).
If you have a car, drive towards EXPO 2020 by easily following the yellow signals or using google maps. There is a lot of parking available on the three major EXPO districts: Mobility, Sustainability, Opportunity, or the World Parking. Once you have parked, you can either walk to the main gate or take the shuttle buses from the parking. They are frequent and spare you a lot of walking.
