6.5 hours layover @ Dubai

mmhassa2 wrote: ↑ Travelling alone with my 6 year old and wondering if we can do a little sightseeing instead of waiting around the airport.

Flight will get there at 7:25 and we have a 6 hour 20 mins layover. After a 12 hour flight I'm thinking the "exploring" will be appreciated as we have another 5 hours of flight after. Marhaba lounge is our backup but a few questions.

-As canadian citizens do we require any additional paper work/visa to get out?
-Any place to keep our carry ons should we decide to explore the city?
-Can I simply get out of the airport and grab a taxi to see a few places? Are there specific taxis to look out for? As I'm travelling with our 6 year old, I want to feel as safe as possible lol
-I'm travelling with US dollars and obviously CND CC, do the taxi's accept US dollars? Or do I have to exchange currency? This becomes a issue as I dont want to exchange too much or too little and don't want to be stuck with a currency I have no use for.

My Plan is get out of the plane, get the $15 shower access at Marhaba lounge. Freshen up and head out and be back after a max of 2 hours driving around the city (Dont want to spend too much time, just be able to see and click a few photos) and should be back to the airport no later than 11:30pm.

Other obvious option is to just sit around Marhaba lounge the entire time which I think will be much harder.

longcmt wrote: ↑ Info from 2016 (Was there in Feb on a 5 hour layover).

1. As a Canadian you get ETA (visa on arrival) no special paperwork or anything - BUT it took an hour an a half from plane touch down into a cab.
2. There is luggage storage in the airport close to where you get the taxi
3. Yes or you can get the subway
4. We got some Dirham before we left (about $100 cad worth)

I'd say if you have 6 hours you should be OK as long as you don't plan on doing anything with huge lines (i.e. going up the burj). As for freshening up I'd leave that for when you get back from the city as it's brutally hot.

Good luck, I went up and down the Burj on a 5 hour layover but I wouldn't do that again. If you end up going to the mall ensure you know exactly where the tax pick up area is, BECAUSE it's a huge mall with several pick up areas but only one my be operating at the time.