City Walk
City Walk
A modern open-air pedestrian quarter and mall in the Al Safa area, with boutiques, restaurants and European-style street frontages.
Description
City Walk is a landscaped urban quarter where Al Safa Street meets Al Wasl Road, designed as an open-air pedestrian zone. Instead of a conventional enclosed mall there are wide boulevards, low-rise buildings with European façades, street cafés and fountains. The site brings together boutiques of international and local brands, restaurants of many cuisines and seasonal art pieces. The feel is closer to a walkable city centre than to a shopping complex.
Alongside the shopping and the food, City Walk has entertainment venues: interactive museums, activity parks and a cinema. The area is popular with residents and visitors for unhurried evening walks, especially in the cool season. Some streets carry murals and installations, which makes the place photogenic. It combines easily with the neighbouring Jumeirah and Downtown districts.
Tip: Come in the evening: the lit façades, the fountains and the restaurant terraces only come alive after sunset.
Planning your visit
Best time
Evening, October to April.
How much time to allow
2–4 hours.
Tickets & prices
Prices are approximate and depend on the slot and conditions — check when buying.
On the map
Interactive satellite map — zoom and pan to explore the place and its surroundings.
Good to know
How to get there
Frequently asked questions about City Walk
Is City Walk an enclosed shopping mall?+
No, it is an open pedestrian quarter with streets, boulevards and terraces, though there are covered sections with shops too.
Do you have to pay to get in?+
No, entry to the quarter is free; you only pay for shopping, food and entertainment.
When is the best time to come?+
In the evening and in the cool season, when the restaurant terraces are in use and the lighting comes on.
What's nearby
Nearby spots — easy to combine into one route.
Nature The Green Planet
An indoor biodome with a recreated tropical rainforest, home to more than three thousand plants and animals across several levels.
Tip: Work your way up through the levels — the route is designed to run from the forest floor to the treetops.
Architecture Burj Khalifa
The tallest building in the world — 828 metres. At the Top observation decks on floors 124, 125 and 148.
Tip: Buy sunset tickets in advance — on-site they cost noticeably more.
Culture Dubai Opera
A 2,000-seat multi-format concert hall shaped like a traditional dhow, in Downtown at the foot of Burj Khalifa.
Tip: Book tickets online in advance and arrive an hour early to walk the Opera District with its view of Burj Khalifa and the fountains.
Similar places
Infrastructure Dubai Metro
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Tip: Buy a nol card — you cannot enter the metro without one, and a single card works on the metro, the tram and the buses.
Infrastructure Al Dhafra Air Base
A large military air base in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, south-west of the city of Abu Dhabi. Used by the UAE Air Force and a US contingent. It is a closed facility, not a tourist site.
Tip: The site is closed: you cannot go inside, you can only look at where it sits on the satellite map.
Infrastructure Ibn Battuta Mall
A themed shopping centre divided into six courts after the countries visited by the medieval Arab explorer Ibn Battuta.
Tip: Look into the Persia and India courts for the most striking interiors and the painted dome — the mall's best photo spots.