Best UK airports to Dubai
Emirates has the widest UK footprint — 9 direct UK airports, all with A380 equipment. BA and Virgin compete ex-Heathrow. Qatar/Turkish 1-stop often undercuts.
| Departure airport | Lowest return seen | Typical return | Flight time | Live price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Gatwick | £242trip starting in December | £382 | 7h 15m | Check price |
| London (all airports) | £242trip starting in December | £360 | 7h 16m | Check price |
| Manchester | £296trip starting in November | £447 | 7h 28m | Check price |
| Edinburgh | £379trip starting in November | £476 | 7h 37m | Check price |
| Birmingham | £380trip starting in November | £545 | 7h 24m | Check price |
| London Heathrow | £387trip starting in December | £392 | 7h 16m | Check price |
Return fares seen for each route, checked 12 Oct: the lowest seen and the typical fare, which is the middle of the lowest fares seen for each month. They are past observations, not live prices: use Check price for today's fare. London (all airports) combines every London airport (flight time shown from Heathrow). Flight time is an estimate from the great-circle distance at 800 km/h plus 24 minutes for taxi, climb and descent.
Emirates operate A380 on most UK routes — the quietest, most spacious way across. Lower deck economy seats are 10-across (3-4-3) vs 3-3-3 on 777s.
Airlines to Dubai from the UK
Cheapest months to fly to Dubai
Lowest return fare seen for a trip starting in each month, from London (all airports), checked 12 Oct. These are past observations, not live prices: use the search box for today's fare. Green marks the cheapest third of the months shown, red the dearest third.
When to fly to Dubai
From the fares we recorded, checked 12 Oct.
DXB vs DWC (Al Maktoum)
Build your Dubai trip
Dubai flight FAQs
The lowest return fare we saw to Dubai was £242, from London Gatwick, for a trip starting in December (checked 12 Oct). The typical return from London Gatwick is £382, the middle of the lowest fares seen for each of 12 months. These are return fares seen on those dates, not live prices.
From London (all airports), the lowest return fare we saw was for a trip starting in December: £242, against £393 for July and September. That is the lowest fare seen for each of 12 months, checked 12 Oct. These are return fares seen on those dates, not live prices.
In the return fares we recorded, checked 12 Oct, the lowest to Dubai was £242 from London Gatwick, then Manchester £296, Edinburgh £379 and Birmingham £380. By typical return, the middle of each airport's monthly lowest fares, the lowest was £382 from London Gatwick, then London Heathrow £392 and Manchester £447. These are return fares seen on those dates, not live prices.
Estimated non-stop flight times to Dubai: London Heathrow about 7h 16m (5,498 km); Manchester about 7h 28m (5,656 km); Birmingham about 7h 24m (5,604 km); Edinburgh about 7h 37m (5,778 km); Glasgow about 7h 42m (5,841 km); Bristol about 7h 28m (5,651 km). These are great-circle estimates at 800 km/h plus 24 minutes for taxi, climb and descent; airlines' scheduled times are usually a little longer.
In the week to 12 Oct we saw non-stop flights to Dubai sold by Emirates from 8 UK airports and British Airways from 1 UK airport. These are airlines seen on non-stop fares when we checked, not a timetable.
Direct flights take 7h 20m London to Dubai (eastbound) and 7h 45m return. Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh are 6h 55m–7h 30m. Dubai International (DXB) has the Metro Red Line direct to Downtown/Dubai Mall (AED 8, 30m) from Terminal 3.
UK passport holders get a free 30-day visa on arrival at Dubai International. No pre-approval needed. Extendable once for 30 more days (AED 600 fee). Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your arrival. UAE residents and GCC nationals have different rules.
Metro Red Line runs from Terminals 1 and 3 directly to Downtown, Burj Khalifa, Marina and JBR. AED 8 single (£1.75), 30 minutes to Downtown. Runs 5am-midnight (plus Sunday). Taxi is AED 60-100 (£13-22) depending on area. Uber and Careem work identically, similar price.
Yes, in licensed hotel bars, restaurants and clubs. Dubai is the liberal UAE emirate — tourists can drink. Sharjah next door is dry. Alcohol is expensive (£10+ for a pint) due to import tax. During Ramadan, many hotel bars stay open but stop serving alcohol during daylight hours.