United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Dubai ranges from affordable to ultra-luxury. Street food and local restaurants are reasonably priced (AED 15–40). Luxury experiences and hotels can be very expensive. Budget AED 400–600 per day for mid-range travel.

UPI now works at major UAE merchants such as Dubai Duty Free and Lulu Hypermarket, letting you pay straight from your Indian bank account, and card acceptance is near-universal across malls, hotels, taxis, and restaurants. It is still worth carrying some UAE Dirham cash for souks, abra (water taxi) rides, and small shops. For cards, a zero-forex or forex card gives the best rate, and Indians can carry up to USD 3,000 in foreign currency without declaring it. The Dirham trades at roughly Rs 22-23, so budget around USD 120 (about Rs 10,000) per day for mid-range travel.

Apply for a tourist e-visa through your airline (Emirates, FlyDubai), an approved travel agent, or the ICA smart services portal. A 30-day visa costs around AED 350.

A 30-day UAE tourist visa for Indian passport holders typically costs around AED 350-550 (roughly Rs 8,000-12,500 including service fees), while a 60-day visa runs about AED 580-900 (roughly Rs 14,000-21,000). The process is fully online with no embassy visit, interview, or biometrics; normal processing takes 3-4 working days and express processing about 36 hours. Indians who already hold a valid US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, or similar residence visa can get a visa on arrival instead. Fly Goldfinch handles the visa paperwork as part of trip planning, so you do not deal with portals or document formatting yourself.

Yes, there are dozens of daily nonstop flights from India to the UAE. Delhi to Abu Dhabi takes about 3 hours 45 minutes, and Delhi or Mumbai to Dubai is broadly similar at roughly 3.5-4 hours. Etihad, Emirates, flydubai, Air India, Air India Express, and IndiGo all run direct services from major Indian metros. The UAE is only 1.5 hours behind India, so there is effectively no jet lag.

The UAE suits families, honeymooners, and first-time international travellers alike, with theme parks, beaches, desert safaris, and the world's tallest building all within easy reach. Vegetarian and pure-veg Indian food is abundant; areas like Al Karama and Bur Dubai are full of South Indian and North Indian restaurants, and even street stalls and food courts have plenty of veg options. Getting around is simple via the clean, efficient Dubai Metro plus taxis and ride apps. Fly Goldfinch can customise the itinerary for kid-friendly attractions or a couples-focused honeymoon as needed.