Dubai is compact enough that you never need to change hotel, but the city reads completely differently depending on which side of the creek you are standing on. Do the old city before the new one and the skyline means more.
Start where the city started. The gold and spice souks, the wind-tower houses of Al Fahidi, and a one-dirham abra across the creek.
Onward: Metro, 25 min. Red Line from Al Ras to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall
Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the fountain. Book the observation deck for the last slot before sunset so you see the city in daylight and lit up.
Onward: Metro or taxi, 30 min. Red Line to Dubai Marina
Beaches, the marina walk and the monorail out along Palm Jumeirah. This is where the days slow down.
Onward: Road, 45 min. Pickup from your hotel for the desert
An evening trip rather than a stay. Dune drive, sunset, dinner under the sky, back in the city by eleven.
On three nights, drop the Marina and keep Old Dubai. The souks and the abra are the part you cannot see anywhere else.
Add a day trip to Abu Dhabi for the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, about ninety minutes each way by road.
Going in July or August. Summer runs to 45°C and everything outdoors closes down to a dash between air-conditioned buildings. November to March is a genuinely different city.
Read the full Dubai travel guide or take the Dubai packing list.