Who amongst us hasn’t looked up at the Dubai skyline and not tried to capture the city lights on camera or order head out to a 24/7 restaurant at 2am on a Monday night? I know I have. Turns out, I’m not alone. Dubai has officially been declared the world’s third most beautiful city to explore at night for tourists who want more than daytime sightseeing.
Dubai triumphed as a picturesque after-dark metropolis in a study conducted by travel experts at holiday company Travelbag into the trend of ‘nocturism’, or night-time tourism. As part of the research, experts analysed a list of 100 long-haul destinations from the UK on the basis of Instagram hashtags, light pollution, safety levels and venues open at night.
Although a high light pollution rating of 52.58 out of 100 played against us, but Dubai’s stellar ‘ safety to walk alone at night’ scores played in our favour. That, combined with a staggering 29,600 Instagram posts and a total 190 venues open at night won us the title of the third city with the most dazzling nocturnal tourism.
Some of these snapshots showcased touristy spots that offer unparalleled night views of the city, such as Ce La Vie and the Dubai Fountain. Others shone a light on off-beat destinations for nighttime views, such as Al Fahidi Historical District.
Abu Dhabi ranked the world’s safest city at night
However, Dubai wasn’t the only UAE city that made the list of the best cities for late-night tourism. The capital of Abu Dhabi ranked #1 as the safest destination for late-night tourism with a safety score of 87/100. Dubai has been crowned third for night-time safety with a score of 83/100.
New York City, ‘the city that never sleeps’ and Tokyo with its neon-lit streets, nabbed the first and second spots, respectively, as the best cities to explore at night. Meanwhile, Muscat brought in another win for the Middle East as the world’s fourth most beautiful city at night. Seoul, Sydney , and Singapore also earned spots in the top 10.
Want to know which other cities made the top 10 best destinations for late-night tourism? Find the full list here