Top Expo 2020 Dubai tips and hacks to get the best out of your visit

Need some expert tips on how to get around the world fair and experience the best of it? Read on!

By Mahwash Ajaz

Published: Sat 1 Jan 2022, 11:19 AM

Last updated: Sat 1 Jan 2022, 12:05 PM

For those of us who have traipsed around the Expo 2020 Dubai many times in the past two months or so, we’ve learnt that there are many ways to get a lot more out of the Expo 2020 Dubai experience and these tips and tricks can help those who are going to visit the Expo 2020 for the first time. So save this page and plan your trip asap!

Use the smart queue

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Photos: Supplied/KT file

The Expo 2020 App gives you the option of going for a ‘smart queue’ for any visit to any pavilion. Want to avoid the long queues? Choose a slot from the app and happily walk in to your favourite pavilion without hassle!

Go early

The Expo 2020 Dubai opens at 10 am every day. While it can be open sooner for business delegates etc, pavilions open at 10 and with the tourist season in full swing, it gets pretty busy even in the mornings! During school days, it’s especially full with children and their teachers. But going to Expo early is always a good idea in terms of finding parking and avoiding long queues at the pavilions (if you haven’t booked from the smart queue option from the app of course!)

Use the people mover!

You may have seen cute buggies moving around. You can ask for them to take you around! It’s only the yellow buggies with the word ‘taxi’ written on them that charge you Dh10 per trip/per person but the rest are free! So if you see a buggy going in the same direction as you and with some empty seats, ask if you can hop in! (Some are delegated for security, protocol and media – so you may want to avoid calling those!)

Ask a volunteer and there’s a visitor centre nearby!

There are many volunteers standing at the Expo 2020 who can help you. They are wearing Expo 2020 logo-based jackets and are very helpful, especially if you need guidance anywhere. A visitor centre has bathrooms, a Zoom and other helpful amenities you may require during your trip to the Expo.

Shuttle help

The parking is vast and expansive. Expo 2020 bus shuttles take you from the parking lots to the different gates of the different pavilions (Mobility, Sustainability and Opportunity). Remember where you have parked. When you park the car, look at the barcode near your parking site. Open your camera on your phone, scan the barcode and save the bus stand location. Your bus stop is the one that will bring you back from the pavilion gate to the parking lot.

Explore and discover shortcuts

The Expo 2020 app gives you enough directions on how to reach where but you can always discover shortcuts once you have been to the Expo many times. The sites begin to look familiar and you can choose different landmarks (I, for example, always use either the Al Wasl Dome or the KSA Pavilion to guage wherever I am!) to help you navigate better.

Follow the Eat at Expo Signs

If you’re hungry, you don’t have to worry. There are over 200 restaurants at Expo 2020 Dubai. From Costa Coffee to fine dining experiences such as Hunter and Barrel, you’ll find everything. Some pavilions have proper sit down restaurants and coffee shops too. The ‘Dhaaba’ at the Pakistan Pavilion serves delicious Chapli Kebab Burgers and the chocolate shop at the Swiss pavilion has the most delicious chocolate almond clusters. In short, it’s a foodie heaven!

mahwash@khaleejtimes.com

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