Pick how many days you have, and we have already built the plan for you, day by day.
Three to four days is enough for the main attractions, a desert safari and a beach or shopping day. Five days or more lets you add a day trip to Abu Dhabi, the water parks and some lesser-known neighborhoods at an easy pace.
Group each day by area: a day Downtown (Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, the fountains), a day at Dubai Marina and the Palm, and a day in old Dubai (Deira, the souks, an abra ride across the Creek). That saves long taxi rides along Sheikh Zayed Road.
November to March are the most pleasant months, with comfortable weather for time outdoors and the desert. Summer (June to September) is very hot, often above 40C, and suits air-conditioned activities and lower hotel rates.
Yes, if you have at least four days. Abu Dhabi is about ninety minutes away and offers the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Louvre and Ferrari World. A full day is enough for it as a day trip from Dubai.
