8 Best Pavilions To Visit – Expo 2020 Dubai

I think Japan should be ranked Number 1 as it is the pavilion with the highest rates. And everyone recommends it. But unfortunately we couldn’t go and see why it was ranked Number 1  as the waiting time was nearly 1 and half hours to 3 hours  everytime we checked. And sadly we couldn’t do a smart booking for this pavilion as it doesn’t have that option. The tour inside the pavilion takes exactly 1 hour and there is a mad crowd outside waiting in the hot sun. So, unless you are prepared to stand in the long line it’s really tough to get in.

So here is a list of the 8 best pavilions that we visited and enjoyed.

1. Palestine – This was hands down my favourite. Honestly, I was so amazed as I didn’t have any expectations at all. And all we hear about Palestine is war and conflict. Truly, this changed the whole perspective. We were able to see, touch, smell and experience more than what we’ve ever heard  about this amazing country .It was an absolute and wholesome experience. Loved the way they had done the flooring at the pavilion which was similar to that of in the streets of Palestine. There was a host at the entrance who gave us a briefing about the culture and traditions there. It was such a short and meaningful explanation. And the smell zone was breath-taking. They had sensors  that when touched made us smell some of the unique fragrances from Palestine. We could smell various things like olives, mandarins, roses etc. We really loved every bit of our time here.

2. Saudi Arabia – The architecture of the building was itself so unique that it makes you want to explore what’s inside. At the entrance they had a water fountain kind of thing. Definitely, a picture worthy spot and always packed and I wonder if you’ll ever get a chance to click a picture of yourself alone.. We have to walk down to enter the pavilion. There was a small briefing here too, but we would have been better off without it too. The huge screen with a sphere with colours and patterns changing was remarkable.

3. Alif – The Mobility Pavilion

Named after the first letter of the Arabic alphabet  the pavilion symbolizes the dawn of development and progress. There were many new things that we learned from here. From how people started to write on papyrus papers to state of the art technology  mankind has utilized to go upto space. They had made sculptures of ancient people who excelled in various fields of education.They  looked so real and were a treat to the eyes.

There was also a spot where you could click a photo of yourself in an astronaut costume. The architecture of the building was truly remarkable too.

4. Hungary – The interesting part of the pavilion was that it had a water theme. They were showcasing all the ways they make use of water. The walkway where the wall when touched will make it look like a water splash was also fun to explore. My favourite part of the pavilion was the ball pit they had where we could relax whilst they played a video. Children and elders had a good time here.

5. Singapore – The pavilion was located in the sustainability district and had a unique theme of ‘Nature. Nurture. Future.’ which focused on how cities can look like with nature. The landscaping was spectacular. There was greenery everywhere. Felt like we entered the ‘Gardens by the bay’ in Singapore. They had displayed their journey of transforming cities into sustainable and liveable places by using nature integrated with technology. The greenery inside is definitely something you should see. 

6. South Korea – The pavilion located in the mobility district  is so colourful with spinning cubes that illuminate in the night. They have a cube spinning show every 15 minutes at night. You will witness a good view if you are on the balcony of the pavilion. This also gives a great view of all of the pavilions at the expo. The night view is just spectacular. Other than that I didn’t find anything interesting about the phone they gave which enabled us to travel virtually with augmented reality. The visitors were actually clueless on how to use the phone and most of them ended up taking selfies of themselves with the phone that was given.Haha!  😂

7. Switzerland – The part that  I loved about this pavilion is the entrance which was designed in red and with a huge mirror. They also offer us umbrellas to have a photo session with our friends. When we enter they tell you that you are entering the Swiss mountains. Honestly, it was on point. It had a misty effect and you could hardly see anything other than the light tracks on the ground. After that they had many other acts which we were not that impressed about.

8. ENOC pavilion– Emirates national oil company limited (ENOC) is the top energy company in the region. We did not have any expectations at all for this pavilion. But we were amazed inside. ENOC has made many important contributions to various economic factors and sustainable development in the country.

Extra tips

1. Be sure to make maximum use of your time at the expo by using the Expo 2020 mobile app which has  a map and  helps us with directions and also use Smart Queue which enables us to make bookings to go to certain pavilions without having to stand in the lines. 
2. Carry a water bottle, shades or hat with you during the day. It will help you from getting burnt in the hot scorching sun. There are multiple places where you can refill your water bottles.  Make use of it because it’s a total rip off when you have to buy anything to eat or drink at the expo.

These are based on our experience, do let us know if you think any other pavilion deserves a special mention. Do make sure to follow the tips and most importantly Have Fun! 😍