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Can you experience Dubai in a budget-friendly way? Our answer is without question: YES! Dubai is a crazy vacation destination, but it doesn't have its image as super de luxe with it. It is certainly true that when you are in Dubai, you step into a world where everything seems to be possible. From luxurious parties to super-modern hotel rooms and infinity pools hundreds of feet high. But Dubai offers so much more than this. And that is exactly what we are going to share with you in this article. Useful tips to explore and experience Dubai in a budget-friendly way!
1. Are you flying with Emirates? Then keep your paper boarding pass with you throughout the trip!
Emirates is the airline of Dubai and this can give you a big advantage as a tourist. Twice a year, in fact, you get a discount of as much as 20% by showing your Emirates boarding pass and ID. You can get the discount for visiting various attractions including the Burj Khalifa. There are also several stores and restaurants where you can get the discount. So this is a very interesting and fun way to save money on your trip to Dubai, even if you have a stopover in this crazy city.
Tip: Do you only have your boarding pass online? Then take a screenshot, this way you can use it too.
Retrieved from My Emirates Pass you'll find more about the periods during which you get a discount by showing your boarding pass and which parties are affiliated with it.
2. Enjoy views of the city from the 150-meter-high Dubai Frame
Scattered throughout the city you will find several striking landmarks, including the Dubai Frame. A giant picture frame with a height of 150 meters and a width of 93 meters. The top of the frame is a glass walkway from which you can look out over modern Dubai with its iconic skyscrapers on one side and overlook the historic part of the city, including the Bur Dubai and Deira.
The landmark in itself, the Dubai Frame, frames Dubai's past and future like a living painting. It is a more affordable alternative to admiring the city's insane skyline. Many tourists naturally want to go to the top of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. But then you won't have a view of this tower itself, from the Dubai Frame you will. On top of that, a visit to the Dubai Frame is a lot cheaper than a visit to the Burj Khalifa.
A ticket for the Dubai Frame costs 50 AED per person, which is about €13 per person. An At the Top ticket for the Burj Khalifa costs 179 AED per person, which is about €46 per person. Prices are current as of November 2024.
3. A more economical visit to the Burj Khalifa
Let's go straight to a budget tip for a visit to the Burj Khalifa, because here too you can make the most of your visit in a smart way. Going to the top of the Burj Khalifa is undoubtedly the No. 1 on your to-do list when you go to Dubai, and we don't blame you. Because once you're on the observation deck at the 124ste floor, then for a moment you simply don't know where to look. The views are bizarre and everything seems so small!
If you're going to buy tickets to the Burj Khalifa, it's best to do so online via this website. You choose a day and a time to go up. That way you skip the huge queue for the ticket office on the spot. Different rates are available, depending on the time of day and what floor you want to go up to. Tickets during sunset are, as you can expect, a lot pricier.
But then what is our budget tip? Visit the Burj Khalifa at sunrise for only 159 AED, this includes one drink and a treat from the bakery. This rate is only valid if you book the 'Sunrise At The Top' ticket that allows you access to levels 124 and 125 between 05:00 and 06:30.
4. A day at the beach in Dubai
A beach day doesn't have to be expensive at all, especially in Dubai. In fact, you can make this destination as expensive as you want. If you prefer a cozy beach club where you can lie on a beach chair all day, keep in mind that you can pay quite a bit for this. However, you often get a lot of fun in return.
But would you rather throw out your towel on the beach? You can do that too in Dubai. Kite Beach is the beach we visited and is an incredibly beautiful and vast beach. It is a public beach which means you can access the beach for everyone. You can lie there on the sand or rent a beach chair. For example, at Sole Mio, here you pay 120 AED (about €30) per beach chair. This is a lot cheaper than you will pay at popular and private beach club in Dubai.
Kite Beach not only consists of a fantastically beautiful beach, you will also find a very pleasant promenade. There are several stores, markets, padel courts, outdoor gym options and lots of yummy smelling food trucks. In short, a lovely and wallet-friendly place to schedule a beach day when you are in Dubai.
5. Staying overnight in Dubai at a fair price
There are so many hotels in Dubai that finding a good, budget-friendly hotel can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. But we're happy to help you with that by tipping Rove Hotels! This chain has several hotels scattered throughout the city and each are unique and very affordable. Especially when it comes to value for money.
We ourselves stayed in Rove City Walk that has rooms and a pool with a view of the Burj Khalifa. Isn't that exactly what you want when you go to Dubai? Breakfast is incredibly extensive and diverse, not to mention the hotel's stylish decor. As a service, the hotel offers free shuttles to and from Downtown Dubai every day, so that saves on cab fees!
6. Combine The View at Palm Island with dinner at CouCou restaurant
Budget-friendly does not always mean that something has to be very inexpensive; it can also mean smart with money. A matching tip for in Dubai, then, is a combination visit to the viewpoint The View at The Palm and a dinner at restaurant CouCou.
Palm Jumeirah is the first artificial island built in the shape of a palm tree in Dubai. The island is a well-known landmark and is home to many luxury resorts, hotels, malls and restaurants. To see the iconic shape of the palm tree with your own eyes, you can buy an entrance ticket to the 52nd floor of the Palm Tower, also known as The View at The Palm. The observation deck is located at a height of 240 meters. You not only overlook the island, but also the Dubai Marina harbor and, in the distance, the Downtown Dubai skyline.
To visit the observation deck during the day, you pay 100 AED, about €25 per person. But did you know that when the observation deck closes the space turns into an insane outdoor rooftop restaurant? If you reserve a table for dinner at CouCou restaurant in the evening, you save the admission fee. You'll have just as beautiful a view as during the day and perhaps even more beautiful now that all the lights are illuminating the island, harbor and city!
7. Not glamping but camping in the Dubai desert
Dubai is a desert city, something you quickly forget when surrounded by skyscrapers and beach. That is why we will always tip you to take a trip to the desert, and more fun even to stay there for a night. There are many modern and luxurious options, as you would naturally expect from Dubai. But don't opt for a luxury stay or glamping, but for an adventurous camping experience. We leave the luxury and modern behind as we leave the city and embrace nature.
Sand Sherpa is a cool and unique camp in the middle of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, a protected nature reserve of some 225 square kilometers. This is only 5% of the total land mass of the emirate of Dubai. This piece of land is very important for the conservation and well-being of desert animals and its native plants.
At Sand Sherpa you sleep in one of their mini trailers with rooftop tent. You are surrounded by nothing but nature and believe me, that's wonderful waking up to birds chirping early in the morning. Just in time to watch the sunrise. So a desert experience in Dubai can be done in a variety of ways, but this is our personal favorite!
An overnight stay at one of the luxurious resorts or glamping sites in the Dubai Desert can quickly run into the hundreds of euros. And yes, an overnight stay at Sand Sherpa also costs at least €235. But if you ask us, it's well worth the experience.
Combine Dubai and Abu Dhabi in one trip
Dubai is a fantastic destination for a wonderful vacation. But if you ask us, it's a waste to visit Dubai alone. In fact, you can very well combine a trip this way with a visit to Abu Dhabi. Discover both metropolises in one trip and create memories that will last a lifetime!
Visit Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Did you know that Abu Dhabi can be heartily combined with a trip to Dubai? You can even drive there independently as a day trip from this metropolis. Curious about the possibilities? As personal travel consultants, we are happy to help you. During a 1-on-1 video interview we will map out your wishes and advise you on the best places that suit you. Would you rather leave it all up to us? No problem! We organize your trip completely tailor-made. Travel carefree and request a travel proposal for your vacation to Dubai (and perhaps Abu Dhabi).Â
Lois Weeterings
A dreamer and adventure seeker, always on the lookout for new experiences. But also a hard worker with a thousand ideas racing through my mind. As a personal travel consultant and travel blogger, I share my passion for faraway destinations, thrilling adventures, and winter sports. With deep knowledge of places like Namibia, Colombia, the ABC Islands, and the Middle East, I’m here to help you craft a trip you’ll never forget. Through my personal stories and expert tips, I aim to inspire you to explore the world your way. Always with my camera in hand, I’m determined to capture every magical moment and share it with you.
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