“Cheap travel to Dubai?” How many times you have heard it and be like ‘Hey! Dubai is one of the most luxurious destinations to travel to, nothing cheap happens there!’ Well, yes you’re definitely right here. The agenda of the ruling King of Dubai is to make it the most luxurious travel destinations in the world. However, among the glittery shining filled with skyscrapers alleys of Dubai, there exists a lot of activities that can be done absolutely for free!
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There is a lot more to Dubai than being a concrete jungle. Before you fly to the city and develop a perspective about it, it is best to educate yourself about everything you need to know about Dubai. There are plenty of activities which can be done in Dubai for cheap like a cheap desert safari or an old Dubai tour. From my recent trip to Dubai, I have listed down ten amazing activities that I absolutely loved and enjoyed in Dubai for free. Food, accommodation, and transport can be expensive, but you can definitely save some money by doing the following free activities while in Dubai.
Also Read: The Best Free Apps To Download Before Visiting Dubai
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The Abra Ride
Abra is a traditional Arabian dhow boat that was used to carry the laborers from Dubai to the other emirates some ten to twenty years back. Even to date, the Abra is used to commute passenger but now it only functions in the area of Deira and Bur Dubai.
However, the Abra ride is not completely free but it only charges 1AED for a one-side ride, which is quite near to being free only. It is a short and sweet ride starting from Creek Dubai, which gives great views of the old Dubai area.
The French Village At Riverland Dubai
Riverland Dubai is a center of different theme parks, dining and shopping destination in Dubai. The entrance to the theme parks which include The Lego Land Park and the Bollywood park is payable. However, one can enjoy visiting the French Village which is an artificial French countryside theme park that can be accessed for free.
There is an artificial lake too flowing across the French village area, which makes a great spot for photography. Riverland Dubai is an open place, so it can get very hot and humid during the peak summer months.
The Dubai Musical Fountain
If visiting Dubai then seeing the Dubai musical fountain in front of the world’s tallest skyscraper Burj Khalifa is a magical experience. The musical fountain can be reached by passing through the Dubai Mall, which is the largest mall in the world. There is no fee to watch the musical fountain dance show, which makes it an absolute must thing to watch while in Dubai.
The show is a five to seven minutes show, which happens every thirty minutes after 6 PM. However, it can get super crowded if visited during the public holidays or on weekends during winters.
La Mer Dubai
Next up on my list of cheap travel to Dubai is La Mer, which is a beachfront area with many international and local bars and restaurants. La Mer is also one of the best public beaches in Dubai to visit. It is one of those places in Dubai which gives the vibes of being in Miami and not in the middle of a desert!
La Mer is absolutely free to enter and one can sit and relax at the beach without the compulsion of buying something to eat or drink from the restaurants. La Mer also happens to be the most instagramable places in Dubai. So, don’t forget to carry a good camera to La Mer for getting those perfect Instagram worthy shots.
The Dubai Marina
The Dubai Marina is a great manmade marvel among the many others in Dubai. Surrounded by sky-high buildings, the marina is a perfect spot for an evening or a late night stroll. Witnessing the shining skyscrapers while walking on a crossway above the water, makes the Dubai Marina a must-visit place for anyone looking for cheap travel in Dubai.
There are many yachts and dinner cruise boats too at the marina but of course, none of that is free of charge. The best way to experience the calmness between a concrete jungle of buildings is by grabbing a cup of coffee and taking a lazy stroll at the marina.
Dubai Festival Mall
The Dubai Festival mall is a lesser-known place to many; however, everyone looking for cheap travel in Dubai should definitely add this one in their list. Located near the old Dubai area, the Dubai festival mall is a huge mall just like many others in Dubai.
What makes it made up to my list is that there is a laser show called ‘Imagine’ with a musical fountain show at Dubai Festival mall every day absolutely for free! Of course, the musical fountain show is not as amazing as the Burj Khalifa fountain show but it is definitely worth a visit! And not to mention, it is all for free. YAY!
Gold Souq & Spice Market
You must be wondering what a Gold Souq (market) doing in a list of cheap travel to Dubai? Well, not asking you to buy any gold here, but in order to experience the traditional local vibe of Dubai, a visit to the Gold Souq and Spice market is mandatory! Located in the old Dubai area of Deira, the Gold Souq is a congested gold street shopping market with small confusing alleys filled with gold shops owned by the expatriates in Dubai.
It further gets connected with the spice market, which has all sorts of Indian and Pakistani spices. The market was started by the very few expats in Dubai some twenty years back to accommodate the needs of the Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi workers in Dubai.
Al Fahidi Fort
There is nothing much to see and do in Dubai that helps in understanding the cultural values and the history of the place. However, after doing extensive research, I stumbled upon Al Fahidi Fort, which is a part of the Dubai Museum, a perfect place to know and understand the heritage and history of the glittering Dubai.
The best thing about visiting Al Fahidi Fort is that it only costs AED 3 to access the fort and the museum, which is pretty cheap for anyone looking for cheap travel in Dubai. Al Fahidi Fort was built in 1787, which has been renovated and maintained over the years. In 1995, a museum was built within the premises of the fort which is now the Dubai Museum.
More details on Al Fahidi Museum can be found here.
Movie Under The Stars
Nothing gets better than watching a movie on a giant screen while lying on comfy pillows right under the naked sky! And while in Dubai that is absolutely possible! And the best thing about it is that it is totally free of charge. Yes, it really is! The Pyramid Rooftop Complex at the Wafi complex holds a free movie night every Sunday at 8:30 PM. Reach there with your blanket and popcorns to enjoy a great Sunday night in Dubai.
More details about the movie shows and availability can be received from the information desk at the Wafi Complex.
Atlantis The Palm
Dubai is a haven of manmade wonders and Atlantis The Palm tops the list of being the biggest manmade island and definitely a unique wonder of the world. Build in the shape of a palm tree, the Atlantis is the most luxurious resort hotel in Dubai. Though, you cannot get to enter the hotel unless you’re a guest (which you wouldn’t be if you’re reading this article about cheap travel to Dubai).
However, you can still experience and enjoy the majestic Atlantis hotel view for free from the Cornish right in front of the hotel. As of January 2019, there is some construction work going on the Atlantis Cornish and I am not sure if the viewpoint will exist once the construction is completed.
Confused about Where To Stay in Dubai? Check Reviews & Compare prices of the best hotels in Dubai!
Booking.comThese activities will definitely ensure a budget trip to Dubai. So, add these ten amazing free of cost activities in your itinerary if you’re looking up for cheap travel in Dubai. Or if you’re up to spending a luxurious holiday in Dubai then also you can as well have a look at these best Dubai tours and these top tourist places to visit in Dubai, which are definitely worth your money! Good stuff with the best price never hurts anyone, right?
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Thanks for sharing such great information, I highly appreciate your hard-working skills as the post you published have some great information which is quite beneficial for me, I hope you will post more like that in the future
Abra ride in Dubai is a very cheap but most enjoyable trip and al fahidi fort museum has much information about old Dubai
I absolutely agree with that! Thank you
Thanks for sharing your travel to Dubai. Haven’t been there yet so am just trying to learn about the place by reading blogs just as your very informative blog. Beautiful place indeed. Thanks again.
Glad to know that! Thank you 🙂
Love Dubai! It’s amazing how much you can see and do in the city for free and this is a great guide to that! So cool that the movie under the stars is free!!!
Hey Claire! Thank you so much. I am so glad you found my guide useful.