Top 10 Things to do for $20 or less in Dubai

Dubai is known as a city of gold, expensive cars, yachts, rich people, world records, and even a 7 star hotel. However, with all of the wealth, there are also middle class (and broke) everyday people such as me, a student, who can still have plenty of fun in Dubai and still find things to do in dubai for a reasonable and fair price. If there is one thing I have learned about this incredible city, it is that you can find restaurants to spend $500 at for a meal, or restaurants to spend $3 at for a meal, and everything in between. You just have to get away from the touristy parts of town and go more local. In this blog post, I will tell you 10 things (there is plenty more than 10, but these are my favorite and the places I find the best) to do around Dubai for $20 or less. This list is in no particular order and please note that currency prices do fluctuate frequently so it’s best to exchange these prices yourself before booking or check out the websites directly, which I have linked below.

There are tons of beaches in Dubai, but I would recommend Kite Beach as the place to go for things such as kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. Kite beach is not as touristy as places such as JBR and La Mer, so the prices aren’t as jacked up for tourists as the touristy beaches are, or like they are at beach resorts and beach clubs. The only negative aspect of Kite Beach, is that the metro doesn’t go there, so unfortunately you may have to either take a really long bus that will take a while, or take a taxi (honestly taxis in Dubai are relatively inexpensive, compared to other big cities such as New York City or London, so don’t let this factor deter you away. 

The temperature inside the lounge is around -6 degrees celsius, or 21 degrees Fahrenheit, so if you are a cold natured person then you can probably last longer inside. I would definitely recommend to visit this lounge on a hot summer day so you can feel refreshed in the crisp cold air (summer weather in Dubai can get up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees celcius). It’s not an alcoholic ice lounge like I’ve seen in other cities, so don’t be disappointed when there is no alcohol available to buy, but its still a fun and unique experience, especially when you are visiting or living in the middle of a desert.

I wouldn’t necessarily compare this to a ride at an amusement park, as it’s very slow moving and not really about the thrill, rather than the view and the experience. It is located in JBR (Jumeirah Beach Residence) 

which is a popular beach area and board walk in Dubai. There are great views of the Burj Al Arab (Dubai’s 7 star hotel), the beach from above, and the skyscrapers and all the restaurants that are 40 meters below you. If you buy this experience on Groupon, its only $15 including popcorn and a drink! You can choose between soft drinks, tea, coffee, water, or an icee from the drink selection to take with you while you go up. It’s a fun experience to try for only $15, so I would definitely says its a great value for the money. If you want to spend a little more money, you can even have a whole meal up in the sky, which breaks the $20 price limit and is 120 dirhams ($33USD) for dinner.

One of the ultimate and most famous things to do in the desert of Dubai- a classic desert safari! You can’t come to the United Arab Emirates without at least trying a desert safari once in your life. Sometimes being surrounded by the hundreds of skyscrapers and manmade phenomenons of Dubai, you forget that you are actually right in the middle of a desert. For those of you who don’t realize, Dubai is quite literally located in the middle of a sand pit, AKA the Arabian Desert. Because there are SO MANY companies and competitors for the desert safari tours since it is probably one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city, you can find and purchase a basic desert safari, for the very cheap price of only about $12-$20 USD per person! These basic desert safaris include activities such as: a short camel ride, a BBQ dinner under the desert stars, multiple cultural shows and performances( such as belly dancers, fire shows, tanoura dancers), 

This is probably one of the most authentic restaurants you can go to in Dubai! Because there are SO many expats and foreigners living in Dubai (about 80% of the city is made up of expats), you can pretty much always find any type of cuisine that you can dream of. However, with all of the foreign food that is offered, many tourists and residents forget to sought out and experience an actual Emirati restaurant. The Arabian Tea House restaurant is very traditional looking with Arabic type architecture and decorations, as well as beautiful flowers around it. 

They also have a pool bar that you can take advantage of, but unfortunately this is more than $20 so I will not include it in the list, but I just wanted to mention it so that people know it exists

The Dubai Frame is a great tourist attraction that you can easily do on a budget. It is the largest picture frame in the world, and has an observation deck inside where you can walk over glass flooring. On one side of the frame, you can see downtown Dubai including the Burj Khalifa which is known as “new Dubai”, and if you look through the other side of the frame, you can see the “old Dubai”. This is a great substitution, or addition, for those budget travelers out there who don’t want to pay a more expensive ticket to go up to the Burj Khalifa observation deck. Plus, if you have always wanted to visit the largest picture frame in the world, then you can check that off your bucket list!