Dubai is associated with a high life of luxury, impressive skyscrapers, lavish hotels, and a lifestyle that can drain a lot of money. But is it necessary for a tourist to spend a lot of money to have fun in Dubai?
A travel blogger has tried to answer this question by spending the whole day exploring Dubai, starting from the airport, through the traditional souks, to the contemporary downtown area. The traveler kept track of his expenses during the trip, tried the local cuisine, took the local public transport, and finally went to see the tallest building, Burj Khalifa.
The experience has proven that it is possible to show how much money a tourist spends in Dubai in one day, as well as prove that Dubai is not only about its luxurious image.
Arriving in Dubai and getting cash.
The journey started at one of the biggest and busiest airports – Dubai International Airport. Everything went smooth at the immigration, and the person was through in just a couple of minutes.
Despite arriving in the airport, the person needed to have some local currency. Rather than withdrawing money right away, he exchanged his last Omani rials into UAE dirhams.
The traveler looked at the current exchange rates and noted that he should have received about AED 355, but the money exchange only offered him AED 328. The difference constitutes the service fees and margins.
By the way, the traveler mentioned that the rates back then were US$1 for AED 3.67 approximately.
Having US$100, the traveler thought it should be enough for the day, and he made it clear that he is not a real-budget traveler.
The traveler was not looking for the cheapest means of transportation. Rather, he wanted to see the city at ease while keeping track of how much money a day trip to Dubai costs.
Taking a Taxi from the Airport
The second expense was the transportation from the airport to the hotel. Although the traveler had several options such as taxi, Uber, or metro, he decided to take airport taxi for the first trip.
The trip to the hotel lasted around 20 minutes and the trip meter reached AED 64 at the end. The traveler paid AED 100 to the driver and took the change.
Also interestingly, the taxi driver originates from Bangladesh, which is unlike most taxi drivers in Dubai who are from the UAE. This points towards one of the key features about Dubai – the large number of expatriates present in the city.
Interestingly, around 88% of Dubai’s population is made up of expatriates, and only 12% of the people are citizens. Therefore, it is quite common to meet people from various countries of the world on the streets of Dubai.
How Good a Room Can One Get For Only US$200?
Regarding accommodation, the traveler had to choose a hotel – DoubleTree by Hilton, where he rented a room for US200.
The hotel was really good and had numerous free services like pools, fitness centers, health spas, etc. The room offered a cozy kingsize bed, a living room, a working desk, and a big bathroom with a shower and bathtub.
Nevertheless, there was one downside.
The window of the room was blocked with stickers and foils that did not allow a good view. Considering the price of the room, the traveler expected it to have a much better view from the window.
This also demonstrates an important lesson about hotel prices in Dubai that tourists should be aware of. A US$200 room provides a reasonable level of accommodation, but does not guarantee a great view of the city. Tourists can opt for cheaper hotels farther away from major downtown areas.
The Historic Dubay and the Famous Souks
After arriving at the hotel, the traveler went to Deira, one of the oldest areas of Dubai.
The ambiance of Deira is strikingly different from the futuristic skyline, which is typical of the city. The narrow streets full of buildings of traditional architecture, markets, restaurants, and shops set the stage for a more historic experience.
The well-known Gold Souk, where you can find beautiful jewelry, was one of the attractions. Although the traveler was not going to buy any gold, he found that many vendors approached tourists.
The same thing happened at the nearby Spice Souk, where one can buy spices, souvenirs, watches, scarves, etc.
Bargaining for the Football Shirt
One of the fun things the traveler did was to buy a football shirt.
He was a collector of national football shirts and wanted to find one in Dubai. At first, the seller offered the traveler a shirt with Messi’s name for 65 AED, but the traveler managed to bargain and lowered this price to 40 AED.
While the jersey he bought was not an official one, he was satisfied with his purchase as a souvenir. The traveler had bought a Cristiano Ronaldo shirt in Oman, which means that now he can add a Messi shirt to his collection.
The above situation has shown the importance of bargaining in some markets in Dubai. The seller has very high prices at first, as he wants to get a high profit.
Fresh Orange Juice for 10 AED
Eventually, walking around made the traveler tired, so he stopped to drink fresh orange juice.
For only 10 AED he bought a small drink, while larger sizes were 15 AED. Other drinks were also offered, like pineapple and carrot juices, and milkshakes.
The juice was freshly squeezed, with nice sweetness and refreshing taste.
This was also one of the low-cost things of the day, thus showing that Dubai is not super-expensive to eat and drink. Although upscale restaurants are pricey, it is still possible to enjoy inexpensive foods.
Crossing Dubai Creek by Traditional Boat
The next stop was Dubai Creek.
Instead of taking another taxi, the traveler opted for a small traditional boat to cross the river which costs only AED 1.
The trip took just about 3 minutes, but it gave the full picture of the city. It was an open boat, without a closed cabin, and the passengers had to stabilize themselves and be seated.
Also, for only 1 dirham, it was one of the cheapest experiences of the day.
Upon crossing the creek, the traveler reached another souk and continued exploring the traditional part of the city.
Finding a cheap Souvenir in Dubai
Another task was to find a small souvenir that could be easily placed in a backpack.
At first, the price of a small souvenir was AED 85 which was rejected immediately.
After a few sessions of bargaining, the final price dropped to AED 10.
The incident was amusing as the vendor seemed amused by the huge gap in the initial price and the final price. However, for the traveler, it was just another aspect of shopping in a normal market.
This means that a good lesson for the tourists is that one can achieve good negotiations in the markets of Dubai, thus helping to save money when they buy souvenirs and other items meant for tourists.
Old Dubai is Very Different
The old part of the city was totally different from the luxurious picture of modern Dubai.
Visitors do not see tall skyscrapers and magnificent shopping malls here, but instead narrow streets, traditional architecture, cafes, restaurants, and small shops.
The traveler even seemed to spot a unique Starbucks café located in a beautiful traditional building.
Not far away there was the Al Fahidi Fort which belongs to the 18th century. When visiting the fort, it seemed to be under construction.
Thus the mix of the historic buildings with the skyscraper environment created a great contrast and showed how much the city had changed.
Dining at one of Dubai’s Top kebabs restaurant
At this point, the traveler is hungry and goes to a restaurant that is said to be very famous for its kebabs.
The restaurant is found to be very busy at the time when he enters as many customers are already seated. A collection of famous people’s photos hung on the walls gives an idea that the restaurant must have hosted many celebrities.
Instead of ordering one kind of kebab, the traveler chooses a mixed platter to taste different meats.
The meal was composed of chicken, mutton, flatbread, salad, and yogurt sauce.
The meals were impressive. The traveler found mutton to be delicious when eaten without any sauce. However, the chicken was brought with its special yogurt sauce which was truly tasty.
The bill was AED 51 approximately.
The traveler found himself quite satisfied about the food he consumed while noting that the high quality and quantity of the meal made it one of the best meals he had enjoyed for some time.
Interestingly, the cuisine offered by the restaurant is Iranian instead of being Emirati which confirms the international nature of the city of Dubai.
Taking Dubai Metro for the First Time
After visiting the ancient part of Dubai, it was time to get some fun in the touristy downtown Dubai.
Instead of hailing a cab, the traveler thought it would be cool to travel in Dubai Metro.
The city has two main metro lines, the Red Line, and the Green Line, which connect important parts of the city.
The ticket machine was easy to understand. The traveler chose English as a language and opted for a single ticket to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Station.
In addition, he bought a ticket for the Gold Class at a cost of AED 10.
The metro trip was very clean and modern. One of the unique features of the Dubai Metro is the Gold Class section, which is less crowded compared to the normal carriage.
The trip to the Burj Khalifa location took around 10 minutes.
Thus, for tourists searching for cheap means of transportation, Dubai Metro will be a good option instead of taxis when moving between attractions that are popular among tourists.
The confusion inside Dubai Mall
The Dubai metro has a terminal at the foot of the Dubai Mall, which has been ranked among the largest shopping malls.
The traveler did not plan to spend much time in this mall. He just wanted to get to the Burj Khalifa instead.
However, he was surprised to find out that it was difficult to find an exit from the mall because of the mall’s size.
True, the Dubai Mall is impressive, with its many shops and attractions. It shows an example of the use of size in the city.
In the end, the traveler was fortunate to find his way out.
Seeing the Burj Khalifa at last
When he appeared in front of the Burj Khalifa, he felt satisfied.
The Burj Khalifa is an 828-meter skyscraper and is still the tallest building in the world. It’s been constructed since 2009.
The location of the building was overcrowded. It should be noted that the traveler didn’t like many tourists at the same time but didn’t mind it at that moment.
For him to see the tallest building in the world with his own eyes had always been a personal wish ever since he started traveling.
The Burj Khalifa was not the only remarkable thing about this place. The modern downtown area was filled with skyscrapers and expensive shops, restaurants and the famous Dubai Fountain.
As compared to the historic places visited just before, the atmosphere of the downtown area was much more refined and sophisticated.
What Is the Price of Going to the Burj Khalifa?
While standing next to the Burj Khalifa is free, going inside and reaching an observation platform requires you to buy a ticket.
It was found out that prices differ according to the observation deck and the time of the day.
For example, the ticket to the highest observation platform during sunset costs approximately $50. Visiting earlier during the day would allow you to save some money, though the prices are really high.
For travelers who are trying to plan their budgets for vacations in Dubai this is important to know.
A Simple Snack Purchase in Burj Khalifa Area
Sometimes, even a snack comes within the scope of cost analysis.
The traveler saw a hot dog kiosk next to the Burj Khalifa and decided to find out the price, even though he was not feeling much appetite.
He learned that it was AED 30 or approximately US$8.
He thought this to be a fair price given the location despite the fact that it is considerably higher than in many other places in Dubai.
The difference is significant. A couple of hours ago a boat trip had cost AED 1 while eating a hot dog in one of the most touristy spots of Dubai cost AED 30.
Downtown Dubai – the New Side of the City
Downtown Dubai made a certain impression.
Buildings were huge, clean and luxurious. When compared to traditional markets in Deira it felt like visiting a different planet altogether.
The guy compared the setting to the famous Bund area of Shanghai but believed that the downtown of Dubai was even more opulent than that.
An interesting finding was the absence of readily apparent local Emiratis in the region. Due to the high number of foreigners in Dubai, many of the individuals met in the popular tourist zones were not locals. This was markedly in contrast to places where locals form the majority of the population in the streets.
The other point that the traveler was happy with was that there were no relentless beach touts. Of course, not everywhere it is easy to enjoy the local attractions without being approached whether being provided the information about what to see.
And is it expensive or not?
It strongly depends on the way of traveling.
In the specific day above, the traveler stayed at a rather pricey hotel, took taxis, shopped, ate in restaurants, used public transport, drank, bought souvenirs, and was active in sightseeing. But some of the cultural experiences were very cheap.
For example, taking a local boat ride costs AED 1. A drink of fresh orange juice will cost AED 10. A good meal is around AED 51. The tickets for the subway are also not too expensive.
Dubai should not be viewed as a high-end travel destination. It is possible for travelers to enjoy inexpensive travel and budget-friendly lodging. They can use the local transport system, eat out in cheap restaurants and visit some attractions for free.
On the other hand, those with more money to spend can indulge in luxury hotels, gourmet meals, shopping, luxury transport services and exclusive entertainment at clubs and resorts.
How Much You Will Spend in Dubai Determines Your Decisions
What stands out in this case is the fact that a lot of different travel styles can be enjoyed in Dubai.
A traveler may pay merely AED 1 for a boat trip or AED 10 for some fresh juice; but, at the same time, that traveler may stay in a hotel that costs USD $200 per night or visit various costly attractions.
Dubai has both traditional markets and modern architecture in combination with shopping malls and luxury hotels.
This fusion is what inspires the fascination surrounding Dubai.
To a first-timer, the city may appear to be a place where the cost is exorbitant, the opulence matches that of Monte Carlo, the streets are teeming with people, and at times the situation may seem daunting. However, the city can also be a rather accessible place if one knows where to go.
At the end of an exciting day of sightseeing, the conclusion that springs to the mind after visiting places throughout Dubai, from the old market by the creek to the largest skyscraper in the world Burj Khalifa is that the cost of visiting the city is not decided by the city itself but rather the experiences the traveler chooses.
