How to travel Dubai on a budget

 Dubai is notoriously famous as the destination in the world where, for one thing, everything is in gold, and second, everyone is insanely rich and third, it would probably break your bank to visit! That being said, what if we said it doesn't always have to be true? You read it right – there are possible ways that you could still explore the most luxurious and exorbitantly priced tourist destination in the whole wide world on a budget!

Lars Plougmann from London, United Kingdom, Dubai camel race, CC BY-SA 2.0

Why is Dubai so expensive?

If one were to ask you to whether or not you could survive a couple of days in Dubai without breaking your bank, chances are you would be at a loss for words! Accommodation, food, alcohol, and any other sort of activity that are on offer for visitors are on the expensive end – not to mention how generally their public transportation is seldom selective leaving you no option but to hail a taxi thereby costing you possibly a month's rent! While most other expensive cities of the world including London or New York have a range of different alternative events happening for a much cheaper rate, this is rarely the case in Dubai. Why do you ask? Dubai houses some of the wealthiest individuals of the world and in terms of events, most events are exclusively organized for ex-pats and they are willing to pay surprising amounts to enjoy a couple of hours and beers and some sun-down fun!

Top Free Things to Do in Dubai

This middle eastern megacity is not just about lavish hotels near Dubai Marina the likes of Avani Ibn Battuta Hotel Dubai, and fancy malls and blingy restaurants – it is filled with numerous different activities to engage in, some of which near cheap or absolutely free. Here are some of the top cheap things to do, off the top of our heads, so you can get a closer look into the true Emirati culture!

Camel Racing

This is one of the few things you can do in Dubai to experience the authentic and real Emirati culture. Camels can run up to great speeds, and it is beyond amusing to witness how fast these adorable creatures are. Races generally take place on Fridays from 6 am to 8 am between November and March only, every year.

Deira Gold Souq

If you are one to chase down some valuable gold, the Deira Gold Souq is the place you want to be in. It sells some of the cheapest gold-jewellery in the world. Be that as it may, even if you are not a big fan of gold, still, a stroll down the alleys of Deira, is an experience that you will never regret having.

Street Wrestling

Yes, it really is just as adrenaline-gushing as it sounds! This is perhaps one of the most favourite activities for most travellers to witness on their travels to Dubai. On Friday afternoons, the Indian and Pakistani workers gather to the streets of Deira near the fish market.

Dubai Marina and its skyscrapers

Dubai is just as much about skyscrapers as it is about exorbitant lifestyles – the only difference between the two being that getting a glimpse of one of them is absolutely free. The marina is approximately 8km long and is lined with some impressively designed skyscrapers overlooking the marina and its fancy yachts moored along the waterfront.

Saving Money on Food

In Dubai, the price of a meal differs significantly among restaurants across the city. However, if you intend on travelling in Dubai on the cheap, you may as well forget about dining at hotels and restaurants and stick to your average mall food courts. They offer a wide variety of foods deriving from multiple cuisines for as little as 25 AED.

Saving Money on Transportation

The city of Dubai is conveniently a 40*40 km square, regardless given its low population density, chances are, the distance between any two points is quite much. It's a city meant to be driven around by design, and the fact that there is only one Metro line doesn't really help at all either. Given the bus system over here is not the most convenient one to get with either, the best (and cheapest) recommendation is to stick with the Metro Line.