Dubai on a dime

Going to Dubai was at the top of my bucket list, but the pretty penny it costs to stay totally deterred me. I was afraid I could not do it within a reasonable budget. I was so wrong and let me share some tips I learned to save money vacationing in Dubai with my family.

Madinat Souk entrance

I followed numerous sites that offered discounts on Dubai through facebook. This was everything from hotels to bus tours. I signed up for a free Emirates card which also helped save 15-20% on food. We were going for sites, but the biggest thing we wanted to do was water parks. These are high ticket items in Dubai so being thrifty was key. 

While it was unplanned at first, going during Ramadan was the best decision we made. During Easter some Dubai hotels offered BOGO nights and flash sales for a few nights stay. One of the offers was on Atlantis which included unlimited waterpark access daily and unlimited Lost Adventures aquarium for everyone in the family. Jumping on this offer saved us nearly 50% because we no longer had to pay for waterpark access. The thing about Ramadan is during the day the city is quiet. I mean this was an introverts paradise and my husband who does not like crowds was in his element. My friend Hannah who lives there swears by the Entertainer app as you can get discounts on waterparks and meals all over the city. In which she cashed in on the Dubai Aquarium while we were there. 

Dubai Aquarium in Mall of Dubai

Due to our flights arriving late we decided to stay closer to the Mall of Emirates. The Akas Inn Apartments fit the bill at about $100 for two nights stay which fit 4-5 people. This was self catering with a roof top pool. Which is perfect during Ramadan as unless you are at a resort or food court you will not find many places open during the day.  

Now that I have shared some tips to save. Here was how we planned our 5 days in Dubai. The first full day we headed over to the Madinat Souk, which most shops were closed during Ramadan there were a few open just after lunch. We headed down to the Jumeriah beach area as one of the hotels had a large place where sea turtles are kept during recovery from injuries. 

Sea Turtle Rehab

There was surprisely a Costa open so we stepped inside to grab a quick lunch and headed over to the Mall of Dubai. Taxis are cheap in Dubai and you can also use the Metro for about a $1 a ride.  The Mall of Dubai houses the Dubai Aquarium and anything for sale you could imagine. To my shock there was a Texas Road House in the mall. 

Texas Roadhouse

As it was Ramadan and food was not served until 7:15pm the lines start to form around 6pm. We went to a restaurant that had inside and outside seating near the famous fountains. While they had fans it was still 100 degrees out while we waited for them to break the fast. Be Social did not disappoint with service, food or the view. It was perfect as the fountains started at 7:30pm so we were in place for the first show. They continue to play every 30 minutes. After a exhausting day we headed back to hotel to get a good nights rest. 

View from Be Social

We got up early to catch the first Hop On Hop Off bus leaving from the Mall of Emirates. We went with Big Bus Tours as they offered free water and we were able to eat on board. Seats were free all over the buses for each time we got on. The ticket included three water cruises as part of the ticket. This was great as the Abra in the Madiant was 100 AED a person and this was free now with your ticket. It also included the Marina cruise which has a great view of the Palm Jumeriah. The last cruise is the river cruise in the old town which we were unable to see due to timing. We rode the Blue and Green lines most of the day as it was the best way to stay in the AC and see most of the sites.

We could check in at 3pm into Atlantis this day so it was perfect that on the last round of stops we went and grabbed our luggage from the hotel to finish the scenic tour right into the Palm. This was genious was it drops you off right at the hotel entrance. Saving us again money on transport. Upon check in we were told that due to Ramadan upgrading to a full food package was the best bet. We jumped on the offer for the Imperial Club which included breakfast, afternoon tea, and happy hour cocktails and snacks.

Go to the club in the West Wing as its larger and food for afternoon tea and happy hour was enough to not grab a full lunch or dinner. We had breakfast in the Kaleidoscope and it was the largest buffet I have ever seen. This options saves us nearly $200 a day in meals alone. So if its offered jump on it because it also gave us jump the line at Aquarium and Aqua Adventure waterpark. At the waterpark towels were included as well due to the upgrade which renting them each was 40 AED. Remember the Emirates card I talked about early? That will save you all over Atlantis so put it with your room key for safe keeping. 

Atlantis from Beach

The waterpark was great and as it does not open till 10am you can spend the morning in the many pools or explore the property. You will get a new color armband daily to enter the park. We did this on floor 12 each morning as it saved us lining up at the park. The waterpark was empty!! I mean we rode every ride a dozen times, pop over for afternoon tea and came back till it closed. 

Empty corridor midday

There are so many places to eat on site and I highly recommend booking on arrival if you truly want to get a seat. We found it quiet this time of year, but I am sure it is not always this way.   

Hope this helps enjoy your time in Dubai on a time crunch and budget.  

Happy Traveling,  

Katrina