Dubai is continually voted as one of the most popular holiday destination and it’s not difficult to see why. The luxurious hotels, beautiful beaches, famous restaurants and all-year sunshine make it an ideal holiday spot. However, after a quick look on Skyscanner.com and booking.com you will soon see that popular flights and hotels can be eye-wateringly expensive. Then you need to factor in eating out and getting around the attractions. Despite this, there are ways to have a cheap holiday in Dubai in 2024. Read on for our best tips……
Here are our 13 tips for a cheap holiday in Dubai in 2023:
1. Flights to Dubai
Whizz Air fly into Abu Dhabi in 2024 which does mean a stopover enroute but you can easily pick up a budget flight through a European country cheaply. The advantage of these flights are that you often fly into a more local airport like Bristol or East Midlands etc. thus avoiding the big, busy airports. From Abu Dhabi airport you can save money and get a bus to Dubai or jump in a taxi for roughly 300-400dhs.
Fly Dubai also fly to many European countries so if you are coming from Europe or the UK to Dubai you could combine with a budget airline flight like Ryan Air or Easy Jet.
KLM, Gulf Air and Qatar Airways can also often have great deals if you are willing to do a short layover to reduce costs.
The easiest place to check for the cheapest flights is on Skyscanner.
2. Hotels in Dubai
Dubai is famous for its 5* luxurious resorts and yes they are incredible. But, to stay at a hotel like this, it is certainly not cheap. This is not what we would recommend for a budget friendly holiday in Dubai.
Our favourite budget, family-friendly hotel in Dubai is the Park Inn Motor City. You can read our full review of the hotel here.
Dubai is full of hotels, if you are just looking for a basic hotel with a pool then check out the Premier Inn hotels in Ibn Battuta or Dubai Silicon Oasis. Rove hotels often have good deals, there is a large Novotel on Sheikh Zayed Road. Studio One Hotel in Studio City and the Park Inn in Motor City are all budget friendly hotels in Dubai. You can sometimes find good Air BnB deals for studio apartments where you can often add on a sofa bed when travelling with kids.
If all you are looking for is a bed and a pool there are plenty of cheap hotels in Dubai just don’t be drawn into the luxurious 5* options. Even with a great deal on the room rate, once you are there the food and drinks are hugely more expensive than anywhere else.
Use Booking.com to check out the best cheap hotels in Dubai.
Booking.com3. Transport in Dubai
Hiring a car for 1 or 2 days and driving around to see all the main sights would be our main tip. You can hire a car for around 200dhs+ per day and petrol in Dubai is cheaper in comparison to a lot of other countries. This would mean that you can cram in a lot of sights over 2 days and save costs on public transport and taxis.
Dubai Metro is cheap, get a NOL card (like a UK oyster card) and use this for getting around the city. The red Nol card is for the occasional traveller and costs 2dhs to buy and you can load it up for 10trips. Stay in a hotel near the metro line to make it more convenient and save money for a cheap holiday in Dubai.
Download the Careem App for taxis before arrival and it works like Uber (which also works here in Dubai too). It is handy to upload your bank card so that you don’t need to carry cash. Always select Hala cars on the Careem App and you will get the cheapest cars available. Avoid any hotels that offer you their own cars or a limousine, they will always be more expensive!
4. Phone / Data in Dubai
When you arrive in Dubai you will be given a SIM card with 1gb of data with Du Network in the airport. Use this to get online when out and about and to make local phone calls if needed.
Everywhere in Dubai has WiFi from the metro, malls, restaurants, hotels and bars. Don’t be afraid to ask and connect for free where possible to help you save money for a cheap holiday in Dubai.
5. Entertainer App for Dubai Discounts
A well known App that most people living in the UAE use regularly for cheap restaurants and nights out in Dubai is the Entertainer App. It is full of vouchers for BOGOFs (buy one get one free) in many restaurants, spas, waterparks, tourist attractions and kids activities. They do a tourist version that is valid for 30days after purchase and it costs 204dhs upfront (around £40). Have a look through it before you buy to make sure it has places that you will use. You could split the cost with friends/family before coming out to have a budget friendly holiday in Dubai in 2024.
6. Beaches in Dubai
Instagram is full of beautiful bikini bodies lounging around beach cabanas, eating sushi and drinking champagne. Wonderful! But this does give the impression that Dubai only has private hotel beaches on offer. This is not the reality!
- The Beach at JBR is a big public beach, however it does get packed with tourists as there are a lot of the big 5* hotels along the beach. It has a holiday / tourist vibe to it. The Walk JBR has shops, a cinema, coffee shops, cafes and numerous restaurants. Traffic can be a nightmare in this part of town though.
- Kite Beach is a popular beach with residents. It is very chilled with lots of food trucks, cafes and stalls lining the beach. Also, plenty of opportunities for water sports. Our boys LOVE the inflatable park which is good value at 60dhs for an hour and manned with lifeguards.
- Le Mer is another popular beach with residents, this is closer if you are in the Downtown or Dubai Creek area. Again, it has numerous cafes, restaurants and even a couple of bars. There is a waterpark here too which is a great day out. This beach is currently under construction to unfortunately build more beach clubs!
- Black Palace Beach is again popular with residents with its close proximity to Umm Sequim and Hessa Street. It doesn’t have any facilities though; no toilets or cafes but there are lifeguards. It is the best beach if you have all the beach gear and bring a picnic. This has now unfortunately closed as of Feb 2024.
- Sunrise Beach, Jumeirah Beach, Sunset Beach are scattered along the coast these are smaller beaches where you can pull up, park and swim and sunbathe next to the road. Check Google Maps or Waze for locations. Just don’t expect facilities at these beaches but they are free to use!
- Free Beach Club, Barasti Beach Club in Dubai Marina has a free pool and beach which is open to 21+. They often have a good happy hour, decent food (on Entertainer too) and is an ideal option for a cheap beach club in Dubai. It has a casual, Aussie sports bar vibe with a great location and views.
7. Happy Hours in Dubai
Alcohol in Dubai is notoriously expensive with the UAE usually ranking in the top 10 for the most expensive pint in the world. Although it has thankfully got cheaper with alcohol shops dropping the 30% tax. You can walk into any alcohol shop (MMI or African and Eastern) with your passport and purchase alcohol.
Bars and restaurants are usually attached to hotels to gain their alcohol licence so you will often find numerous restaurants and bars in the same hotel. Here are some tips for a cheap night out in Dubai.
- Tip 1 – pick up some alcohol in duty free on arrival for a pre-dinner drink or nightcap. At a tenth of the price in your accommodation.
- Tip 2 – check out the happy hours before visiting any restaurant or bar. Most bars and restaurants will have a daily happy hour usually starting from 4pm. Check their Instagram before booking or give them a quick call to check.
- Tip 3 – plan the happy hours, bar hop in bars that are in the same hotel or close together to extend the night out. Check the Time Out Guide for a great list of different happy hours around Dubai.
- Tip 4 – check out ladies nights, or even the increasing number of gents nights for any deals (see number 10)
If you turn up to a bar or restaurant without checking first you can be caught short paying upwards of 50dhs for a pint. Do your research to help save you money for a cheap holiday in Dubai!
8. Brunch in Dubai
Brunch is an institution in Dubai, a staple weekend activity for many. Brunches vary from family-brunches with children’s entertainment and kids clubs. To party brunches with DJs, acrobats, dancers and cocktail makers. Or foodie brunches in some of the best restaurants. As well as, casual pub brunches in sports bars and lots more in-between.
However, brunches can be expensive…..very expensive. Check out the Entertainer App (number 5) to see if there are any BOGOF brunches and download the LetsDXB App for discounts.
A brunch has a lot more value than a night out a la carte. A single drink in a nice bar can cost 60dhs and an average bottle of wine a minimum of 250dhs. You can do a brunch for around 350-400dhs (cheaper with Entertainer) which will include all your food and drink for a few hours. There is also no hassle with sorting out the hefty bill out with friends at the end.
Check out Secret Parties Brunches for the best party brunches in Dubai, free brunch if it is your birthday too. Family Brunch for the best family ones with all entertainment included. For families, we also enjoy the golf clubs as there is often a play area and outside seating with space for the kids to run around. Full of lots of other families enjoying brunch too. Some of our favourites are Phileas Fogg at the Montgomery and the Els Club.
Check out our post here on some of the best brunches in Dubai.
9. Ladies Days in Dubai
For the ladies visiting Dubai there are plenty of discounts and offers available especially for pool/beach days. These are usually ‘party’ pool days and not suitable for families but great fun especially if on a girls holiday definitely a great way to saving money for a cheap holiday in Dubai.
Some of the most popular are:
Have a look on Ladies Night Dubai for the best deals in 2023 – there are a lot! Many include free entry or free drinks, or free food or a package which includes drinks and food. Shop around for the best deals and make sure to call and check if it needs booking in advance.
Booking.com10. Ladies Night in Dubai
Tuesday night is the original Dubai ladies night. Although, over the last few years ladies nights can be found on any night of the week. If you are on a girls holiday check Ladies Night Dubai for the best deals. Plan your nights around the cheapest offers for a budget friendly holiday in Dubai.
If you are on holiday as a couple some restaurants will allow the ladies to have the ladies night menu whilst the men pay normal price. Always call and check in advance to make sure you are getting the best deals in Dubai.
Make sure to book your table well in advance as these nights are popular and get booked up quickly.
Some favourites are:
- Asia Asia – Pier 7 or Downtown
- Koyo Dubai – Dubai Marina
- Bla Bla Dubai – JBR
- STK Dubai – JBR
- Maiden Shanghai – Palm
- Canary Club – JLT
11. Eating Out in Dubai
Eating out in Dubai is just the same as any other international city. If you go to 5* hotels or acclaimed restaurants it will be expensive. Here are some tips to save money on eating out in Dubai:
- Chain Restaurants – The malls have all the chain restaurants you can imagine from Nandos, Five Guys, Carluccios, Pizza Express to McDonalds and Subway which are an affordable way of eating out in Dubai.
- Old Dubai – If you are in Old Dubai / Dubai Creek end of town the cafes and restaurants there are noticeably cheaper. It is possible to eat out on a budget in Dubai.
- Deliveroo/Talabat/Uber Eats/Careem Food food delivery services are incredibly popular, the roads are full of delivery drivers on motorbikes delivering any kind of food you can imagine. A great option if you are in an Air BnB but don’t want to cook.
- Brunches (number 8) they are not only on a Saturday afternoon but Friday nights and Sundays too. There are even some midweek, do your research!
- Ladies nights (number 10) often have deals with 3 course meals which is a much cheaper way of eating in a restaurant you want to visit.
- Business Lunches – another way to get a great deal on a restaurant you would love to visit. Check out their business lunches which run Mon-Fri for a set menu and you can get a real bargain! We love Ce La Vie, Sushi Samba, Clap and Nonya all have great deals for popular restaurants.
- Entertainer App (number 5) – Check the App for BOGOF on main meals or 25% off total bill which can be a real saver.
Check out our post the Best Coffee Places in Dubai for ideas of nice cafes around Dubai.
12. Discount Apps in Dubai
The Entertainer App has already been mentioned but there are other Apps and websites worth checking out. Download them to make sure you are getting the best deals when here in Dubai.
- Groupon – if you are thinking about doing a desert safari, pool day at a hotel, spa day, boat trip. Or even one of the main tourist attractions in Dubai then check on Groupon first. Always call and check before purchasing a voucher that you can use it when you expect to.
- Cobone – a similar website to Groupon to pre-purchase vouchers for Dubai attractions, brunches, dinners, waterparks etc.
- Qidz – If you have kids, download this App and check out the discounted attractions. This App is great for softplays, theme parks, waterparks, trampoline parks, activity centres. It is always worth checking on here before turning up somewhere.
- Kidzapp – Again one for the kids, similar to Qidz. Check on here before booking any child activities in Dubai for the best discounts for a family holiday in Dubai.
- LetsDXB app – As mentioned above this gives great discounts for brunches, dinners and drinks.
13. Free Attractions in Dubai
There are so many free things you can do in Dubai, read out post on 17 Free Activities in Dubai here for some inspiration. From the Burj Khalifa and beaches to souks. Plenty of ways to have a budget friendly holiday in Dubai.
If you’re looking for somewhere to check out the sunset in Dubai then read our post the Best Places to Watch Sunset in Dubai.
We hope you have got some inspiration from this post 13 tips for a cheap holiday in Dubai. Dubai does not have to be the most expensive holiday you have ever taken. There is a lot more to Dubai than what is portrayed and there are many ways to have a cheap holiday in Dubai. Do let us know if these tips were helpful, we love to hear from you. If you enjoyed this have a look at our 50 Activities in the UAE post for some ideas in Dubai and wider in the UAE.
Also check out our Everything you need to know about Dubai page for more UAE inspiration. Read our post on Old Dubai Tour for a trip to Old Dubai – one of our favourites!
If you are looking for other travel inspiration then check out our Destinations Page.
Disclaimer: This post 13 Tips for a Cheap Holiday in Dubai 2022, has affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission – at no extra cost for you
