Last best price: 21 fun weekend ideas for doing Dubai on a budget
For when payday is still a long way away…
Salary SMS pings are the sweetest sort of music. But after you’ve subtracted the rent, repayments, bills, savings and subscriptions – the number on the end of them might look too slender to support an entertainment budget. This, however, is demonstrably not the case. You don’t need a trust fund to live like a sultan in Dubai, you just need to know where to allocate your resources. This is our investment portfolio of the best budget-friendly activities in Dubai, that’ll cost you Dhs75 or less.
21 of the best cheap things to do in Dubai
Illusion City
This Bluewaters attraction plays host to a series of exhibits and themed rooms specifically designed to mess with your mind. The rule of thumb is that not everything you see is exactly as it seems, and that results in some truly magnetic Gram content. Take a trip to the upside-down, play with perspective and chortle at portals through multi-dimensional space.
Bluewaters, Mon to Thu 10am to 10pm, Fri and Sat 10am to 11pm, ages 18+ Dhs75, seven to 18 Dhs60, under sevens free. @illusioncity_dubai
Top Golf
Topgolf
If you go as a gang of six, Dubai’s gamified golfing hub tees up a day out that won’t cost you a wedge. Book a bay on the lowest hourly rate, and their above-par sporting entertainment works out at just Dhs22 per person. This means you can double (or even triple) up on the fun times, which is handy because… you might get a hole-in-one.
Emirates Golf Club, Emirates Hills, Dubai. topgolfdubai.ae
Pixel
You’ll only get 15 minutes of play, but at Dhs59, Pixel represents a solid dirhams-for-seratonin exchange. It’s an interactive puzzle game (and incognito workout) that plays out on a series of touch-sensitive LED-lit-blocks on the floor of an enclosed room. Players must leap around in co-op and versus challenges, collecting points and avoiding the dreaded ‘floor is lava’ red blocks.
Bahar Plaza Level 1, JBR, Mon to Thu midday to 10pm, Fri to Sun, midday to midnight. adventureisland.ae
Jumeirah Mosque
The breathtaking Jumeirah Mosque first opened its doors in 1979 and was a gift to the emirate from the Late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, father of the current Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Located in Jumeirah 1, the mosque is open to the public between 10am and 2pm every day except Fridays. You can take a story-spinning 75-minute tour through the architectural marvel for just Dhs35 per person which includes light Emirati refreshments at the majlis before the program starts.
Jumeirah Mosque, Jumeirah 1. Daily except Fridays 10am and 2pm, Dhs35 per person. jumeirahmosque.ae
Yalla Bowling
If bowling is right up your alley, get the fun times rolling at one of the two, audaciously wallet-friendly Yalla funtropolises. In the Mall of the Emirates and Mirdif City Centre locations, players can strike it lucky in a game of traditional 10-pin bowling for just Dhs40 per frame. If you don’t fancy staying in your lane, it’s worth noting that both sites are attached to the enduringly popular twinkling lights of Magic Planet.
Magic Planet, MOE/MCC, Dubai. magicplanetmena.com
Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary
This literal desert oasis is located just a few minutes’ drive from Dubai Mall and contains within its green embrace 67 different species of bird. Its most famous resident is of course, perennial Barbiecore ambassadors, the flamingos. The reserve holds three viewing hides dotted around the perimeter of the sanctuary. Best of all, the sanctuary is completely free to enter.
Ras Al Khor, daily 7.30am to 5.30pm. dm.gov.ae
GLITCH
There might be a glitch in The Matrix, but the one in Al Ghurair Centre sounds a lot more fun. It spans 40,000 square feet of adrenalin-fuelled furore. Inside, more than 30 action-packed attractions await, including a roller glider, rock-climbing walls, an obstacle course, arcade games, bowling, foosball, and air hockey.
Al Ghurair Centre, Deira, 10am to 10pm Sun to Thurs and 10am to 12 am Fri and Sat, Dhs39 for the Discovery Pass, Dhs49 for the Explorer Pass, @glitcharabia
Dubai Frame
Dubai really is as pretty as a picture. And every picture needs a frame. This 150m tall structure provides a privileged perch to look out across the surrounding cityscape and whilst it may be stunning in the day, a twilight ascent yields observation deck vistas, of both old and new Dubai, that are truly out of this world.
Zabeel Park, daily 9am to 9pm, adults Dhs52.52. dubaiframe.ae
Dice Board Game Café
Located in Circle Mall JVC, all game fanatics can get involved in over 1,000 board games, puzzles and mandalas, costing only Dhs40 for unlimited usage. And don’t worry… you won’t get hungry or parched, with an extensive menu of salads, burgers, pizzas, snacks, sharing platters, smoothies, milkshakes, and of course – coffee.
Circle Mall, Jumeirah Village, Dubai, Mon to Thur 10am to 10pm, Fri and Sat 10am to 12am. Dhs40 unlimited usage. Tel: (0)4 582 0108, dice-cafe.com
Kite Beach
A day out at the beach doesn’t initially sound like the most creative or varied adventure, but Kite Beach isn’t your average beach. In addition to the definition-necessitated sand and proximity to the sea, you’ll find a bunch of cafés and food trucks; skate haven XPark (day pass Dhs75); and the occasional kite.
Tr88house
Bluewaters’ sprawling 65,000 square foot indoor jungle is decorated with 12-metre-high treetops. Munchkin Monster’s soft play area (from Dhs45) is for the littlest bugs; and laser tag (from Dhs65) takes care of the teens. Wait, wait, there’s more – the whole family can get stuck in with a round of mini golf (from Dhs45), which is located in a glow-in-the-dark tropical rainforest, for an Amazonian tonne of neon-bogey fun.
Bluewaters, Mon to Thu midday-midnight, Fri midday to 12.30am, Sat 11am to 12.30am, Sun 11am to midnight. tr88house.com
Alserkal Avenue
Hungry for a bit of culture? Alserkal Avenue is home to more than 70 galleries, museums, eateries, studios, exhibition spaces, retail outlets, wellness clinics, workshops, fitness facilities, live music venues, a record store, an arthouse cinema, rare book shop, classic car dealer, butcher and an alcohol-free Irish bar. In addition to providing a home to priceless works of art, it’s also a priceless place to enter. By which I mean, it’s free. Most of the galleries are also free for you to peruse, and you can easily spend a full day there lost in the appreciation of inspiration.
Al Quoz, 10am to 7pm. alserkal.online
Al Fahidi, Abra and souqs
Head to Dubai’s Al Fahidi Historical District for a glimpse into (a largely reconstructed) old Dubai. Explore its traditional alleyways, galleries and museums. Grab some refreshments to be taken in the courtyard of the XVA Art Hotel. Make your way to the water’s edge for an abra ride over the Creek (Dhs2) to explore the souk district. Arriving into the Old Souq Marine Station – egress immediately confronts you with stalls and stores offering fragrant spices, glinting gold and assorted flashing, beeping, shrieking trinkets – it’s a genuine safari of the senses.
Shoestring schmoozing
The What’s On team’s top eight dinners for less than 50 dirhams
Alice Holtham, Group Editor
Garlic Knots, Pitfire Pizza – Dhs32
This baked-to-order box of bread-based beauties is everything you want from an indulgent treat. The perfect balance of crispy outside and spongy, still-warm centre, each knot is dipped in garlic butter and dusted with parmesan cheese. Calories don’t count on cheat day.
@pitfirepizzabakers
Miles Buckeridge, Deputy Editor
Kabab khashkhash, Al Safadi – Dhs54
I’m Dhs4 over budget but I don’t care, it’s my feature and I’m feeling fancy. The Al Safadi khashkhash is street food royalty – a traditional mincemeat kebab, robed in a thundery chilli, garlic and tomato sauce. It’s basically a deconstructed Syrian ragu and has a mood-boosting effect only rivalled by puppies and cuddles.
@alsafadirestaurants
Dinesh Ramanathan, Deputy Editor
Vanilla and Pecan Millefeuille, SAL at Burj Al Arab – Dhs40
If you want to taste flavour that deserves to go with the views your eyes will be treated to at SAL, order the Vanilla and Pecan Mille Feuille. You’ll get it at both of their locations in the UAE.
Sheila Deocareza, Art Director
Chicken Laksa Soup, Thaifoon Restaurant in IBN Battuta Mall – Dhs38
This iconic Malaysian spicy coconut noodle soup is my obsession. It’s a rich, fragrant, complexly-flavoured broth loaded with essential Asian toppings, which is why it’s my forever comfort food.
@thaifoonrestaurants
Aarti Saundalkar, Online Reporter
Salsa dosa, Woodlands Restaurant – Dhs8.25
Woodlands Restaurant in Karama is hands down one of the best South Indian restaurants in the neighbourhood. I’ve been going since I was a kid and I love their sada dosa which I request for crispy (golden, not burnt) with their red dry coconut chutney and sambar.
Tamara Wright, Online Reporter
Miso butter eggplant, Kinoya – Dhs50
If you ever ask me for a restaurant recommendation, I’ll likely suggest Kinoya. As well as the ramen and sushi, my favourite comfort dish is their melt-in-the-mouth miso butter eggplant. Deliciously tender, full of flavour – a perfect blend of umami, smoky, and sweet – and made with so much love.
Manaal Fatimah, Junior Reporter
Mutton Pulao, Shehar-e-Karachi in Meena Bazaar – Dhs14
How something so simple can be so flavourful is beyond me, but the spiced rice with wholesome chunks of fried mutton is my comfort food. This hole-in-the-wall joint is quite small, perhaps even a bit shady, but sometimes that’s where you find the best fare.
Shelby Gee, Junior Reporter
It’s simple, it’s classic and I’ve only recently discovered it for myself – chicken kebabs, mutton kofte, and chicken shish, add in some rice for an extra Dhs10 and you have enough food to feed two and it is delicious.
