5 Days / 4 Nights · Dubai, UAE
Budget Dubai Explorer - Backpacker 4N/5D
From AED 1,500per person, double occupancy
Extended budget stay with budget hotel accommodation and free attractions focus.
- Duration
- 5 Days / 4 Nights
- Destination
- Dubai, UAE
- Stay
- Budget hotel in Deira or Bur Dubai, shared room
- Meals
- 1 dinner
- Group size
- 2–10 travellers
Package overview
Five days in Dubai on the lowest possible outlay - a shared room, a two-day Metro pass, Dubai Frame, a desert safari with dinner and a free walking tour of old Dubai. This is the most honest package we run, and it is explicit about what it does not include: no meals at all, and no Burj Khalifa ticket. Both are deliberate. Meals in Karama, Deira and Al Rigga cost a fraction of hotel rates, and the Burj Khalifa is the single most expensive ticket in the city - leaving it out is what makes the rest affordable. What it includes instead is the infrastructure to use Dubai cheaply. A two-day Metro pass covers the Red and Green lines, which reach Downtown, the Marina, Deira and the airport. A public beach access guide covers which stretches are free and how to reach them. A Dubai Fountain viewing guide covers where to stand without buying a table. The two ticketed inclusions are chosen for value: Dubai Frame, which gives the old-and-new panorama the Burj Khalifa gives at several times the price, and a shared desert safari with dinner, which is difficult to replicate independently. Accommodation is a shared budget room and transfers are shared. It suits backpackers and long-stay budget travellers who would rather have five days than three.
Highlights
- Two-day Dubai Metro pass covering the Red and Green lines
- Dubai Frame tickets
- Shared desert safari with dinner
- Free walking tour of Old Dubai
- Public beach access guide
- Dubai Fountain show viewing guide
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
Arrival and Old Dubai
Your shared airport transfer takes you to your hotel in Deira or Bur Dubai. After check-in, a free walking tour through Old Dubai: the historic Al Fahidi neighbourhood, with its wind-tower architecture, an abra crossing of Dubai Creek (about AED 1), and the Gold and Spice Souks. End the day at the Creek for sunset. Meals are at your own cost - Karama, Deira and Al Rigga have cheap, good options.
- Free walking tour of Old Dubai
- Al Fahidi Historical District and Al Fahidi Fort
- Abra crossing of Dubai Creek
- Gold and Spice Souks
- Hotel
- Budget hotel in Deira or Bur Dubai, shared room
- Transport
- Shared airport transfer
Day 2
Modern Dubai, free and low-cost
A day of free and low-cost sightseeing using the included 2-day Metro pass. Start at Dubai Frame, with your included ticket, for the view across old and new Dubai. In Downtown, the Dubai Fountain show runs every 30 minutes outside Dubai Mall - our viewing guide covers where to stand. You can see the Burj Khalifa from ground level (its ticketed deck isn't part of this package). In the afternoon, Jumeirah Beach and La Mer are both free public beaches, with views of the Burj Al Arab from the sand. Meals are at your own cost; local cafeterias are cheaper than the tourist restaurants.
- Dubai Frame, ticket included
- Dubai Fountain show, free to watch
- Burj Al Arab viewed from the public beach
- Free time at Jumeirah Beach and La Mer
- Metro covered by the included 2-day pass
- Hotel
- Budget hotel in Deira or Bur Dubai, shared room
- Transport
- Metro, covered by the included 2-day pass
Day 3
Desert safari with dinner
Dinner includedA free morning, perhaps at the Textile Souk in Bur Dubai. In the afternoon, a shared 4x4 collects you for the desert safari: dune bashing, sandboarding, and a camel ride as the sun sets. Dinner at the camp is a BBQ buffet, with belly dancing and a Tanoura show.
- Dune bashing and sandboarding
- Sunset camel ride
- BBQ dinner at the desert camp
- Belly dancing and a Tanoura show
- Hotel
- Budget hotel in Deira or Bur Dubai, shared room
- Meals
- Dinner at the desert camp (included)
- Transport
- Shared 4x4 safari vehicle
- Duration
- Afternoon to evening
Day 4
Free day: beaches, Marina and more
A flexible day, covered by the second day of your Metro pass. Kite Beach is free, with volleyball and kite surfers. Dubai Marina's waterfront promenade is a free walk, past JBR. In the evening, Global Village or Miracle Garden, both open seasonally, are low-cost options at your own expense. Meals are at your own cost - Karama has cheap Indian, Pakistani and Filipino food.
- Free time at Kite Beach
- Dubai Marina waterfront walk and JBR
- Metro covered by the included 2-day pass
- Hotel
- Budget hotel in Deira or Bur Dubai, shared room
- Transport
- Metro, covered by the included 2-day pass
Day 5
Departure
A free morning - an early walk at Dubai Creek or Jumeirah Beach for sunrise, or last-minute bargaining at the souks for dates, coffee or spices. Check out from your hotel, then a shared transfer to Dubai International Airport.
- Free morning
- Souvenir shopping at the souks
- Shared airport transfer
- Transport
- Shared transfer to Dubai International Airport
Prices & details
Price per person
Based on double occupancy
AED 1,500
- Accommodation
- Hotel, Budget
- Meals
- None
- Group size
- 2–10 travellers
- Package type
- Family vacation
What’s included
Included
- Budget hotel accommodation (shared room)
- Shared airport transfers
- Dubai Metro day pass (2 days)
- Dubai Frame tickets
- Desert safari with dinner (shared)
- Free walking tour of Old Dubai
- Public beach access guide
- Dubai Fountain show viewing guide
Not included
- International flights
- UAE visa fees
- Travel insurance
- All meals
- Personal expenses
- Burj Khalifa tickets
- Optional paid activities
- Tips and gratuities
Plan your trip
Our Dubai team arranges what goes around the package, so it is booked in one place.
UAE visa
Flying in from abroad? Our visa team in Dubai applies for your UAE visit visa once the package is booked.
Flights
Flights to Dubai are not included. We can book them with the package, from your home city and back: tick “Flights” when you book.
Pay in instalments
Split the cost with Tabby or Tamara, or over 3 to 12 months on a UAE bank credit card for bookings from AED 1,000.
Book this package
Book in a minute. We check the hotel for your dates and confirm the price; you pay once we have.
Questions about this package
How long is the Budget Dubai Explorer - Backpacker 4N/5D package?
5 days and 4 nights. The itinerary on this page sets out what happens on each day, and the dates are arranged around your own flights when you book.
Where does the Budget Dubai Explorer - Backpacker 4N/5D package go?
Dubai, UAE. We confirm the hotels with you before anything is booked.
How much does the Budget Dubai Explorer - Backpacker 4N/5D package cost?
From AED 1,500 per person, based on double occupancy. That is a starting price: the final figure depends on your travel dates, the room configuration and group size, so we confirm it before you pay. Bookings can be paid in full or in instalments.
What is included in the Budget Dubai Explorer - Backpacker 4N/5D package?
Budget hotel accommodation (shared room), Shared airport transfers, Dubai Metro day pass (2 days), Dubai Frame tickets, Desert safari with dinner (shared), Free walking tour of Old Dubai, Public beach access guide and Dubai Fountain show viewing guide. Anything not listed here is not part of the package price.
What is not included in the Budget Dubai Explorer - Backpacker 4N/5D package?
International flights, UAE visa fees, Travel insurance, All meals, Personal expenses, Burj Khalifa tickets, Optional paid activities and Tips and gratuities. Ask us before you book if you want any of these added; most can be arranged and quoted separately.
Payment plans
Take the trip now. Pay for it in pieces.
Every booking qualifies, from holidays and tours to visas. Spread it over 3 to 12 months at 0% on a credit card plan, or with Tabby or Tamara; some banks add a one-time processing fee.
- Credit card plans from AED 1,000
- Tabby and Tamara, no minimum
- Terms from 3 to 12 months
Find your bank’s plan
Credit cards, from AED 1,000
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