We arrived in the Emirates for 7 days: spent the first 3 days in Abu Dhabi, and then went to Dubai for 4 days. This turned out to be an excellent itinerary for an independent trip, I absolutely loved it, and I highly recommend it. Read about the first 3 days in Abu Dhabi here, and this article will focus on independent travel and what to see in Dubai in 4 days.
Usually, the summary of a trip is placed at the end, but I like to highlight the main points at the beginning — this way it will be clearer whether it’s worth reading this guide further.
Myth 1: Before the trip, I thought prices in Dubai were insanely high and holidays here were expensive.
Actually: There is a huge amount of entertainment in Dubai, both paid and free. Everything here is made for people. Groceries in supermarkets are cheaper than in Russia or Albania, and there are plenty of free attractions in Dubai that you definitely should visit.
Myth 2: I thought tourists here exclusively use taxis.
Actually: Dubai has an ideal overground metro. Not only is it convenient and fast, but it’s also very beautiful. The line passes through major attractions and beautiful skyscrapers. Therefore, you can and should travel around Dubai on your own; expensive excursions are not needed here!
Myth 3: I thought everyone here only walks around shopping malls.
Actually: Walking around the malls here is indeed cool. Take the famous Dubai Mall alone, which, apart from 1,200 shops, houses a huge aquarium, a real dinosaur skeleton, and a waterfall several stories high. But besides that, Dubai has tens of kilometers of beautiful promenades for walking along the sea, complete with bike paths and soft-surface running tracks.
Article Navigation:
- Public transport in Dubai: how to use it
- Where to stay in Dubai on a budget
- Main attractions: what to see
Public Transport in Dubai
Transport in Dubai 2026 — in brief:
- Silver Card: 25 AED (19 on the balance), standard cabin.
- Gold Card: 25 AED, gold cabin (panoramic), x2 fare.
- Fine for riding in the wrong cabin: from 100 AED.
- Metro for children: free under 5 years old.
Generally, I sincerely claim that public transport in Dubai, namely the metro, is a separate kind of pleasure and a cool attraction.
The transport system consists of the overground metro, trams, and buses. To pay the fare, you need to buy a NOL transport card in advance.
You cannot pay the bus driver in cash!
You must tap the card on the validator twice: upon entering and upon exiting. The deducted amount depends on how many transport zones you have traveled through. If you forget to tap the card when exiting, the maximum fare will be charged.
In Dubai, 2 types of transport cards are suitable for tourists:
- Silver
- Gold
They cost the same — 25 AED (dirhams). Out of this, 6 AED goes for the plastic card itself, and 19 AED remains on the balance for trips. The difference is that when paying with a Gold card, each trip costs twice as much as with a Silver one.
Cabins in the Dubai metro are divided into 3 types:
- Gold — the first cabin in the train, accessible only to Gold cardholders. It features chic panoramic windows (trains run without a driver!) and wide leather seats. Since the fare is twice as expensive, there are few people here, making the ride very comfortable.
- Women’s cabin — usually the last in the train. Intended exclusively for women and children (even with a regular Silver card). Men are strictly prohibited from entering — there is a fine!
- General (Standard) — all other cabins for any passengers. Women can also ride here without restrictions.
If I had very little time in Dubai, I would just ride the metro line from beginning to end, enjoying the views of the skyscrapers.
Usually, there are not many people, except during the morning rush hour (around 8:00 AM) when everyone is commuting to work. At this time, the cabins are overcrowded; we waited for 15 minutes just to squeeze into a train. By the way, ticket inspectors do an excellent job! At night, they stopped our bus and checked everyone’s cards. A couple of fare dodgers were immediately taken to the police.
Paying for children’s fares in Dubai
Children under 5 years old (or under 90 cm in height) ride the metro for free. Children over 5 must buy a separate card (it costs the same as an adult’s, there are no children’s fares in the metro).
However, on city buses, children can ride for free up to 8 years old.
Where to stay in Dubai on a budget
How to book a hotel profitably
Hotel prices in Dubai drastically depend on the season. The worst time to visit is summer. Due to the exhausting heat (up to +45°C), even outdoor terraces close, but housing prices drop several times. We flew in early May, and even within one month we noticed a difference: by the end of May, hotel prices dropped by almost half.
I do not recommend searching for hotels in the UAE on Booking!
International services like Booking or Agoda often show a low base price. But at the final booking step, giant local taxes and fees pop up, almost doubling the bill. We booked our accommodation through Yandex.Travel — the final price there turned out to be significantly lower than on foreign aggregators.
Which neighborhood is best for a tourist
For a one-week independent trip, the neighborhood doesn’t fundamentally matter, the main rule is — walking distance to a metro station! Dubai is huge, distances are giant, you will have to travel a lot.
We rented a room in the Dubai Old City area, near the Burjuman Metro Station.
The neighborhood turned out to be great. We nicknamed it “Little India” due to the colorful locals.
It’s very atmospheric here: women walk in bright saris, and on every corner, even at night, they pour delicious masala tea for just 1-2 AED. Compared to the noisy and expensive Downtown (where the Burj Khalifa is), it’s quiet, safe, and cheap here.
The golden rule of a tourist in Dubai — book a hotel with breakfast included.
- First, it saves a ton of time in the mornings before excursions.
- Second, it is significantly cheaper than having breakfast in city cafes.
Our hotel had an excellent buffet, a rooftop pool with a view of the Burj Khalifa, and even a sauna (although why it’s needed when it’s +40°C outside remains a mystery).
What to see in Dubai independently
There is an incredible amount of entertainment here for any budget. The main problem for a tourist in the UAE is not “where to get the money”, but “where to find the time to do everything”!
Burj Khalifa Skyscraper
Burj Khalifa is the absolute calling card of the Emirates and the tallest building in the world. It’s not just a concrete tower, but a true engineering marvel.
Construction began in 2004: 12,000 workers labored around the clock, building 1-2 floors a week! The weight of the building equals the weight of 100,000 elephants.
A couple of interesting facts about the technologies of Burj Khalifa:
- The facade is covered with 26,000 glass panels (the area of 17 football fields). Ordinary glass would melt the building inside. Therefore, special thermal panels are installed here: they reflect ultraviolet light on the outside and infrared rays on the inside.
- For the air conditioning system, the Armani brand created a special fragrance with notes of juniper. And the condensation from the air conditioners is collected and used to water the park around the tower.
- The elevators are a separate delight. They accelerate up to 36 km/h and take you to the 124th floor in just 55 seconds, accompanied by stunning animations on the walls.
This is the view from the 124th-floor observation deck:
And here, for comparison, is the view from the 53rd floor (a different observation deck):
To be honest: you shouldn’t look FROM the most beautiful building, but AT it! We went up the neighboring skyscraper (Sky View), and the city view from there impressed us even more. From the height of the 53rd floor, the difference from the 124th is almost imperceptible, but the giant tower itself fits into the frame.
If you do decide to go up the Burj Khalifa, here are some tips:
- Time: Sunset tickets are the most expensive, and the crowds are simply unbearable. The ideal time for beautiful, fuss-free photos is early morning (right at sunrise).
- Tickets: Don’t buy them at the on-site ticket offices! Book them online in advance via Klook. It’s cheaper and will save you from an hour-long queue.
Sky View Dubai Observatory
This is my favorite location! I think it’s worth flying to the Emirates just for this attraction. The observatory is located in the center, next to the Burj Khalifa, which guarantees the perfect angle for photos.
Height — 53 floors. A glass floor lets you examine the tiny cars and metro trains right beneath your feet.
There are three levels of extreme here:
- Classic observatory. The most budget-friendly option. You walk, take photos on the glass floor, and enjoy the views.
- Glass Slide. A transparent tube on the outside of the skyscraper, where you slide from the 53rd to the 52nd floor. Even children are allowed here; our child was absolutely thrilled!
- Edge Walk. You walk along the outer ledge of the building without handrails! Only a safety harness. I considered myself a seasoned tourist, but this is a real adrenaline rush — scarier than skydiving.
Dubai Mall
Dubai Mall is the most visited shopping complex in the world. Walking through it in one day (or even a week) is simply unrealistic.
It is a true museum of entertainment. Besides 1,200 boutiques and hundreds of restaurants, stunning free locations are hidden here.
One of the most famous installations is a giant artificial waterfall with figures of pearl divers. It runs through all floors of the mall. Cozy (but expensive) cafes are located nearby.
Right in the corridor of the Mall is one of the largest aquariums in the world (10 million liters of water!). Entrance to the tunnel is paid, but the giant acrylic panel (32 meters long) is available to everyone absolutely for free. You can stand and watch sharks and rays right while shopping.
And on one of the floors, an authentic dinosaur skeleton from the Jurassic period is installed (it’s about 155 million years old!). Length — 24.4 meters. About 90% of the bones are original, making it one of the rarest exhibits in the world.
Dubai Old City (Al Fahidi)
The neighborhood where our hotel was located borders the historical center (Al Fahidi). Here, traditional Arab houses have been restored to look exactly as they did before the oil boom. Today, you’ll find authentic coffee shops (including a colorful Starbucks), museums, and boutique hotels here.
It’s best to walk here in the evening when the lanterns light up and the heat subsides. The atmosphere is very romantic!
Abra Traditional Boat Ride
The Old City is located on the shores of Dubai Creek. Every 10 minutes, wooden motor boats — Abras — depart from one bank to the other. On the other side are the famous Gold Souk and Spice Souk, so this transport is adored by both tourists and locals.
The crossing costs only 2 AED (paid with the NOL card).
If you want a longer excursion, at 17:00 (to catch both the daylight and a beautiful sunset), large pleasure boats depart from here to the Dubai Marina area. Travel time — 2 hours, cost — 25 AED.
Vlog: 7 days in the Emirates independently
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