Dubai Backpackers Guide in a 3-Days Itinerary - Mikay Tan

Dubai is one of the Boom town City in the world! It is the largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf. As of 2012, it was the 22nd most expensive city in the world and the most expensive city in the Middle East, rated as one of the best places to live in the Middle East by U.S. global consulting firm Mercer.

It is a dream place to visit of every Tourist around the world, consists of Extravagant Lifestyle, A world-class Infrastructure, Once in a Lifetime Entertainment, Abundant Adventure Tourism and a Rich-diverse Culture. This is how Dubai makes a perfect place to live and to spend-out the money if you have tons of it. But the questions now, is it also a friendly place for a Backpackers who are budget conscious and have only enough budget to spend? Hmmm, let’s take a look and find-out what things we can enjoy in Dubai for a 3-Days Itinerary while in a budget mode.

Day 1 – Glimpse of the City

Dubai City Tour – This is a must thing to do and an Introduction  tour when you are first time in Dubai, There’s a lot of Tour Agency in Dubai offering and providing Dubai City Tour. This tour is only a 4-hours of pure sight-seeing, you will visit some world’s famous landmarks and stay only in the Tourist Access point of every destination for some time, but you can choose a lot of package. Usually, this is only a Basic package that they are providing. This tour you can decide or manage how many time you will need to extend in every destination. The following schedule is only a pre-guide recommendation!

7:00 am – 8:30 am - From Airport or From the Hotel they will pick-up you by a 4x4 Car from your location. By this moment, you can have a time to prepare everything you need, including (Water Tumbler, Extra Shirt, Camera, and Extra Cash).

8:30 am – 8:45 am – You have 15 minutes estimated time to reach the first usual destination the famous Burj Khalifa.

8:45 am – 9:15 am – By this time, you have 30 minutes estimated time of sight-seeing, picture taking and stay at the Tourist Access Point of the Burj Khalifa. You will be amaze to the World’s Tallest Building on this planet. Burj Khalifa is one of the most visited tourist destination in the world. Some Tour Agency has a good package providing an Observation Deck Ticket but in a little bit expensive price. Which allows you to visit the 124^th -125^th floor of the building and witness the astonishing Dubai Downtown.

9:15 am – 9:30 am – You have 15 minutes’ drive ahead to the icon of Dubai the Burj Al-Arab.

9:30 am – 10:00 am – Enjoy your 30 minutes stay at the Tourist Access Point near the grand gate of the hotel for picture taking and videography purposes only as you cannot enter this hotel if you are not a Guest. This is the only 7-Star Hotel in the World and one of the most luxurious hotel ever.

10:00 am – 10:10 am – By this time you have 10 minutes’ drive going to the first resort to open its doors on Dubai's man-made island. The beautiful Atlantis the Palm.

10:10 am – 10:40 am – Have fun and relax as you have 30 minutes to stay at the Tourist Access Point of wonderful Atlantis the Palm. This hotel has two underwater suites: Poseidon and Neptune. With floor-to-ceiling windows looking into the Ambassador Lagoon, guests see the dramatic ancient ruins of the mythical lost city and its 65,000 marine inhabitants.

10:40 am – 10:50 am – 10 minutes of short drive going to the most picturesque Mosque in Dubai. The famous Jumeirah Mosque.

10:50 am – 11:10 am – You have 20 minutes to stay inside the Jumeirah Mosque. This Mosque is open to the public and dedicated to receiving non-Muslim guests. Come and join a unique opportunity to learn about Emirati culture and religion in a relaxed, casual and open atmosphere at this landmark mosque.

11:10 am - 11:20 am – 10 minutes of driving ahead to Dubai Museum and feel the Old Arabia.

11:20 am – 11:40 am – Feel the 20 minutes of full access inside the Dubai Museum the oldest existing building in the city - you'll encounter colorful dioramas and exhibits that depict everyday life in the days before the discovery of oil. Learn and discover how Dubai from sand land turns in to a great Skyscraper.

Note: This is the usual basic Dubai City Tour, the tour itinerary including the time, activity and tourist destination is not the same if you have different package. You can decide to manage how much time would you spent in every destination.

Price: Starts at 99 AED per person including pick-up and drop-back by a 4x4 car.

Request: If you have any request you can talk to the driver directly. I can recommend you to talk to the driver to drop-off in Madinat Jumeirah to spend the half of your day.

Tip: Just book this tour ahead of time and pay to avoid any inconvenience and choose the good package for you.

           

11:40 am – 12:00 noon – You have 20 minutes going to the Madinat Jumeirah

12:00 noon – 5:00 pm – You can stay, eat and have some fun in Madinat Jumeirah for 5 hours. This place is a complete package to every tourist, resemble a traditional Arabian town with the complete set of beautiful landscapes and gardens. This beautiful resort is consists of 5 Star-rated Boutique Hotels, International Restaurant, Bars, Shopping Center, Sports Hub, Madinat Theatre, Spas, Water sports and a complete facility to all guest. The Madinat Souk Jumeirah offers free visit to the visitors with the terrace giving a majestic view of the towering Burj al Arab, you can walk also to a nice area of Madinat to take really good shots.

5:00 pm – By this time, You can choose to stay in Madinat Jumeirah until evening and take some dinner at the area or you can choose to go back at the hotel/hostel to have some rest.

Day 2 – Adventure Escapade

 Dear Backpackers, Your dream vacation will not complete without the Adventurous Desert Safari. Traverse and have some fun for a while in a golden and powdered sand of Dubai Desert with the unforgettable moment of exciting activities in the campsite. Witness the awesome opportunity to take some photographs of the beautiful sunset at the heart of the magnificent desert while given way to the glittering beauty of the moon and the shining billions of stars at night. 

This is the best if you are adrenaline junkie and thrill seeker.

Basically, the pick-up time of Desert Safari will start at 3:00 pm and drop back time is around 9:00 pm. So by this day, I will recommend you to visit the Dubai Mall in the morning and Desert Safari in the afternoon until the evening. Why Dubai Mall? Simply because it is the sum up of a great place to the backpackers. Dubai Mall will open at 10:00 am, so we will start this 2^nd Day of itinerary at 10:00 am and will end at 9:00 pm.

Things to do in Dubai Mall:

- Wide array of affordable International Restaurant
- Cheap Boutique for shopping
- Dubai Aquarium
- Famous Indoor and Outdoor fountain
- Ski-rink

10:00 am – 10:30 am – You have 30 minutes’ drive going to Dubai Mall, the travel time will depends on your Hotel Location or wherever you located. You can take taxi/cab which is more convenient than taking a metro or in a bus and that would cost probably less than 50 AED or 13.61 USD.

10:30 am – 3:00 pm – By this time, you only have 4 hours and 30 minutes to explore “Dubai Mall” the world’s largest and most-visited retail and entertainment destination. Usually, it will takes 1 to 2 days to complete the Dubai Mall experience. You can eat and satisfy your cravings as they have a wide-array of world-class restaurant, you can also choose whatever you want. Is it cheap? Well, the restaurant’s price in Dubai Mall is quite cheaper than other restaurant in other mall.

You can enjoy shopping in some boutique in Dubai Mall as they provides one of the most complete shopping experiences. Not just a mall, this mini-city is home to over a thousand cheap stores and boutique for your wonderful shopping experience.

A must thing to do in Dubai Mall is to visit the huge Dubai Aquarium, the world’s largest acrylic panel. Located on the Ground Level of The Dubai Mall, It is one of the largest suspended aquariums in the world. It houses thousands of aquatic animals, comprising over 140 species. Take note: It is free!

Delight the senses by experiencing one of The Dubai Fountain's daily performances, a dance show of water reaching up to 140 meters high, accompanied by syncing lights and music. 

There is an Olympic size ice rink in the mall that has a 1.5 inch ice bed, twice the thickness of an NHL ice rink. Discover the fantastic opportunity to experience the thrill of ice skating for the first time or to perfect your skills.

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm – This time you have 30 minutes of estimated pick-up time and prepare all things you need to bring like Extra Shirt, Scarf, Umbrella and Camera and don’t forget some Extra-money, this is basic that you need to prepare as you experience the hotness of the Desert. No need to bring water or soft drinks as it is provided and available in the Desert Camp, this is the basic included in every Desert Safari Package. Mostly, of the Desert Safari Tour will pick-up you from your location, so no need to go any centralized pick-up location just wait at Dubai Mall or your location and they will pick-up you there, the driver is usually will call or text you 30 minutes before the pick-up time to give more instructions.

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm – You have 30 minutes estimated time to reach the Desert Point. 

4:00 pm – 9:00 pm – You have 5-hours to enjoy and experience the adventurous world of Desert Safari. Traverse and experience the natural beauty of Dubai Desert and test your Adrenaline Rush while driving in a Red Sand Dunes with the Professional Driver following the Global Safety Standards, Your safety is their most priority concern to fulfill your adventure experience. Interact yourself to the “Ship of the Desert” by Riding the Camel and feel the magical experience by taking some snap of the camera together. 

Be amazed to the Arabic Themed and Bedouin-Style Camp Base and feel free to wear some Traditional Arabic Costumes for your Instagram and Facebook post photographs. You can treat yourself with a warm complimentary drinks like Arabic Qahwa, Coffee and the special Tea together with the unlimited Soft drinks and Water. 

Discover your Art Passion by getting the traditional temporary body art in your pleasing hands called Henna Tattoo. Fulfil your hunger and satisfied your cravings in to the Jaw-dropping International Buffet Dinner for vegetarian and non-vegetarian with the special twist of Grilled Barbecue. And at night, witness the Colorful and Entertaining word-class Live Show perform by the selected performers intended to all guests, and you will end your night at the Desert Camp by being a stargazer of the Billions of the Star above.

9:00 pm – 9:30 pm – You have 30 minutes estimated drop back time to your hotel/hostel.

Day 3 – The Last But Not The Least

Complete the 3-days tour by having a sweet escape to some exciting activities and destinations in the city. Dubai has a lot to offer not only the beautiful skyline and skyscraper, wonderful nature, amazing landmarks and great entertainment, Dubai has also a lot of interesting activities that you need to experience before you leave. By this day, let me recommend you some interesting activities and destinations that will complete your Backpackers story here in Dubai with a big smile. 

Let’ start this beautiful day in Dubai Zoo, let me show you some rarest and endangered species on earth that you can only witness in Dubai Zoo. Next in line is the Dubai Miracle Garden, the largest flower structure in the world. Followed by the Gold Souk, the reason why Dubai dubbed as the City of Gold. Then, let’s head to Dubai Creek to witness the Old Arabia. At night, let’s have a sweet relax for the unforgettable 3-days tour in the famous beach of UAE the Jumeirah Beach with the background of Burj Al-Arab, feel the romantic experience as you witness the billions of star above with the beautiful skyscraper.

9:30 am – 10:00 am – You have 30 minutes estimated time to reach the Dubai Zoo.
You can take taxi directly to Dubai Zoo which is located in Jumeirah 1 (near the Jumeirah Shopping Center and Mercato Center). By this time make sure you already prepare the basic things that you need to bring like Water, Extra Shirt, Camera and Extra Money. I will recommend the Jumeirah Beach as the last destination of this tour to have some relax time for the 3-days unforgettable tour. You can have a night-swimming in Jumeirah Beach for free with the shining beautiful background of the Burj Al-Arab. You have a choose to go back at your hotel/hostel to prepare some clothes, towel, foods and drinks to bring in the beach after we visit the Dubai Creek for sight-seeing tour by the sea and buy some cheap souvenir items.

10:00 am – 12:30 pm – Enjoy your 2-hours and 30 minutes tour in Dubai Zoo and refresh everything in your mind as you can witness some spectacular and big animals and species on this earth. Witness some rarest animals that you can only encounter in Dubai Zoo the oldest zoo in the Arabian Peninsula. Discover some endangered species that is now in the protection of Dubai Zoo. The zoo houses approximately 230 animal species. Among these are around 248 mammal specimens, including foxes, hyenas, pumas, Asiatic lions, jaguars, chimpanzees, baboons, monkeys, deer, bears, porcupines, giraffes, hippos, and Barbary sheep. Endangered species include Socotra shag or cormorant, Bengal tiger, gorilla, subspecies of grey wolf and Arabian wolf, Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), and the indigenous Gordon's wildcat. Birds include ostrich, golden eagle and parrots. Reptiles are represented by around 400 specimens. You can eat and have some relax at Dubai Zoo as they have a lot of restaurant inside the zoo.

The Zoo has a complete facility for the guest:

– Public facilities services (WC for men, women and for people with special needs)
– Shaded seats are available
– Restaurant providing beverages, sweets, ice cream and presents are available
– Prayer place services (for men and women with special places for ablutions

Entrance Fee:

– 2 AED for each person
– Children under 2 years are free of charges
– Free entry for people with special needs

Safety Instructions

– Please keep the zoo clean and throw waste at the designated places
– Don’t touch plants
– Children should accompanied by parents or adult
– Visitors are responsible for repair costs in case of damages of zoo’s facilities due to misuse
– The administration accept no responsibility of any loss, injuries or intended personal accident
– Commercial activities are not allowed without an prior official written permission
– Please adhere to wear appropriate clothing that comply with the habits and customs of the society
– Feeding animals is prohibited

12:30 pm – 1:00 pm – 30 minutes estimated time of driving going to the world’s renowned Dubai Miracle Garden.

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Amaze and enjoy a 1 hour tour in Dubai Miracle Garden as it’s finest and experience this most wonderful and stunning tourist destination in Dubai as it gives freshness to every tourist visiting the garden. The garden was launched on Valentine’s Day in 2013. The garden occupies over 72,000 square meters (780,000 sq. ft.), making it the world's largest natural flower garden featuring over 109 million flowers planted. In April 2015, the garden was awarded the Moselle Award for New Garden Experiences of the year by the Garden Tourism Award 2015.

Miracle Garden in its first phase is providing state of the art services and facilities including open parking, VIP parking, sitting areas, prayer room, toilet blocks, ablution facility, security room, first aid room, carts for handicapped visitors, retails and commercial kiosk and all other related services available to facilitate visitors.

More information about Dubai Miracle Garden:

- New attraction: Real-size version of the Emirates A380 Flight (World’s largest floral installation)

- Ticket rate Adults: 40 AED / Children 30 AED / 2 yrs old and bolow free

- Timing 9AM – 9PM weekdays and 9AM – 11PM weekends (Friday & Saturday).

How to reach Dubai Miracle Garden using public transport:

- Take the Dubai Metro and get down at the MOE (Mall of the Emirates) station in red line. Then take Bus Route 105 to DMC or take Bus F30 via Arabian Ranches then get down at Saheel Fate 2 bus stop. Then walk little or take a taxi (5 minutes approx.)

- New bus route 105, from Mall of The Emirates metro station to Miracle Garden (5 Dirhams). Click here for more info

- Bus Route 105 timing: Sunday to Thursday from 02:00 pm to 08:00 pm, Friday and Saturday from 12:00 pm (midday) to 10:00 pm. Service interval is 15 minutes.

- You can take taxi directly to Dubai Miracle Garden for more convenient and pay less than 50 AED.

2:30 pm – 3:00 pm – You have 30 minutes joyride going to the Gold souk, the worlds renowned Dubai Gold Souk. 

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Make yourself as the Queen and King of Gold as you experience the 1 hour tour in Gold Souk. It is one of the largest gold retail markets in the world, and an iconic, must-see site to experience when you are in Dubai. A traditional market (or Souk), this glittering expanse is symbolic of the opulence of Dubai.

 The city of Dubai has become popular for the superiority of the gold that can be found here. The marvellous metal has been one of the emirate’s earliest objects of trade. Clearly the gold trading hub of the Middle East and India region today.The variety of gold is extremely attractive due to different shades and colors available in Dubai gold souk - earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets & pendants. Many different shades of gold are available white, pink, yellow and even purple gold.

The souk is located in Dubai's commercial business district in Deira, in the locality of Al Dhagaya. That consists of over 300 retailers, most of whom are jewelry traders. According to estimates, approximately 10 tons of gold is present at any given time in the souk.

4:00 pm – 4:15 pm – You have 15 minutes of driving going to Dubai Creek to experience 

the Old Arab trading town.

4:15 pm – 5:00 pm – Discover the earliest known reference to Dubai Creek, or Khor Dubai, can be found in an 1822 report by a British naval surveyor. The creek’s significance can be traced back to 1902, when HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Hasher – the ruler of Dubai – abolished all custom duties on imports, essentially creating a free trade zone. Dubai became a major trading hub, with much of the activity centered on the creek.

Dubai Creek was also the starting and finishing point for pearling expeditions, which once formed the backbone of the economy. Some 3000 vessels were employed in the trade, departing in May and not returning until mid-September. 

Pearl divers lived on a frugal diet of dates, fish, rice and coffee, and made up to 50 dives a day. You can ride and sail the traditional taxi on the creek the Dhow, and have a sight-seeing tour by sea.

There are four stations where traveler’s board water taxis — two on the Deira side and two on the Bur Dubai side. From the creek, it's possible to spot palaces, mosques and other Dubai landmarks, including the Gold Souk and the Dubai Heritage Village.

5:00 pm – 5:30 pm – By this time you have 30 minutes to think whether you will go back first to your hotel to prepare clothes, towel, camera, extra money, foods and drinks for the night swimming in Jumeirah beach or you can choose to go the beach directly after the Dubai Creek tour.

5:30 pm – You have unlimited time to stay Jumeirah Beach, you can set-up a perfect spot for the seductive sunset while having a beautiful scenery of the towering Burj Al-Arab. Enjoy the white-powdered sun and take some fresh juices for your thirst.

This glorious Jumeirah Beach lies along Dubai's coast, providing stretches of soft white sand on which to relax and play. Visitors to Jumeirah's hotels, like the seven-star Burj Al Arab, enjoy private beaches offering water sports. Take note this beach is open to the public anytime and it is free but be aware of some rules of the beach as Dubai police is always there to check, manage, take care and secure booth beach and the visitors.

END OF 3-DAYS BUDGET TOUR

To all Backpackers,

The time, tourist destination in dubai , price and information of this 3-days itinerary is not fixed, exact and accurate as some information above is subject to change prior the date of tour. This 3-days Itinerary is only a pure pre-guide to all backpackers or tourist, according only to personal experiences and information provided in the tourist destination websites. Hope you get an idea about Dubai as it is not only for the well-budget or luxurious traveler but also for the budget-conscious or backpackers who want to enjoy, explore, discover the rich Dubai in a budget mode.

Author:

Michelle Dela Cerna
https://www.dubaieveningsafari.com/