We’ve got to be honest, Dubai seemed a little intimidating to us as an LGBTQ+ couple. However, we were interested in visiting and we thought on the way from Australia to Europe just made sense. And while we did have to hide our true selves a bit, we did have some amazing experiences. There is no shortage of things to see and do in Dubai, even for us as budget travellers in such an expensive city. Because of this, we’ve put together a list of places to explore to save you a bit of money, as well as some things worth spending money on!

Just as a note, we thought we’d mention that physical affection is seriously frowned upon in the UAE. This goes for everyone, not just same sex couples. It’s also best to wear more conservative outfits, especially in the older areas and the souks. Also, as two women we were almost constantly stared at everywhere we went, and while we didn’t feel unsafe, it was uncomfortable. The metros in Dubai have a women only carriage which made us feel a bit better. Just make sure you do your research before you visit and you’ll have a great time!

Cost: Free to visit

With over 1200 shops, Dubai Mall is the second largest shopping centre in the world by land area. It attracts more than 54 million visitors each year and in 2011 it was the most visited building in the world. It’s where you’ll find the Burj Khalifa, the world tallest structure at 829.8 meters. We chose not to go up (Krissie is not a fan of heights) but you can go up for 179 AED per person.

The most famous attraction inside the mall is the 10 million litre aquarium with over 140 different species of animal. You can visit the aquarium and walk through the under water tunnel but it will set you back 199 AED each. Luckily you can see the huge aquarium wall from inside the mall so you can still appreciate it for free. As well as the aquarium, there is also a 22 screen cinema, an ice skating rink, two amusement parks, a haunted house and a 24 meter long real dinosaur fossil.

Apart from all activities, the mall has so many amazing shops and eateries so is worth time to look around. Outside is the Dubai fountain, the world largest choregraphed fountain that shoots water over 150 meters into the air. Fountain shows are every 30 minutes every night from 6pm – 11pm. However do make sure to get there early as it gets super busy around the water. Around the water is the Souk Al Bahar, an Arabic style shopping centre, and the Burj Park. It’s a great area to wander around after a full day of being in a shopping centre.

Cost: Free to visit

Another great mall to visit in Dubai is the Mall of the Emirates. This mall has over 630 retail stores and 100 eateries to enjoy. While nowhere near as big as Dubai Mall, it’s claim to fame is Ski Dubai, the world’s largest indoor snow park. There’s also a 14 screen cinema and a kids entertainment centre with a bowling alley. There’s lots of great shops and restaurants and it’s worth a wander around if you’re in the area. Its easy to get to as the Mall of the Emirates Metro Station is right outside. It is also where the bus leaves from to head to the Dubai Miracle Garden so it’s great to couple with a trip there.

Cost: 100 AED or $40 AUD

With over 150 million flowers, the Dubai Miracle Garden is a seasonal garden, open from October to mid June. It has many displays such as the Sunflower field, the Smurfs village and the floral clock. However the most impressive display is the full size A380 aeroplane covered in more than 500,000 flowers and plants. It’s not the largest space but looking around will still take a couple of hours to see and appreciate everything.

You can’t bring in outside food or drink, but don’t worry as the garden has over 30 eateries. There’s restaurants, cafes, a sweet bar and different kiosks so lots to choose from. During it’s open months, the garden is open from 9am to 9pm and 11pm on weekends and costs 100 AED each. Getting to the garden is easy as you can get a quick bus to and from the Mall of the Emirates. It’s absolutely worth a visit if you get the chance as it’s not open all year and it’s a special thing to see if you can!

Cost: Free to visit

Dubai Creek has traditionally been used as a trade port as it’s a large natural waterway. Now, there’s been extensions and a number of bridges added to allow for people to move more freely. You’ll also see lots of boats including abras which are traditional wooden boats. They ferry people across the creek, leaving every few minutes and costing only 1 AED per ride.

On either side of the Dubai Creek you’ll find some of Dubai’s most cultural areas. These include the souks and the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. On the Deira side of the creek is the Deira Perfume Souk, the Spice Souk, the Gold and Diamond Souk and the Old Souk. These bustling markets are full of so many different sights, smells, people, and things to buy. It’s a great experience to wander through these souks and see everything on sale.

The sellers will likely call out to get your attention and if you’re interested in buying something, you will have no problems finding someone to sell to you. However, as it is a cultural area it’s important to wear clothes that will cover your shoulders and knees.

On the Dubai side of the creek is the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, which dates back to the 1890s. Most of the area was destroyed to make way for an office block however the rest was saved and restored in 2005. It’s a beautiful area full of sandstone coloured buildings and small alleyways that’s absolutely worth a walk around while you’re in Dubai. You’ll find cafes, museums and galleries here including one of our favourite restaurants we’ve ever been to called Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Café.

Cost: Free to visit

This area of Dubai is a mini city with shopping, restaurants, luxury hotels and a nice long beach. The nicest thing to do here is walk around around Souk Madinat Jumeirah, which is a shopping area with traditional Middle Eastern Style architecture and shops. Just outside this centre is the water area surrounding the Jumeirah Al Qasr hotel. This is also a nice area to wander around and has a great view of the famous Burj Al Arab hotel too.

Cost: Free to visit

The Palm Jumeirah is a group of artificial islands that as the name suggests, resemble a palm tree. It is mostly home to residential buildings however does have a number of luxury resorts and tourist activities too. Getting out there is only a 20 minute taxi ride or there’s a monorail from the mainland as well so it’s easy to visit. The Shvili Nakheel Mall can be found on the Palm as well as The View at the Palm which is a 360 degree observation deck. There are also a couple of public beaches but the most popular thing to do on the Palm is to visit Atlantis.

Atlantis, The Palm is a luxury resort that opened in 2008 and is themed on the myth of Atlantis. It has over 1,500 rooms, and two amazing rooms that are half underwater. These rooms face the Atlantis’ lagoon called The Lost Chambers Aquarium, which has over 65,000 animals. Visitors can visit this aquarium for 115 AED or $45 AUD but it’s free for hotel guests.

Also free for hotel guests but worth visiting if you’re not is the Aquaventure Water Park. This is the worlds largest water park with over 100 different slides including ones that go through the aquarium. However, it will set you back 320 AED or $126 AUD each so is definitely a more luxury experience in Dubai.

Cost: 149 AED & 50 AED

While moving around Dubai, you’re likely to see some interesting looking structures in the city. One of these is the Museum of the Future, which is an amazing oval looking building. Even cooler is that the pattern on the building is quotes in Arabic said by 3 of Dubai’s rulers. The museum explores the future of technology and science in different exhibits relating to outer space, health, bioengineering and our ecosystem. It also showcases new world inventions and everything exhibited here is expected to be in existence by 2071. The museum is open 9:30am to 9pm every day and tickets cost 149 AED or $59 AUD each.

Another cool structure you’ll likely see is the Dubai Frame, a 150 meter tall observatory and experience. From the top, you can see sprawling views of both old and new Dubai from 48 floors up. As well as the view, there are also interactive experiences, a glass bridge, and a café up the top. Outside the Frame is also Zabeel Park and the Zabeel Park Fountain which is a dancing musical fountain. The museum is open 9am to 9pm every day and tickets cost 50 AED or $20 AUD each.

Cost: The Mosque is free to enter but the price will vary depending on how you choose to get there

One of the best day trips from Dubai is to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. You can get there by public transport, however it takes two hours and requires two buses each way. You can also either hire a car or get a taxi, but we chose to do a day trip tour with Get Your Guide. You’ll also need to make sure you’re dressed appropriately, something our day trip organised for us. Everyone must make sure their arms and legs are covered, that no item of clothing is see through, and that females cover their hair.

The mosque itself is absolutely beautiful and its largest worshipping hall can hold over 40,000 people. It was built with marble, gold, crystal and ceramics, has 82 domes, 1000 columns holding the whole thing up , and the worlds largest carpet. It also has seven imported chandeliers from Germany with Swarovski crystals, one of which is the third largest chandelier in the world. The mosque is really worth a visit as it is so unique and getting to see it truly is so special.

The number one thing we were most excited for in Dubai is to do a desert safari. You can get a taxi out there but the easiest and best way to experience the desert is on a tour. We chose a half day tour with Get Your Guide and it was genuinely one of our favourite experiences in our 15 month world trip.

There are so many companies that run tours from Dubai to the Arabian desert and they all do different things. You can do quad biking, camel riding, falconry, car rides, hot air ballooning, sand boarding and breakfast and dinner packages. We chose one that ended with a show and traditional dinner in the desert and it was amazing. We really recommend a trip to the desert if you’ve got time!

Whether Dubai is your destination or is just a stopover, there is so much to see and do. Some incredible malls to explore, beautiful areas to wander around and insane things to see. As well as that, there are two great day trip options and a wonderful seasonal garden. Heaps to keep you entertained on your trip to this cool city!

Don’t forget that you can see everything we did in Dubai in our vlog:

• How to See Hamburg on a Budget
• The Best Six Phnom Penh Activities For Budget Travellers
• How to See the Most of Split on a Budget!
• Creating a Realistic Travel Budget: What You Need to Consider