# Free things to do in Dubai: a day without tickets > Dubai has a reputation for being expensive, but you can spend a whole day without buying a single ticket. Morning: flamingos at the Ras Al Khor reserve inside the city. Then The Dubai Mall with its waterfall and aquarium window, and the fountain show at Burj Khalifa. After lunch, old Dubai: the Al Fahidi quarter, the Spice Souk and the Gold Souk. You pay only for the metro, taxis and a 1–2 dirham abra. Web page: https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/free ## Plan 1. [Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/ras-al-khor.md) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free ↓ 28 min by transport 2. [The Dubai Mall](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-mall.md) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Free entry Lunch break, about 1 h ↓ 8 min on foot 3. [The Dubai Fountain](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-fountain.md) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free; Boardwalk and abra ride paid ↓ 39 min by transport 4. [Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (Old Dubai)](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/al-fahidi.md) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free to walk ↓ 8 min on foot 5. [Spice Souk](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-spice-souk.md) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free entry ↓ 5 min on foot 6. [Dubai Gold Souk](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-gold-souk.md) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free entry Total with walks: 8 h 28 min ## Free places in Dubai, in one day Every stop is free to enter. Morning in the south at the reserve, midday in Downtown, evening in the old city on the creek, where the souks stay open until 22:00. Remove any stop with the cross or drag it with ≡, and add another one nearby — the times recalculate. ## Free things to do in The Dubai Mall Inside the mall: the aquarium window with sharks and rays, the waterfall with diver sculptures, a dinosaur skeleton, free Wi-Fi throughout. Outside on the lake, the Dubai Fountain plays twice in the early afternoon and every half hour from 18:00. ## Saving on transport The metro is the cheapest option: 3 AED for one zone with a Nol Silver card, 5 AED for two. Across the creek, an abra costs 1 AED (traditional CR1 and CR2, cash) or 2 AED. The metro does not reach Ras Al Khor — a taxi from the centre takes about 15 minutes. ## More free things [Palm Jumeirah](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/palm-jumeirah) has an 11 km Boardwalk with no ticket. [Dubai Marina](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-marina) and [JBR Beach](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/jbr-beach) are free — only sunbeds cost money. See the Burj Al Arab from Umm Suqeim beach. The galleries of [Alserkal Avenue](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/alserkal-avenue) have no entry fee. ## Tips - A Nol Silver card costs 25 AED, with 19 AED of credit on it. - The aquarium is visible from the mall for free — only the tunnel is paid. - Buy water in supermarkets; at tourist spots it costs several times more. - The UAE uses the dirham (AED). Cards work almost everywhere; keep some cash for abras, souks and small museums. Dubai's metro needs a Nol card. - Go to the fountain early in the evening to get a spot at the railing. ## Questions ### What are the best free things to do in Dubai? Ras Al Khor flamingos, The Dubai Mall, the fountain, Al Fahidi, the spice and gold souks, Dubai Marina, the Palm Boardwalk and JBR Beach. ### Is the Dubai Fountain free? Yes, from the lakeside and the mall terrace. Only the boardwalk (from 25 AED) and the lake abra (75 AED) are paid. ### Do you need a ticket for Al Fahidi? No, the quarter is always open. The Coffee Museum is 10 AED; the Coin Museum is free. ### Where can you see flamingos in Dubai? At Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary: free, 7:30–17:30 in winter, 6:00–18:00 in summer. ### Is there a free observation deck? No; the cheapest is The View at the Palm, from 80 AED. ### How much is an abra? 1–2 AED; the traditional CR1 and CR2 take cash only. ### Can you walk the Gold Souk without buying? Yes, it is free. Some shops close for a break around 13:00–16:00. ### Are there free beaches in Dubai? Yes: JBR, Umm Suqeim and the Jumeirah beaches are free; sunbeds cost extra. ### Is this good with kids? Yes — flamingos, the fountain and the abra go down well. There is also a Dubai with kids itinerary. ### What currency is used in Dubai? The UAE uses the dirham (AED). Cards work almost everywhere; keep some cash for abras, souks and small museums. Dubai's metro needs a Nol card. --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.