Dubai

Old Dubai on foot, one beach morning, and a skyline you only add if the budget allows.

Good to know

Go: Stay near a metro line. Taxis add up if you do not.
Skip: Skip a second mall. One is plenty.
Eat: Eat in Deira at least once. Downtown restaurants charge for the view.
Entry: The UAE offers visa-free entry to some passports and a short e-visa to others. Check the current rule before you fly.
Timing: Walking outside is miserable from June to September. December, February are easier.

Creek walk in old Dubai
Free
Deira · morning
Start at the gold souk and end at the abra dock.
Abra across the creek
$2
Deira · morning
Pay the posted fare. It is a short crossing, not a tour.
Morning at Jumeirah
Free
Jumeirah · morning
Public beaches exist. You do not need a club to swim.
Meal in Deira
$16
Deira · afternoon
A full meal here costs less than the view downtown.
Dubai Frame
$18
Downtown · afternoon
Go late afternoon so the glass is not a mirror of the sun.
Desert evening
$70
Desert · evening
The cheapest seat is in a shared car. Private cars double it.
Dubai Mall walk
Free
Downtown · afternoon
The mall is free. The aquarium and the rink are not.
Downtown after dark
$35
Downtown · evening
Fountain, then one drink. The second drink is the budget leak.

A typical cost in US dollars, so you can decide before you open a booking site. Not a live fare.