Dubai planning guide
5 min read
These are the free things to do in Dubai: the Dubai Fountain show, Al Fahidi's lanes, Dubai Creek and its souks, Kite Beach and the Marina Walk. Each is checked on its official page below, next to the ticket we sell if you want a paid upgrade at the same spot — a ride on the Fountain's lake, a guided walk through Old Dubai, a dinner cruise on the Creek, or tickets for Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Frame and Dubai Aquarium.
| If you are | Our pick |
|---|---|
| First time in Dubai | Start at the free Dubai Fountain showIt's free, central, and runs every 30 minutes from 18:00 to 23:00 at the foot of Dubai Mall, with extra afternoon shows. |
| Short on time | Pair Al Fahidi with the Creek crossingBoth are free or near-free, a few minutes apart on foot in Bur Dubai and Deira. |
| Heading to the beach | Kite Beach costs nothing to useOne of the city's best free beaches, with a 14km path for walking, jogging and cycling. |
| Walking Dubai Marina | Free, any hourThe seven-kilometre promenade has no entry fee and is open at all hours. |
| Want a paid upgrade | Add a ticket at the same spotA lake ride during the Fountain show, a guided walk through Old Dubai, a dinner cruise on the Creek, or tickets for Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Frame and Dubai Aquarium. |
The Dubai Fountain, set on Burj Lake at the foot of Dubai Mall, is a free experience for the whole family. It plays every 30 minutes from 18:00 to 23:00 every evening, with extra afternoon shows at 13:00 and 13:30 Saturday to Thursday and at 14:00 and 14:30 on Friday.
Watch for free from the Dubai Fountain Boardwalk or the waterfront restaurants at Dubai Mall. If you want a ticketed add-on at the same spot: Burj Khalifa towers directly over the lake, and Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is inside the same mall.
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, Dubai's old heritage quarter, costs nothing to enter: there is no ticketing or admission fee for its 31,000 sqm of sandstone lanes and wind-tower houses, though the museums and galleries inside charge their own. For a guided version of the same streets, we sell an Old Dubai walking tour with a local guide.
A short walk away, Dubai Creek splits Deira from Bur Dubai. Crossing it by abra costs AED 1 one-way, or AED 2 for the air-conditioned option, with a private hire at AED 120 an hour; the stations sit near the Gold Souk and the Spice Souk. The Gold Souk's stalls sell government-regulated gold, gemstones and pearls in old Deira — free to browse, whatever you buy.
For a view that puts old and new Dubai side by side, the Dubai Frame in Zabeel Park frames the historic district to the north and the modern skyline to the south from its Sky Deck, a short taxi from Al Fahidi.
Kite Beach is one of the best free beaches in Dubai, with a 14km path for walking, jogging and cycling along the sand, and floodlit swimming into the evening.
Dubai Marina Walk is free to visit and open at all hours: a seven-kilometre palm-lined promenade past yachts and restaurants, though the venues along it keep their own hours and dress codes.
Al Fahidi and the Creek crossing sit together in Bur Dubai and Deira; the Dubai Fountain is a Metro ride away in Downtown Dubai, and Kite Beach and the Marina Walk are both on the coast further south. See our Dubai Metro guide for the Metro, tram and nol card fares, and our Dubai trip cost guide for what hotels, taxis and the ticketed sights add to a trip.
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AED 75
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AED 70
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AED 50
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AED 304
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AED 220
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AED 48
Yes — Visit Dubai describes it as a free experience, playing every 30 minutes from 18:00 to 23:00 daily, with extra afternoon shows at 13:00 and 13:30 Saturday to Thursday and at 14:00 and 14:30 on Friday.
Yes — there is no ticketing or admission fee for the 31,000 sqm site, though its museums, galleries and gift shops charge their own.
AED 1 for a one-way crossing, or AED 2 for the air-conditioned option; a private abra hire costs AED 120 an hour.
Yes — Visit Dubai calls it one of the best free beaches in Dubai, with a 14km path for walking, jogging and cycling.
Yes — it's free to visit and open at all hours, though the restaurants and shops along it keep their own hours.
No — Global Village sells tickets for each season through its own site; it isn't one of the free sights in this guide.
Walk the Dubai Fountain Boardwalk, right on the lake. Our Dubai Fountain Lake Ride ticket puts you on the water during a show if you want to go further.
Yes — browsing old Deira's Gold Souk costs nothing; its stalls sell government-regulated gold, gemstones and pearls.
Prices and opening details checked on the official pages on 8 October 2026. They change, so check them before you go. Sources: Visit Dubai: The Dubai Fountain · Dubai Mall: Dubai Fountain show times · Visit Dubai: Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood · Visit Dubai: Dubai Gold Souk · Visit Dubai: Abra Creek Crossing · Visit Dubai: Kite Beach · Visit Dubai: Dubai Marina Walk · Visit Dubai: Dubai Frame · Visit Dubai: Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo · Global Village: tickets
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