Day Trips to Dubai

When people ask me where I'm studying abroad and I tell them the United Arab Emirates, half of the time I get a confused look and a, "Where is that?" I reply, "It's in the Middle East." The confusion turns into concern, and so I tell them I'll be studying right next to Dubai. 

Even the internet gets excited about Dubai. Whenever I search travel guides for the UAE, 99% of the hits I get are for Dubai. I get a little frustrated about it because I want to explore more of the UAE than just Dubai, but let's be honest. Of course I want to go to Dubai. 

Dubai boasts scenes of luxury, five star resorts, exciting nightlife, shopping galore! But I am a college student, so I have looked into taking weekend day trips from Sharjah (where I will be studying) that are affordable but still provide a taste of the Dubai experience. 

I'm looking for a mix of adventure, culture, and entertainment. Here's what I've come up with.

Taxi fare from The American University of Sharjah to Dubai is anywhere from $14.79 to $24.34 depending on traffic. In Dubai there is a metro system that sells tickets for around $1.77. These tickets will get you to all 5 metro zones in Dubai, an they last up to 90 days.

Dubai Metro Ticket Info

I made a list of things I want to do on my day trip(s).

• Go to the Al Sahra Desert Resort of a 1.5 hour desert horseback ride ($81.68)
• Visit galleries in Dubai like the XVA art Gallery. There is a gallery called the Sahary Gate Gallery that supposed to offer Arabic culture and history exhibits, but the website is in a foreign language (it isn't even Arabic). I couldn't find out very much about it.
• Go to the top of the Burj Khalifa, the World's tallest building
• Go to the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo ($19-$30), which is in the Dubai Mall
• And visit the rest of the Dubai Mall

There is a hostel in Dubai called Dubai A that has an overnight rate of $30 for February 28, 2014. It would be difficult to get everything on my list done in one day. 

Here's where we're at so far with the trip cost: 

Taxi: $24.34x2 (assuming traffic is at its worst) = $48.68
Hostel: $30
Metro Ticket: $1.77
Total: $80.45

Possible Itinerary 

Friday February 28 (depending on class schedule) 

10:00 a.m. ~ Depart for Dubai A Hostel

10:45 a.m. ~ Check in and then depart for Al Sahara Desert Resort

11:30 a.m. ~ Arrive at Al Sahra Desert Resort for desert ride

1:30-2:00 p.m. ~ Eat somewhere

3:00 p.m. ~ Visit Burj Khalifa (general admission here is free, but there may be a long wait.)

5:00-6:00 p.m. ~ Eat somewhere

7:00 p.m. ~ Head back to Dubai A Hostel 

Saturday March 1

7:00 a.m. ~ Breakfast at Hostel then depart

9:00 a.m. ~ Visit museums

11:30 a.m. ~ Depart for Dubai Mall

12:00 p.m. ~ Arrive at Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo in Dubai Mall

2:00 p.m. ~ Eat somewhere

3:00 p.m. ~ Wander around Dubai Mall

6:30 p.m. ~ Eat somewhere

7:30 p.m. ~ Head back to The American University of Sharjah 

Estimated Trip Cost

Total so far (see above):  $80.45
Desert horseback ride: $81.68
Aquarium: $30 (this includes a behind the scenes tour) 
Food: $30-$40
Extra Spending: $30-$40

Total: $212.13-$272.13

It's not the cheapest excursion, but it is a trip to Dubai after all, and it would ultimately be adventurous, cultural, and entertaining! Not to mention really exciting and super fun! 

Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo

Dubai Mall

Al Sahra Desert Resort

Burj Khalifa