Dubai Ancillary Costs: It Always Depends on What You Do in the City

The Dubai ancillary costs should always be taken into account when traveling as they can be from low to high. Of course, that always depends on what you want to do in the city.

Information about the Dubai Additional Costs

Many tourists who book a package tour to Mallorca, Canary Islands, or Turkey are now used to the fact that the additional costs are very low there. That means you pay a flat rate there and then the flight, transfer, hotel, and food are included. So you have already paid for everything and there are hardly any additional fees for the travelers. Furthermore, it is there that you spend the whole day in the hotel complex, where you can get food almost around the clock. If you decide on a vacation in the emirate of Dubai you have to know that the standard there is only breakfast. Of course, half-board is also offered there. But only at an additional cost from the tour operator.

There May Be Additional Costs

The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai

Thus, a trip to Dubai can add numerous additional costs that you may not have elsewhere. That means you should always add these costs if you want to go on vacation there. Furthermore, it is there that you normally do not stay in the hotel all day. The city offers so many interesting attractions such as the Burj Khalifa or the Dubai Mall that you should see. If you don’t look at this then you’ve definitely missed something. There is a big difference the well-known package travel destinations such as Egypt. If you only want to go on a beach holiday then you can go on holiday in the emirate of Ras al Khaimah. There aren’t that many attractions there and you can spend the whole day on the beach there.

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Food and the Costs

 Fairmont The Palm Dubai

You can save a lot of money on Dubai ancillary costs, for example, on meals. We, therefore, recommend booking the hotel only with breakfast. So you can help yourself to the buffet there every morning and there is already warm food. So you don’t have to go straight back to lunch. If you are out and about in the city, there are beautiful promenades and promenades everywhere, such as La Mer, where you can get something to eat. You can also eat very cheaply in the food courts that can be found in every major shopping mall. This saves a lot of money there.

Use of Transport

Then you have to get around the city somehow. Here you can also significantly reduce the Dubai ancillary costs if you use the free shuttle buses from the hotels. Most of the time, large malls are approached there. From there you can continue to take a taxi. But driving a taxi in Dubai is not very expensive and you can be driven anywhere. Furthermore, you can still use the Dubai Metro which is a bit cheaper. Of course, you don’t always get to where you want to go. Thus, you can also save money when using the means of transport. You don’t have to use an expensive limousine from a five-star hotel right away. This of course costs significantly more than what you can imagine.

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Cost of Tickets to Attractions

You certainly want to visit the numerous well-known attractions in Dubai, such as the At the Top viewing platform from the Burj Khalifa. There you can also reduce the Dubai ancillary costs if you buy the tickets before the trip. This is possible, for example, in our Dubai ticket shop. If you buy the ticket on-site then you pay more there and you have to queue at the box office. We, therefore, recommend that you always reserve the tickets in advance where you can save money again. If you want to see a lot of sights in Dubai then it is a good idea to buy passes. This is for example the Dubai City Pass or the Dubai Explorer Pass. There you can visit many attractions at a reasonable price.

What Additional Costs are Incurred in the Hotel

The Dubai incidental costs also apply in the hotel. That means you have to pay the tourism dirham bed tax when you check out. This amount is a kind of tourist tax that tourists have to pay there. Furthermore, this always depends on which hotel category you have booked there. With a five-star hotel, you have to pay more than with a three-star hotel. Then you should of course avoid using the minibar in the hotel.

Emirates Airbus A380

You should only do that if money is not an issue. Otherwise, you should buy the drinks in a supermarket nearby. The hotel also offers snacks and drinks by the pool or on the beach. If you use this then you should also know that this is not particularly cheap.

Tip

The tip is certainly an issue with the Dubai ancillary costs. But we definitely recommend doing this in the hotel. That means you definitely benefit there as a hotel guest. We recommend giving the room cleaning service a few dirhams and you will get better service. The room is then always cleaned particularly clean. So this is definitely worth it and usually, you get more free water bottles than the other guests.

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Better to Avoid Alcohol

For tourists, it is possible to get alcohol in the hotels at bars. This is not a problem at all if, for example, you want to have a cold beer in the evening. But there the Dubai additional costs are very expensive what you should know. Since alcohol has to be imported, it is not available cheaply there. The best thing to do is to go without alcohol for a week. With the hot temperatures in the emirate, it is very important to drink a lot of water.