Dubai, beyond the skyline.

Skip the lakeside café prices — grab a karak tea from a kiosk two streets back and watch the show from the free boardwalk steps instead.

Skip the paid loungers — bring your own towel and hit SALT's food truck for a burger at half the beach-club menu price.

The XVA Café's fresh mint lemonade is cheaper — and better — than anything sold from the tourist stalls right outside.

Bundle your haggling — asking for saffron and dried rose petals together usually gets a bigger discount than buying either alone.

Gallery opening nights often lay on free coffee (sometimes wine) — check Alserkal's Instagram for what's launching that week.

Walk one block back from the promenade — shawarma stalls there run about half the price of the sit-down marina restaurants.

Bring your own bike if you can — rental prices at the entrance spike noticeably on weekends and public holidays.

The guided tour includes free Arabic coffee and dates — arrive a few minutes early to actually enjoy them before the group crowds in.

La Mer's food trucks serve the same sea view as the sit-down restaurants for noticeably less — eat there, stroll for dessert.

Sunset here is free and far less crowded than Marina Walk — pack a picnic instead of paying boardwalk-café prices for the same view.