Exploring Abu Dhabi is important, but when you’re already battling humidity, lanes of snarled traffic and ambiguous street names, the last thing you want to add to your list is a college budget. But Abu Dhabi, for all its wealth and gold-dispensing vending machines, is a surprisingly cheap city, provided you know where to go and how to get there. In fact, you can spend a day in Abu Dhabi for under fifty dirhams.

See how:

Start the day early. Make sure to bring your wallet, a water bottle and, more importantly, a steely resolve to endure the worst of the city’s summer humidity. When you leave Sama Tower, make your way to the Madinat Zayed area, past Cristal Hotel and Al Ekram. Instead of going inside the shopping centre, however, check out its backwoods – the row of restaurants and shops snuggled closely together across the parking lot of the center, facing its entrance. You will find Al Sultan Bakery from its reddish-brown, faux-brick front. Walk inside, peruse rows of baklava and macaroons, and then treat yourself to some cheesy bread for breakfast — five dirhams.

Next, trek across the concrete sprawl of the center’s parking lot and slip inside into the cool fluorescence of Madinat Zayed. Make your way past families shopping, sparkling jewelry vendors and little perfume stores until you find the back exit. Leave Madinat Zayed from the other side from which you came. You should be facing Fourth Street by now and, depending on the time of day, you will see groups of people lounging on the grass outside the center, chatting, eating and smoking. Find the 4th St. bus stop. A tiny, ramshackle affair consisting of two benches and a pole, it rests on the side of the road in an oily smog of heat and car exhaust. Sit down on a bench, watch the cars zoom by and feel your patience slowly dwindle.

When the bus finally comes, rejoice in its air-conditioning as you pay the 2 dirham fee, then prepare yourself for a long ride. You will pass, among other things, Abu Dhabi’s banking district, its police headquarters and Abu Dhabi’s Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Department — the city’s own version of the DMV, presumably. As you start to drive farther and farther from downtown, you will begin to notice some trappings of domestic life. A house here, a garage there; eventually, the cityscape will melt away as the bus begins to twist its way through some of Abu Dhabi’s suburban compounds. These compounds — clusters of boxy, two-story homes — house many of the expatriates who come from around the world to work in Abu Dhabi. Look at their shiny cars and basketball hoops, and imagine a life completely different from yours.

Eventually, the bus will stop at Khalifa Park — the last stop of the route. This bus ride – normally a 40 dirham taxi ride – has taken you to the opposite end of the island. Hop off, stretch your legs and enter the park through the opening in its concrete wall. Don’t forget to pay the entrance fee – 1 dirham.

The park is one kilometer long, consisting of a huge stretch of bright green and concrete paths. It has several green areas with names like Water Garden, Islamic Garden and Educational Garden, as well as an aquarium, a library, a splash park, several fountains, an amphitheater, a miniature train, a playground and a museum. Also, it is completely deserted.

This time of year, the park is like a sweltering, strangely well-kept ghost town. Yet it still remains open all year round, begging the question: who is trimming the hedges? Who is manicuring the lawns? Who is making sure the fountains run — and for whom are the fountains running?  This park, open to a public that is not there, is eerie in its emptiness.

By Zoe Hu/The Gazelle

But it’s still an enjoyable experience and an interesting exemplar of Abu Dhabi’s efforts to garner more interest for the public spaces in its city.  Check out the parks’ aquarium and museum, which charge a 3 dirham fee and take you on a tour that ranges from Abu Dhabi’s bedouin beginnings to the metropolis it is today. Wander through the park’s beautifully arranged gardens and make your way to the outdoor amphitheater at the very opposite end where, if you stand in the middle and speak, you can hear your own voice thrown back at you. Notice the spires of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the distance, poking into the sky behind a glaze of fog and shimmering heat.

By Zoe Hu/The Gazelle

When you have finished exploring the park, which can take almost half the day, hop back on the bus and take a rest. When you get off at your stop, this time, instead of cutting through the Madinat Zayed shopping center, walk down the street and take a left on Electra St. Check out some of the great stores on the street other than your usual Al Safa: Green Branch Trading Est. and Butt Sweets shop are a few among many. When you get back to Al Safa, you will probably be very exhausted and very hungry. Try staying in Sama and ordering in from Maroush, 11 dirhams for shawarma plus delivery, or Royal Rajasthan, 15 dirhams for masala dosa plus delivery.

After your late lunch or early dinner, you may want to head back out of Sama so grab some friends and taxi to the Corniche for an evening walk — the taxi ride, split among three other friends, will cost you around four dirhams each way there. The Corniche is considerably cooler this time of evening, and families will be milling up and down the boardwalk. Notice the bikers, joggers and roller-skaters — people watching is one of the best things to do on the Corniche.

On your way back, have the taxi driver drop you off at Al Ababil, the smoothie and refreshments place a little farther from Foodland’s. Treat yourself to an Abu Dhabi must-try — a half-mango and half-avocado smoothie, aptly titled The 50x50 — six dirhams for a small size drink. If you’re still hungry, try out a burger or sandwich, which range from six to 14 dirhams.