10 Time & Money-saving Tips for Making The Most out of Expo Dubai 2020

Expo Dubai 2020 is hands down, the world’s greatest show right now.

If you’re planning to visit this global cultural event, here are some time and money-saving tips (with must-visit attractions) for you to make the most out of Expo Dubai 2020.

Because we’ve all been there, getting stuck behind queues for hours at a theme park—not fun!

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1.Do your researchExpo Dubai 2020 map

The Expo is HUGE! It has 192 country pavilions spreading across 6 zones. There are a ton of things to do in Expo Dubai 2020 that it can take forever to explore!

You’ll definitely want to list out the events and the pavillions you want to visit prior to the actual visit.

2. Upon arrival—buy your passports first!

Sometimes we can get too excited and mesmerized by the fancy architecture upon entry that we go straight to the pavilion. But hold up! Expo 2020 Dubai Passport

Get your passport (AED20) first at the official stores, or the Expo Dubai 2020 booths by the pavements. If there’s one souvenir that you must, must buy from Expo Dubai 2020, it is the passport.

Tip: make it a real world-visit experience by getting your photos (AED30~) printed at the Canon booths nearby the official stores. If not, you can bring your own passport sized-photos and stick in the Expo Dubai 2020 passport.

And make sure you get them stamped at the end of each visit!

3. Visit the mega pavilions before other exhibitions

To make the most out of your time at Expo Dubai 2020, I highly suggest you visit the huge pavilions first before making a visit to other smaller exhibitions.

This is because the queue (in the evening and the weekends) can get really long and by the time you know it, you’ve wasted an hour!

Dubai Expo 2020 Pavilions Some Expo Dubai 2020 pavilions that you can’t miss out are:

  • Switzerland for the Swiss fog and alps experience
  • Saudi Arabia for the world’s longest interactive water feature
  • Pakistan for their country’s best-kept secrets. Trust me you’ll be amazed at what they have to offer.

4. Use smart queue to save time!

Some huge pavilions like Germany, Singapore and South Korea have never-ending queues. It’s like impossible to see these queues clear.

So to save more time at Expo and prevent yourself from getting stuck in a queue, use Smart Queue. All you need to do in the Expo 2020 Dubai App are:

  1. Select ‘My Tickets’
  2. Click ‘Smart Queue’
  3. Click ‘Add Smart Queue’
  4. Choose your date, pavilion or attraction.
  5. Save and arrive when it’s near your ‘Smart Queue’ time!

But first, you have to make sure you’ve linked your ticket to the App before you can utilize Smart Queue! Smart Queue Dubai Expo 2020

5. Visitor Centers— your One-Stop Expo Dubai 2020 center for all your needs

Visitor Center in Dubai Expo 2020 tips
Dubai Expo 2020 has services like praying rooms, and more!

If you need services like praying rooms, showers, strollers, ATM, lost and found, information and more, just go to the Visitor centers located at all zones in Expo Dubai 2020.

Rest assured everything is there.

6. Don’t buy bottled water, but refill for FREE!

Save those 1-3 dirhams by refilling your bottle at water stations!

Free Water refills at Dubai Expo 2020

If you have to buy drinking water, buy them from vending machines which costs about 2.5AED.

7. Eat on a budget

Unless you’re a foodie who’s been wanting to try a country-specific restaurant chain, I’d suggest you save money from eating at Expo 2020 food outlets (it can cost beyond 100AED) located inside any of the buildings.

If you know how to look, there are places where you can find cheap food in Expo 2020. A few are Expo Street Food or Talabat Kitchen at Jubilee Park.

Talabat Grab & Go Station Expo Dubai 2020 tips

Or, you can get your Expo 2020 food delivered at any Talabat Grab & Go station. All you need to know are the number of your nearest Grab & Go location, book any food from Talabat Expo 2020 menu in the app, and wait for the Tala-bot to deliver it.

Discount tip: Use ‘EXPO 15’ promo code on Talabat app for AED15 off any Expo 2020 food orders at AED50 and above. *Limited time offer only.

8. Get FREEBIES from pavillions!

Some pavilions don’t only offer experiences unique to their country, but they also give freebies out!

Some freebies at Expo 2020 pavilions are:

  • Coffee: Rwanda and Ethiopia Pavilion
  • Bag and Country collectible: Qatar Pavilion
  • Tea: Sri Lanka Pavilion
  • Ice cream: Kuwait Pavilion

9. Don’t miss out on the highlights of Expo Dubai 2020 showcase—Robots, 360-degree projection!

Besides the pavilion, there are other showcases that you must include in your “Things to do in Expo Dubai 2020” visit.

Al Wasl Plaza

Al Wasl Plaza is the center of Expo, located right in the middle of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability districts.
Al Wasl Dome Projection Expo Dubai 2020

Shows not to be missed here are:

National Day celebration: 10:15 am daily

Awakening of Al Wasl: An immersive 360degree dome projection taking place during sunset.

Water Feature

Water Feature Expo Dubai 2020 Not your ordinary fountain located in between Jubilee Park & Al Wasl Plaza. This fountain gives you that ‘beach’ experience complete with a windy breeze. (Tip: take off your shoes & experience it yourself!)

At night, there are fire shows (at every 8 minutes) accompanied by Game of Thrones soundtrack.

Robots at Expo Dubai 2020

You’ll see them moving around everywhere. They’re not only there to guide visitors but to entertain them as well. So try saying hello and ask them questions and see what they have to say! Robots Expo Dubai 2020

10. Claim your free Expo Dubai 2020 ticket


…if you are flying with Emirates to DXB, you are entitled for a FREE one day Expo Dubai 2020 ticket. Isn’t that cool?

Otherwise, if you do not have an Emirates flight, I recommend you to go to Expo Dubai 2020 on the weekdays as the tickets are cheaper. 

With that, I hope you find my Expo Dubai 2020 tips and tricks useful. I will keep this post updated as I explore more of the event. So, what are the best experiences you’ve encountered in Expo Dubai 2020? Share with me!

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