Authentic Old Dubai, Souks, Tastings & local boat Guided Tour
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Step into the heart of Old Dubai with a licensed guide who takes you beyond the typical tourist paths. Wander through vibrant souks, uncover hidden gems, and admire the charm of historic landmarks. Glide across the creek on a traditional Abra boat, sample authentic local treats, and explore centuries-old architecture while hearing the remarkable story of Dubai’s transformation into a global powerhouse.
- Immerse in the authentic local culture and tradition as you explore Al Seef
- Tour the galleries, cafes, and stores in the Al Fahidi historical area
- Shop for some souvenirs and spices when you explore the different souks
- Enjoy chocolate tastings, traditional tea or coffee, and a boat ride
What's Included
- Old Houses Entries
- Access to heritage Area
- Traditional Abra boat ride
- Baba's Cave Entry
- Spices Experience
- Coffee and/or TeaTraditional Arabic coffee + Saffron Tea
- SnacksChocolate Dates + Local Sweets
- Bottled waterWater
- Soda/PopTraditional Iced tea tasting
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Cafe - Al Fahidi, DubaiBastakiya Opposite Musalla Post Office - Al Fahidi St - Bur Dubai - Al Fahidi - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Meeting point in front of Arabian Tea House.You can easily access by taxi and metro (Station : Sharaf DG)
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Souk Al Seef By Dubai Retail
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Dubai Creek
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
5
Baba's Cave
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
6
Bur Dubai Abra Station
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Dubai Museum & Al Fahidi Fort (Pass By)
7
Old Souk
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
8
Dubai Spice Souk
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Gold Souk
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Stroller accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Not wheelchair accessible
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 661 reviews
Darren_M, Feb 2026
Nice short walking tour with good information and treats along the way. Nice way to see the old city and learn a bit.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Maria_G, Jan 2026
It was great. Sadeem was informative and kept a good pace! It was very interesting to see the older part of Dubai.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Matthew_W, Dec 2025
It’s always a tough decision on whether to take a private tour, self-guided exploration, or a large group tour like this one. For this itinerary, I would say the group tour is ideal. We were able to experience and learn much more about old Dubai with the expert guide, Anis. Having other visitors also made the experience more interesting without slowing us down. We did make a stop at a spice shop but very little pressure to buy anything. Would highly recommend this for anyone and to get to know Dubai.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Shannon_S, Nov 2025
Anis was a wonderful guide - very knowledgeable and funny - and this was an excellent tour. Would highly recommend!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Kyle_K, Oct 2025
Excellent experience getting to see the history and answering all of our groups questions, a fun experience solo or with a group
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Lucy_B, Oct 2025
Our guide Anis was very knowledgeable and patient with us and the other guests. We really enjoyed the boat trip and exploring the souks. The tea tasting and spices were also really interesting, with plenty of water stops! Thank you Anis :)
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Elizabeth_P, Oct 2025
Great tour learning about Emirati culture and opportunity for many tastings. Anis was a great guide! Highly recommend doing this tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
sandra_n, Oct 2025
I already wrote a review and also included a photo.
Unsure where it is and how to locate it.
Tour guide was Abdul
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Shawna_W, Aug 2025
Wonderful tour and great experience. The gold market & boat is an added treat. We would definitely book again.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Sandy_K, Aug 2025
Excellent morning tour! We learned a lot. Hats off to our very knowledgeable, considerate and humorous tour guide Mustapha.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
ottiliamashavave2, Jul 2025
Highly recommend. Best guide in Dubai! Great communication, punctual. We’re booking another tour around new Dubai
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Travis_G, May 2025
Great experience about the Dubai we don’t hear about
Worth while tour and Anis was Fantastic
A must tour 👍
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Kristin_P, Apr 2025
For me, seeing the souks in the oldest part of Dubai was essential so I signed up for the tour. My expectations were moderate thus the afternoon walk through narrow streets of thoughtfully restored waterfront buildings was a good surprise. Our guide, Heichem, made it great. His open willingness to share his perspectives made the culture come alive. The spice and gold souks are not to be missed. They are spectacles of abundance that could overwhelm, but our trusty guide made sampling and shopping humorous and relaxing. This was a fun tour. Thanks Heichem!
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Frances_S, Apr 2025
Anis is great I highly recommend great personal history lesson seeing old Dubai which is totally different from the hustle and bustle of the new part
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Gail_F, Apr 2025
This is a great tour, but lots of walking!!
Good variety of activities from visiting homes old and new, a spice shop with lots of samples.
At trip in the dhow boat and walk around the Souk.
Great value for money, an amazing guide, good introduction to Doha culture and heritage.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Jaki_S, Mar 2025
Fantastic tour, amazing places and amazing tour guide, Anise, funny, knowledgable and kind. Thank you Anise🙏
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Anonymous, Feb 2025
A interesting and exotic experience, for knowing the traditions and the culture of this wonderful place. It is a must see experience.
The tourist guide Mustafa, was very kind and explained us everything excellent.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Neil_J, Feb 2025
Very informative, good way to get around the old town and Souk.
Be prepared to be hassled and pestered to buy, especially if you engage eye contact.
Always haggle
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Caroline_G, Feb 2025
Good paced tour with plenty of interesting information. Anis was a great guide and very considerate and entertaining.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Bruno_O, Jan 2025
Wonderful guide (French speaking) with good storys and clear comments. interesting tour, well balanced between historical and modern Dubaï.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Charlotte_W, Oct 2024
A brilliant, informative, fun experience for us all. Our guide was lovely and took lots of time to explain all parts of the trip and he also got us involved which was nice. Our children aged 11 and 12 enjoyed the trip and learnt lots, as did we. The kids loved seeing the golden football boot and cricket ball in the gold souks and the boat trip. We tried new drinks and local delicacies, a real experience for the kids! I never thought they would eat a date, but when covered in chocolate, it was a hit! We would definitely recommend this tour to friends. 10/10
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Emily_G, Oct 2024
I really recommend this trip. We started with breakfast at the Arabian Tea House and then met our guide. I'd mistakenly booked the wrong day but he was super flexible and welcomed us on that day's tour as there was space. It was a really informative and interesting tour of old Dubai and some of the traditions there.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Nadiah_A, Sep 2024
Our guide, Cindy, was incredibly friendly and insightful, sharing fascinating stories about Dubai's history and the significance of each souk we visited. She made the tour engaging and informative, offering great tips on where to shop. The tour was well-paced, allowing us to fully appreciate the sights and each souk. I highly recommend it!
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Cristina_i, Aug 2024
Excelent experience. The guide was very nice and friendly, was very easy and comfortable to chat with her and to enjoy our time together.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Patricia_S, Aug 2024
Cyn was an amazing guide, and all the locals knew her which made things fun and made her extremely knowledgeable. She kept the tour moving and made sure we seen a lot of old Dubai, "it's not new"...she even informed us where to try camel at a local restaurant after the tour, it was delicious.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
ander_B, Aug 2024
This tour was miserable. The tour guide "Cyndie" did not explain to us at all, she had the script on the phone and reading from it. She was in a hurry to finish the tour and only left us 5 minutes in the souks and we had no option to buy. She was very rude and talking to us in a very bad way. At the end of the tour, she asked all the group to give her tips which it’s very impolite and cheap!!!!! I don’t recommend it at all. I’m very disappointed with the poor service she provided us.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Oh, what a masterpiece of creative writing from our lovely competitors ❤️! Truly, you missed your calling as a fiction novelist.
First off, we’re in awe of your ability to conjure up a version of our guide “Cyndie” that simply doesn’t align with reality. You are not lucky, because on the day in question, Cyndie was probably off saving the world or something equally heroic, because she wasn’t giving any tours. And the best part? You didn’t even participate in the tour "as we tried several times to call the mystery solo traveler with a fake number"! Now, that's some impressive imagination.
Now, let’s talk about your vivid imagination regarding the tour details. A script on the phone ? Rushing through? 😂 😂 😂 It’s like you’ve crafted a thrilling, albeit completely fictional, narrative! And the tip-demanding scene at the end? Pure gold! You should really pitch this to a publisher, and we will be so proud to be invited to your Oscar ceremony for Best Fiction of the Year 🏆.
But let’s get serious for a moment. We do need to remind you that writing and posting false reviews is not only a bad look, but it’s also illegal here in Dubai as per Article 52 of the Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 (Cybercrime Law) and shall be punished with at least one year of imprisonment and a fine of not less than Dh100,000. You wouldn’t want your flair for drama to lead to creating drama theater pieces for prisoners, would you?
We recommend channeling your creativity into more productive avenues. In the meantime, our actual guests will continue to enjoy our top-notch (Recommended by 100% of travelers) tours led by our amazing guides like the real Cyndie.
Alixandra_C, Jul 2024
This excursion was absolutely wonderful. I signed up for a private tour simply because I wanted to be one on one and ask questions/learn more about old Dubai, and I got exactly what I signed up for! My tour guide, Cyn, was absolutely amazing. She was a real trooper in the EXTREME heat. She even brought me water for the tour! She had a plethora of information and really got to know me and make the tour personalized to my interests. I loved learning about old Dubai, exploring the souks, and learning about the culture all while feeling like I had a travel companion with me during my solo trip with this amazing tour guide! I highly recommend this tour whether you do it alone or with a group. Lots of super cool information and a unique view of old Dubai and the souks!
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Matthew_A, Jul 2024
We had such a great time on this tour! Our tour guide was so kind, knowledgable, and willing to answer questions. We had a group who spoke multiple languages and our guide was so eager to repeat himself in different languages if needed.
We loved how the tour showed us multiple different areas, from the historical neighborhoods and homes, the boat ride across the canal, and the different Souks.
I would recommend this tour to anyone and we thank our guide again for being so hospitable, knowledgable and kind.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Geisha_G, Jun 2024
Very kind and thoughtful guide. Always tried his best to answer our questions and was very generous towards, helping us, informing us, and guiding us through thr historty of dubai. Hoenstly an overall amazing person and would 100% recommend.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
Heather_L, Jun 2024
My wife and I had a wonderful morning touring old Dubai with our guide Ahmed. He was very knowledgeable and helped us navigate the souls with ease.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thank you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you!
From $22.67
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