Dubai city tour: old and new Dubai in half a day
5 h · starts 09:00, 14:30 · 4.7 (3)
This is the tour we send first-time visitors on before anything else, because it gives you a map of the city in your head. Pickup is about 30 minutes before the start time; the coach is air-conditioned and seats 28, but our guides are licensed and they talk to the group, not to a recording. Saeed Al Mazrouei and Fatima Zahra Benali lead most departures, and both grew up watching the city change, which makes the stories far better than the script.
We start in the new city: a photo stop outside Jumeirah Mosque, then the public beach next to Burj Al Arab, where you get the classic photo of the sail-shaped tower from the sand. The coach drives the trunk of Palm Jumeirah so you understand how the island was built, then heads along Sheikh Zayed Road past the towers and the Dubai Frame. We stop briefly for photos, but we do not take you into shops that pay commission, which is where many cheaper tours lose an hour.
The second half is old Dubai. We walk the wind-tower lanes of the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, cross the Creek by abra, the wooden water taxi that still carries workers for one dirham, and then explore the spice souk and the gold souk on foot with free time to browse. Bargaining is normal in the souks, and your guide will tell you what a fair price looks like. There is a lot of walking in the second half, roughly two kilometres on flat ground, and summer afternoons are hot, so the 09:00 departure is the better choice from May to September. We drop you back at your hotel, or anywhere central such as The Dubai Mall if you want to stay on.
How the time is spent
- 08:30Pickup from your hotel
The coach collects you about 30 minutes before the tour starts. For the 14:30 departure, pickup is at about 14:00 and the order of stops stays the same.
- 09:00Jumeirah Mosque photo stop
Your guide introduces Dubai's story outside one of the city's best-known mosques, with time for photos of its stone facade and minarets.
- 09:30Burj Al Arab from the beach
A walk onto the public beach beside Burj Al Arab for the classic photo of the sail-shaped tower, with the sea in front and plenty of space.
- 10:15Palm Jumeirah and Sheikh Zayed Road
We drive along the trunk of the Palm, then past the towers of Sheikh Zayed Road to a photo stop with a view of the Dubai Frame.
- 11:15Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
A shaded walk through the wind-tower houses and narrow lanes of old Bur Dubai, with stories of pearl diving and trade on the Creek.
- 12:00Abra ride across Dubai Creek
We cross the Creek on a traditional wooden abra, the way locals have travelled between Bur Dubai and Deira for generations.
- 12:15Spice and gold souks
Your guide shows you round the spice souk and the gold souk, then gives you free time to browse and bargain before we meet back at the coach.
- 14:00Drop-off at your hotel
The coach heads back across the city. You can also be dropped at The Dubai Mall or another central point if you would rather stay out.
Times shown for the first start time; later runs follow the same plan.
Included
- Pickup and drop-off from Dubai hotels
- Air-conditioned coach
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- Photo stops at Jumeirah Mosque, Burj Al Arab and the Dubai Frame
- Drive along the trunk of Palm Jumeirah
- Guided walk through Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
- Abra ride across Dubai Creek
- Walk through the spice and gold souks
- Bottled water on the coach
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes; the old Dubai half includes about two kilometres of walking on flat ground.
- Shoulders and knees should be covered for the mosque photo stop and the souks; bring a light scarf.
- Bring cash in dirhams for the souks; many small shops do not take cards.
- Child seats are not available on the coach; families with toddlers may prefer the private version in a car.
- On Fridays the morning tour finishes before midday prayers, and some souk shops open later.
- In summer the 09:00 departure is strongly recommended because the afternoon walk is very hot.
Questions about this experience
Can I cancel or move my city tour?
Does the tour run in hot weather or rain?
Is this tour suitable for children?
Is lunch included?
Where are the best photo spots?
Guests on this experience
Kevin gave the best history of Dubai I have heard: Al Fahidi, the abra across the creek, spice and gold souks, then Jumeirah Mosque and a beach photo stop facing the sail-shaped hotel. Every stop had a story.
Parents from Kerala visiting. Saeed was patient with my parents, slowed down at every stop and found shade for them. Dubai Frame and Al Shindagha were their favourite parts.
Informative tour with a knowledgeable guide. The stop at a carpet and souvenir shop was longer than I wanted. Otherwise good, and the Dubai Frame was a nice surprise at the end.
More Dubai experiences
A full day in the capital with a licensed guide: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Qasr Al Watan, the Corniche and a Louvre Abu Dhabi stop, with pickup from Dubai.
Timed entry to the observation decks on levels 124 and 125 of the world's tallest building, with our host at The Dubai Mall entrance. Sunset slots sell out first.
Three hours on foot with a heritage guide through Al Fahidi, across the Creek by abra and into the spice and gold souks, ending at Al Seef as the lights come on.