Old Dubai walking tour: Al Fahidi, abra ride and the souks

Old Dubai is best on foot, and in a small group. We meet near the Al Fahidi metro station, a short walk from the Creek; the exact meeting point and a photo of your guide arrive in your confirmation. The group is never more than 14 people, so everyone can hear and ask questions. Saeed Al Mazrouei leads most afternoon walks, and he tells the story of the Creek through his grandfather, who traded between Dubai and the ports of India and Iran.

We begin in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, the coral-stone and gypsum houses with wind towers that cooled homes before electricity. The lanes are narrow and shaded, and your guide explains how a courtyard house worked, why the doors are carved and how families lived around the pearl season. We stop for Arabic coffee and dates, then walk to the Creek and cross on an abra, the open wooden boat that still runs all day for a dirham. On the Deira side we explore the spice souk, where traders will happily let you smell saffron, frankincense and dried limes, and then the gold souk, with its windows of bridal sets. Bargaining is expected in the spice souk; in the gold souk the price is set by weight and the daily gold rate, and only the making charge is negotiable. Your guide will tell you what is fair.

We cross back by abra to Al Seef, the restored waterfront, where the walk ends. It is about three kilometres, all flat, with steps onto the abras. Cheaper walks often hand you over to a shop owner who pays the guide; ours does not, and you are never taken into a shop you did not ask for. The evening walk ends as the lights come on along the water.