Add dates

Al Fahidi Fort, Dubai Culture & history

Our most recommended Al Fahidi Fort, Dubai Culture & history

Dubai: Old Town, Walking Tour, Souks, Museum & Street Food

1. Dubai: Old Town, Walking Tour, Souks, Museum & Street Food

Explore Dubai with a guide and learn more about the history and the impressive architecture of the old city. Visit Dubai Museum, pass the Coffee Museum, see the oldest mosque in Dubai, and try street food as you stroll through the typical souks. Start in the bustling area of Al Seef and make your way to the Al Fahidi District to admire the oldest houses in Dubai. Learn more about the local currency with free access to the Coins Museum. Soak up knowledge about the Emirati lifestyle with a visit to Dubai Museum. Pass by the Coffee Museum before going through the Arabian Tea House, a famous restaurant that provides local food. Admire Dubai's oldest mosque as your guide shares religious facts with you. Spend free time at the Grand Souk to taste the street food, tea, and camel milk chocolate. Cross to another side of Dubai by traditional Abra to the Spice and the Gold Souk which is one of the largest markets in the world, where the tour will finish.

Dubai: Guided Walking Tour with Creek, Souks, & Street Food

2. Dubai: Guided Walking Tour with Creek, Souks, & Street Food

Step back in time as explore the Al Fahidi district and learn about the history of the UAE on this guided walking tour. Savor some local street food and sip on Arabic coffee. Cross Dubai creek on a traditional Abra and barter for deals at local souks.  Be greeted by your guide and begin your Al Fahidi walking tour at the Al Khayma Heritage House to explore the historical and traditional side of Dubai. Start your experience with welcome Arabic coffee and dates. Stroll around Al Fahidi Historical District, strolling through its narrow alleyway and witness the architectural splendor of the old buildings.  Lend your ears to the the tour guide as they tell you about the beautiful gallery of photos placed in the Emirati House. Hear the story of the UAE and its incredible journey going from a desert tent to exploring Mars. At the coffee museum, accompanied by your tour guide, have the chance to learn more about how coffee has played a role in shaping UAE history and culture. Later, hop on a traditional Abra water taxi and take a ride around Dubai creek.  Soak in the panoramic views of huge trading ships and astonishing buildings as you sail. Once at the spice souk, learn about the various spices, and try bargaining for deals at the local shops. Finally, visit the gold souk, which sells fine jewelry as well as silver and precious stones.

Dubai: Walking Tour, Creek, Abra Taxi, Souks & Emirati Food

3. Dubai: Walking Tour, Creek, Abra Taxi, Souks & Emirati Food

Enjoy a guided tour of Dubai’s famous sights, including the Al Fahidi Historical District, Al Seef street, and the Gold Souk. Take the chance to try some traditional tea and coffee at Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant and ride the Abra water taxi down Dubai Creek.  Be welcomed with Arabic tea at Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant, where later you will also try luqaimat (Arabic sweet dumplings), Ragag (traditional Emirati homemade bread), and camel milk ice cream. Later, explore this Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded restaurant further and learn more about the Arabian culture and lifestyle. Admire traditional interiors and architecture. Listen to your expert guide as they tell stories on how UAE has developed from a desert with tents to reaching Mars. Explore the Emirati bedroom with its antiques, admiring the architectural development from the tent replica at the restaurant to traditional Arish buildings made from the leaves of date palms to the megastructure. Try your hand at henna painting while indulging in a traditional Arabic makeover. Then, head towards the Al Fahidi Historical District. Wander alongside the water on Al Seef street and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere with local stores. Stop at the Coffee Museum, and celebrating an important part of Arabic culture. See a nearby mosque and admire the architectural style. Take a trip on the Abra water taxi along Dubai Creek. Watch the ships and buildings of Dubai’s skyline pass you by. Leave the water taxi and enter into the Gold Souk, exploring the collections of gold jewellery.

Dubai: Half-Day Bus Tour and Burj Khalifa Entry Ticket

4. Dubai: Half-Day Bus Tour and Burj Khalifa Entry Ticket

See the sights of Dubai on a half-day sightseeing tour by comfortable bus and marvel at all that the metropolis has to offer. Learn how a small fishing village at Dubai Creek was transformed into a futuristic city of amazing architecture and rich cultural attractions. See the man-made developments of Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab hotel with its iconic design of billowing sails. Admire the awe-inspiring exterior of Jumeirah Mosque, built in the traditional style of the Fatimid Caliphate. Continue to the historical district of Al Bastakiya. Witness the Dubai Museum, located in the 18th-century Al Fahidi Fort.  Be escorted to the elevators at the monumental Burj Khalifa and ride to the observation deck on the 124th floor for stunning views of the city and its surroundings. Discover the many attractions of Dubai Mall at your own pace at the end of the tour services.

Dubai: Full-Day Sightseeing Tour From Abu Dhabi

5. Dubai: Full-Day Sightseeing Tour From Abu Dhabi

Start your full-day Dubai adventure by meeting your guide in your hotel in Abu Dhabi. After a short meet and greet you will set off to discover one of the world's most fascinating, modern cities - Dubai.  Begin your tour with a drive to Dubai from Abu Dhabi - along the way, whilst heading through the outskirts of Dubai along the main highway you will witness one of the largest concentrations of skyscrapers in this region, and the third-largest concentration in the world. This tour will showcase the difference between Old Dubai and New Dubai, giving you some insight into this multi-faceted city. Visit popular tourist locations in Old Dubai such as the Spice Market, Gold Souk, and the Abra Ride water taxi. Follow this with a trip to New Dubai where you will pause for photo stops at landmarks such as the Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeriah, Dubai Mall, and Burj Khalifa. End your journey through Dubai with a convenient and relaxing car ride back to your hotel in Abu Dhabi. 

Dubai City Half-Day Tour

6. Dubai City Half-Day Tour

Take this 4-hour sightseeing tour and get a great orientation of Dubai, the 2nd-largest emirate of the United Arab Emirates. Traveling in comfortable air-conditioned vehicles, you will begin the tour with a photo stop at Dubai Creek, the lifeblood of Dubai. See the colorful dhows and the busy water taxis, as well as elegant yachts and speedboats on the azure horizon. Drive through the Bastakiya, Al Fahidi Fort, Ruler's Court, the Old Mosque, Textile Street, the Central Bank, and Ministry of Finance. Soak up the scents and sounds of the desert at the spice and gold souks. Dubai’s skyline is ever changing, but you will get a sense of the past at the Dubai Museum. Proceed towards Jumeirah Road, passing by the Dry Docks Dubai and the historical Union House, with photo stops at the beautiful Jumeirah Mosque. Continue on for a look at the arresting Burj Al Arab, the first 7-star hotel, designed to resemble a gigantic sail. Gaze up at the heavens as you pass the tallest building in the world, the monumental Burj Khalifa.

Dubai 4-Hour Traditional City Tour

7. Dubai 4-Hour Traditional City Tour

On this 4-hour tour you’ll experience Dubai from its beginnings as a small fishing village at the Dubai Creek to the spectacular metropolis it has become. Start out in the historic and engaging Bastakiya district, where you’ll visit the Dubai Museum, located in the ancient Al Fahidi Fort. Afterwards you’ll take a water taxi, or abra, across the Dubai Creek and enjoy spectacular views of the city as you head to the Deira district. Once you arrive you’ll marvel at the amazing variety of exotic spices in the Spice Souk. You might like to shop for a special souvenir when you visit the Gold Souk. You’ll have a photo stop at the awe-inspiring Grand Mosque of Jumeirah, built in the medieval Fatimid tradition, and another photo stop at the Burj Al Arab Hotel.

Dubai: Guided City Walking Tour to Spice and Gold Souk

8. Dubai: Guided City Walking Tour to Spice and Gold Souk

Dive into Dubai's past with a visit to the heritage district located on the banks of the Dubai Creek. You can still have a glimpse of traditional dhows being used for business purposes. Your tour starts at the Arabian Tea House & Restaurant in Al Fahidi, Bastakiya opposite Musalla Post Office. Bastakiya is the Historic District of Dubai and its construction dates back to 1890's. You have first stop at the famous Coffee Museum Old City Wall, where the traditional coffee will be served in a traditional way to you. After that moving through the Dubai Museum (currently closed for renovation) you will have your next stop at the textile souk. There are products from several civilizations for you to witness. Its time for a traditional ride now. You will cross the creek by the famous Abra ride to get onto other side into the historic Dubai Spice Souk. You will be welcomed by the the fragrances of spices for around the globe. At last you have a chance to visit the largest Gold Souk right next to the the spice souk. Constantly being checked by Dubai Government Authorities this souk has the purest gold. You can get to see various designs of this precious metal. This tour ends at the Dubai gold souk.

Dubai: 4-Hour Tour with Burj Khalifa Tickets

9. Dubai: 4-Hour Tour with Burj Khalifa Tickets

Discover Dubai – a city of contrasts! Explore the historical center of the city as well as the modern, futuristic Dubai on this 4-hour tour. During the drive to Burj Khalifa, you can admire the unique architecture and the skyline of Dubai. Visit the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building at 828 meters high and ride the fastest elevator in the world to the 124th floor in under a minute. Once you reach the top you can enjoy the breathtaking panoramic view over the whole of Dubai. Afterwards you will visit Souk Madinat, a shopping mall in Arabic style with many shops and restaurants. This location offers an interesting mix of traditional and modernity, and will get you in the mood for the majestic sight of the luxury Atlantis hotel on Palm Island. Immerse yourself in the history and culture of Dubai in the Dubai Museum before taking a traditional water taxi across Dubai Creek to a traditional Arabic spice and gold market. Here you can take in the aromas and the glint of gold.

Dubai: Private 4-Hour Cultural Walking Tour with Lunch

10. Dubai: Private 4-Hour Cultural Walking Tour with Lunch

Your 4-hour cultural tour of Dubai begins with a transfer by private luxury car to the historic Al Fahidi district, characterized by its narrow streets, where your tour begins at the house of H.H. Sheik Said. As you’ll see on your walking tour, the district is now home to art galleries and restaurants, but you’ll still get a sense of Dubai as it was at the turn of the 20th century. Its also a place where you will get the chance to visit to the Camel Museum, and then the Horse Museum, Heritage Village, and the Diving Village. Continue to Al Fahidi Fort, which was converted to a museum in 1971 to preserve the culture and the heritage of the city. Experience the traditional style of local life, and see how the wind towers were used to cool most Bedouin summer houses. Your walking tour will take you along the narrow streets, where you’ll see Indian temples and the old market, or Mina Bazar. Enjoy crossing the glittering Dubai Creek by traditional abras (water taxi boats). Your luxury private car will be waiting after your visit to the spice and gold market to transfer you back to your hotel or one of your desired locations.

12 activities found
Sort by:

Other Sightseeing Options in Al Fahidi Fort, Dubai

Want to discover all there is to do in Al Fahidi Fort, Dubai? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Al Fahidi Fort, Dubai

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 72 reviews

Tour was great and the guide was very friendly and helpful. We got Tawseef as our guide and he was very informative and tipped us with shopping advices and how to bargain. Overall my friend and I had a really good time exploring the area and learning about Dubai's heritage.

Hamza was a brilliant tour guide. He was very thorough with explaining the history about old Dubai. He answered any questions we had. Plenty of time to see and learn. We would highly recommend doing this tour, it was the best..

It was a nice and wonderful experience . Mr. FRANCIS was the tour guide. He was very polite and explained everything you need to know during the tour. Highly recommend the tour and FRANCIS to have unforgettable experience.

Wonderful experience to get to know the old part of Dubai. Guide was great and the people I have shared the tour with were also very nice. My first morning in Dubai well spent.

the guide was excellent and we got fed which we weren't expecting! very good all round