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Old Dubai Tour: Souks, Spices, and Authentic Emirati Feast
5.0
121 Ratings
Dubai
Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Old Dubai on this half-day walking tour. Explore the souks, savor local food, and discover the hidden gems of the city. Join us for a unique and authentic experience!
Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Old Dubai on this half-day walking tour. Explore the souks, savor local food, and discover the hidden gems of the city. Join us for a unique and authentic experience!
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Dubai Spice Souk - Fuel up with an Old Dubai nostalgic treat washed down with sweet milky tea in the back alleys of the souk.
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Dubai Spice Souk - Play our proprietary spice game, “SPINGO” in the souk! Cool down after with an icy Iranian treat doused with rosewater, fruit cordial and lemon juice.
(SPINGO is replaced with another activity during…
- Dubai Spice Souk - Fuel up with an Old Dubai nostalgic treat washed down with sweet milky tea in the back alleys of the souk.
- Dubai Spice Souk - Play our proprietary spice game, “SPINGO” in the souk! Cool down after with an icy Iranian treat doused with rosewater, fruit cordial and lemon juice.
(SPINGO is replaced with another activity during Ramadan)
- Deira Old Souk Abra Station - Cross the creek from Deira to Bur Dubai in a traditional wooden boat.
- Textile Souk - Take a quick walk through the vibrant textile souk and enjoy freshly fried Indian snacks.
- Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood - Enjoy a sit-down traditional Emirati meal featuring a meat and rice pilaf, a rich vegetarian stew and our favourite sweet dumplings.
What's Included
- Use of audio receiver and free earphones to hear the tour guide clearly
- Professional guide
- Bottled water
- Abra ride across the creek
- 4 snack stops and 1 sit-down meal
- Use of audio receiver and free earphones to hear the tour guide clearly
- Professional guide
- Bottled water
- Abra ride across the creek
- 4 snack stops and 1 sit-down meal
What's Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Substitutions in case of allergies/restrictions
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Substitutions in case of allergies/restrictions
Additional Information
Dive into the heart of Old Dubai on a captivating 4-hour journey that showcases the city’s soul beyond the usual tourist paths.
Begin with a nostalgic treat hidden in the souk’s alleys, igniting your adventure. Engage in our own exhilarating spice game, SPINGO, where you’ll explore and learn, crowned by an icy delight to refresh your senses….
Dive into the heart of Old Dubai on a captivating 4-hour journey that showcases the city’s soul beyond the usual tourist paths.
Begin with a nostalgic treat hidden in the souk’s alleys, igniting your adventure. Engage in our own exhilarating spice game, SPINGO, where you’ll explore and learn, crowned by an icy delight to refresh your senses.
Experience the charm of Dubai Creek on a traditional abra, leading you to the vibrant textile souk of Bur Dubai. Wind down the evening by savoring a beloved Indian street snack before indulging in an authentic Emirati feast in a historic home from the early 1900s. Our spread will feature a sumptuous rice and lamb pilaf, a hearty vegetable stew, and dumplings sweetened with decadent date molasses.
Join us to experience Old Dubai’s must-dos, from spice souks to dinner in Fahidi, in a way that feels like exploring with friends.
Note: One eating stop is skipped from May - September.
- Minimum age is 8 years
- Please advise us at least 48 hours in advance of the tour in case of serious food allergies, including gluten, nuts and dairy
- A moderate amount of walking is involved, approximately 3.4km
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- Tour may be cancelled if there are less than 3 participants and rescheduling options or full refund provided.
- All food is ordered in advance and we may be unable to provide substitutions in case of allergies/restrictions.
- Please do message us after booking if you have any dietary restrictions/allergies.
Location
Jafer Biman Ali Cafeteria.
Old Baladiya Street
Kindly meet us by Jafer Biman Ali Cafeteria in the Spice Souk. Guide in "Keep Calm - I'm Your Food Tour Guide" t-shirt. Starts promptly on time! If late, WhatsApp number provided for location. Guide may not answer calls during tour. Latecomers take the responsibility to join group.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(121 Ratings)
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1 star
Laura
Oct 15, 2024
Delicious overview of the souks - Our guide, Ketki, was lively and knowledgeable. We made several short stops for street food. Normally I wouldn’t eat street food in a strange city, but it felt safe with a guide, and it was delicious. Ketki even explained about the culture surrounding the park benches and street food.
Pro tip: try everything! Don’t be shy.
We spent time at a fascinating spice souk. We got to smell all the spices with absolutely no pressure to buy! Ketki made a fun game out of learning the spice names. It was nice to play and chat with the others in our small group.
Ketki led us through all the souks for an orientation. We will return to the gold souk tomorrow!
We rode an abra across the creek. The sit down Emirati dinner was anticlimactic (and unnecessary) after all the snacks, but we all enjoyed it anyway!
Pro tip: good tour for an overview of the souks. Come with an appetite!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anncharlottk2017
Oct 8, 2024
Fantastic Food Tour! - What a fantastic evening!
The food tour with our guide Camila, together with Farida, was amazing!Not only did we get to taste a lot of different foods, but we also got an insight into the history of the food and the different cultures!
Camila and Farida were fantastic!Should I visit Dubai again I will definitely book anothertour with them!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
838ianjl
Oct 3, 2024
A wonderful cultural experience - We were a fairly large group of folks from a conference and the tour was unique, wonderful and showed a side of Dubai I am sure we would never had seen otherwise.
3 tour guides gave us local food we never would have found on our own,
Back history of how all the cultures work together harmoniously, and a wonderful tour of the souks.
Amazing. GO!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sjlang1
Sep 25, 2024
Experience the culture of Dubai - Absolutely fabulous tour covering the rich history culture and food of Dubai. The tour leader was friendly welcoming & informative. Loved it- thanks so much
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Danno1767
Aug 31, 2024
If you are looking for an authentic cultural experience, talk to Arva - We found Arva and Frying Pan Adventures online using YouTube. We have two teenage daughters and we really wanted to offer them an authentic experience on our first visit to Dubai. We were not familiar with the city and felt a guided, private tour could provide a broader experience for us. Arva grew up in the area and knew every alley, many of the vendors, but most importantly - knows the history. The walk is very well thought out - is held at dusk going into evening - and offered great local eats along the way. Arva - I am sure you are reading this at some point - we felt a strong connection with you. By the time we finished the tour with a fantastic dinner at a local restaurant across the river, we felt we made a friend in Dubai. And Katie was assisting her on this walk - and she is just as adept with her historical and culinary knowledge. If you are looking to really learn about what the Souks are, who are the people that run these businesses and why - in addition to eating some unique local foods, you should not go it alone (although you could - the people are amazing); I highly recommend Arva and we plan to reach out to her again when we visit Dubai next.
One final note. Stating the obvious - it is hot in Dubai. And on our walk it was a particularly humid day. For some, that could have derailed the whole excursion, especially with two teen-age girls. We walked for 3 hours and 20 minutes. Arva was very attentive on safety - ensuring we had "cool downs" where we could, ensuring there was access to cold water and ice throughout. We love Arva! And cannot wait to see you again Arva!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kinesin
Jul 21, 2024
Tour of plenty! - We did this tour in July and was able to endure the heat. Arva was a generous tour guide who made it lively interactive and full of food! You will not go hungry and will learn a lot about the history of Dubai as well. Highly recommend this!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G8845vhcamillef
Jun 11, 2024
Must Do if you are a foodie or want to learn about the secrets of Dubai - This is a MUST DO when you are in Dubai. Arva will take you on an adventure that will be unforgettable. Learn about the history of Dubai, discover the secret alley ways and learn about the culture and people of Dubai in this tour while enjoying delicious foods that you would not normally taste while visiting Dubai. Arva is a great hostess and so knowledgeable and super friendly. You will enjoy the boat ride and a great dinner at the end of the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alanly6293xd
Jun 8, 2024
Fantastic food tour! - Great tour. Explained history of Dubai and all the foods we sampled. Spent a lot of time at spice market explaining the spices. Tour ended with a good dinner. Highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J6425dhsuew
May 18, 2024
Discover the essence of Dubai - This tour really does deserve every highly rated review. By far the best thing I have done so far on my short visit to Dubai. Arva guided us through the old town and showed us a side of the city that can only be experienced with a local. Not just the wonderful food but also the history, culture and warm hospitality.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
355judithm
Apr 30, 2024
Brilliant Tour - This was recommended to us by friends who had been on it and I am so glad that we were able to fit this in! We were held up getting to the meeting place but we had detailed messages confirming the name and location of the first restaurant so were easily able to catch up. Farida, our guide, talked to us about the history of the food that we were eating as well as the history of Dubai. It was fascinating to see photos of it in 1955 when it was all desert and then through Farida's lifetime, from the 1980's to now. It was a really informative tour, with very good food and I would definitely recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
