The Old Dubai walk costs $35 per person with Arabic coffee or tea, dates and water, or $55 with Emirati street-food tastings: luqaimat, regag, karak tea with samosa, shawarma and falafel, lemon-mint juice and camel-milk ice cream. The line-up can change with the season. Both are the same 3-4 hours on foot, from the heritage lanes of Al Fahidi across Dubai Creek by abra to the Spice and Gold Souks. Here is what each tasting is, who should pay for which option and when to start. You book it as the Old Dubai walking tour.
By SB Excursions · Published 23 October 2026 · Updated 23 October 2026
Tour on this route: Old Dubai Walking Tour — From $35 per person, 3-4 hours.
How much is an Old Dubai food tour?
The Old Dubai walking tour is $35 per person for the walk with Arabic coffee or tea, dates and bottled water, or $55 per person with Emirati street-food tastings added. Both last 3-4 hours on foot, include a local guide and the abra across Dubai Creek, and end at the Gold Souk. Children aged 3-5 join free with a paying adult.
This guide also answers:
- Is the $35 walk worth it without the food?
- When does the Old Dubai food tour start, and how long is it?
- Can children join the Old Dubai food tour?
What you taste, and when to go
#1
Dates and Arabic coffee or tea
The guide meets you in a heritage house in Al Fahidi near Sharaf DG metro, over Arabic coffee or tea and dates. Arabic coffee is a light, aromatic brew served in small cups, and dates are the traditional welcome that goes with it. The house also holds old photos and artefacts, so the welcome comes with a story as well as a snack.
#2
Luqaimat and regag
Luqaimat are small fried dough dumplings, crisp outside and soft inside, usually finished with date syrup. Regag is a very thin Emirati flatbread cooked on a hot griddle. One is a sweet and the other a bread, and both are classic Emirati snacks.
#3
Karak tea with samosa
Karak is strong black tea simmered with milk, sugar and spices such as cardamom, a staple of everyday life in the Gulf. It comes with a samosa, a crisp triangular pastry with a spiced filling. Karak is made with milk, so mention dairy when you book if it matters to you.
#4
Shawarma, falafel and something cold
Shawarma is spiced meat shaved from a spit and rolled in flatbread; falafel are crisp fried balls of ground chickpeas, and the vegetarian one of the pair. Both are seasoned with spices, and the walk passes through the Spice Souk, where spices are sold from open sacks like the ones in the photo. To cool down there is lemon-mint juice, a blend of lemon and fresh mint, and camel-milk ice cream, made with camel's milk.
#5
Morning or afternoon start
Both starts run daily, and we confirm the exact time on WhatsApp. From May to September most of the route is very hot and humid, so take the morning; from October to April the afternoon is pleasant in the lanes and runs towards sunset. Both walks are 3-4 hours on foot.
Old Dubai food tour: the short answer
$35 for the walk, $55 for the walk with the food. The Old Dubai walking tour is a shared group walk of 3-4 hours with a local English-speaking guide. At $35 you get the route, the abra across Dubai Creek, Arabic coffee or tea, dates and bottled water. At $55 the same walk adds Emirati street-food tastings: luqaimat, regag, karak tea with samosa, shawarma and falafel, lemon-mint juice and camel-milk ice cream. The line-up can change with the season.
The walk starts in Al Fahidi over Arabic coffee or tea and dates in a heritage house, crosses Dubai Creek by wooden abra to Deira and ends at the Gold Souk after the Spice Souk; the stops are listed below. Our advice is short: come hungry and book the $55 option, because it turns the same route into a tasting of Emirati street food.
If you would rather walk the same ground alone, without the guide or the food, the Old Dubai guide has the stations and a half-day plan, and Deira vs Bur Dubai helps you pick a side of the Creek to sleep on. The rest of this page covers the food, the start times and the practical details.
$35 or $55: what the extra buys
Both prices cover the same walk, so the only difference is the food. Everything in the table comes from the booking page.
| $35 walk | $55 walk | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $35 per person | $55 per person |
| Time on foot | 3-4 hours | 3-4 hours |
| Guide | Local English-speaking guide | Local English-speaking guide |
| Route | Al Fahidi, Al Seef, abra, Spice and Gold Souks | The same route |
| Heritage house | Entry included | Entry included |
| Abra across the Creek | Included | Included |
| Arabic coffee or tea, dates, bottled water | Included | Included |
| Street-food tastings | Not included | Luqaimat, regag, karak tea with samosa, shawarma and falafel, lemon-mint juice, camel-milk ice cream |
| Children aged 3-5 | Free with a paying adult | Free with a paying adult |
The tasting line-up can change with the season. The tastings contain gluten and dairy and may contain sesame and nuts. Ask us what a free child's place includes on the $55 walk.
Pick the $55 walk if the food is part of why you are going: it is our top pick, and it is what makes this a food tour rather than a history walk with coffee. Pick the $35 walk if you are not hungry, if the tastings do not suit your diet, or if you would rather eat at your own pace in the souks afterwards. The route, the guide and the abra are the same either way.
The route, stop by stop
The walk crosses the Creek in six stages, 3-4 hours in all, from Al Fahidi to the Gold Souk. The tastings are part of the $55 walk and the line-up can change with the season, so read the food list as a menu rather than a stop-by-stop timetable.
- Al Fahidi, the start. You meet the guide for Arabic coffee or tea and dates in a heritage house near Sharaf DG metro. The exact pin is sent after payment.
- Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. Narrow lanes of restored wind-tower houses and photo stops in the oldest quarter of Bur Dubai.
- Al Seef and the Creek. The heritage waterfront on the Bur Dubai bank, and the story of the Creek, where Dubai began as a trading port.
- The Bur Dubai souk and the abra. Through the old souk to the abra station, then a few minutes across the Creek to Deira on a traditional wooden boat.
- The Spice Souk. Spices, dried limes and frankincense sold from open sacks, with time to look and shop.
- The Gold Souk, the end. The covered gold arcade of Deira, with time to shop if you want to.
The walk ends at the Gold Souk, so nothing forces you to leave, and Al Ras metro station is a short walk away when you are ready.
Morning or afternoon start
Walks start daily at about 8:30-9:00 am and at about 2:30-3:00 pm, and we confirm the exact time on WhatsApp. With 3-4 hours on foot, a morning walk ends between about 11:30 am and 1:00 pm, and an afternoon walk between about 5:30 and 7:00 pm.
May to September: take the morning. Most of the route is outdoors, and from May to September Dubai is very hot and humid. Start early, carry water and wear a hat; the summer guide has ideas for the rest of the day.
October to April: either works. This is the walking season, with warm days and pleasant late afternoons in the lanes. The morning leaves you the afternoon free for something else. The afternoon suits you if you do not do mornings, and it runs towards sunset, which falls at about 5:40-6:05 PM in October and about 5:30-5:40 PM in November and December (it shifts a few minutes through the month).
Allergies, diets and swaps
Tell us about allergies when you book. The tastings contain gluten and dairy and may contain sesame and nuts, so check with us first if anyone in your group reacts to any of them.
- Vegetarian: falafel is vegetarian, while shawarma is a meat dish by nature. Ask us on WhatsApp whether the other tastings can be swapped.
- Dairy: karak tea is made with milk and camel-milk ice cream is a dairy dessert, so say so if dairy is a problem.
- Gluten, sesame and nuts: present or possible in the tastings, as above. Tell us when you book, not on the day.
- Not hungry, or not eating everything: the $35 walk has coffee or tea, dates and water but no tastings, and you can eat at your own pace in the souks afterwards.
- Ramadan: opening hours change and the city asks for discretion about eating in public in daylight, so ask us on WhatsApp how the walk and the tastings work on your date, and read Ramadan in Dubai for tourists.
Children, mobility and what to bring
Children who can walk for 3-4 hours are welcome. Ages 3-5 join free with a paying adult, and from 6 the adult price applies, $35 or $55. Two adults with a 4-year-old pay for two adults: $70 on the $35 walk or $110 on the $55 walk. The walk is not suitable for children under 2, and pushchairs, luggage and large bags are not allowed.
It is also not for wheelchair users or anyone with limited mobility: the route is on foot through lanes and souks, with an abra to board.
Wear comfortable shoes and light clothes, and bring sunglasses, a sun hat and sunscreen, plus cash or a card if you plan to shop in the souks. The coffee or tea, dates and water are included.
Getting there and back
There is no hotel pickup: this is a walking tour with a meeting point in Old Dubai, and the Green Line of the Dubai Metro is the easiest way to reach it. Ride to Sharaf DG station, a short walk from the start (the station used to be called Al Fahidi). The exact pin is sent after payment.
The walk ends at the Gold Souk, and Al Ras station on the Green Line is a short walk from there, so you can return by metro too. The metro guide for tourists covers the lines and the changes onto the Green Line.
Not included, and how to book
Not included: entry to Al Fahidi Fort, the former Dubai Museum, which is a few minutes from the meeting point. If it is open on your date, you can visit it on your own. Tips for the guide are optional, and anything you buy in the souks is your own purchase.
To book, message us on WhatsApp from the Old Dubai walking tour page with your date, group size and any allergies. Full prepayment confirms your place in the group, and we send the meeting pin after payment. You can cancel or change the date for free up to 24 hours before the start, with a full refund.
The walk takes half a day, so the rest of the day is yours. After a morning walk, Burj Khalifa At the Top tickets start from $55 for Levels 124 and 125, with a slot every half hour, and Level 124 vs 148 helps you choose the level. The full-day Abu Dhabi City Tour is the trip to the capital by car, best kept for another day.
FAQ
How much is an Old Dubai food tour?
The Old Dubai walking tour is $35 per person for the walk with Arabic coffee or tea, dates and bottled water, or $55 per person with Emirati street-food tastings added. Both last 3-4 hours on foot, include a local guide and the abra across Dubai Creek, and end at the Gold Souk. Children aged 3-5 join free with a paying adult.
What food do you taste on the $55 Old Dubai walk?
Luqaimat, regag, karak tea with samosa, shawarma and falafel, lemon-mint juice and camel-milk ice cream; the line-up can change with the season. Falafel is vegetarian, and the tastings contain gluten and dairy and may contain sesame and nuts. Ask us on WhatsApp whether the other tastings can be swapped.
Is the $35 walk worth it without the food?
It is the same route, guide and abra, with Arabic coffee or tea, dates and bottled water, so it suits you if you are not hungry, have dietary needs the tastings cannot meet or would rather eat on your own afterwards. For food lovers we recommend the $55 walk, which adds the street-food tastings.
When does the Old Dubai food tour start, and how long is it?
Walks start daily at about 8:30-9:00 am and about 2:30-3:00 pm, and last 3-4 hours on foot, so a morning walk ends around 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. We confirm the exact time on WhatsApp. From May to September choose the morning: most of the route is outdoors and the afternoons are very hot.
Can children join the Old Dubai food tour?
Yes, children who can walk for 3-4 hours. Ages 3-5 are free with a paying adult and from 6 the adult price applies. The walk is not for children under 2, and pushchairs, luggage and large bags are not allowed. Ask us what a free child's place includes on the $55 walk.
Which metro station do I use for the Old Dubai walk?
The Green Line. The start is a short walk from Sharaf DG station in Al Fahidi, and the walk ends at the Gold Souk, a short walk from Al Ras station. There is no hotel pickup, and we send the exact meeting pin after payment.
What is not included in the Old Dubai food tour?
Entry to Al Fahidi Fort, the former Dubai Museum, is not part of the walk; it is a few minutes from the meeting point and you can visit on your own if it is open. Tips for the guide are optional, hotel transfers are not offered and souk purchases are your own.
How do I book, and can I cancel?
Message us on WhatsApp with your date and group size. Full prepayment confirms your place in the group, and the meeting pin follows after payment. You can cancel or change the date for free up to 24 hours before the start, with a full refund.
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