• Private Tour
• Family Friendly
• Carbon Neutral

Welcome to Dubai! Want to know the best places to eat? Cool events in town? Which places to go to and which to avoid? Or simply get some help to navigate the city? Book this private tour with a local and get the perfect introduction to Dubai to start your city trip on the right foot.

Destination

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

1.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Deutsch, Hindi, Tamil

Included

• Private guide
• Boat ride
• Local Tips & Tricks
• City Orientation
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 11 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at entrance of the Arabian Courtyard hotel - Dubai to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. City Highlights

   See the Al Fahidi neighbourhood, Dubai Museum, and more landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots of the city so you can get the perfect introduction to what makes Dubai so special

4. Local Hot Spots

   Along the way, your host will point out hangout spots and hidden gems that only the locals know about and will help you get acquainted with the city in the most local way possible

5. Food Recommendations

   Receive tailored recommendations according to your taste and where to go and what to eat while visiting Dubai. Avoid tourist traps thanks to your local host!

6. City Orientation

   Learn how to navigate the city, and get the answers to your Dubai questions that will help you in the following days making your time in the city much easier

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Mike🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

(About local Ikram)

20 May 2025

We had a brilliant time on the Old Dubai tour with Ikram! The experience was incredibly enriching and enjoyable from start to finish. Ikram’s deep knowledge of both Old and New Dubai brought the entire journey to life. He provided fascinating insights into the city’s rich history, culture, and transformation over time. We loved exploring the vibrant local life, hidden gems, traditional markets, and historical landmarks. The balance between storytelling and sightseeing was perfect, and Ikram’s friendly nature made the whole tour feel personal and engaging. Every stop had something unique to offer, and we especially appreciated the recommendations on must-visit sites and local delicacies. It was an eye-opening experience that helped us understand the roots of Dubai while seeing how it evolved into the modern metropolis it is today. Highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting an authentic and memorable glimpse into the heart of the city.Great and Amazing tour with Ikram

Elizabeth🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Melwyn )

17 May 2025

From the moment we met Melwyn it was clear this was going to be a memorable experience. The tour took us through the historic Al Fahidi neighborhood, where we wandered through beautifully preserved wind towers, narrow lanes, and traditional courtyard houses. It felt like stepping back in time. The Melwyn shared fascinating stories about Dubai’s transformation from a quiet fishing village to the global metropolis it is today. A highlight was crossing the Dubai Creek on an abra (traditional boat) to explore the vibrant spice and gold souks. The scents, colors, and energy of the markets were incredible I’d highly recommend this walking tour to anyone visiting Dubai. It’s a perfect way to see the city’s soul beyond the skyscrapers. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water, and be ready to discover a side of Dubai you might otherwise miss.Fascinating tour of the old town

dana🇷🇴 Romania

(About local Orlina)

17 May 2025

Due to the fact that I made the reservation at the last minute, I took the tour with Michael and not with Orlina. Thank you Orlina to find Michael! Everything was perfect: the walking tour, the stories about Dubai, about history, about social life and old and new town. A very good guide with care about what we want to see and understand. We recommend him! Great tour! A perfect tour guide Michael!

Julia🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Ikram)

30 April 2025

Danke für die tolle Tour, Ikram! Er hat sich toll um uns gekümmert mit Wasser und Sonnenschirmen. Auch die Tour war sehr schön und informativ. Er spricht super deutsch und auch mit den Kindern war gut.Tolle Tour mit Ikram

Natascha🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Ali Abbas )

6 February 2025

Ali is a great guide. He came prepared and had a water bottle for each of us. He knows a lot about Dubais history and could answer all our questions. He also gave us food and sightseeing recs which was very appreciated. I would recommend him and even book him again. Ali is very knowledgeable

Andrea🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Melwyn )

13 January 2025

I am a solo traveller and I spent half a day with Melwyn walking through the traditional Highlights of the old city & my experience was fascinating and delightful. Melwyn is so profoundly knowledgeable about Dubai's city and UAE’s history, and he is passionate about sharing this information with great enthusiasm. He is by far the best guide I have ever experienced in my travels across the world. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or a first-time visitor, this tour is a must-do. Highly recommended for anyone looking to explore the vibrant beauty of Dubai with a fantastic guide Melwyn. Thank you very much Melwyn.Highly recommended Guide

Elma🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

27 December 2024

We had a wonderful tour with Sandy! He was very accommodating to our requests. We went to see the Mosque in Abu Dhabi and some sights in Dubai including the miracle garden. He was very knowledgeable and engaging, we really enjoyed our tour and would book again!Great tour of Abu Dhabi & Dubai

Wendy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

18 October 2024

I had a wonderful private tour with Sandy. He was very punctual and sent several messages on What’s App prior to our meeting at the airport. I was a solo traveler so the price was high, but totally worth every dollar. He gave a great tour of the top sights in Dubai. And due to this, I want to return to spend a lot more time there! Really glad that I discovered them via Trip Advisor reviews. Definitely recommend them for a layover tour of Dubai! Do the night tour! Well organized night tour of Dubai

Academia🇲🇽 Mexico

(About local Melwyn )

12 September 2024

Melwyn is amazing 🤩 such a nice-outgoing person so charismatic, positive personality, he is knowledgeable about everything! Whatever the question was he always had the answer!!! 100% recommendable !!! EXCELLENT SERVICE

Mirka🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

26 February 2023

Sandy is such a nice and friendly city guide! He is also very kind and was very very patient with us despite an delay of 40 minutes delay due to a terrible traffic. We were 3 of us, including our daughter of 10 and chose a City kikstart tour of 1,5hour. But we could easily do a longer tour with him, Sandy will tell you very interesting info about the culture and the city. Thank you so much Sandy, you were excellent!Highly recommend Sandy as your city quide

Jennifer 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Orlina)

19 October 2022

Thank you very much Orlina for the wonderful tour of old Dubai. It was my mums first time in Dubai and I wanted to make sure she saw the old and new parts of the city. We all really enjoyed it and Orlina provided lots of interesting facts and answered all of our questions. We even saw a Camel which my 8 year old daughter was delighted with. I would recommend this tour to everyone if you are visiting Dubai. Fantastic tour of old Dubai with Orlina

Jessica🇺🇸 United States

(About local Vibha)

6 October 2022

Vibha was an excellent tour guide! She made our experience through Old Dubai educational and so entertaining. We brought our 4 children (ages 6-12), and she was able to make it interesting for them, too - including a little quiz with small souvenirs as the prizes for correct answers. We learned about Dubai's history, old architectural tricks and traditions, and she helped us navigate the spice and gold souks. We would gladly go on another tour with Vibha and recommend her highly!Above and Beyond

Chamaiporn🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Orlina)

15 August 2022

Orlina is very knowledgable about Dubai. She took me to see many cool spots in the city and told me very interesting facts and history not only about Dubai but also about UAE. I highly recommend a tour with her. Great experience!

Emma🇫🇷 France

(About local Orlina)

19 May 2022

Orlina's tour was extremely pleasant and useful, with lots of interesting elements on old Dubai but also facts about living in the UAE today. She was eager to answer our questions and to focus on our interests. A very good way to see major elements of the city on a short trip. Highly recommended!Excellent tour

Bernd🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Orlina)

14 April 2022

We had a really great experience on our Kickstarter-Tour about history, culture and life in Dubai with Orlina. Thank you so much for your personable and an all around pleasant trip through the old part of this wonderful City.Perfect!

ronald🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Vibha)

17 March 2022

In 1,5 hours we saw a lot with personal explanation we recommend vibhaVery good and personal

Bri 🇺🇸 United States

(About local Orlina)

8 March 2022

I had a wonderful time with Orlina. She pointed out all the places to see and go along with historical information. I will be able to return to these areas and spend more time shopping and bring along my friends and family. I highly recommend her!Fabulous information!

Benjamin🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Vibha)

15 December 2021

Vibha gives any trip to Dubai and the UAE immediate good vibes. She is knowledgeable, approachable, funny and just a great person and tour guide to be around :) Do book a tour with her and feel free to ask all the questions you want - she'll have many good answers! Wonderful tour 🤗

Griet🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Orlina)

6 December 2021

We zijn zeer tevreden over de rondleiding die Orlina gaf. Ze had leuke weetjes te vertellen, was zeer vriendelijk en toegankelijk en je kon haar werkelijk alles vragen. Zeer tevreden en nogmaals een hartelijke dankjewel!Supertoffe ervaring.

Orit🇮🇱 Israel

(About local Orlina)

19 November 2021

we booked our first tour for the morning after our arrival. Orlina met us at the point discussed. She is very (very) nice. Articulate. speaks great English. explains to detail. walks around givving us time to look and absorbe the place. Gave us interesting information - both historical & cultural. and above all gave us service beyond expectation when needed. Book her as your guide. you will thank us later (we were 4 adults. first time in Dubai)First meeting of Dubai with Orlina

Beecki🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Vibha)

17 October 2021

Peter🇺🇸 United States

(About local Melwyn )

14 October 2021

Melwyn was charming, polite, informative and flexible. We could not have asked for a better guide.Outstanding

Claudia🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Ikram)

3 June 2025

Ikram kennt sich super aus und hat viele interessante Dinge über Dubai zu erzählen. Er kennt auf alle Fragen eine Antwort und macht die Tour zu einem wunderbaren Erlebnis! So erlebt man Dubai von einer ganz anderen Seite. Sein deutsch und Englisch sind fließend. Unbedingt zu empfehlen’Sehr interessante und individuelle Tour

Ann🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

2 June 2025

Sandy was an outstanding tour guide! He knew all the great places to go and was willing to tailor the tour to our interests. He knows the history of the area and a lot of interesting facts, which made it fun. He also took awesome pictures for us at each location. We stopped for lunch and included him in our feast at the fish market. Don’t hesitate to book with Sandy it was an AMAZING dayAMAZING!

vjbfsj65p7

(About local Ikram)

28 May 2025

Kompakte Tour um einen Überblick zu bekommen. Freundlicher Guide mit sehr gutem Deutsch!! Wir hatten Spaß!Schöner Rundflug durch Dubai

Vanessa

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

27 May 2025

Jose and Sandy created a wonderful experience for our group. They were attentive from the start, answering all questions and being very responsive which ensured our group we would be well taken care of. They did not disappoint! We highly recommend choosing Sandy and Jose for your tour in Dubai. Attentive and responsive!

Emily

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

14 May 2025

Quick response to our requests. The tour was custom made to our needs. Sandy was with us and is an exceptional guide. I must say that they went over and above and made sure we had an unforgettable experience. They are highly recommended! Thank you very much Jose and Sandy!Excellent!

Will🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

12 May 2025

We took a long time researching the different guide options and couldn’t be happier with our choice. Sandy had so much knowledge on Dubai having been born and grown up there. He had so many great stories from an economic, political but also entertainment point of view and had answers to all our questions. Very highly recommended.Great food, even better facts and stories

Kevin🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Ikram)

9 May 2025

Amazing Desert Safari in Dubai! The desert safari was an unforgettable experience! The dune bashing was thrilling, the sunset over the dunes was stunning, and the Bedouin-style camp was full of great activities like camel rides and sandboarding. The dinner buffet was delicious, and the live shows were a fantastic highlight. Everything was well-organized and exceeded my expectations — highly recommended!VIP Safari

Manuela und Frank🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

5 May 2025

Sandy catched us from our hotel and then we drove to Abu Dhabi. We made a lot of stopps. A greater stopp was at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. That was really very impressing. He explained us the facts and had all answers to our questions. After this we went to the former Kempinski Hotel, then we wanted to see some spots away from the grand tourism (meat and fish- market…) And he fullfilled our wish to have lunch in a typical Arabian Restaurant. It was an awsome experience and very delicious. And on our way back to Dubai we had a look at the racing place from Formula 1. We spent 8 hours with Sandy and we Are very thankful for this time. We can highly recommend him and this tour. And the driver was very kind, also. Thanks for all, Sandy.What a wonderful day!

Unknown

(About local Ikram)

5 May 2025

Die Stadttour durch Dubai war ein großartiges Erlebnis und bot einen tollen Überblick über die moderne und traditionelle Seite der Stadt. Wir besuchten bekannte Sehenswürdigkeiten wie den Burj Khalifa, die Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina und das historische Viertel Al Fahidi. Unser Guide, Ikram ul Haq Muhammad, war ausgezeichnet, sehr professionell, freundlich und mit umfassendem Wissen über die Stadt. Seine Erklärungen machten jede Station noch interessanter. Die Tour war gut organisiert, und das Fahrzeug war sauber und klimatisiert, was die Fahrt sehr angenehm machte. Es gab auch eine kleine lokale Kostprobe, die einen netten kulturellen Akzent setzte (was für unsere europäische Gaumen genau richtig scharf war). Insgesamt war es eine sehr gelungene Tour, die einen kompakten, aber umfassenden Einblick in Dubai bietet. Ich kann sie jedem empfehlen, der die Stadt entspannt und informativ entdecken möchte.Ein wundervoller Tag

Ellie

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

5 May 2025

Sandy is an absolutely amazing guide. He is kind, friendly and very knowledgable. The tour was a wonderful mix of Dubai history and tasting the most delicious foods. Sandy is very passionate about the food and the tours and you get to enjoy areas you wouldn't necessarily go to without having local knowledge. We eat a mainly vegetarian diet but sometimes have fish. Our diet was perfectly catered for! The grilled sea bass with Arabic spices was a particular highlight!! I can't recommend Sandy enough... a tour not to be missed!Highlight of our trip to Dubai

Manuela und Frank🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Ikram)

3 May 2025

Die Stadttour durch Dubai war ein großartiges Erlebnis und bot einen tollen Überblick über die moderne und traditionelle Seite der Stadt. Wir besuchten bekannte Sehenswürdigkeiten wie den Burj Khalifa, die Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina und das historische Viertel Al Fahidi. Unser Guide, Ikram ul Haq Muhammad, war ausgezeichnet, sehr professionell, freundlich und mit umfassendem Wissen über die Stadt. Seine Erklärungen machten jede Station noch interessanter. Die Tour war gut organisiert, und das Fahrzeug war sauber und klimatisiert, was die Fahrt sehr angenehm machte. Es gab auch eine kleine lokale Kostprobe, die einen netten kulturellen Akzent setzte (was für unsere europäische Gaumen genau richtig scharf war). Insgesamt war es eine sehr gelungene Tour, die einen kompakten, aber umfassenden Einblick in Dubai bietet. Ich kann sie jedem empfehlen, der die Stadt entspannt und informativ entdecken möchte.Eine toller und sehr schöner Tagesausflug

Christian

(About local Ikram)

28 April 2025

We saw a lot of old Dubai and the Creek. Food provided was local and good Gave us also god insight on Arabic family traditions The visit in the suck was interesting and he showed us nice places. His German was very good and we understood everything. Great guide - high knowledge l.

Unknown

(About local Ikram)

28 April 2025

Excellent tour with lots of local insights and possibilities to try local food and drinks Amazing tour through old Dubai

martina🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Ikram)

27 April 2025

Tolle Führung durch Old Dubai

beschwitz

(About local Ikram)

22 April 2025

Ikram ist ein toller Guide, um eine ersten Eindruck von der Stadt zu erhalten. Er ist sympathisch und erzählt viel über die Stadt - jung und alt. Schön fanden wir auch, dass er so viele unserer Fragen beantwortet hat. Alles was wir über Dubai und die Emiraten wissen wollten. Wer fernab der üblichen Touristen-Führungen etwas erleben möchte, sollte eine Buchung von „with locals“ in Erwägung ziehen. Außerdem spricht Ikram bestes Deutsch 🙂 Wir würden die Tour jederzeit wieder buchen!!!Hervorragendes Erlebnis

Heidi🇩🇰 Denmark

(About local Ikram)

22 April 2025

Ikram was the perfect guide and we would book Ikram again.Perfect tour

Sandra🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Ikram)

18 April 2025

Ikram ist ein sehr bemühter, zuvorkommender Reiseleiter - sprach sehr gut Deutsch und ging auf unsere Fragen perfekt ein. Als wir ihm sagten, dass wir die Dubai Mall schon kennen, plante er kurzerhand um und fuhr mit uns in die Dubai Marina. War ein sehr netter Abend, danke dafür! Nächtlicher Lichterglanz in Dubai

Derek

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

18 April 2025

3 hours well spent, as Sandy led us on a tour of old Dubai that encompassed delicious food, history and culture. Sandy’s passion for the history of the local culture was evident as he shared interesting facts and he was delighted to answer our questions. Would highly recommend!! 3 hours well spent !!

lyndiloola

(About local Mansoor Ali)

9 April 2025

Mansoor was a great guide. He was very informative, communicated well and gave good advice about where to buy things snd how much to pay. Make sure you are hungry before the tour, there's a lot of food! Great tour, would highly recommend.Great introduction to Dubai

Ciedic

(About local Tamour Ali)

9 April 2025

We wanted to do an evening tour starting at 5pm to avoid the worst of the heat. We couldn't find any group options allowing this so decided to go with a private guide and this was definitely a good choice. Tamour was very flexible on timing, communicative and responsive in advance of the tour, as well as being a very well-informed, interesting and polite guide. We very much enjoyed our tour with him and he made sure he put us in a taxi in good time for our dinner reservation downtown. Would not hesitate to recommend him to others. Great private tour

Christian 🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Ikram)

8 April 2025

Ikram war ein toller Tour Guide mit vielen Information zu Dubai und den Einwohnern. Dabei gab er auch persönliche Einblicke über das Leben im Emirat! Auch Insider Tipps über Schokolade und Gewürze waren dabei! Auf der Tour nahm sich Ikram auch Zeit und gab den Teilnehmern auch Zeit zu Shoppen und half bei „handeln“ mit den Verkäufern! Zwischendurch wurden wir mit einem leckeren einheimischen Snack verpflegt! Auch eine kurze Bootstour über den Dubai Creek war im Preis inbegriffen! Insgesamt sehr empfehlenswert ! DankeSehr tolle persönliche Tour 👌👍

M🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Ikram)

5 April 2025

The Dubai tour with Ikram was not your run of the mill tour. Even though we were exhausted coming off the flight, Ikram made the whole thing super entertaining, VERY informative and energising. We had our two teen girls with us and we did the half day tour in April. Now bear in mind that Ikram is NOT one of the guides that moved to Dubai and learnt just enough things to start tour guiding. He is a degree qualified born and bread local with perfect English who is truly passionate about what he does, the people he meets and the country he represents. He has his own company and cares about your experience. He met us at the airport, escorted us to the waiting Nissan Patrol. Discussed the draft itinerary with us to make sure he covered everything we wanted to see, then added more cultural sights and even a boat ride to the spice and gold market. This is the way to go rather than a pre configured trip where you go to places you may not be too excited about. Since he grew up in Dubai, he told us all the information that you wouldn’t even think about like how to spot a rental vs private sports car. The life and privileges of local Emiraties. The history of the royal family. We even spotted the crown prince’s car driving the opposite direction. The old and new Dubai, the architecture in both, where to haggle, the projects of the future. Everything was so coorindated between the guide and the driver that we wasted zero time on things like parking. We got dropped off in the perfect location for each attraction and got picked up the exact location and time we finished viewing, photographing and appreciating the attractions. We were all thoroughly impressed with the whole experience. We have travelled many countries and dozens of tours and this one was worth every cent and we would recommend Ikram to anyone that want to see and know more about Dubai. You will get so much more than the typical tours on offer. We will definitely be back in Dubai and will most definitely choose him again for visits. Oh yes and he also threw in somethings at the end that we really appreciated but I won’t spoil the surprise for you! Happy TouringNot your average guide!

Priti

(About local Mansoor Ali)

29 March 2025

1

Mansoor was fab, fun and knowledgable. He made my wheelchair bound mom comfortable enough to undertake the walking tour and helped us figure out routes based on her preference. Thank you!Fab evening with Mansoor

Rachel🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Ikram)

25 March 2025

Ikram was charming and very knowledgeable. We walked around areas of old Dubai we wouldn’t have discovered without Ikram’s guidance. The three hours went by very quickly. We started our tour at 9:30am which was ideal. Would highly recommend to anyone visiting Dubai.Great insight into old Dubai

Laura🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

20 March 2025

Our family of 4 (2 teens) asked for a super short tour of Dubai - we pushed Sandy to only do 3 hours as we were jet lagged. He gave us such a great look at the main areas, balancing car time with getting us out and walking around. During old Dubai tour, he got us into a very local eatery and we had the BEST swarma we have ever had! GREAT helpful tour guide!Highly recommend Sandy for Dubai tour!!

Jason🇺🇸 United States

(About local Suqlain A)

20 March 2025

My daughter and I spent a half day with Suqlain and it was perfection. He tailored the day to us and seamlessly intertwined Dubai’s rich history and its present day renaissance. A truly enjoyable day. A perfect introduction to Dubai

Ann🇺🇸 United States

(About local Sruthy)

19 March 2025

AJ was great and knowledgable. We had a difficult time with the meeting point, but once we met up, he tailored the tour to what we were interested in. It was great to learn the back story on Dubai. Highly recommend. Interesting hiatory of Dubai

Bonnie

(About local Melwyn )

18 March 2025

Melwyn was knowledgeable and used our flight layover time well- introducing us to both old and new Dubai. He found us local refreshments and helped us navigate the old city and souks . Then he gave us a “night tour” of the city and lights and palaces and “must see” spots before getting us back to our destination. Very grateful - he turned our time that would have been spent hanging around the airport into a wonderful cultural experience Dubai flight stopover