• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

The way to a city's heart it's through its food! And on this private food tour, you'll get to know Dubai through its cuisine and the tastings favorite of the locals. A local food expert is ready to give you a taste of the real Dubai satisfying your cravings for local food and city highlights.

Destination

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Category

Food Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Hindi, Tamil, Deutsch

Included

• Private Guide
• 10 Local Tastings
• Vegetarian Options Possible
• Boat crossing Dubai Creek(not private)
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to Attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 13 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 Outside Exit 2 - 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. Food Introduction

   This culinary kickstart tour is short and sweet! A perfect way to get acquainted with the local cuisine, its best tastings, and where to find them - all with the help of a local food expert

4. Locals’ Favorites

   Kickstart your time in Dubai by discovering the local cuisine. Try some of the ultimate locals’ favorite food treats like dates and samosa & pakora tasting picked by your local host and hear why the locals love them so much!

5. City Highlights

   This tour is more than just food; it’s a cultural experience! In between food stops, discover city highlights for a well-rounded experience that will satisfy your appetite for Dubai. Check out Dubai Creek abra station, Indian Temple Street and more city highlights along the way

6. Food Recommendations

   With this private food tour, you’ll be set to keep enjoying the most authentic food and drinks in Dubai. Your food expert host knows where to go and what to order and will give you recommendations based on your likings and dietary preferences

7. Special Diet or Allergies?

   If you follow a special diet or have an allergy to a specific food, let your host know! They’ll make sure to consider that so you can have an enjoyable and safe experience

8. 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

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

John🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Kasim)

9 April 2025

Many thanks to Melwyn for the very interesting and enjoyable walking & tasting tour of old Dubai. We greatly enjoyed the tour.Great walking & tasting tour of old Dubai

James and Jason

(About local Kasim)

6 April 2025

We highly recommend this Dubai Culinary Kick Start Tour. When visiting new countries we try to find food tours to give us an idea of the cuisine of the area. During this tour we tasted Dubai’s traditional hummus, baba ghanoush, and tabbouleh with the local bread. Our next stop we tried cheese and lamb dumplings as well as the charcoal chicken. Our last stop was the camel burger which was better than we expected. All of the food choices and amounts were great, even if we weren’t able to finish all of the dishes because of the quantity. Melwyn was an incredible guide. He was knowledgeable and easy to talk to during the tour. He was also helpful with directions and advice on our last day. Wonderful Food Tour Experience

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!

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!

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!

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

Lisa

(About local Kasim)

8 May 2025

I think this service is really hit or miss depending on if you get the guide you book. Unfortunately, Kasim wasn't able to provide the tour but appointed another guide to take us. This guide was just okay. He didn't seem to know a lot about the food and wasn't able to support requested dietary accommodations. This was the most expensive tour we booked while in Dubai and I don't know if it was worth the price. Hope you get your guide!

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

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

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

Kang Chi

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

14 March 2025

Jose and Sandy are very professional and friendly. They took us to so many places to visit in such a short time. It’s a great experience for us! Great experience

Shaun🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Melwyn )

9 March 2025

Melwyn was an awesome host. He is kind, flexible, knowledgeable and experienced. English is flawless and a long time resident of Dubai. Fantastic Day

Wenda🇱🇺 Luxembourg

(About local Kasim)

1 March 2025

Kasim was nice, patient and kind. We enjoyed the walked in the souks. The only reason why i didn't give it a 10 is because Kasim was quite late and the itinerary involves a bit much coffee drinking at the beginning and the kids got a bit impatient. Other than that, we enjoyed very much the afternoon out. Thank you very much! Very nice walk with a knowledgable guide

Yoon

(About local Mansoor Ali)

1 March 2025

We had a good tour with Mansoor Ali and he was great! He is knowledgeable and accommodating. Highly recommend getting him as a tour guide.Highly recommend

Marieclaude

(About local Mansoor Ali)

25 February 2025

This tour was a very convenient Visit for 3 adults with a baby Our guide mansoor was very kind and knowledgable. Very good Time.Sunday morning in old Dubai

Peter

(About local Ikram)

15 February 2025

Ikram met us on time and as planned, and took us on a fascinating tour as described. It was a great mixture of national and local history, and an introduction to his own life and the souks. Thank you for your time Ikram!Excellent

Janani

(About local Tamour Ali)

14 February 2025

Ina

(About local Fawad )

9 February 2025

We really enjoyed the tour! Fawad was a great tour guide - he told us interesting facts about the individual buildings during the trip. The visit to the mosque was very exciting and everything went smoothly! Highly recommended :)We really enjoyed the tour , fawad was great tour guide

Herman🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Suqlain A)

8 February 2025

Het was top!

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

Riley

(About local Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat)

4 February 2025

We had the best experience with Sandy and Jose!!!!!!! Sandy was so knowledgeable and made everything run so smoothly with our layover! They went above and beyond for us and were up for anything ! We wanted dinner last minute and to see a specific building last minute and adjusted the schedule easily ! Thanks for the best time !! We highly recommend this tour !!! Anazing experience !

Ansel

(About local Mansoor Ali)

2 February 2025

We had a great time in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with Mansoor explaining every detail to T. We believe we had great view and experience. ThanksAmazing time with our tour Guide Mansoor

Menachem🇮🇱 Israel

(About local Tamour Ali)

2 February 2025

Tamour giuded us on a 4 day trip to abu dabi and dubai. He worked hard to plan well ahead together with us. He purchased the tikets to all attractions without fail. During the trip he was personally nice and easy to get along with. He was punctual at all times Delivered on every promise while being very knowledgble. We feel he made our trip an excellent experience TKS TAMOUR Very good experince

Jenni

(About local Mansoor Ali)

1 February 2025

Mansoor was an excellent guide. We covered so much in the time and he was incredibly informative and great company. I highly recommend this tour.Fantastic Tour of Dubai

Oliver

(About local Fawad )

31 January 2025

Abu Dhabi top, guide Fawad was top... Very helpful and good photographer. It's worth 5 stars but I only put 4 because the stops at Ferrari world and the Louvre were really not useful Abudhbai top , guide fawad was top