Half-Day Layover or Shore Excursion: Discover Dubai Like a Local
4 hours
Day Trips
Dubai
Choose one of 9 locals available
Experience hosted by Ali Abbas , Ali & other locals
Private Tour
Carbon Neutral
Discover your ideal Dubai tour with this personalized shore excursion! With pick-up directly from the cruise terminal or airport, you’ll have the flexibility to explore Dubai at your own pace. A local guide will take you around the city, letting you choose where to stop—whether it’s iconic landmarks or hidden gems. The day is yours to shape!
Destination
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Category
Day Trips
Duration
4 hours
Transport mode
Car
Available languages
English, Hindi, Deutsch
Included
Private Guide
Transport by Car
All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral
Excluded
Entrance to Attractions
Meals
6 reasons to book this tour
Your personal half day city tour in Dubai – by car!
Half-day shore excursion with pick-up from the cruise terminal or airport
The best of Dubai with the comfort of a private car
Enjoy Dubai your way with a local guide
Explore at your own pace and on your schedule
Insider tips & tricks for navigating the city
What you can expect
What’s on your must-see list in Dubai? From the famous Al Fahidi Neighbourhood to the charming streets around Indian Temple Street, you’re in control of where to go and what to explore. With Withlocals Your Way, you’ll get a private car and local guide for a day, giving you the ultimate freedom to experience the city exactly as you want.
No more rushing through public transport or sticking to a fixed schedule – this 100% personalized tour is all about you! Your local host will craft a custom itinerary based on your interests, from iconic landmarks to off-the-beaten-path gems. You can even reach those harder-to-access spots that are just beyond walking distance, making the most of your time in Dubai.
Each of the hosts on this tour has different ideas in mind. Check out their profiles and pick your favourite guide. The hosts always have a base plan in mind, and trust us; they know exactly what they are doing!
And if you’re craving even more adventure, your host can tailor the experience to fit your travel desires. Simply contact your favourite host and start your adventure.
Please note: The price shown is for a half-day city tour and may vary depending on your requests and the personalized offer your host creates. Entrance tickets are not included.
Choose your local
Get to know these 9 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.
Ali Abbas
The Culture Pathfinder
4.939 reviews
English・Hindi
Ali
Experience Curator
5.012 reviews
English・Hindi
Mansoor Ali
Master of Dubai’s Hidden Gems & Culinary Wonders
5.031 reviews
English・Hindi
Jose Gomez & Sandy Nat
Travel / food specialists
4.9646 reviews
English
Tamour Ali
The Travel Companion
5.022 reviews
English・Hindi
Ikram
Professional Dubai Tour Guide | Experience the City’s Past, Present & Future.
5.042 reviews
English・Deutsch
Fawad
Tour guide
5.010 reviews
English・Hindi
Gary Roope
Your Personal Concierge
5.0
English
Suqlain A
The Passionate Explorer
4.8175 reviews
English
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.
Meeting point
Meet at - Dubai to start your journey
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.
This Experience is YOURS!
Take control of your day and explore Dubai by car on a fully personalized tour. With your private guide and vehicle, you decide where to go and what to see. Just let your local host know your interests, and they’ll tailor an unforgettable journey for you.
See the Must-See Sights
What’s on your must-visit list? Cruise from one landmark to another, soaking in the sights from the comfort of your car. Your host will share insider tips and show you the best ways to experience Dubai's top attractions.
Discover Hidden Gems
Want to avoid the usual tourist spots? Your local guide will take you off the beaten path, uncovering lesser-known gems and unique views of Dubai’s famous landmarks, all while skipping the crowds.
Explore Neighborhoods Your Way
With a car at your disposal, you can easily dive into Dubai’s neighborhoods. From local hotspots to historic streets, there’s so much to explore beyond the main attractions. Where will your curiosity take you?
The Best of Dubai, All Day Long
Enjoy a full-day adventure with the flexibility to explore Dubai at your own pace. Choose the sights, decide the timing, and let your host craft the perfect itinerary, ensuring you tick off every must-see on your list.
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
vjbfsj65p7
(About local )
28 May 2025
Kompakte Tour um einen Überblick zu bekommen.
Freundlicher Guide mit sehr gutem Deutsch!!
Wir hatten Spaß!Schöner Rundflug durch Dubai
M🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
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!
Ann🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
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!
Vanessa
(About local )
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 )
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
Emily
(About local )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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 )
27 April 2025
Tolle Führung durch Old Dubai
beschwitz
(About local )
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 )
22 April 2025
Ikram was the perfect guide and we would book Ikram again.Perfect tour
Sandra🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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 👌👍
Priti
(About local )
29 March 2025
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 )
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 )
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 )
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
Kang Chi
(About local )
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
Yoon
(About local )
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 )
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 )
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 )
14 February 2025
Ina
(About local )
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 )
8 February 2025
Het was top!
Natascha🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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
Dhanashree
(About local )
30 January 2025
My husband and I had a lovely experience with Sandy. We had great food and soo much food we were stuffed. My husband is vegetarian and his dietary needs were met at all spots. Sandy was very knowledgeable about the culture and history of Dubai which made the tour very interesting. I would highly recommend making this a part of your Duabi trip. Amazing Adventure
Lila
(About local )
28 January 2025
I had an awesome time exploring Dubai's old
quarter with Ikram as my guide!
He's seriously passionate about what he does
-you can feel it in every story he tells and
every spot he points out. His explanations
really brought the history and culture tolife.
Plus, he's super chill and goes with the flow,
making sure everyone's having a great time,
Thanks to Ikram, I'm already planning my next
visit to explore even more. Big shoutout to him
for making the tour unforgettable! I highly,
highly recommend his tours to anyone looking
for an amazing Dubai experience!Go ahead with your eyes closed !
Laura
(About local )
26 January 2025
Mansoor Ali was a great tour guide-friendly-courteous-and informative! He took us to the Historical sites and helped to get us a good price for our jewelry!Old Town tour of Dubai
minna
(About local )
26 January 2025
Mansoor Ali was our guide and he took us to the most amazing places to eat, we experienced authentic and local foods that we would otherwise never found on our own. He navigated us through the markets and informed us on what should be the right prices. Food again was amazing!! I recommend highly.Hidden gems - great food
Mohammad
(About local )
21 January 2025
Fawad was an excellent tour guide
Thank you to Fawad for being an excellent tour guide on our trip to Sharjah. Fawad was very kind, patient and helpful. He explained and told us about Sharjah's history and heritage which was super interesting. We visited the Cultural Square / Quran Roundabout, Sharjah museum of Islamic Civilisation, Bait Al Naboodah, King Faisal Masjid, Blue Souk and Souk Al Jubail- all of which were really nice to visit.Fawad was an excellent tour guide
Sheila
(About local )
17 January 2025
This was such an interesting and informative
tour. Ikram answered all sorts of questions
in addition to his clear explanations, to help
us understand dubai and its history. It was
relaxed and enjoyable. He gave us tips on all
sorts of products and we did not get hassled
walking with him. Crossing on the abra Was
fun, and then we learnt about spices. I had
hoped walking with a local would give us
some insights. It did!We would absolutely recommend ikram's tour
Dakota
(About local )
14 January 2025
This food tour was exactly what we were looking for, our guide Mansoor Ali was knowledgeable and fun... he was easy to talk to and brought us to all his favorite spots - we had an amazing time.... I would recommend it for anyone coming to Dubai :-)Great food tour!!!
REYES
(About local )
13 January 2025
Everything was great, we had Fawad Faisal as our guide
who gave us all the necessary details for our visit, the time
to take pictures was perfect and he was very attentive to
our group, I recommend him!Everything was great , we had fawad faisal as our guide
Ivy
(About local )
8 January 2025
Fawad is very knowledgeable, down to earth , friendly and easy to talk to. He understand all customer's concern and attend to their need as soon as they need. Would definitely recommend others to hire him as the local guide if ever come to Dubai.Fawad is very knowledgeable
Maciej
(About local )
8 January 2025
Smooth ride on all the top places, tour guide
will answee all your questions (shout out to
Ikram). Overall great experience,Excelent tour
Withlocals experiences
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Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.