• Private Tour
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Want to know how Dubai transformed from a desert to a global destination city? Or how Dubai used to look? I know all the answers and more! Join me on a private tour to discover the origins of Dubai as we explore the Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood. Visit the souks, and enjoy an abra ride!

Destination

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Category

Art Culture Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Hindi

Included

• Entrance tickets
• Private guide
• Dates Tasting
• Boat Ride

Excluded

• Pickup / drop off

What you can expect

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 Kasim.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Arabian Tea House Restaurant and Café - 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. Discover Old Dubai

   Discover traditional life during the mid-19th century at Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood while experiencing what life was like within these same streets

4. Coffee Museum

   Discover different regional styles of coffee, such as local Arabic style, Ethiopian style, Egyptian style & more

5. Textile Souk

   Wander through the Old Textile Souk in Dubai's historic Bur Dubai neighborhood

6. Boat Ride

   Time to ride the traditional boat "abra" to cross the creek to reach our next stop

7. Spice Souk

   Smell a variety of fragrances and spices from frankincense and shisha to the many herbs used in Arabic and South Asian food

8. Gold Souk

   Your trip isn't complete without visiting the famous Gold Souk, one of the oldest and most fascinating traditional markets in the Emirates

9. 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.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

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

Naomi🇬🇧 United Kingdom

11 March 2023

We had a very interesting morning with Michael, who stepped in for Kassim. Michael was iinformed and and interesting explaining the history and background of old and new Dubai. He also helped us negotiate to buy some very classy saffron at a much cheaper price, and it would have been in England. A walk round old Dubai

Manpreet🇬🇧 United Kingdom

12 December 2022

We were with Melvin who has been in Dubai since 2002 so his history and knowledge was fantastic. The experience was great, was’t rushed and we went around some great places learning a lot along the way. The souk markets are great. Highly recommend.Amazing Experience of Old Dubai

armand🇧🇪 Belgium

15 March 2022

Kasim is a very friendly guy with family roots and business experience in Dubai. Hence he provides you with not only touristic/historical information but what’s much more important to us with life style, habits, traditions, way of living info After that excellent tour we understand the city and the country a bit better. Excellent guide with intimate knowledge of Dubai

Susan🇨🇦 Canada

2 March 2022

Kasim was not able to do the tour so rather than cancel he was able to send Zeba. She packed in the history of old Dubai in an entertaining story, that brought the people and their culture alive. She shared hidden treasues and treats in the souq. Thanks to Zeba for a delightful day. Highly recommend this tour. Delihtful Day with Zeba

Josh🇦🇺 Australia

10 February 2022

We had a great time seeing Old Dubai. So much emphasis is put on seeing the new parts of Dubai, but seeing the history of Dubai and where it has come from is fascinating. Great walking tour, we did it with a pram and 1 year old. Sunset is the best time to do it. Must do whilst in Dubai

Simon🇬🇧 United Kingdom

16 November 2021

Karin could not make the tour so Manish was the guide. What a nice man, very knowledgeable and friendly made the very tour very enjoyable.Great tour

Suzie🇬🇧 United Kingdom

28 October 2021

I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is looking for an exciting and engaging way to experience old Dubai; the souks - fabric, spice and gold and to taste the local foods. Yes, Dubai is so completely safe that you can easily do a self guided tour but the historical knowledge, local knowledge and presence that Zeba have, made this really special - we were able to relax and enjoy the experience rather than navigate our way whilst imparting information from a guide book. We're a professional couple from the UK with two children (11 & 13). Having explored "new" Dubai, trips up the Burj Khalifa etc we felt it was really important to understand more about the history of Dubai but in a way that would engage a tween and teen. Our two and a half hour tour went from the Arabian Teahouse, through the alleys of the original town where we went inside one of the houses - to the souks with the hustle and bustle, the sights and the scents - to a local restaurant on the river where we tried fresh local delicacies. We then took a private Abra across the river and walked through the colourful spice souks and gold souk.Tour of old Dubai

Georgine🇺🇸 United States

23 February 2020

We travel a lot and have been on many private tours and we cannot say enough good things about Kasim and the tour. We first had a little problem finding him (because uber took us to the wrong location) but Kasim was patient and waited for us. Even though we started late he gave us a great tour. He is Emirate and the pride and passion he has for his culture and country showed throughout the entire tour. We had our 10 year old son with us. Kasim had him so entertained that our son didn’t look at his phone once! Also he said that was his favorite tour (which is a big statement from a 10 year old). We did this tour on our first day in Dubai, also our first visit. I highly recommend you start with this tour and guide because that sets you up with a great deal of knowledge for the rest of your trip. You’ll learn about Dubai history, experience the old city, museums, take a boat ride and see the souks, but really the best part is the history. At the end we tasted a bunch of delicacies and spices and even had a little time for shopping. Kasim loves to cook (and so do I) and learning about how to use these spices was my favorite part! Thank you Kasim.Wonderful tour and guide!

Tanya🇦🇹 Austria

6 November 2019

Myself and my partner decided to do a tour with Kasim on our last evening in Dubai! And to be honest our one regret is not doing it on our first day. Kasim is wonderful, he made us feel so comfortable in the city and makes the tour so personal! It's not like other tours, Kasim brings the personal touch and shares his personal experiences of the old Dubai! If he hasn't experienced it, then close friends or relatives of his have experienced it and he shares an abundance of knowledge and a wealth of culture about Dubai! He told us all about the Islam religion because religion is an interesting topic for me and was open to an abundance of questions from us both. My partner asked questions at the start and Kasim answered them but also took us to the places so we could see the answers with our own eyes. He then got us some local snacks by the souks and brought us to try teas, dates, spices, camel milk chocolate!!! Just everything, it was by far the best thing we did in Dubai and Kasim is a tour guide who does not disappoint!! Don't hesitate to book with him and a tip from me do it on your first day... It is an eye opener to the old Dubai and you get to see the amazing history and culture!! And he gives so many good tips to benefit your stay!!! Thanks Kasim we are still talking about our trip and will definitely be back for your foodie tour if we are in Dubai again! All the best 😊A must in dubai!!

Ash🇦🇺 Australia

7 October 2019

Coming into Dubai, with very low expectations and limited knowledge of Dubai. After the day with Kasim, I can whole heartily say that I left with a strong cultural appreciation for Dubai and a soft spot in my heart to return. Kasim was very flexible with the tour and communicating frequently prior to our arrival into Dubai with assistance to any other tours or with any help. He was very attentive to our needs and wants and was even able to share info for other experiences we should try whilst in Dubai. He has extensive knowledge of the area, people and the history alongside it which you'll pick up within the first 20 minutes with him. Within his attitude you are able to notice immediately that he has a desire to share his knowledge of the city and the beauties of it. Alongside Kasim, you can probably spend an entire day in Old Dubai, because there is so much to learn and see and you wouldn't know unless you were a local! There is other tours available online that have similar things to what we did, but there is a big difference to the knowledge you gain alongside Kasim. The tour itself with the places we visited and things we saw probably best to start earlier to beat the heat, but also the other tours available just did not cater to what we needed, and this tour was just right! Thank you Kasim for going over and beyond! Definitely will be back to Dubai so you can show us the rest of the beautiful city! Mr. Street Smart he is indeed!

Wenda🇱🇺 Luxembourg

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

Shanay🇺🇸 United States

20 December 2024

We had Melwyn as our guide and it was an amazing experience. He was very knowledgeable about the city and surrounding areas so we learned a lot along with some delicious food. We’ve done food tours in many countries and this one was among one of the best . Great food tour

Alison🇨🇦 Canada

9 December 2024

Kasim was not available so Melwyn showed us around. It was a really interesting and yummy tour. In addition to trying some delicious food, and telling us about the history of Dubai, we got an in depth understanding of life as an immigrant to this crazy city. He’s certainly not a newcomer, having been here for more than 20 years, but the gap between the Emiratis and all the others who make the economy and society run is very real. We ate traditional Lebanese in one of the oldest buildings in the city, chicken and shrimp by the water, and camel burgers in a family home turned restaurant. They were distinct experiences and getting from one to another was where the experience was. We had a limited time in Dubai and this was a terrific way to get a totally different experience of the city. Would highly recommend!Fascinating tour with Melwyn

anthony🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

30 November 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed the tour itself (hidden gems), but having gone to the trouble of viewing all the tour guide options, selecting Kasim, it was Zeba who turned up. What’s the point of choosing? Second, I thought the booking process was laborious. I didn’t want to pay in euros so spent an hour re figuring my settings. I even messaged Kasim to say I didn’t want to pay in euros, but got no reply. Eventually I found the answer in the help area. Why not make it obvious that euros are the only acceptable payment? I probably wasted an hour and a half. We have used With Locals twice before and awarded 10/10. Next time, if there was an alternative provider, we would probably select that for our city guide. Tour good but admin poor.

Florian🇩🇪 Germany

15 May 2024

We have booked a foodtour in the old part of Dubai with Kasim which was then led by Melwyn. Being very friendly and open-minded, gave us interesting insights into traditional food and cultural aspects of the country. We quickly got into a lively exchange with him. The food locations were very well selected and covered the Arabian cousine. The tour was anything but hurried and Melwyn even dropped us off at the metro station after the end of the tour. Overall, a fully recommended tour with Melwyn!Exzellent foodtour in Dubai with Melwyn

Florian🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

15 January 2024

Manish was spontaneously our guide and we had a very nice tour with good food, interesting places and lots of interesting facts about Dubai! Absolutely recommended!Excelent Tour with Manish

Ellen🇳🇱 Netherlands

5 January 2024

We have had a very nice tour with Kasim, who took us to many lovely places with great food. He took the time to show us the city, and was willing to go the extra mile for us. Very friendly and knowledgable guide

Kristy🇺🇸 United States

15 November 2023

Recommend doing this tour as your second day, as the first should be the old town. Drive to all the key new sites stopping for pictures and key information. Melwyn was knowledgeable of everything about the cityAnother great tour in Dubai

Kristy🇺🇸 United States

14 November 2023

We spent a full day seeing and experiencing old town including a tasting tour. It is customizable based on your needs and your pace. You can see all the key attractions in a half day old town Full day in Dubai

Solene

6 November 2023

We really enjoyed the tour, learned new things and discovered a different face of Dubai. Thank you! Amazing Experience

Chris🇨🇭 Switzerland

18 May 2023

We had the tour with Melwyn instead of Kasim. Melwyn is very knowledgable about the city, its history, food and culture. We learned a lot — not just about the delicious bites Dubai has to offer but also about the city we would be staying in. we learned about the classics, about the spices, the cultural influence that have flowed into the region… he also managed to improvise well as the camel meat place closed early. We found Melwyn to be a smart, knowledgeable, kind and helpful guide and would book him again 100% when we return — or maybe again later during this stay. Also: You will not go home hungry on this tour. We didn’t manage to finish the food and had it packed up for take-away.Great tour with Melwyn

Michelle🇦🇺 Australia

1 May 2023

We didn’t actually have Kasim, as he was sick, but Michael jumped in at the last minute. The whole experience was brilliant from the start to the end. Michael was exceptionally knowledgeable on every aspect of Dubai, UAE, history and of course local food. The tour was extremely well organised and we learnt a lot and ate a lot! Absolutely loved it and we would highly recommend Michael and the tour.What a great tour!

Sascha E.🇩🇪 Germany

5 February 2023

CHARLENE🇺🇸 United States

22 August 2022

Our original guide got sick at the last minute so my husband and I got paired up with another guide. He was very informative and we ate some delicious food. We got to see another part of the city which was awesome and got to see the beautiful skyline of Dubai as well. Food tour in Dubai

Zach🇺🇸 United States

7 July 2022

We combined the Hidden Gems with Food Tour. Great way to experience the Old Dubai and get a feel for the history, culture, and food. Our guide Zeba was fantastic.Great Experience into Old Dubai

fz42mmmrk5🇳🇱 Netherlands

7 May 2022

Fantastische tour gehad door “oud Dubai”. Lucy is een super leuke gids die je echt van alles vertelt. Niet alleen over Dubai maar gewoon alle informatie die ze met je wil delen. Hebben echt genoten van de mooie plekjes die ze ons heeft laten zien. Een aanrader!!!Great tour with Lucy instead of Kasim

Pernille🇩🇰 Denmark

21 April 2022

We had a great tour of Dubai with Kasim. He is a very observant person and wants his guests to get the best from the city that he loves so much. We all enjoyed the tour and we can only recommend him as a great guide to Dubai.Great day in Dubai

Gordon🇺🇸 United States

8 March 2022

This was such a great way to experience some of the local wonders of Dubai beyond the flashy skyscrapers and beaches. Each course of food was delicious and had me filled to the brim by the end. We asked thousands of questions and got very helpful information along the way. The team made it seamless from beginning to end, allowing us to visit many locations and travel across the various Souks effortlessly. A must for anyone looking to learn more about the history and local culture of Dubai!One of the highlights of an amazing trip!

Juergen🇩🇪 Germany

6 March 2022

Instead of Kasim we met Melwyn, who informed us about Kasim being unavailable. This tour is a definite must for all lovers of local food, who do not like groups. Melwyn did a great job all along the way incl. private Abra-charter and organizing a local taxi for us to bring us back to our hotel. Very much recommended!!

Bruno🇫🇷 France

28 January 2022

Une visite pas comme les autres en effet d'abord parceque Kasim étant souffrant le jour de notre visite n'a pas pu assurer le tour. Nous avons eu un appel d'un autre guide qui a pu nous prendre en charge deux jours plus tard, à notre demande. C'est donc Melwyn qui nous a pris en charge, avec bonne humeur et à notre écoute pour nous partager son savoir mais également les détails du quotidien qui permettent de mieux appréhender la vie à Dubai, et pas uniquement pour le plus clinquant. Une visite un peu plus longue que prévue car Melwyn a pris sont temps avec nous et nous à permis de profiter pleinement de cette visite personnalisée. Et merci pour les conseils de restaurants, nous avons pu manger local à prix raisonnable et avec un repas traditionnel de qualité.Une visite pas comme les autres

Thomas🇩🇪 Germany

20 November 2021

I've done the Dubai tour with Manisch. What I can I say. Perfectly organized, good locations and great food. I liked having Manisch guide me yo great spots. Manisch is a nice guy, great guide and it's always fun being with him on a tour.Great Food Tour

Allison🇺🇸 United States

11 October 2021

Our tour was perfect! We saw so many wonderful parts of the city and ate amazing food. My advice is don't fill up at the first stop because there are so many wonderful treats coming later in the tour. Our guide worked with our schedule and the restaurants as we were a little late due to traffic - he made sure we got to taste everything before the restaurants closed. BRAVO! This tour is great!Come hungry! This is amazing!

Jan🇩🇪 Germany

8 March 2021

Amazing opportunity to get to know the hidden parts of the city! thank you!! Outstanding tour and Job! Would do it again!Best Tour ever!

Jan🇩🇪 Germany

8 March 2021

Honestly everything we could have hoped for! Amazing! Thank you so much for doing such an outstanding job! Can highly recommend Kasim! Amazing!!

Vince🇨🇦 Canada

29 January 2021

Kasim is easy to get along with and very informative on cultural topics. We had a great time walking the souk’s with him and sampling the local food along the way. Highly recommend a tour with him! Great tour very informative

Luc🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

4 January 2021

Kasim is the guide you need in Dubai. His way of presenting and explaining is just what you need to get more to know about Dubai and the related attractions, history and culture. To be recommended!Absolutely fantastic experience

Michèle🇲🇪 Montenegro

23 December 2020

We had a great afternoon with Kasim. He is extremely knowledgable and passionate about food, and we learnt a lot about the area, and the local food. All the food we tried was yummy, but especially the shawma, one of th3 best we have ever had. Would definitely recommend this tour and Kasim.Great afternoon!

Morio🇺🇸 United States

17 December 2020

Kasim gives a 5 star tour. He’s Very knowledgeable of the history of Dubai. I can tell he’s very passionate about his country. Using a local guide like Kasim is the way to go.Five Star for Kasim

Ste🇬🇧 United Kingdom

14 March 2020

So as newly weds on our honeymoon in Dubai for 3 days, we wanted to cram as much in as possible. One thing I suggested was to take a tour of Dubai and get to know the history and culture of this amazing city and with our incredible tour guide Kasim it did not disappoint. Kasim was extremely knowledgeable and perfectly executed our personal tour exactly how we wanted it. We got a really good insight into Dubai’s culture and history through visiting various parts of the city such as the local markets and trying different foods and flavours whilst learning all about Dubai through Kasim. For anyone who wants this kind of experience, I highly recommend this and with Kasim as the guide. Brilliant Amazing experience, highly recommend

gregory🇬🇧 United Kingdom

10 March 2020

Kasim was friendly, very knowledgable flexible. A good tripExcellent experience

Barbara🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

3 March 2020

My friends and I very much enjoyed our private tour through old Dubai with Kasim. He was super friendly, funny and had a great knowledge about the history and traditions of Dubai. One could really sense that Kasim loves being a guide and wanted us to have the best experience possible. He was happy to answer any questions and he gave us a lot of extra information (e.g. where to eat the best local food, etc.). After the tour he even sent me information I asked for via WhatsApp, which I appreciated a lot. Having a private, local guide is truly the best way to discover the city, we learned so much and I would highly recommend it to anyone! If you are looking for a entertaining, knowledgable and caring guide look no further then that - Kasim is your man!Great Experience!

Sam

18 February 2020

Kasim is the best

Dirk

15 February 2020

Hat viel Spaß gemacht die Tour mit Kasim zu machen. Super netter Guide und auch sehr infromativ. Kann ich nur weiterempfehlenSuper Guide

Gabi🇩🇪 Germany

14 February 2020

Schon bei der Buchung ließ uns Kasim wissen, dass die von uns gewählte Uhrzeit nicht optimal ist. Die Kommunikation und auch Tipps zur Anfahrt im Vorfeld waren super. Toll fanden wir, dass wir mit Kasim einen einheimischen Führer gefunden hatten, der uns sehr viel über die Geschichte und die Traditionen erzählen konnte. Er hat sich auch nicht starr an sein Programm gehalten, sondern ist auf unsere Wünsche eingegangen. Der Besuch der Souks mit ihm war sehr entspannt und angenehm, wir bekamen einige gute Tipps von ihm. Insgesamt eine sehr schöne individuelle Tour, die wir jederzeit empfehlen würden.Dubai Souks Tour

Miriam🇨🇭 Switzerland

18 December 2019

We thoroughly enjoyed meeting Kasim and having him as our guide . He is passionate about his city and the UAE and about everything related to its culture , religion and food. He took us through a historical journey that will immerse you in the culture of UAE and Dubai old city. He generously shared his religion traditions . He took the time to offer us a traditional Arabian coffee in the coffee museum. A must do tour in Dubai thanks Kasim The perfect Old Dubai City tour

Emma🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

10 December 2019

Hello, We did a traditional food tour with Kasim and it was a great experience. We learnt a lot about local food, walked around some interesting areas and even did some discounted shopping (thanks Kasim!) in the spice souq. As new residents, he also gave us lots of tips about other places to visit. Highly recommended! EmmaA wonderful experience!

bart jan🇳🇱 Netherlands

7 December 2019

Erg leuke rondleiding gehad weet veel van de stad. Ga NIET met hem naar de kruidenmarkt om te winkelen, voor een beetje thee en saffraan reken ze 2880 dirham, omgerekend zo’n €700,00. Confronteer je hem hierbij dan doet hij of zijn neus bloed. Kontant afgerekend in de veronderstelling dat de de € 80,00 die op credit card gereserveerd stond terug gestort zou worden. Bleek niet zo te zijn dus achteraf € 130,00 fooi gegeven. Ook hier kwam geen reactie op. Kortweg aardige gids met veel kennis maar let wet op je geld.Prima vent, ga niet met hem winkelen

Ute🇦🇹 Austria

30 November 2019

We had a really great and very interesting tour! Kasim told us a lot about the culture and history of Dubai and the UAE! Thanks a lot!!!great tour with Kasim!

Ju

3 November 2019

This is a must to do tour in Dubai. Its always good to be with a local of the city which gives the best experience. i truly enjoyed the tour. I have been on many food tours around the world but this was different as Kasim is very knowledgeable guide who will not only take you to some of the best hidden street food gems in the city, he will entertain you with stories, history, culture and also make you laugh. Every tasting was yummy make sure you come hungry. He has the passion of doing this. Kasim thank you for this World Class tour.5 star food experience in Dubai.

William

1 November 2019

My Food tour with Kasim was Fantastic. The food was very delicious. What an amazing experience of having 1st time in my life Camel milk gelato and camel meat burger you will love it, make sure you go hungry :) as there will be lots of food on the tour. I can definitely recommend taking the food tour of Kasim. also on the way you will learn so much about the History, culture, Religion. Go with Kasim you will love the experience!Best food experience in Dubai.