Dubai City Tour — Private, Half Day or Full Day
From $435 or 8 hours — you chooseTour
One private tour, two durations — about 5 hours or 8. Pickup anywhere in Dubai, including the airport: it works on a long layover or stopover. The half day covers Old Dubai — Al Fahidi, the Creek by abra, the Spice and Gold Souks and Downtown; the full day adds the coast at Jumeirah, the Palm and the Marina.
- Duration5 or 8 hours — you choose
- Tour typePrivate — only your group
- PickupWherever you are staying in Dubai
- CancellationFree up to 24 hours before
Your booking is ours
The itinerary and the price are set by us — nobody resells your booking.
You know your guide first
Name, photo and mobile number the evening before pickup.
No margin on a margin
A licensed local team we choose, held to our standards.
The day, hour by hour
09:00Pickup, anywhere in Dubai — at your chosen time
Hotel, airport, cruise terminal or private residence — we come to you, wherever you are in Dubai. You have your guide's name, photograph and mobile number the evening before. He drives you all day.
09:30Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
Forty-five minutes on foot in the wind-tower quarter: coral-and-gypsum houses, lanes two metres wide, courtyard galleries.
10:15Across the Creek by abra
Five minutes on the water in a wooden boat. One dirham each, paid in coins to the boatman — on us.
10:30The Spice Souk, then the Gold Souk
Saffron, dried lime and frankincense by the scoop, then the gold quarter. Your guide tells you the morning's gold rate before you walk in. We take no commission from any shop.
11:50Back across the Creek
The same crossing in the other direction — and the other light. Your car waits where you left it.
12:00A break, if you want one
On the Half Day, twenty minutes for karak and a snack. On the Full Day, a proper hour, sitting down — eight hours is too long to run on snacks. Either way your guide gives you the options and the choice is yours. Food and drink at your own cost; we take no commission from any restaurant, which is why we suggest rather than decide. The pace is never rushed.
12:40Jumeirah Mosque and Burj Al Arab
Photo stops along Jumeirah Beach Road: the city's most beautiful mosque and its most famous silhouette.
13:20Downtown Dubai
The base of the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall lake — timed so that, every day but Friday, you are on the lake promenade as the 13:30 fountain show begins. The daytime shows are shorter and simpler than the evening spectacle, and we say so plainly. Starting at 10:00? The afternoon shows fall before you arrive — we will tell you when you book.
14:10The Half Day ends here
The Dubai Mall, or back at your hotel — your choice, decided on the day.
- The Full Day continues
14:20Museum of the Future
Ten minutes on Sheikh Zayed Road. A photograph from outside — the calligraphy across that facade is real Arabic poetry, and your guide will read it to you.
14:50Souk Madinat Jumeirah
Thirty minutes on foot. The classic view of the Burj Al Arab across the souk's waterway — different from the road, and free to walk.
15:35Palm Jumeirah
Twenty minutes. The drive out along the trunk, and the Atlantis frontage from outside.
16:10Dubai Marina and JBR
Thirty-five minutes on the promenade, where the day ends by the water. If you are staying in Deira, Bur Dubai or near the airport, the drive back adds thirty to forty minutes — included, and we would rather you knew.
17:00Full Day drop-off
Your hotel, or stay on at JBR — your choice.
The route, drawn plainly
What to bring
- Comfortable closed shoes — about two hours of walking on the half day, three on the full, all of it flat
- Shoulders and knees covered for the mosque stop, men and women equally; no headscarf needed
- Tell us at booking if anyone has limited mobility and we will re-cut the route
What your price includes
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle — yours alone
- One licensed driver-guide, start to finish
- Pickup and drop-off anywhere in Dubai — hotel, airport or residence
- Both abra crossings of the Creek
- Unlimited bottled water
- Fuel, parking and Salik tolls
- Child seats, free, on request
Not included
- Attraction tickets
- Meals and drinks beyond the water we carry
- Jumeirah Mosque interior visit — bookable separately, AED 45
- Anything you buy in the souks
- Tips — never expected, always welcome
Questions people actually ask
Is this really private?
Yes. The vehicle and the guide are yours alone. We do not sell seats on this tour at any price.
Half day or full day — which should I book?
The half day covers Old Dubai and Downtown in about five hours. The full day adds the coast — Jumeirah, the Burj Al Arab, the Palm and the Marina. If it is your first day in Dubai and you are jet-lagged, take the half day; the city will still be there tomorrow.
We have a long layover in Dubai — can we do this?
Yes, and the half day is the one that fits. As a rough guide, we would not attempt it on less than a seven-hour connection once you allow for immigration, the drive each way and getting back with time to spare — and if yours is tighter than that, we will tell you so rather than take the booking. Your luggage stays with you in the car. Whether you can leave the airport at all depends on your passport and your airline, which is yours to check before you book — we cannot arrange entry for you.
Can we add the Burj Khalifa?
Yes — we sell the ticket separately, at exactly what it costs, with no fee added. Tell us when you book and your guide walks you to the entrance. We keep it off this page because the slot price changes through the day and we would rather quote you the real one.
Will we see the Dubai Fountain?
Afternoon shows run at 1:00 and 1:30 pm (2:00 and 2:30 pm on Fridays), and evenings every thirty minutes from 6 to 11 pm. A standard morning start catches the 13:30 show on either duration; Fridays end at the 6pm show — the full spectacle, and we will tell you honestly: the evening version is better.
What hours do the souks keep?
About 10am to 10pm every day but Friday, when they trade from 4pm. Many shops also close between 1pm and 4pm. This is why the day is shaped the way it is — and why the Friday Full Day runs backwards, and the Friday Half Day starts in the afternoon.
Is the Gold Souk a tourist trap?
No — it is a working wholesale market. The gold rate is the same in every shop; only the making charge varies, and your guide tells you the morning's rate before you walk in. We take no commission from any shop.
Can we go inside the Atlantis?
No. Only hotel guests are admitted, and there is security at every entrance. We photograph it from outside — and we would rather tell you now than at the gate.
What if our flight is late, or plans change?
Tell us and we move the start — no charge on the same day. Cancel up to 24 hours before pickup for a full refund, no questions asked.
Who actually runs this tour?
Your booking and your itinerary are ours. The tour is delivered by our hand-picked, licensed local team working to our standards — and you have your guide's name, photo and mobile number the evening before. Nobody re-sells your booking and nobody adds a margin on top of ours.
