Dubai is a city of head-spinning growth and modernity – where skyscrapers, marinas and islands have risen from the sands in just a few decades, and entire industries and communities have been formed. But still today, there’s the chance to explore the origins of the great city in Old Dubai, a small area clinging to the banks of Dubai Creek, which transports visitors to a simpler time. Dubai Old City comprising the districts of Al Seef and Al Fahadi, and today is affectionately known as Old Dubai. This maze of heritage streets gives visitors a glimpse into how life was like before Dubai’s meteoric boom, with alleyways hiding coffee shops, museums, stores and more – in fact, Dubai Old City is the perfect place to purchase souvenirs, enjoy Arabic coffee, traditional cuisine or simply take in the authentic, peaceful side of the city on the shores of the Creek – away from the bustle of Downtown and its vibrant districts.

What to see in Dubai Old City

Al Fahadi and Al Seef

Your journey in Dubai Old Town can start from a number of points, but for an authentic first look at the past, begin in Al Fahidi, a a historical neighbourhood that dates back to the 18th century and a maze of dusty lanes with sand-hued Arabesque buildings. The district first emerged back in 1787 with the construction of the AL Fahadi Fort, and today, the former royal residence houses the Dubai Museum with its pearl-diving exhibits. The Al Fahadi Fort is the oldest existing building in Dubai, and from it, it’s a short walk to the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, with its old photos, the Heritage and Diving Villages with their replica mud hits and crafts displays, and the Textile Souk – perfect for shopping for pashminas and souvenirs.

Wandering Al Fahadi is delightful in itself, and on your walk, you’ll wander past coffee shops (including an incongruous Starbucks) and museums like the Bayt Al Khanyar Museum, also known as the Dagger Museum and pay homage to the rulers of the UAE’s with their traditional khanyar. Dubains love coffee, so it’s natural. There’s a Coffee Museum – an ode to the time-honoured beverage with antiques and heritage items like coffee grinders used in the First World War and from an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, including coffee books. There’s also a coin museum and XVA Gallery, which have rotating rosters of art exhibitions.

Keep heading east, and you’ll reach the historical leisure destination of Al Seef – a collection of restaurants, shops, and attractions – like the quirky Museum of Illusions. Hidden in old-world buildings are plenty of shiny new stores and brands, perfectly embodying Dubai’s mix of old and new. The district also often puts on live music displays alongside Ramadan fireworks.

Spice and Gold Souk

With Al Fahadi and AL Seef right on the riverside, carry on your journey by crossing the Creek itself – where you can jump aboard a traditional abra boat for just AED1 ($0.27), AED2 ($0.54) for an air-conditioned cabin or your own private boat for around AED50 – perfect for groups. Abras usually seat around 20 people on two wooden benches and offer an authentic look into the past, and present lives of everyday people int he emirate. Disembarking the abra, you’re a short walk from the Spice Souk, a fragrant maze of lanes where shopfronts are stacked high with colourful herbs, spices and powders, and you can snap up pretty much anything you desire. The souk also sells fragrances and incense like traditional oud – an excellent gift or fragrance for the home.

No visit to Dubai Old Town is complete without a trip to the Gold Souk, one of the city’s oldest trading spots, built in the early 1900s and growing as the city progressed – particularly following the oil boom of the Seventies. The souk has dozens of vendors offering gold at great prices – alongside gemstones, rare metals, and jewellery. Shoppers can haggle, and rest assured that all items for sale have been authenticated by the Dubai government and are of the utmost quality.

Where to stay in Dubai Old City

XVA Art Hotel

A fusion of history, art and heritage, the XVA Art Hotel is worlds away from Dubai’s typical ultra-modern hotel design aesthetic. This 14-room boutique hotel is the baby of owner Mona Hauser, who’s created an authentic hangout loved by creatives in the former home of Dubai’s Seddiqi family. Rooms are Periusina-inspired and individually themed, with wood-beamed ceilings, white walls adorned with art and stone floors. Public spaces transport you to Dubai of times gone by, albeit more glamorous, with a shaded courtyard, Middle Eastern restaurants and indoor/outdoor galleries with works by Middle Eastern artists. Book one of its charming rooms or come for a coffee. The hotel doesn’t serve alcohol, but the zingy homemade lemonade in the courtyard is delightful.

Arabian Boutique Hotel

Arabian Boutique Hotel is a new addition to Dubai Old Town’s hotel scene, a 20-room property on the shores of Dubai Creek from the family behind Dubai’s much-loved Arabian Tea House cafes. Emulating the feeling of Morocco and Europe and showcasing Emirati heritage and culture simultaneously, the Arabian Boutique Hotel transports guests back to Old Dubai while offering all the modern needs, air-conditioning, and fast Wi-Fi. The property sits in the historic residences of Thani bin Abdullah Al Rumaithi and Al Durwais in restored coral-stone buildings and offers rooms and suites with whitewashed walls, pops of dark wood, plus high beamed ceilings with draped chandeliers, antique furnishings and avant-garde bathtubs. Despite being a three-star hotel, there’s still room service throughout the day, and all rooms have mini-bars, hot and powerful showers (and bathtubs), biodegradable in-room amenities and robes and slippers. The hotel also has a lovely restaurant, Arabian Fish House, overlooking the promenade and Creek.

Al Seef Heritage Hotel Dubai, Curio Collection by Hilton,

For something quirky and affordable, Al Seef Heritage Hotel Dubai Curio Collection by Hilton is a fantastic option for a stay in Dubai Old Town. From the international hotel giant’s upscale brand, the deceptively large hotel spans 190 guest rooms over 10 traditional Arabian Bayts (homes) and wandering between the lanes to get to your room and back to the public spaces feels like living in a movie set. Rooms offer views of the Creek and combine traditional, bedouin-style design with contemporary amenities and flair. The hotel’s all-day dining restaurant, Sabaa, is an immersion into Middle Eastern cuisine with hearty, traditional fare in a cosy setting.

Where to eat in Dubai Old City

Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant

Visitors to Dubai Old Town will likely be looking for authentic Emirati cuisine, and the area is one of the best in the city to experience it. Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant, a charming restaurant near the waterside with an outdoor, tree-dotted courtyard, serves an extensive menu of authentic Emirati dishes. Everything is homemade, and there are live cooking stations, doubling as a cultural immersion as well as a restaurant with demonstrations of how to make regag (bread) and luqaimat (fried Middle Eastern doughnuts). Try the machboos (Emirati spiced rice) friend seafood and mixed grills, or book an Emirati breakfast culinary class where you can make your own balaleet (sweetened vermicelli served with egg) and khubz tannour (Arabic flatbread)

Al Bait Al Qadeem Restaurant and Cafe

Take a break from exploring the Dubai Gold Souk and dip into Al Bait Al Qadeem, which literally translates to ‘the old house’ in Arabic. As the name suggests, it’s a true immersion into the past, serving family recipes passed down through generations in an authentic, friendly setting with period architecture, little wooden tables, beamed ceilings and floors with thick Persian carpets. The menu is full of Middle Eastern delights, not just Emirati, and they do fantastic shawarma and street food-style dishes like the khubz – traditional pita bread stuffed with thinly sliced meats.

Arabian Tea House

Popular with Dubains as well as tourists, Arabian Tea House is a lovely cafe and courtyard famed for its piping hot Arabic coffee and sweet treats like delights like ferns (rose water rice pudding) and habeas (toasted flour sweet) to date cake. Other hero dishes include an Arabic stew known as Saloona and their own special house wrap made with roasted lamb. Guests will enjoy quaint interiors, like turquoise benches, lace curtains, rattan chairs, and thatched roofing.

Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

To enjoy a deep dive into Emirati cuisine and the cuisine of Dubai Old Town, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) is unmissable. The centre hosts a range of activities to get to know the local culture, and one way to do so is through the stomach. Visitors can enjoy five sittings of local meals – breakfast, lunch, brunch, Emirati fuala and dinner, starting from AED130 and lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes. The activity includes a cultural talk and dining in the authentic majlis. Children under seven eat for free, and during Ramadan, the centre hosts an iftar of Emirai speciality dishes, desserts and more and is open to all.

MAZMi Coffee & More

Lovely MAZMi stands out in the restaurants and cafes of Dubai Old Town thanks to its Mediterranean charm and Emirati-Italian fusion cuisine. The cafe sits right on the water, offering beautiful views over the Creek and the passing abra boats from its expansive terrace. The all-day restaurants and guest house are a hit for breakfast, serving pancakes, eggs, waffles and more with jams imported from farmers in Italy, while lunch and dinner are a melange of flavours. A standard for Dubai, the coffee is also great – offering everything from espressos to the trendy Spanish latte. Those lucky enough to secure a booking can also check into the lovely little bed and breakfast above the cafe, MAZMi Casa, offering just three rooms and serving their famous breakfast, directly to your bed.

Getting to Dubai Old Town

Dubai Old Town is not a defined area; rather, the district encompasses the districts of Al Seef and Al Fahadi, hugging the shores of Dubai Creek. Each of these districts has plenty of parking options and is easy to get to via taxi or even Dubai’s public transport system (the nearest metro is Burjuman Metro Station—a 10-minute walk away).

Sign up for the latest travel news, reviews, inspiration and so much more from the Middle East and beyond straight to your inbox.