Old Dubai: what is here and what it costs
Old Dubai is the cheapest district in the city and the worst documented. Crossing the creek costs AED 1, cash only. The four famous souks publish no opening hours at all — not from the Municipality that owns the ground they stand on, not from anyone. And the district’s flagship museum has been deleted from its custodian’s website and replaced with the words “Coming Soon”. This page is what is actually published.
Where the information simply is not
Every other district on this site has operators who publish. Old Dubai mostly does not, and the gap is not evenly spread. Hours: no authority publishes them for the Gold, Spice, Textile or Perfume souks, so every timetable you will find for them is unsourced. Museums: Al Shindagha’s own page still prints AED 15 for a ticket that costs AED 50, and Saruq Al Hadid and Dubai Museum no longer have official pages at all.
What is published here is unusually good value. The abra is AED 1. The ferry from Al Ghubaiba is AED 25. The Coffee Museum is free. Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood states no charge. You can spend a full day in the oldest part of Dubai for less than one Downtown attraction ticket.
One caution on the water, because it catches people out: the AED 1 crossing and the AED 60 to 75 sightseeing abra are the same boats on the same creek, sold under different labels, and RTA publishes both without ever putting them side by side.
What is in Old Dubai
6 venues on this site sit in Old Dubai: 2 restaurants · 2 museums · 1 attraction · 1 venue. Every one carries the date its details were last checked against the operator’s own source.
Eat and drink (2)
- Al Fanar Restaurant & CaféEmirati · Dubai Festival City Mall · 09:00–21:00 daily
- Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Cafe, Al FahidiEmirati · Al Fahidi, Bur Dubai · open 07:00–23:00 daily
Attractions (1)
Museums (2)
Other venues (1)
Getting there
No venue in Old Dubai names a metro station within walking distance. That is not an oversight in our data — it is the district. A taxi is the practical option: street hail starts at AED 5, an app booking at AED 9 to 13, plus any Salik gate on the way.
What a ticket costs here
| Attraction | What it buys | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Museum of Illusions Dubai | Adult ticket (16+) | AED 90 |
| Museum of Candy Dubai | Standard adult ticket (age 10+) | AED 119 |
More in Areas
Common questions
What is Old Dubai?
Deira, Bur Dubai, Al Fahidi and the creek between them — the historic core, and the cheapest district in the city. It is also the worst documented: most of what is here publishes no hours at all.
How much does it cost to cross Dubai Creek?
AED 1 on a traditional abra, cash only — a nol card will not pay for it. The sightseeing abra on the same water is AED 60 to 75, which is the same boats under a different label.
What time do the Deira souks open?
Nobody publishes it. Not Dubai Municipality, which owns the ground they stand on. Every timetable in circulation for the Gold, Spice, Textile or Perfume souks is unsourced.
Is Dubai Museum open?
Its custodian's page for it now contains two words, “Coming Soon”. It has been removed from the official museums list and the heritage sites list, and a reopening target of the first half of 2026 has passed with nothing published.
Can you spend a cheap day in Dubai?
In Old Dubai, yes, and it is the only district where that is true. The abra is AED 1, the Coffee Museum is free, Al Fahidi states no charge, and the ferry from Al Ghubaiba is AED 25 — a full day for less than one Downtown ticket.
Is Old Dubai on the metro?
Better served than most of the city. Al Ghubaiba, Al Fahidi, Al Ras and Union all sit in or beside the district, which is unusual — the beach districts have no station within walking distance at all.